Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 00:03     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Evening events with just the parents. It’s kind of like classic investment banking or law firm cocktail event. You just go around and talk to current admin / board. Obviously they would love it if you have a phd in classics from Harvard or something super cool in relation to the school’s values, but otherwise just that you are decent people.


Thank you, studied classics and archeology but not at Harvard unfortunately
Anonymous
Post 03/20/2026 18:46     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Anonymous wrote:This is correct. There aren’t any personal statements in the application… there will be 1-2 evening smaller group events where they will assess social fit. But it is way less based on family wealth compared to a school like Buckley. One could say st B’s has a lot more old money values, so they do admit a number of families where they love the boy.


Are the smaller group social events for the candidates or for the parents?

When they say “old money values” in this thread do they mean if it’s a fit it’s a fit and not looking into what the candidate looks like or their family background?



Evening events with just the parents. It’s kind of like classic investment banking or law firm cocktail event. You just go around and talk to current admin / board. Obviously they would love it if you have a phd in classics from Harvard or something super cool in relation to the school’s values, but otherwise just that you are decent people.
Anonymous
Post 03/20/2026 16:53     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
This is correct. There aren’t any personal statements in the application… there will be 1-2 evening smaller group events where they will assess social fit. But it is way less based on family wealth compared to a school like Buckley. One could say st B’s has a lot more old money values, so they do admit a number of families where they love the boy.


Are the smaller group social events for the candidates or for the parents?

When they say “old money values” in this thread do they mean if it’s a fit it’s a fit and not looking into what the candidate looks like or their family background?
Anonymous
Post 03/20/2026 02:28     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Anonymous wrote:That is untrue. We don’t have a lot of money nor connections but they absolutely loved our son after the interview and we were accepted without doing any extra work that many people do to get in.


This is correct. There aren’t any personal statements in the application… there will be 1-2 evening smaller group events where they will assess social fit. But it is way less based on family wealth compared to a school like Buckley. One could say st B’s has a lot more old money values, so they do admit a number of families where they love the boy.
Anonymous
Post 03/20/2026 02:24     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They’re looking for nice boys that comply during interview. I know the school quite well… one of the only schools where very hard for family background to override child “fit”


Could you elaborate more? Are they just looking for boys who could follow instructions? What else?


Yes this is one of the only schools where the interview is 1to1. One of the admissions directors will ask questions for an hour while feeding the school fish. The boy is expected to comply and show ability to stay mostly calm… they will ask some questions beyond age ability too and see how they react to uncertainty.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:18     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
That is untrue. We don’t have a lot of money nor connections but they absolutely loved our son after the interview and we were accepted without doing any extra work that many people do to get in.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 07:55     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
St B seemed to want families with a lot of money and connections (or at least a lot more money and connections than we had). This honestly surprised me. Very different vibe than we got at a bunch of other schools.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 21:11     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Anonymous wrote:They’re looking for nice boys that comply during interview. I know the school quite well… one of the only schools where very hard for family background to override child “fit”


Could you elaborate more? Are they just looking for boys who could follow instructions? What else?
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 07:05     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Collegiate and Browning are the only boys k-12 schools, Collegiate is more academic. Browning is small.

k-8 most would agree St Bernard’s is the “best” (most academic), but after that everyone will have a differing opinion. St David’s, Buckley, and Allen Stevenson feel academically pretty similar, but culturally very different.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 23:35     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
They’re looking for nice boys that comply during interview. I know the school quite well… one of the only schools where very hard for family background to override child “fit”
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2026 12:21     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
I don't think there are 10?
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2026 04:44     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Amongst the all-boys schools, which are the top 5 or top 10 best ones? How would you rank them?
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 13:54     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
I think they are looking for boys who are interesting and have personalities not just math and science geniuses
Anonymous
Post 03/09/2026 19:49     Subject: St Bernard’s Applicants
Lol this thread is the best