Anonymous
Post 10/31/2025 22:58     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:We have a freshman in the SJC Benilde program this year. There is a mix of kids from a whole variety of schools and religious backgrounds. If your child makes a clear case for the program in his application and the testing (both HSPT and neuropsych) shows potential, your kid has a shot.


What does show potential mean? Above average WISC scores?
Anonymous
Post 10/31/2025 16:09     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
We have a freshman in the SJC Benilde program this year. There is a mix of kids from a whole variety of schools and religious backgrounds. If your child makes a clear case for the program in his application and the testing (both HSPT and neuropsych) shows potential, your kid has a shot.
Anonymous
Post 10/31/2025 16:05     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Someone commented in a more recent thread that there is an HSPT “cutoff” for these schools. First I’ve heard of a minimum threshold… does anyone have further insights?
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 18:24     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Good Counsel I presume from the post

I’m guessing you don’t realize that Ryken is a program at Good Counsel and Benilde is a program at SJC. There’s no third.


St Mary’s Ryken is also a WCAC school in Leonardtown. I think that was the confusion.


+1
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 18:20     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Good Counsel I presume from the post

I’m guessing you don’t realize that Ryken is a program at Good Counsel and Benilde is a program at SJC. There’s no third.


St Mary’s Ryken is also a WCAC school in Leonardtown. I think that was the confusion.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 16:04     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Yes, they admit non-Catholics. My son graduated from one of the schools and had a good friend in the program with him who was Jewish.
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 13:10     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How could you be applying to all three? Do you randomly live equidistant from the schools (which means each would be horrible commutes)?


Not the OP, but families of kids with disabilities often put up with difficult commutes because it can be hard to find good fit schools.


+1

Plus these particular programs only accept 40-50 kids per year in the freshman class, and you can’t join the programs in later years.
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 12:31     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:How could you be applying to all three? Do you randomly live equidistant from the schools (which means each would be horrible commutes)?


Not the OP, but families of kids with disabilities often put up with difficult commutes because it can be hard to find good fit schools.
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 11:03     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do these schools ever admit non-Catholic students in these programs? I know there are very limited spaces and I’m wondering if DC even has a chance without Catholic affiliation or sibling link.


The Catholic Church loves money.....so you should be ok.


+1


If you go by tuition, the Quakers and Episcopalians love it more.

Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 11:00     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do these schools ever admit non-Catholic students in these programs? I know there are very limited spaces and I’m wondering if DC even has a chance without Catholic affiliation or sibling link.


The Catholic Church loves money.....so you should be ok.


+1
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 10:57     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:Do these schools ever admit non-Catholic students in these programs? I know there are very limited spaces and I’m wondering if DC even has a chance without Catholic affiliation or sibling link.


The Catholic Church loves money.....so you should be ok.
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 10:47     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes. The programs will prioritize the kids who they think will be successful, regardless of religious status.

We're Catholic, and applying, and know that it's so competitive it's going to be a long shot to get in to any of the programs.


It’s not a Catholic v non Catholic issue. It’s that the schools give priority to kids coming from Catholic feeder schools.


These schools also give priority to students who are Catholic (and can show they have commitment to the faith, parish membership, 1st communion, CCD, etc.) but have not attended parochial school. I do agree that they give top priority to students who have private ES and MS, but, next in line are Catholics who have not attended parochial school. Anybody with a parent alumni will also get priority over random non-catholic students applying.
Anonymous
Post 10/25/2025 10:10     Subject: Non-Catholic family applying to GC Ryken and SJC Benilde - any chance?
Anonymous wrote:Good Counsel I presume from the post

I’m guessing you don’t realize that Ryken is a program at Good Counsel and Benilde is a program at SJC. There’s no third.