QO vs. Good Council or St. Andrews

[Anonymous]

DS has been in an independent school since k and will finish next year at 8th. Looking for feedback on QO as compared to Good Council and St. Andrews, or general feedback about QOHS.

DS is fairly athletic (football and wrestling) and academically performs well in school, particularly considering current school’s high expectations and difficult assignments (as compared to friends in local public middle school). DS struggles with ADD (inattentive), executive functioning and low self esteem issues despite athletic success. Debating about him attending QO as it would definitely make my life easier in terms of transport, finances, etc. Love the high energy school spirit of QO but also concerned about large class sizes and the potential for him to fall into a crowd that is “less academically serious.”

He somehow (lol) frequently finds himself in the middle of mischief but is also an amazingly kind kid with strong sense of personal values and ethics. (And as a former teacher, I feel I have a pretty good read on his particular behavior.)

Also considering St. John’s and Gonzaga.

Any feedback available would be much appreciated. TIA

*Also cross posting on MD public school forum.

[Anonymous]

Why not apply to the privates, see where he gets in, then decide. All are good schools.

[Anonymous]

What is QO?

[Anonymous]

You are asking folks to make a comparison of apples to oranges. You are also referencing schools where there is little overlap in terms of family communities. While an episcopal school, St. Andrew’s is not a parochial school such as the others you’ve mentioned. I really doubt too many folks look at it while also seriously considering parochial. Everything about St. Andrew’s is different - the teaching training and model, diverse community, etc. St. Andrew’s is priced like a private, not a parochial. It is certainly worth your consideration as it seems to only receive positive reviews here on DCUM and seems to be a school that would offer a student of your child’s profile a good learning and growing experience, but the only way to compare is to go, look, and make your own assessment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is QO?

Quince orchard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are asking folks to make a comparison of apples to oranges. You are also referencing schools where there is little overlap in terms of family communities. While an episcopal school, St. Andrew’s is not a parochial school such as the others you’ve mentioned. I really doubt too many folks look at it while also seriously considering parochial. Everything about St. Andrew’s is different - the teaching training and model, diverse community, etc. St. Andrew’s is priced like a private, not a parochial. It is certainly worth your consideration as it seems to only receive positive reviews here on DCUM and seems to be a school that would offer a student of your child’s profile a good learning and growing experience, but the only way to compare is to go, look, and make your own assessment.

Huh? If you are referring to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, it is NOT a parochial school. Not sure you understand the word. Do some research before you post like you know what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Gonzaga is the most academic of the schools you mentioned. I would have him shadow at the three independent schools and see what he likes. Then, as a prior PP mentioned see where he gets accepted before making any decisions.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, I know St. Andrew’s, MCPS and the local Catholics pretty well. I also have a son with a similar profile and understand how complicated the situation can be. If your son is happy, thriving, and you can afford it, I’d be tempted to keep him at St. Andrew’s, unless HE really wants to transfer out. Change can upset everything.

Bear in mind that college admissions will be stronger from QO because the grade inflation in MCPS and less rigorous classes will make it easier for him to rank highly and get an overinflated GPA. Although if he has not mastered turning in homework, that will be an issue no matter where he goes — one that could lower his grades. And many MCPS teachers are completely demoralized - read the threads in the MD public schools forum. Does he have neighborhood friends at QO?

Academically, socially, emotionally - everything at any of these schools will be a step down from St. Andrew’s. Since you say he gets into mischief, I’d avoid all boys schools, so that would disqualify Gonzaga.

Are you Catholic? The Catholic schools here are pretty insular. I’d check out Our Lady of Good Counsel carefully. Will they let him take advanced classes such as AP, or is there a restrictive gate on advanced classes such as at St. John’s? If he can get into Scholars at SJCHS, consider it. It is like a “school within a school” in many ways. To get in to Scholars, he will need to score in the 99th percentile to get into Scholars, and the HPST will require considerable prep, particularly for the English / grammar sections.

[Anonymous]

Posters frequently post about Bullis being the public school you pay for. That's what I think about Good Counsel. I live in the area and know a lot of parents who send their DCs to GC. They all just want a private school at a cheap price. They somehow think private is better than public for HS. They're not judging the school on the academics, environment, etc. Sherwood is a great public school. Blake, questionable, but still an option. And I do realize ppl commute a long distance to attend GC. I think it's just to have a private school and save money. And the girls in the stores around GC are so obnoxious and rude and always calling attention to themselves - "Look at me, I'm in private school". And for those doubters, my DCs attended private school, but a good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, I know St. Andrew’s, MCPS and the local Catholics pretty well. I also have a son with a similar profile and understand how complicated the situation can be. If your son is happy, thriving, and you can afford it, I’d be tempted to keep him at St. Andrew’s, unless HE really wants to transfer out. Change can upset everything.

Bear in mind that college admissions will be stronger from QO because the grade inflation in MCPS and less rigorous classes will make it easier for him to rank highly and get an overinflated GPA. Although if he has not mastered turning in homework, that will be an issue no matter where he goes — one that could lower his grades. And many MCPS teachers are completely demoralized - read the threads in the MD public schools forum. Does he have neighborhood friends at QO?

Academically, socially, emotionally - everything at any of these schools will be a step down from St. Andrew’s. Since you say he gets into mischief, I’d avoid all boys schools, so that would disqualify Gonzaga.

Are you Catholic? The Catholic schools here are pretty insular. I’d check out Our Lady of Good Counsel carefully. Will they let him take advanced classes such as AP, or is there a restrictive gate on advanced classes such as at St. John’s? If he can get into Scholars at SJCHS, consider it. It is like a “school within a school” in many ways. To get in to Scholars, he will need to score in the 99th percentile to get into Scholars, and the HPST will require considerable prep, particularly for the English / grammar sections.

