We had this choice last year, and it was especially hard because we have family who went to - and loved - STA. But our child clicked with the Abbey from the moment he arrived there, and we decided to try it. It has been such a wonderful year of growth and joy for him.

The drive for us is long (we can walk to STA) but we feel it is worth it to see our son thrive and be part of such a supportive and caring community.

We were down between these two and ultimately chose sta (closer to us), but we know another family in a similar position that chose the abbey. They are both excellent schools. More in common academically than in other areas.

Anonymous wrote:Hoping someone can articulate the subtler cultural, social, and academic similarities and differences between these two schools. We are looking at both and understand the most obvious differences: proximity of a girl's school, role athletics plays, location, perceived social prestige, even the difference of religious flavor that comes with an Episcopalian versus Catholic identity. However, at the end of the day, they are both small, all-boys, academically rigorous, traditional-leaning schools, and we are curious if anyone can speak to the nuances. Thank you.

Very different school communities. Take a look at governing boards especially at current parents on the board to get a sense of what the school is prioritizing in who is leading the school. All of these things will affect the kids and your experience as a parent at the school.

Anonymous wrote:Families definitely cross-shop these schools; we are one of a couple families we know who are lucky enough to be in at both places. It's a compelling choice. STA is better resourced, but we were struck by the sense of warmth and down to the earth authenticity of the community at St. Anselm's. They are both fabulous schools and stood out to us as the most academically focused all-boys schools in our search.

We were torn as well a few years ago for everything you said. Both schools are excellent, but they do have a different feel. We ultimately chose the Abbey and have no regrets. It has been an excellent experience.

We are a relatively new Form 3 (9th grade) family at SAAS, and we love the school. Our DS has thrived academically -- he is challenged and excited by his courses and the rapid development of his executive functioning skills has been remarkable. SAAS is not a sports powerhouse; while my kid enjoys sports and is playing on multiple teams, he equally enjoys theater, debate, etc. The school is also super diverse, especially from a socio-economic perspective. STA is an awesome school too -- just a very different feel and community.

Families definitely cross-shop these schools; we are one of a couple families we know who are lucky enough to be in at both places. It's a compelling choice. STA is better resourced, but we were struck by the sense of warmth and down to the earth authenticity of the community at St. Anselm's. They are both fabulous schools and stood out to us as the most academically focused all-boys schools in our search.

Anonymous wrote:These are the schools that know the Abbey. They’ve taken no steps to move beyond those schools. That’s why kids keep targeting them over and over again. They know their chances are better.

Your comment has a weirdly negative tone to it.

Another way of saying it is that the school has developed a relationship with group of very good colleges, has worked to solidify those relationships. I'd be happy for my kid to go to any of those schools.

There's only 30 kids a grade at the Abbey - keeping a tight focus on a set of good schools seems like... a good idea?

A quick search of the archives will show that there are people who complain about college counseling at every school in the DMV. Our experience with college counseling at the Abbey was very positive. Our son had some choices to make and got both good advice and support from one of the college counselors there. He got in early to his first choice and has thrived in college.

The Abbey does a terrific job preparing the boys to succeed in college (and beyond), and the counselors know the boys well and can give them both good advice and help with college admissions. No system is perfect, and certainly there are disappointments and surprises, but over all our son's class seems to be doing very well in college.