Blessed Sacrament DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

[Anonymous]

It is very rare (and I know of no instances) that a child would apply to anything other than a Catholic high school from a parish school. Why do you think these parents are sending their kids to Catholic? Because they want a Catholic education. Why switch gears in high school, especially when the prices of some of the Catholic high schools are half of the pricey "Big 3." I have no doubt my son would have been accepted to big 3 if we applied as his test scores were very high and he is advanced in all subjects. But we have no interest in these schools for obvious reasons. If religion didn't matter to us, we would rather send our child to a public magnet and save $30K+ a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mater Dei and other dc Catholics pulled a bunch of spots at sta this year. Some them are gunning for the close.

Two or three kids out of MD and the other Catholics is a small drop in the bucket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

There are two completely different tests for Catholic High Schools versus Independent schools. Prep is considered an independent school and requires the SSAT as does STA, Visi, Sidwell etc. Gonzaga DeMatha St Johns etc require the HSPT. While each school requires application, recommendations, interviews, etc, the idea of studying for, paying for, and taking 2 different standardized tests is quite daunting. If you are Catholic and want your child to go to a Catholic high school it simplifies the process immensely to only apply to schools that require the HSPT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

There are two completely different tests for Catholic High Schools versus Independent schools. Prep is considered an independent school and requires the SSAT as does STA, Visi, Sidwell etc. Gonzaga DeMatha St Johns etc require the HSPT. While each school requires application, recommendations, interviews, etc, the idea of studying for, paying for, and taking 2 different standardized tests is quite daunting. If you are Catholic and want your child to go to a Catholic high school it simplifies the process immensely to only apply to schools that require the HSPT.

Daunting for some perhaps, but I know many who took both tests. My DS prepped for both tests and took both. It isn't a big deal, really. If you want to apply to Prep and Gonzaga, you have to take both. Lots of boys do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

There are two completely different tests for Catholic High Schools versus Independent schools. Prep is considered an independent school and requires the SSAT as does STA, Visi, Sidwell etc. Gonzaga DeMatha St Johns etc require the HSPT. While each school requires application, recommendations, interviews, etc, the idea of studying for, paying for, and taking 2 different standardized tests is quite daunting. If you are Catholic and want your child to go to a Catholic high school it simplifies the process immensely to only apply to schools that require the HSPT.

Daunting for some perhaps, but I know many who took both tests. My DS prepped for both tests and took both. It isn't a big deal, really. If you want to apply to Prep and Gonzaga, you have to take both. Lots of boys do this.

That is the point. The PP somehow thinks it is daunting to apply to the "top schools" (ie, NOT Catholic schools) so the families must be sincere when they consider this option. Then claims to know about the kids who applied unsuccessfully from BSS. Therefore, PP should know that the application process for the Catholic schools is just as daunting as the "top schools."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

There are two completely different tests for Catholic High Schools versus Independent schools. Prep is considered an independent school and requires the SSAT as does STA, Visi, Sidwell etc. Gonzaga DeMatha St Johns etc require the HSPT. While each school requires application, recommendations, interviews, etc, the idea of studying for, paying for, and taking 2 different standardized tests is quite daunting. If you are Catholic and want your child to go to a Catholic high school it simplifies the process immensely to only apply to schools that require the HSPT.

Daunting for some perhaps, but I know many who took both tests. My DS prepped for both tests and took both. It isn't a big deal, really. If you want to apply to Prep and Gonzaga, you have to take both. Lots of boys do this.

of course lots of boys do this. My son did this. But it's not something everyone wants to do, or even knows about before the whole process starts. Just trying to be informative. There are many people at BS whose parents went to a particular school, like Gonzaga, who would not even considered applying any where else, and I imagine that there are more of these parents at BS than there are parents who arelooking at a lot of different schools. Not a criticism. Just a fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only school administrators really know where children are applying for high schools because they forward along the transcripts. The application process can be very stressful for kids and parents and not everyone is eager to share this information. As I said, I know of three families who applied unsuccessfully to "top schools" but there might have been more that chose not to share.

Since children have to pay to take additional entrance exams for the independent schools, fill out lengthy applications and submit essays along with the parents having to take time off from work for interviews at the schools --I don't think anyone goes through that process unless they are sincere.

Bottom line, if you are interested in sending your child to one of the city's top high school , as questioned in the original post, someone

I have to call BS on this. You do know that the application process for "top schools" and Catholic schools are very similar? They all require paying for additional exams, most require essay (especially if you want a scholar type slot), shadow days and some require interviews. Everyone is sincere in the process but not everyone thinks the "top schools" is where they want their children to go for high school.

There are two completely different tests for Catholic High Schools versus Independent schools. Prep is considered an independent school and requires the SSAT as does STA, Visi, Sidwell etc. Gonzaga DeMatha St Johns etc require the HSPT. While each school requires application, recommendations, interviews, etc, the idea of studying for, paying for, and taking 2 different standardized tests is quite daunting. If you are Catholic and want your child to go to a Catholic high school it simplifies the process immensely to only apply to schools that require the HSPT.

