[quote=Anonymous]I went there and feel like I was lucky to go there and better off for it. If you're trying to debate how well your son will do when he's 29 based on whether he goes to Landon or st albans, then don't worry about the things that are secondary. St albans does do better at college placement--both due to higher parent affluence and better reputation--but you're options are between excellent and about as excellent. Also remember college admissions are not the end goal. I've found that st albans alums run a very high chance of being lousy employees--I know because I have had plenty work for me or ask me for a job.

I feel like 1 of 3 st albans alums is doomed to give up easily and expect that success will always be handed to them. As a result, I feel like 1 out 4 st albans kids from class of 2004-2007 still live at home with their patents and expects to get handed a job. Many of the ones that do have jobs still need mommy and daddy to support their luxurious lifestyles and $80 Saturday night bar tabs. Landon obviously has its bad apples, but I feel the school is infinitely better at teaching a few traits that really matter--like never giving up, always finding a way to win, and accepting abd learning from life's constant failures and shortcomings.

Admittedly Landon certainly had its flaws--big ones--but I feel like all dc private schools are relatively screwed up. I do think that David Armstrong was a terrible choice for Landon and I don't trust him. The same can be said of Tom Cunningham. That said, the night is darkest before the dawn and those guys HAVE to be on their way out. If you have any concerns over Landon, I recommend looking at the teachers, the men and women who will actually be running the students lives. I'm sure every school has good teachers, but I couldn't
imagine better teachers and role models than mr. Botti, mr. Swinehart, mr moseley (bless his soul), Michael carter, bill reed, Andy Katz, mr Goddard, mr cabry, mr sorkin[/quote]


The Headmaster sets the tone and ultimately enforces rules/norms at a school. Will one of these suggested role models be tapped as the next Headmaster sometime in the future? Is there such a thing as Headmaster Track and what are the professional requirements individuals must meet for consideration?

To 2:29 -
Thanks for posting an honest account of your perspective as a Landon alum. Did you ever have any female teachers or coaches that you considered excellent? It's possible that there weren't many women at all on campus that long ago.

Landon will always appeal to a certain type of parent/family/employer...you just have to observe and decide if you and your family are that 'type.'

As an unbiased observer I have a member of the Landon class of 2011 working as an intern for me this summer and couldn't be more impressed with his attitude, knowledge, ability to follow directions while improvising on his own. I would gladly trade this rising college sophomore over kids I typically hire out of college.

I'm sure other dc schools produce great kids, but based on the quality of the product that I've seen, Landon is indisputably an excellent educational institution. I don't know much about the recent spat of scandals aside from what my intern told me. It sounds like the place is certainly amidst turmoil right now, but if half of Landon's alums are as capable as the intern I have now, I'd say sending your son to Landon would be a very, very, very good idea if you have the funds.

I intend to deliberately hire Landon alums on summer break going forward. Recruiting Landon alums after they graduate college is tough though because they are attractive candidates and you're competing for their talents with top paying firms like hedge funds, investment banks, and tech firms.

I went there and feel like I was lucky to go there and better off for it. If you're trying to debate how well your son will do when he's 29 based on whether he goes to Landon or st albans, then don't worry about the things that are secondary. St albans does do better at college placement--both due to higher parent affluence and better reputation--but you're options are between excellent and about as excellent. Also remember college admissions are not the end goal. I've found that st albans alums run a very high chance of being lousy employees--I know because I have had plenty work for me or ask me for a job.

I feel like 1 of 3 st albans alums is doomed to give up easily and expect that success will always be handed to them. As a result, I feel like 1 out 4 st albans kids from class of 2004-2007 still live at home with their patents and expects to get handed a job. Many of the ones that do have jobs still need mommy and daddy to support their luxurious lifestyles and $80 Saturday night bar tabs. Landon obviously has its bad apples, but I feel the school is infinitely better at teaching a few traits that really matter--like never giving up, always finding a way to win, and accepting abd learning from life's constant failures and shortcomings.

Admittedly Landon certainly had its flaws--big ones--but I feel like all dc private schools are relatively screwed up. I do think that David Armstrong was a terrible choice for Landon and I don't trust him. The same can be said of Tom Cunningham. That said, the night is darkest before the dawn and those guys HAVE to be on their way out. If you have any concerns over Landon, I recommend looking at the teachers, the men and women who will actually be running the students lives. I'm sure every school has good teachers, but I couldn't imagine better teachers and role models than mr. Botti, mr. Swinehart, mr moseley (bless his soul), Michael carter, bill reed, Andy Katz, mr Goddard, mr cabry, mr sorkin

Anonymous wrote:23:28- Thank you for providing this information.
I agree with your comment that "every school is not for everyone". As a parent of 2 current students who are happy and thriving at the school, I can say that Landon is a good fit for us. However, I urge anyone who is interested in any of the schools mentioned on this forum to take the comments for what they are - ANONYMOUS comments. I urge you and your children to attend open houses, talk to current parents and students(if you don't know any, I am sure Admissions Staff can provide contacts), schedule shadow visits, and make decisions based upon your own experiences with and impressions of these schools.

