Reply to Getting into St. Albans

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Getting into St. Albans"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Current 4th grader at Mater Dei is going to be in 4th next year at STA.  Also heard a Mater Dei 6th grader was transferring.  And 3 8th graders from MD are going next year.  4 got in but one is choosing Gonzaga.  STA is liking those boys! [/quote]

It should be no surprise that STA is accepting these boys.  MD families tend to be more hard core religious, but the boys have more in common than differences.  They are by and large bright, very athletic focused, polite, and committed to doing good.  What is surprising to me is that so many MD boys are applying to STA, rather than the more traditional placement at Prep, Gonzaga and STJ.  I wonder if the chatter on the other thread about STA aggressively looking for athletes is true.  Regardless, if this is a true trend, there will be some very unhappy families at the aforementioned schools, feeling a sense of betrayal.  Maybe not the right word, but will definitely be some hurt feelings.[/quote]

1 4th grader and 3 or 4 8th graders from Mater Dei are very small numbers. Not much of a trend.

But they are bigger numbers than have traditionally applied to STA from MD which is has usually been "0".[/quote]

Um, so I am taking issue with the characterization of MD families as "hard core religious," that is a really odd characterization.  Also, no fourth grader is being admitted for sports.  Maybe, PP, Mater Dei has top notch academics and these kids are being admitted on merit?  Just sayin'.  St Pats and NPS are not the only good schools in town.  Washington DC metro is full of wonderful schools not just the ones that actively brand themselves as feeder schools to the top independents.[/quote]

These few MD families may or may not be "religious". But they certainly are jumping off the Catholic education train that delivers the overwhelming number of MD grads that don't go to public schools to Prep, Gonzaga and St John's. This isn't unheard of. MD graduates have from time to time ended up at other non-Catholic private schools. But I wouldn't guess this is a trend.

It's conceivable, I guess, that STA is interested in greater "diversity" and is looking to expand its reach into the group that sends its boys to MD and then to Gonzaga or Prep. But that seems unlikely as there are no shortage of people clamoring to get into the school from its traditional base.

But, while there are bright kids at MD, the school has never been accused of being an academic powerhouse. Incoming students are being screened rigorously for academic ability. The school attracts a lot of average students with an interest in athletics. A non-athletic boy might not fit in well at a school where athletics are so ingrained.
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics