Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are not Catholic getting into the Ryken program will be difficult. There are so few spots for so many interested students. My son is now a senior and he is out of Ryken classes, and in AP and honors. I can’t say enough good things about it, but honestly, if you are coming from a public school, your chances are slim.

PP what evidence do you have for this?

DP. Almost all Catholic high schools give preference to kids coming from parochial schools because they want to support parents who prioritize Catholic education in elementary and middle school, not just at the high school level. Catholic schools support each other.

There is more demand for the Ryken and Benilde program than there are spots. Of course some kids coming from public schools get spots, but realistically they have less of a chance of being accepted than parochial school applicants.

OP, where in Fairfax County are you? All of the diocesan high schools offer learning support, so which to choose would mostly come down to ease of commute and which school your child likes best after doing shadow days at the ones that would be feasible for your family. Also, an equal or slightly longer reverse commute is often less stressful than trying to fight your way down 66 every morning, so unless you're very close to either Ireton or O'Connell, I wouldn't necessarily rule out looking at PVI (which is in Loudoun County now as PP noted, but just over the border in Chantilly/South Riding) or John Paul the Great in Dumfries as well.
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My older two DC are at PVI, and we've been very happy with the support DS has received through their DeSales program. He's autistic and has ADHD, so I can't speak to dyslexia-specific services, but fwiw, the school has been very proactive in recent years in improving its already strong Exceptional Learning department, such as hiring more special education teachers and implementing team-taught classes.

Best of luck to your DC and family--all of the diocesan high schools offer a solid college prep education, with multiple levels available for core classes (helpful for kids who may need more support in some subject areas and more challenge in others, rather than being expected to be all one or all the other), plenty of electives and extracurriculars to choose from, and from what we've experienced at PVI and seen in our limited contact with the other schools, a friendly, welcoming community, so you're likely to have a good experience wherever you end up.

BI is doing an information session for their Special Services dept on 10/28. Would probably be worth going for you.

My ds has mild dyslexia and he used their academic support program his freshman year. His needs are minimal though. We’ve been happy there.

https://www.bishopireton.org/admissions/visit-and-inquire

I will say BI has gotten very popular lately, with PVI moving out to Loudoun and people’s concerns about ACHS. It’s not always easy to get accepted, especially coming from public.