How selective is SJC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were 4000 at today's open house.

That's even worse than last year.

SJC is the reasonably priced ticket out of Wilson for middle class DC families who bet on DCPS. There's Murch … and then there's Wilson.

It's also a safety school for Catholics that cannot get into Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep.

It used to be that way years ago. All three schools are very different. Some students prefer co-ed, and like the community feel at SJC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were 4000 at today's open house.

That's even worse than last year.

SJC is the reasonably priced ticket out of Wilson for middle class DC families who bet on DCPS. There's Murch … and then there's Wilson.

It's also a safety school for Catholics that cannot get into Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep.

Not at all the case. Co-ed is a big draw for many.

True...which is one of the few reasons why it is a draw. There are very limited co-ed Catholic schools in DC metro area..especially closer in DC. Many more single sex choices, which means SJC has somewhat of a monopoly on co-ed Catholic education in DC.

Hence, 1,000+ applications for 300 slots.

Not quite that simple. SJC draws students of all faiths from all over the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be lovely if GZ people would just leave well enough alone. If they are secure in their school’s offerings they would not give a whit about the kids applying to SJC.

As for SJC, they do what they do well. I hope their numbers don’t climb too much that they too abandon the “average” kids. There needs to be a place for kids who want Catholic education but don’t have the money or stellar resume that other schools say they require.

SJC has risen from the ashes when they were headed toward closure not all that long ago. More power to them!

I agree with a lot of what you said.

But how can you answer the OP's question about how difficult it will be to get into ST John's without making some sort of comparison to other somewhat similar schools?

If SJC is, indeed, experiencing this huge growth in applicants, the school will start becoming more selective academically. It's no different than what happened at UMD.

But it probably has a ways to go. That's not a criticism, its a fact.

So people should know that there are still a fair number of average students at St John's. Nobody should be offended by that observation.

My son is there now. I can’t imagine SJC giving up on their calling to educate a broad swath of the population — that is core to their LaSlian mission. I think SJC most definitely values excellence, but I can’t imagine the school ever striving to be elite in the sense of Prep. I think SJC will always make room for some kids who need a hand up. It is incredibly rewarding for teachers, exposes kids to a more real-world, diverse population, and is central to St. John Baptist de la Salle’s teachings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But some people send their kids to the honors program there. It can't just be because it's cheaper than other privates. Is it?

Who really tells their kids where to go? Don’t most families visit a variety of schools and then see where the opportunities are? My child toured five different schools, SJC was his first choice and fortunately he was accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:<<There's a lot more Gonzaga hate than SJC hate on this thread. Both excellent schools. No need to bash either one.>>

Yeah I can't imagine the hate is coming from Gonzaga. I genuinely want to know why people get so negative whenever SJC comes up...

Remember what the original question was here.

The poster wanted to know how "selective" SJC was. The underlying question seemed to be "How hard will it be for my DC to gain admissions" or "What
s the level of academic aptitude/interest of my DC's classmates should we send her/him there?"

The SJC posters on here don't like anything that could be read as negative so they attack the poster. Or they point to the Honors program as if that was the whole school.

People on the other side have opinions that have been formed by the history of the school which entered a long downward spiral in the 1980's.

St John's rise looks like it has been due to 1.) Money from the alumni, of which there are many. 2.) The need for an alternative to the DC public school system and to some degree some Maryland public schools. 3.) The desire of Catholics in the area to send their DCs to a Catholic high school which is not named Prep, Gonzaga, St Anselms, Visitation, Stone Ridge, Holy Cross or Holy Child.

Don’t forget Good Counsel and DeMatha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But some people send their kids to the honors program there. It can't just be because it's cheaper than other privates. Is it?

