Reply to Heights vs. Bishop O’Connell academics

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[quote=Anonymous]I don't think this is really accurate. Yes, there is a sense of service that Opus Dei gives and the focus is strong. There is also a focus on celebrating manliness in boys and femininity in girls. 
But truth be told, the environments in Opus Dei are not pious and poor and your mention of "not focused on material wealth" makes me raise an eyebrow. 
I have been involved in Opus Dei activties since childhood and I attended a non-catholic private school. The environment is, frankly, upper middle class and above and this has been the case since Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás began sharing his ideas on everyday holiness. I don't see anything wrong with this and actually was humbled and appreciated the way you could live this way even if your background didn't have economic struggles. 
So, what I would say is that in The Heights you will find people who seek this aspiration and faith in everyday holiness alongside economic comfort and kindness. There will also be middle class and families with financial need, and the Opus Dei ideas brings all together in this community. 
A bit of clarification, as honestly that part of "not focused on material wealth" is not quite accurate. And while not flashy or showy, you will feel it in the cultural capital and etiquette that simply follows these circles because it's just the way they live.

Both The Heights and Bishop O'Connell are fine schools. The Heights/Oakcrest students will have that piece of Opus Dei and St. Josemaria's The Way, Bishop O'Connell students will have a traditional co-ed catholic school experience that tends to be more American mainstream.

[quote=Anonymous]If we are talking only about academics and school culture (not family wealth), O’Connell is a smaller version of a public school and similar to other diocese High Schools.

The Heights is an intentional choice to choose a different path for your son. For better or worse, their culture will teach your son that he can either be a good man/husband/father or become a priest. Those are the only paths. The Heights does not teach self interested ambition. They are not focused on material wealth. They don’t allow narcissistic tendencies and they teach boys that the purpose of life is suffering and salvation. The Opus Dei culture is front and center. There is a lot charity work, though always Catholic based, a lot of helping others and making real sacrifices.

The Heights does have objectively good college placement because the graduates are living the path many Universities claim to want for graduates. A life of charity and service and greater purpose. Even if the graduates come at it from a Catholic perceptive regarding who they help and how, they are doing a lot of charity work.

The Heights is different from the typical Catholic high schools which exist all over the country graduating 100,000 kids a year. Kids from O’Connell aren’t that different from all the other Catholic High Schools in the country.  The Heights is different and Universities do they like different.

So if you’re trying to stack the deck on your chances of getting into certain schools, go with The Heights. But the culture may be too weird for a regular Catholic.

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