Daunting for some perhaps, but I know many who took both tests. My DS prepped for both tests and took both. It isn't a big deal, really. If you want to apply to Prep and Gonzaga, you have to take both. Lots of boys do this.

of course lots of boys do this. My son did this. But it's not something everyone wants to do, or even knows about before the whole process starts. Just trying to be informative. There are many people at BS whose parents went to a particular school, like Gonzaga, who would not even considered applying any where else, and I imagine that there are more of these parents at BS than there are parents who arelooking at a lot of different schools. Not a criticism. Just a fact.

Well for one thing, you contradict yourself in the same paragraph. You "imagine" what you think parents are thinking, but then claim it is "just a fact." I thing the former is likely more accurate, and that your imagination is a bit far fetched.

[Anonymous]

It is very rare (and I know of no instances) that a child would apply to anything other than a Catholic high school from a parish school. Why do you think these parents are sending their kids to Catholic? Because they want a Catholic education. Why switch gears in high school, especially when the prices of some of the Catholic high schools are half of the pricey "Big 3." I have no doubt my son would have been accepted to big 3 if we applied as his test scores were very high and he is advanced in all subjects. But we have no interest in these schools for obvious reasons. If religion didn't matter to us, we would rather send our child to a public magnet and save $30K+ a year.

What parish school do your DCs attend? At our parish school, several boys each year apply to non-Catholic schools both for 6th and 9th (my son being one of them). Parents may prioritize a great education over a Catholic one, if they think the Catholic school is not as strong. Or they may have ten other reasons for not pursuing Catholic school, and this makes them no less Catholic. Your son may have been accepted to a top-notch independent (non-Catholic), but I can't believe you have no doubt. Plenty of boys with excellent test scores and extracurriculars are denied admission from these schools every year - just read the threads that pop up around March 1. Also, high HSPT scores have no correlation to high SSAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It is very rare (and I know of no instances) that a child would apply to anything other than a Catholic high school from a parish school. Why do you think these parents are sending their kids to Catholic? Because they want a Catholic education. Why switch gears in high school, especially when the prices of some of the Catholic high schools are half of the pricey "Big 3." I have no doubt my son would have been accepted to big 3 if we applied as his test scores were very high and he is advanced in all subjects. But we have no interest in these schools for obvious reasons. If religion didn't matter to us, we would rather send our child to a public magnet and save $30K+ a year.

What parish school do your DCs attend? At our parish school, several boys each year apply to non-Catholic schools both for 6th and 9th (my son being one of them). Parents may prioritize a great education over a Catholic one, if they think the Catholic school is not as strong. Or they may have ten other reasons for not pursuing Catholic school, and this makes them no less Catholic. Your son may have been accepted to a top-notch independent (non-Catholic), but I can't believe you have no doubt. Plenty of boys with excellent test scores and extracurriculars are denied admission from these schools every year - just read the threads that pop up around March 1. Also, high HSPT scores have no correlation to high SSAT scores.

DC took both tests. He scored very high on both. Yes there are a select few who apply outside the Catholic selections, but like I said, it is very rare. Most would prefer not to throw money away on a non-religious education, when it is readily available in some pubic schools. We live in a very desirable school district, so if we did non-religious, we would be either at our local public or a magnet. $40K just isn't worth it for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mater Dei and other dc Catholics pulled a bunch of spots at sta this year. Some them are gunning for the close.

Two or three kids out of MD and the other Catholics is a small drop in the bucket.

If the Catholics are not applying as claimed on this thread but those that do ALL pull STA there Might be something going on. If 5 kids apply one year and shoot 100 percent, how long will it be until 40 apply and shoot 60?

[Anonymous]

Mater Dei is an independent Catholic school, academics are stronger than at a parish school. And who knows how many applied but were turned away?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mater Dei and other dc Catholics pulled a bunch of spots at sta this year. Some them are gunning for the close.

Two or three kids out of MD and the other Catholics is a small drop in the bucket.

If the Catholics are not applying as claimed on this thread but those that do ALL pull STA there Might be something going on. If 5 kids apply one year and shoot 100 percent, how long will it be until 40 apply and shoot 60?

Surprising as it may be to you, the Catholics want to go to Gonzaga and Prep and these are their their first choices. They don't apply to STA, not because they won't get in, but because they aren't interested in going there.

[Anonymous]

Talk about applying to STA most definitely circulates among the mothers in carpool lines at our Catholic school, particularly if they are considering Prep for their son. For many, especially legacy, it will be Gonzaga all the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mater Dei and other dc Catholics pulled a bunch of spots at sta this year. Some them are gunning for the close.

Two or three kids out of MD and the other Catholics is a small drop in the bucket.

If the Catholics are not applying as claimed on this thread but those that do ALL pull STA there Might be something going on. If 5 kids apply one year and shoot 100 percent, how long will it be until 40 apply and shoot 60?

Surprising as it may be to you, the Catholics want to go to Gonzaga and Prep and these are their their first choices. They don't apply to STA, not because they won't get in, but because they aren't interested in going there.

+1000