I have a kid in the Scholars program at SJC. Without going into details, I’m pretty sure my kid would have been accepted at lots of other private schools. We like the vibe and community at SJC. It is not elitist or snobby. I’m sure there are some students with lots of money but it does not feel like it. Parents and kids all seem down to earth. The academics are strong enough to challenge my highly academically gifted kid and the school has a lot of other things to offer. Yes, sports is a big deal but they have put money into science, music and an entrepreneurship program. We also like the faith and service aspect. Most Catholic schools try to stay affordable and welcoming to lots of students. They are not trying to be super selective or take only the very highest performing kids. I like that approach to education. People who don’t like it probably won’t be happy at SJC or most other Catholic schools.

Good points. Don’t forget the JROTC program - a fantastic leadership program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:<<In response to OP's original question, STJ is not considerd very competitive at all. STJ, like Bullis, is regarded as the safety school or back up school for kids who cannot get in to any other private or Catholic school because of less than stellar grades and/or test scores.>>

I guess what I'm wondering is -- why is this the view? Why is it considered this way?

Also to the PPs who mention the academic diversity aspect, and purposely keeping it mixed....surely if there was an abundance of high-achieving applicants, it would not remain this way, no?

I have 52 nieces and nephews... countless cousins. They attend Gonzage, Prep, STC, GC, O'Connell, Bullis, STA, Blair magnet, WJ, BCC, and many other schools.

SJC is a down to earth private school with a very accepting atmosphere. That is why it is very popular among a certain cohort of people. They have a high success rate at educating kids at the highest level as well as accepting kids with learning differences. They are not getting rid of the program that helps struggling kids because that is part of their core values. They don't need to only accept "high-achieving" applicant... since their most successful alum... were not high achieving students.

Why do "some people have a negative view"... They have this "view" because they only see a few kids that seriously struggle with school going to SJC and they make assumption the rest of the kids are similar.

I worked at a parochial school for 10 years and the smartest kids did not always get into Gonzaga and Prep. It's true, they would be blocked by legacy kids. So there is also a feeling that it is "hard to get in" to Gonzaga and Prep, but it's not because smart kids get in.

Refreshing honesty. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:<<In response to OP's original question, STJ is not considerd very competitive at all. STJ, like Bullis, is regarded as the safety school or back up school for kids who cannot get in to any other private or Catholic school because of less than stellar grades and/or test scores.>>

I guess what I'm wondering is -- why is this the view? Why is it considered this way?

Also to the PPs who mention the academic diversity aspect, and purposely keeping it mixed....surely if there was an abundance of high-achieving applicants, it would not remain this way, no?

I have 52 nieces and nephews... countless cousins. They attend Gonzage, Prep, STC, GC, O'Connell, Bullis, STA, Blair magnet, WJ, BCC, and many other schools.

SJC is a down to earth private school with a very accepting atmosphere. That is why it is very popular among a certain cohort of people. They have a high success rate at educating kids at the highest level as well as accepting kids with learning differences. They are not getting rid of the program that helps struggling kids because that is part of their core values. They don't need to only accept "high-achieving" applicant... since their most successful alum... were not high achieving students.

Why do "some people have a negative view"... They have this "view" because they only see a few kids that seriously struggle with school going to SJC and they make assumption the rest of the kids are similar.

I worked at a parochial school for 10 years and the smartest kids did not always get into Gonzaga and Prep. It's true, they would be blocked by legacy kids. So there is also a feeling that it is "hard to get in" to Gonzaga and Prep, but it's not because smart kids get in.

Yes, there are legacy kids, and they may not be the brightest bulbs, but you are going to find that at any of these schools, including SJC. What makes Gonzaga hard to get into is the fact that there are less slots available due to legacy admission. And those slots are reserved for the best and brightest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But some people send their kids to the honors program there. It can't just be because it's cheaper than other privates. Is it?

