Bishop McNamara

[Anonymous]

Bishop McNamara - local favorite or truly a outstanding school?

Not trying to stir up 'controversy', just a sincere question.
I moved here recently and note that many families seem to strive for Bishop McNamara for High School.
I reviewed the stats and college acceptances, and though it seems 'fine', I cannot seem to find what I must be missing given how folks' eyes dilate when talking about the school.

Is it because perhaps he or she has no other private school to compare it locally?
Is it because the graduates are offered merit scholarships to [same set of 8] schools year after year consistently?
Is it that it has been a solid place in the community for so long?
Where do most kids who attend BM live? DC? Upper Marlboro? Capitol Heights?
Is there a 'feeder' to BM? What grade schools do they usually come from?

What am I missing?
It would be extremely convenient given how close it is, but I do not see how it compares to SJC, Landon, Bullis, Episcopal, Gonzaga, Burke, etc.

HELP!

[Anonymous]

Ummm...have you looked at the difference in tuition between BM and many of the schools you listed?

[Anonymous]

I think it is a solid, local favorite and even with the price tag I know families who went to $30K K-8 who choose BM for High School. I would apply to it for my DS as a safety school when we reach HS application time. I think there has been some recent investment in the school as well. I don't think it would compare to the DC Independents you named because they have two different target audiences for attendance, to include financial resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a solid, local favorite and even with the price tag I know families who went to $30K K-8 who choose BM for High School. I would apply to it for my DS as a safety school when we reach HS application time. I think there has been some recent investment in the school as well. I don't think it would compare to the DC Independents you named because they have two different target audiences for attendance, to include financial resources.

Safety school? So are you saying they accept everyone?

[Anonymous]

I said I would apply to it as a safety school for MY child, I personally do not know their acceptance rate as we not have reached the HS application process.

However given the educational trajectory my DS is currently on, it would be considered our safety school application if all else failed. I am confident in our chances of getting accepted if we applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ummm...have you looked at the difference in tuition between BM and many of the schools you listed?

Absolutely!
In which case your reply says a lot: it may indeed mean this is a 'local favorite' for private school, considering the price.

Hence my confusion when neighbors RAVE about it, when I ask about other schools in the same conversation.
I wonder if they are raving because it is a local 'affordable' private school.
If tuition at DC/VA/MD independents were all similar to BM, would these same parents be just as enthusiastic about BM?

Perhaps there is no answer.
I am/was just so confused and thought there must be something I was missing.
Again - I am new to the area.

But like PP 12:22 said, perhaps BM has a niche that the others I mentioned do not have.