Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 11:13     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
All of these schools can fully prepare you for a STEM college major at top schools, full stop. The people saying otherwise are just trying to justify their tuition. I went to public school and didn’t take anything beyond Calc in high school and was totally fine. The focus on acceleration at all costs by some parents actually means the students don’t really have the basics down and are forced to retake courses in college anyways.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 09:50     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
GDS is not STEM-focused as a school, but it has excellent STEM courses, including lots of post-Calculus math. And the rigorous English program has been good too for my STEM-focused kid. All students should learn to write well.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:57     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.


Uh, no they don’t. They offer linear algebra, which is one year beyond BC Calc.

Upper school math at STA is rigorous and well-taught (or has been), but middle school math is unbelievably weak. STEM overall is OK but not comparable to schools like TJ.





No, this year they have at least 3 boys in a class beyond linear algebra (they took HLAVC in 11th) . Last year they graduated several boys who were 1-2 levels beyond this.


No. Linear Algebra in most universities is a 1/2 semester course. Multivariate is also a 1/2 semester course. Similarly BC Calc is also an 1/2 semester load. Upper school kids take more classes than college ones and can’t fit the 1/2 semester in a 1/2 high school semester. Therefore they take Calc for 1 year, linear for 1 year and multivariate for 1 year. Which is not 2 years beyond BC.

Also MIT and Cal Tech make them retake it.


I can't believe we're arguing about this but I'm talking about high school classes here and not how the material translates into college courses. I'm not sure why you're brining up college.
STA has the course sequence available for boys who arrive needing to take BC in 9th or 10th. These boys then can take multivariable, linear algebra/vector calculus and then math seminar where they study number theory or other topics. Then they have had boys go beyond even this at a local university.
This isn't typical (by any means) but they have supported this level of math study (taught by their own teachers) if needed. That's all I'm saying.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:21     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:GDS seems to fit your criteria unless you of course only want all boys.


Aside from the all-boys preference, although GDS is diverse and welcomes a wide range of kids, it's not STEM focused at all. I don't think that's necessary to be STEM-focused at GDS (and we have a kid there who loves STEM classes), but it will have nothing on Blair's SMCS program.


GDS is more STEM-focused than Landon. Also, while I am sure there are non-athletic kids at Landon as an entire school vibe it very much is a school for athletes. I've known middle school boys who had to do push-ups during academic classes as "punishments". Some kids love that, some hate it but I wouldn't say Landon is a magnet for the D&D crowd. YMMV.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:13     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:I think Landon could work well for your son. The boys we know who attended are not sporty and are very intellectual. So that does exist there. Two of the boys ended up at Ivies (only mentioned because other posters implied that it’s not academic). One of the boys is African American. I do recall there’s a requirement to play on a team but there were many ways to fulfill that requirement that were non-competitive/intense.


I also want to add that one of the boys played D&D with his Landon friends and another enjoyed building computers.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:12     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
I think Landon could work well for your son. The boys we know who attended are not sporty and are very intellectual. So that does exist there. Two of the boys ended up at Ivies (only mentioned because other posters implied that it’s not academic). One of the boys is African American. I do recall there’s a requirement to play on a team but there were many ways to fulfill that requirement that were non-competitive/intense.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:07     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.


Uh, no they don’t. They offer linear algebra, which is one year beyond BC Calc.

Upper school math at STA is rigorous and well-taught (or has been), but middle school math is unbelievably weak. STEM overall is OK but not comparable to schools like TJ.





No, this year they have at least 3 boys in a class beyond linear algebra (they took HLAVC in 11th) . Last year they graduated several boys who were 1-2 levels beyond this.


No. Linear Algebra in most universities is a 1/2 semester course. Multivariate is also a 1/2 semester course. Similarly BC Calc is also an 1/2 semester load. Upper school kids take more classes than college ones and can’t fit the 1/2 semester in a 1/2 high school semester. Therefore they take Calc for 1 year, linear for 1 year and multivariate for 1 year. Which is not 2 years beyond BC.

Also MIT and Cal Tech make them retake it.


