Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 14:50     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.

Huh. Interesting take to not consider NCS and STA among the elite or Big3/5 schools.

You can sit for the test but you are incorrect. St Albans and NCS no longer offer AP courses.

Sorry, wrong. Both NCS and STA have walked that back.

STA, right on the splash page, 13 AP classes (source: https://www.stalbansschool.org/academics/upper-school)

NCS doesn’t make it as easy to find, you have to check each department separately, but they have 14 AP classes ranging across languages, math, science, and social science (source: https://www.ncs.org/upper-school-curriculum-detail?fromId=218958&LevelNum=122&DepartmentId=692)

But, please, go on with what you were saying?


I call BS on you actually being a STA or NCS school. Show me where they walked back this agreement other than a link to their website. And if you were a parent you wouldn’t be excited to blab that your kid can take an AP class or test for 70K a year. Lol.
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 09:52     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.

Huh. Interesting take to not consider NCS and STA among the elite or Big3/5 schools.

You can sit for the test but you are incorrect. St Albans and NCS no longer offer AP courses.

Sorry, wrong. Both NCS and STA have walked that back.

STA, right on the splash page, 13 AP classes (source: https://www.stalbansschool.org/academics/upper-school)

NCS doesn’t make it as easy to find, you have to check each department separately, but they have 14 AP classes ranging across languages, math, science, and social science (source: https://www.ncs.org/upper-school-curriculum-detail?fromId=218958&LevelNum=122&DepartmentId=692)

But, please, go on with what you were saying?
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 08:19     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.


Appreciate the honesty and insight


What honesty and insight? The PP has no idea what they’re talking about. You can still get AP credit and higher placement at the vast majority of top private universities. You can count the universities that have opted out of accepting APs on one hand, maybe two.


As the previous poster just said this is a different question. On the issue of whether top colleges and universities consider AP courses something of value in admissions the answer is obvious. Just accept that you’re wrong and move on.
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 08:16     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.

Huh. Interesting take to not consider NCS and STA among the elite or Big3/5 schools.

You can sit for the test but you are incorrect. St Albans and NCS no longer offer AP courses.
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 07:47     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.


Ok. Keep telling yourself that.


lol. NP. Keep telling yourself that top Universities and SLACs give 2 sh*ts about AP classes. They don’t.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 16:43     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Some posts in this thread use "AP" to mean that the high school allows students to sit the AP tests at school.

Other posts use "AP" to mean HS courses labelled "AP Whatever", whether or not the student sits the actual AP test.

People are accidentally talking past each other in this thread. Maybe say AP Course or AP Test, whichever meaning one intends.

Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 08:43     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Our kid's school retains AP for certain maths classes, science and foreign language but not humanities classes. I like that approach. Her humanities classes have been equivalent to college seminars. Discussion based and not focused on memorization or teaching to a test.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 20:37     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.


Appreciate the honesty and insight


What honesty and insight? The PP has no idea what they’re talking about. You can still get AP credit and higher placement at the vast majority of top private universities. You can count the universities that have opted out of accepting APs on one hand, maybe two.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 19:13     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.

Huh. Interesting take to not consider NCS and STA among the elite or Big3/5 schools.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 18:24     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
What are you objecting to?
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 18:03     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.


Ok. Keep telling yourself that.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 17:04     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.


Appreciate the honesty and insight
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 16:42     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
APs are a good way to get into state schools, and a terrible way to get into a good private university. Which is why SSSAS sends a lot of kids to state schools.

I wish I’d understood before we started our kids at the lower school that the role of APs has changed since I was in high school (in the 90s). The AP board tightly regulates everything and it truly is focused on memorization and not on deep thinking. It’s great for state schools who need a standardized way to evaluate applicants, but private universities understand the limits of AP classes.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 14:30     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.


Agree to disagree. The decision to drop AP was based on relationships and reputations of the schools. Those played well with SLAC plus Ivy-plus crowd, which was the goal. But many students want different options today. Big state U etc. that do not actually have the relationships. Add on the grade inflation phenomenon across all of education in the last 10 plus years and would argue AP classes with a good score are more valuable today than ever. Very happy to have access to both the classes and the tests.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2026 12:57     Subject: Rigor (or lack thereof) at St Stephen’s St Agnes
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you consider rival schools?


There are plenty of rivals depending on activity but the main schools without APs that I recall are Potomac and a couple in DC and Maryland. For our family AP was a requirement so for us the non-AP oriented schools weren’t considered. Schools with APs that are typically considered rivals of SSSAS are Episcopal, BI and Flint Hill.


Private schools that still offer APs are simply channeling that they are not a top- tier school, including SSAS. All of the elite privates have done away with APs because they recognize AP classes
encourage rote memorization and teaching to the test which distracts from teaching higher level skills like critical thinking. None of the “ Big 3” or “Big 5” in the DMV offer AP. That changed several years ago and it hadn’t affected college admissions in the slightest. Top schools offer advanced studies - very different. Top colleges no longer look at AP courses as anything other than ordinary. Top boarding schools have moved away from AP as well. Your myopic thinking highlights very outdated thinking imo.