I have a kid in the Scholars program at SJC. Without going into details, I’m pretty sure my kid would have been accepted at lots of other private schools. We like the vibe and community at SJC. It is not elitist or snobby. I’m sure there are some students with lots of money but it does not feel like it. Parents and kids all seem down to earth. The academics are strong enough to challenge my highly academically gifted kid and the school has a lot of other things to offer. Yes, sports is a big deal but they have put money into science, music and an entrepreneurship program. We also like the faith and service aspect. Most Catholic schools try to stay affordable and welcoming to lots of students. They are not trying to be super selective or take only the very highest performing kids. I like that approach to education. People who don’t like it probably won’t be happy at SJC or most other Catholic schools.

Good points. Don’t forget the JROTC program - a fantastic leadership program.

My kid had a perfect score on the math section of the HSPT, and very close to perfect on the verbal--I say this not to brag, but to illustrate the point that smart kids choose SJC.. We applied and were accepted at Prep, Gonzaga and SJC. He choose SJC for all of the reasons above. He just liked the kids better and the program better. I thought for sure he would end up at Prep, but we went with our guts on this and let him make the final choice. He is so happy at SJC, is very well challenged in the scholars program and loves the JROTC. It's been a good fit for us. It isn't a fit for everyone, but neither is Prep or Gonzaga. I think kids land where they are supposed to land and SJC is a great option for kids with a variety of learning styles and offers something for everyone both in academics and extracurricular activities .

[Anonymous]

Let's remember folks, if Precious doesn't go to Gonzaga, Prep, Visi or Holton, all is lost. That's it. No top college, no good career, an unhappy marriage. All of it. You're done if you don't go to Gonzaga, Prep, Visi or Holton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1100 applications for 300 spots means 27% accept their offers of admission. Does anyone know the rough yield rate there to give applicants an idea of their actual chances of getting an offer?

Anybody gets an offer at SJC

[Anonymous]

That's not true. At least two of my son's friends didn't get accepted. Seriously, why is there such vitriol directed toward SJC? My kid did quite well in middle school, picked SJC over other options, and loves it there now as a 9th grader.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1100 applications for 300 spots means 27% accept their offers of admission. Does anyone know the rough yield rate there to give applicants an idea of their actual chances of getting an offer?

Anybody gets an offer at SJC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's not true. At least two of my son's friends didn't get accepted. Seriously, why is there such vitriol directed toward SJC? My kid did quite well in middle school, picked SJC over other options, and loves it there now as a 9th grader.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1100 applications for 300 spots means 27% accept their offers of admission. Does anyone know the rough yield rate there to give applicants an idea of their actual chances of getting an offer?

Anybody gets an offer at SJC

I don't understand the hate either but I am with you, PP, my kids are there and love it. The academic, athletic and arts programs are great as are the facilities. I don't understand why other parents feel the need to denigrate someone else's school. Another poster said SJC gets plenty of applications and the open house is always packed. So, these negative comments are not discouraging anyone from applying, if that is the intention. Go Cadets!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's not true. At least two of my son's friends didn't get accepted. Seriously, why is there such vitriol directed toward SJC? My kid did quite well in middle school, picked SJC over other options, and loves it there now as a 9th grader.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1100 applications for 300 spots means 27% accept their offers of admission. Does anyone know the rough yield rate there to give applicants an idea of their actual chances of getting an offer?

Anybody gets an offer at SJC

I don't understand the hate either but I am with you, PP, my kids are there and love it. The academic, athletic and arts programs are great as are the facilities. I don't understand why other parents feel the need to denigrate someone else's school. Another poster said SJC gets plenty of applications and the open house is always packed. So, these negative comments are not discouraging anyone from applying, if that is the intention. Go Cadets!!!

Hey, some people like Starbucks some others like dunkin donuts and others take their coffe at the gas station...not big deal if they are happy about it.

[Anonymous]

It's amazing how few people even bother to read the original question which was "How selective is SJC?". The poster obviously wants to know how difficult it wll be to get her DC accepted.

Anyone trying to provide any comparative information is attacked by those with a stake in the perception of the school.