I should add Landon also has a small group of boys taking multivariate and linear algebra.

Both schools are different experiences for that small set than for the larger average student body. Same with Bullis, which also offers accelerated math. Bullis has accelerated science and a great science center.

The best stem school in the area by a light year is TJ. It’s also unnecessary.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 08:04     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.


Uh, no they don’t. They offer linear algebra, which is one year beyond BC Calc.

Upper school math at STA is rigorous and well-taught (or has been), but middle school math is unbelievably weak. STEM overall is OK but not comparable to schools like TJ.





No, this year they have at least 3 boys in a class beyond linear algebra (they took HLAVC in 11th) . Last year they graduated several boys who were 1-2 levels beyond this.


No. Linear Algebra in most universities is a 1/2 semester course. Multivariate is also a 1/2 semester course. Similarly BC Calc is also an 1/2 semester load. Upper school kids take more classes than college ones and can’t fit the 1/2 semester in a 1/2 high school semester. Therefore they take Calc for 1 year, linear for 1 year and multivariate for 1 year. Which is not 2 years beyond BC.

Also MIT and Cal Tech make them retake it.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2024 04:34     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.


Uh, no they don’t. They offer linear algebra, which is one year beyond BC Calc.

Upper school math at STA is rigorous and well-taught (or has been), but middle school math is unbelievably weak. STEM overall is OK but not comparable to schools like TJ.





No, this year they have at least 3 boys in a class beyond linear algebra (they took HLAVC in 11th) . Last year they graduated several boys who were 1-2 levels beyond this.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 23:46     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Burke
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 23:37     Subject: Re:STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
OP, STA is a quantum level more rigorous than Landon. That said, a kid getting Bs in middle school may have a bit of a challenge at STA. If he is not able to do well in traditional liberal arts subjects, it won’t be a good fit. Getting a ton of Bs in classes that require a ton of writing and high level analysis will drag down his overall GPA, making it tough to get into a top STEM school at the college level.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 23:33     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.


Uh, no they don’t. They offer linear algebra, which is one year beyond BC Calc.

Upper school math at STA is rigorous and well-taught (or has been), but middle school math is unbelievably weak. STEM overall is OK but not comparable to schools like TJ.



Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 11:33     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
You say your son is STEM interested, but "how interested?" Like this could be a college major / career or more 'my kid just likes math'. Do they want to head to an MIT or a Stanford or a Virginia Tech, or have you not gotten that far yet?

I mention this because the private schools are generally not known as big STEM feeders. I think if you go through even the top ones you'll find a Stanford and MIT here and there, but nothing when compared to a place like TJ which is hyper-STEM focused.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 11:32     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.



Neither this is an absurd question

Neither of those schools would be good for your student from a stem pov

If you must no question STA

Landon stem no there are not enough good students in math or the curriculum to be very successful in college


STA has fantastic STEM. They routinely offer math 3-4 levels beyond BC calculus for the tiny handful of boys who need it. They had boys admitted to Stanford, Princeton, and Cambridge to specifically study math this past year (and probably the best college admissions overall among DMV privates). Science courses are also great.

It's a very hard admit but worth applying to. we've had kids at 3 DMV schools, we're not fancy people and STA is our favorite school by far.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2024 11:25     Subject: STA or Landon for a STEM nonathletic boy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS is really into anything math, science, and tech related. He does have a slight interest in tennis and golf, but otherwise isn't sporty. He likes running around outside to blow off steam, but won't willingly participate in a game of pick up sports. He's into Legos and video games as well. He's a mostly A student and quiet and introverted. He's overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at public school and prefers to be in an environment where people want to learn and be respectful(not get in trouble). SAAS is on our list as well. One non-negotiable on our list is that the school must have a sizable minority population. We are looking for middle school at the moment, but may reevaluate for high school, if needs and wants change.


what demographic are you, and what minority group is it non-negotiable for the school to have?


We are African American.

Probably not getting into either unless you have some good connection. Apply anywhere you like. Burke is probably worth a try with the profile you mentioned.