Anonymous wrote:One of the worst schools for athletics out there.

Sounds perfect for my kid!!

One of the worst schools for athletics out there.

Anonymous wrote:Do the boys have fun too? The description by parents is so serious, I just wonder if it is a happy place?

What I think makes the school "fun" for the boys is the fact that it is small enough that participation in any activity or sport or interest is possible.

For example, my MS son is an "average" athlete, but given the size of the school he will be able to play two varsity sports in HS (and could play a third if wants to).

In fact, there is a senior who is graduating this week who was a Captain on three different varsity teams! That level of participation in HS sports is not available at any other Catholic school in the area that I am aware of.

The same is true of all the different clubs and activities -- the numbers are small enough that every boy can (if he wants to) be a leader in his activities of interest.

The "house" system, with its year long academic and intramural competition among the four houses, is also fun for the boys.

Anonymous wrote:Do the boys have fun too? The description by parents is so serious, I just wonder if it is a happy place?

Super happy and lots of fun. That's what's so amazing about it. They really know how to educate BOYS. There is lots of time each day for running around and goofing off and then when it's time to work, the faculty really expect the boys to work. It's an amazingly holistic way to approach education. I can't say enough good about it. Having toured quite a few privates for my kids, I can say there is a true spirit of joy at this school that I did not feel at other schools.

Do the boys have fun too? The description by parents is so serious, I just wonder if it is a happy place?

Anonymous wrote:Are there many boys that start in 9th? Is it a problem that they would be behind in latin?

I think about 10 new 9th graders this year.

The new 8th and 9th graders take Latin together. The 8th graders catch up with their classmates for HS(as boys who enter by 7th split Latin I between 7th and 8th grade). The new 9th graders do not. This was not an issue for my son.

They track the boys who start in 9th together in Latin. My son started in 9th and while he did have to adjust the amount of effort he put into his work, he managed. It is a wonderful school for the right student.

Anonymous wrote:Are there many boys that start in 9th? Is it a problem that they would be behind in latin?

Our son started in 9th and there was a HUGE catch up for him. He was not unique as most of the boys who started in 9th struggled the first year while those who started in 6th seemed to have a significant advantage as they had already settled into the workload.

I would strongly encourage starting in 6th if you can. Its a bit of a sink or swim and the first year was rough.

Are there many boys that start in 9th? Is it a problem that they would be behind in latin?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For middle school admissions the school is typically looking for 95th percentile or higher on their OLSAT/SCAT test. This is not an official admissions office policy, but is what I was told by someone inside the school.

They want kids who do well on the test but 95% is not necessary (my kid got less than that and I know others as well). They also turn away some kids who do that well on the test because they are really looking for 1. boys who are academically prepared for the work AND 2. boys who would be a good fit for the school culture. It's not just about being smart. It's about the whole boy. The admissions office works really hard to identify boys who will be happy and successful at the school. This is one reason that there is not a set number of boys admitted each year.

That said, admission is quite competitive.

I do think that they don't turn many away for "fit". I guess, if during the portion of the interview when the parents are not present, the kid says "I really do not want to go there", that would be a bad fit for them. Of if the kid repeatedly and vigorously insulted catholics or minorities during their shadow day, that would not be a good fit. But the range of kids that would fit is large, as long as they are intelligent and curious.

Anonymous wrote:34 this year. And more than twice the size of last year. Yes, the school is looking to expand slightly the size of the classes. But they only take boys they think will succeed.

Actually there were 22 last year - smallest in 20+ years. But the year before was 43, largest ever. Outside of that, pretty much every class for the last 20 years has been somewhere between 30-40.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like a little under 15% of the class of '16 is attending Ivy's, going off of that list, but I don't think enrolling students in super competitive undergraduate programs is a driving part of their mission.

I have heard from a SAAS parent that their are typically a number of grads each year that turn down Ivy acceptances and instead choose to accept substantial merit scholarships to excellent (but non-Ivy) undergraduate programs.

Yeah right! That makes total sense!

It also makes sense if you decide to go to, say, Pomona instead of Princeton. Totally different vibe but amazing education to be had at both places.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

Is this a school for smart and quirky boys mostly then? Hmm...

Most kids with very high levels of intelligence are "quirky", their brains work differently than the average or above average child. Especially middle and high school boys...

To the PP who wanted a comparison between MCPS and St Anselm's--

Can't beat small class sizes but where St. Anselm's shines is in the effort the teachers make to get to know every student, not something possible in public or in the larger private schools. They teachers at St. Anselm's seem to be there because they really, really like teaching bright kids.

Homework is substantive, it isn't just about loading on what they didn't have time to cover in class, or equating lots of homework with lots of learning. My son had more homework in MS at St. Anselm's than our neighbors attending MCPS, but he was also far beyond these same kids academically. The academic challenge can even out in HS but no comparison at the MS level.

At St. Anselm's your son will do a lot more writing than at MCPS, because the teachers have time to edit and return for a rewrite, which they will again correct and return for more revisions.

Anonymous wrote:For middle school admissions the school is typically looking for 95th percentile or higher on their OLSAT/SCAT test. This is not an official admissions office policy, but is what I was told by someone inside the school.

They want kids who do well on the test but 95% is not necessary (my kid got less than that and I know others as well). They also turn away some kids who do that well on the test because they are really looking for 1. boys who are academically prepared for the work AND 2. boys who would be a good fit for the school culture. It's not just about being smart. It's about the whole boy. The admissions office works really hard to identify boys who will be happy and successful at the school. This is one reason that there is not a set number of boys admitted each year.

That said, admission is quite competitive.