You obviously know nothing about MCPS or college admissions.
MCPS/QO will have stronger college admissions because it's stronger academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are asking folks to make a comparison of apples to oranges. You are also referencing schools where there is little overlap in terms of family communities. While an episcopal school, St. Andrew’s is not a parochial school such as the others you’ve mentioned. I really doubt too many folks look at it while also seriously considering parochial. Everything about St. Andrew’s is different - the teaching training and model, diverse community, etc. St. Andrew’s is priced like a private, not a parochial. It is certainly worth your consideration as it seems to only receive positive reviews here on DCUM and seems to be a school that would offer a student of your child’s profile a good learning and growing experience, but the only way to compare is to go, look, and make your own assessment.

Huh? If you are referring to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, it is NOT a parochial school. Not sure you understand the word. Do some research before you post like you know what you are talking about.

That’s just misleading and splitting hairs. Only those within the catholic education community would say a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School isn’t a parochial school. To the rest of the world, including secular colleges, all the catholic schools are considered to be parochial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, I know St. Andrew’s, MCPS and the local Catholics pretty well. I also have a son with a similar profile and understand how complicated the situation can be. If your son is happy, thriving, and you can afford it, I’d be tempted to keep him at St. Andrew’s, unless HE really wants to transfer out. Change can upset everything.

Bear in mind that college admissions will be stronger from QO because the grade inflation in MCPS and less rigorous classes will make it easier for him to rank highly and get an overinflated GPA. Although if he has not mastered turning in homework, that will be an issue no matter where he goes — one that could lower his grades. And many MCPS teachers are completely demoralized - read the threads in the MD public schools forum. Does he have neighborhood friends at QO?

Academically, socially, emotionally - everything at any of these schools will be a step down from St. Andrew’s. Since you say he gets into mischief, I’d avoid all boys schools, so that would disqualify Gonzaga.

Are you Catholic? The Catholic schools here are pretty insular. I’d check out Our Lady of Good Counsel carefully. Will they let him take advanced classes such as AP, or is there a restrictive gate on advanced classes such as at St. John’s? If he can get into Scholars at SJCHS, consider it. It is like a “school within a school” in many ways. To get in to Scholars, he will need to score in the 99th percentile to get into Scholars, and the HPST will require considerable prep, particularly for the English / grammar sections.

You obviously know nothing about MCPS or college admissions.
MCPS/QO will have stronger college admissions because it's stronger academically.

MCPS is stronger academically than what, St. Andrew’s? That’s just not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are asking folks to make a comparison of apples to oranges. You are also referencing schools where there is little overlap in terms of family communities. While an episcopal school, St. Andrew’s is not a parochial school such as the others you’ve mentioned. I really doubt too many folks look at it while also seriously considering parochial. Everything about St. Andrew’s is different - the teaching training and model, diverse community, etc. St. Andrew’s is priced like a private, not a parochial. It is certainly worth your consideration as it seems to only receive positive reviews here on DCUM and seems to be a school that would offer a student of your child’s profile a good learning and growing experience, but the only way to compare is to go, look, and make your own assessment.

Huh? If you are referring to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, it is NOT a parochial school. Not sure you understand the word. Do some research before you post like you know what you are talking about.

That’s just misleading and splitting hairs. Only those within the catholic education community would say a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School isn’t a parochial school. To the rest of the world, including secular colleges, all the catholic schools are considered to be parochial.

New poster here. Parochial school most commonly refers to a school supported by an individual parish or SPECIFIC church not by an order or by THE Church. Also, the term is not even restricted to a Catholic schools. For instance an Episcopal parish school could be referred to as parochial.
And despite your assertion, yes, the rest of the world knows this. I’m not even Christian and I understand the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, I know St. Andrew’s, MCPS and the local Catholics pretty well. I also have a son with a similar profile and understand how complicated the situation can be. If your son is happy, thriving, and you can afford it, I’d be tempted to keep him at St. Andrew’s, unless HE really wants to transfer out. Change can upset everything.

Bear in mind that college admissions will be stronger from QO because the grade inflation in MCPS and less rigorous classes will make it easier for him to rank highly and get an overinflated GPA. Although if he has not mastered turning in homework, that will be an issue no matter where he goes — one that could lower his grades. And many MCPS teachers are completely demoralized - read the threads in the MD public schools forum. Does he have neighborhood friends at QO?

Academically, socially, emotionally - everything at any of these schools will be a step down from St. Andrew’s. Since you say he gets into mischief, I’d avoid all boys schools, so that would disqualify Gonzaga.

Are you Catholic? The Catholic schools here are pretty insular. I’d check out Our Lady of Good Counsel carefully. Will they let him take advanced classes such as AP, or is there a restrictive gate on advanced classes such as at St. John’s? If he can get into Scholars at SJCHS, consider it. It is like a “school within a school” in many ways. To get in to Scholars, he will need to score in the 99th percentile to get into Scholars, and the HPST will require considerable prep, particularly for the English / grammar sections.

You obviously know nothing about MCPS or college admissions.
MCPS/QO will have stronger college admissions because it's stronger academically.

Not sure what reality you are living in. This is a blanket statement that is just ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you looked at the Ryken program at Good Counsel at all? I know someone who applied this year (unfortunately did not get in), and he has some of the same characteristics as how you describe your son (ADD and executive functioning issues). I talked to this boy's mom a lot, and she was super impressed with the program and really thought it sounded like a great fit for students who need extra support.

Regarding St. Andrews, we looked at it for DD and were very impressed.

I think both schools are worth looking at, although St. Andrews won't have the same range of athletic options as QO or GC.