Or you can base a decision on cheating scandals, police blotters, sex fantasy league, etc.

23:28- Thank you for providing this information.
I agree with your comment that "every school is not for everyone". As a parent of 2 current students who are happy and thriving at the school, I can say that Landon is a good fit for us. However, I urge anyone who is interested in any of the schools mentioned on this forum to take the comments for what they are - ANONYMOUS comments. I urge you and your children to attend open houses, talk to current parents and students(if you don't know any, I am sure Admissions Staff can provide contacts), schedule shadow visits, and make decisions based upon your own experiences with and impressions of these schools.

OP, the Landon boys are not the problem. The school has fabulous potential. But it will require a changing of the guard at several levels. I don't foresee that happening anytime soon. I can't imagine how frustrating it is for the admissions staff.

Anonymous wrote:Here is a copy of a post about Landon from another thread. It provides a few facts about Landon and Landon's most recent class. Landon's college matriculation is good, and I suspect over the course of five years, equal to any boys' school in the metro area. Maybe St. Albans is a little better, maybe. I know every school has good and bad facets. Lots of different kind of boys do well at Landon.

LOL. Maybe STA's college matriculation is better than Landon's? Maybe? There is no comparison.

Here is a copy of a post about Landon from another thread. It provides a few facts about Landon and Landon's most recent class. Landon's college matriculation is good, and I suspect over the course of five years, equal to any boys' school in the metro area. Maybe St. Albans is a little better, maybe. I know every school has good and bad facets. Lots of different kind of boys do well at Landon.

Landon had four of their 77 seniors qualify for Presidential Scholar Consideration. In the past ten years Landon has had the male Presidential Scholar from the State of Maryland three times. That means someone from the Dept. of Ed recognized a Landon Student as the best male student in the State of Maryland three times.
Two boys won Navy ROTC Scholarships to pay their tuition at MIT and UVA.
One boy, who happens to be multiracial and who happens to be the student council president, won a regional award for solo singing at a Competition in NYC.
The Music Program is the best in the Region.
Landon won the Founder's Cup- indicating it had the best overall athletic program of the IAC-Georgetown Prep, Bullis, St. Albans, St. Stephens St. Agnes, and Episcopal Academy.
A senior who will attend Princeton played on their State Championship Hockey Team and has art hanging in Congress as the winner of two National Art Competitions.

One Boy was a Parade All-American in Basketball.
One Boy was a Lacrosse All-American.
One Boy was an Academic Lacrosse All-American.
Two Boys will play in the Under Armor All American Game.

The College list is not too bad. I may have missed a boy or two unintentionally. Sorry. I don't know the exact college list of other classes, but I think this one is about average.
4 kids to U Colorado
4 Kids to Trinity College CT.
3 Kids to UMD
3 Kids to DAvidson
3 to UVA
2 to Tulane
2 to Princeton
2 to Bucknell
2 to Johns Hopkins
2 to Richmond
2 to Cornell
2 to Duke
2 to Wake Forrest
Yale
Pitzer
Claremont McKenna
Hampden-Sydney
College of Charleston
Bentley University
Colgate
George Washington U.
Washington U.
U Penn.
Penn State.
Ohio State
Tufts
Middlebury
Moorehouse
Wisconsin
Brown
Hillsdale College
Stetson U.
Coastal Carolina
UNLV
MIT
Rice
VA Tech
Georgetown
Carnegie Mellon
Lehigh

Every school is not for everyone, but Landon is a very good school for boys. If you are posting on this thread because you or your son had a bad experience, I hope you have moved on or your son has found a better place for him.

Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe this is a serious post...but on the off chance it is, I can share that our son is NOT a jock, is celebrated for his artistic talents, and he loves Landon. There is good and bad at ALL schools...I suggest you talk offline with current parents, visit the school and follow your gut.

OP here. Thank you (almost) all for the feedback. My first impression is that the boys seem happy and sweet, at least in Lower School. I guess apes can be found anywhere, at any boys school. I'm going to keep an eye out and ear on the ground to see if it's a good fit. If it is, we will apply for third. If not, we will keep looking.

I would be concerned about being associated with a school that has gotten so much bad press lately. When one is paying $30,000+, it does not make sense to buy unwisely.

I find it hard to believe this is a serious post...but on the off chance it is, I can share that our son is NOT a jock, is celebrated for his artistic talents, and he loves Landon. There is good and bad at ALL schools...I suggest you talk offline with current parents, visit the school and follow your gut.

"Diversity--if for you that means aa boys from DC and PG, you're right. If you think definition has been, by now, expanded well beyond that..keep looking. (no flames here..you bears know i'm right)"

This used to be my view as well, but upon examination of a couple of grades, the school appears to be attracting more diversity than previously.