My 2cents - FWIW
St. Johns has ROTC option which is popular
GC stronger athletic program, not putting SJC down, but GC's is more successful ATM
SJC has a good music program, many kids are in the various bands, orchestra, etc. You hear less about the music program at GC.
Fairly similar in size
Location - SJC is in NW DC while GC is in Olney (which is a hike for a lot of folks)
GC has some bus service, not sure of SJC
Both are coed
Both have programs for kids who may need some extra academic support. Ryken at GC and Benhilde program at SJC
Both are good options for good, solid, middle of the road kids.
Both have a lot of activities, clubs, etc. and both are large enough and diverse enough that it seems everyone is able to find a niche.
GC has a new campus - it is very nice, SJC is older campus but still nice
Most parish schools consider both SJC and GC to be "safety" schools but that is not being negative - it is because they are quite large and have more open slots than anyone else at the very popular 9th grade entry year.

Anonymous wrote:How does it compare to St. Johns?

Anyone?

I have friends with kids at GC and one friend with a kid at Seton. Both are happy and feel they made good choices the fit their kids. That is all that really matters. Look at both schools as they are different. I have heard good things about the Ryken program at GC.

what about GC vs Elizabeth Seton? I'd say my daughter might need intellectual challenge AND some academic support - which makes me think a smaller or more flexible environment might be better. Perhaps neither of these are good choices but she has a very strong interest in science, and probably qualifies for Ryken (or the ES equivalent.) For a good public I'd need to move and I wonder if they would be too large...

Anonymous wrote:Where some of the 2011 Good Counsel grads are attending: Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Naval Academy, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, Yale

Not shabby. There are excellent students at many DC area private high schools. Do your own research and pick the best school for your child that can lead to matriculation at some of the schools listed above - for under $30K.

Not bad for a school that cost just over 15k... seems like a bargain compared to the > $30k priced school, eg. Bullis etc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9 good placements out of 300 students... not bad... I'm sure you are very proud.

You mean this school has the gall to educate the *gasp* average kids too?
I would never let my special snowflake (who of course is NOT average!) consider such a place!

+1
Well said, 20:01

Anonymous wrote:9 good placements out of 300 students... not bad... I'm sure you are very proud.

You mean this school has the gall to educate the *gasp* average kids too?
I would never let my special snowflake (who of course is NOT average!) consider such a place!

Anonymous wrote:9 good placements out of 300 students... not bad... I'm sure you are very proud.

Snarky PP, point is that highly selective colleges get students from many different schools. Pick the "Big 3", Prep, or any other DC-area private: a very small percentage of any graduating class (be it 300, 200, 100) will get selected to the highly selective colleges.

9 good placements out of 300 students... not bad... I'm sure you are very proud.

Where some of the 2011 Good Counsel grads are attending: Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Naval Academy, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, Yale

Not shabby. There are excellent students at many DC area private high schools. Do your own research and pick the best school for your child that can lead to matriculation at some of the schools listed above - for under $30K.

Large
Coed
Mediocre

How does it compare to St. Johns?

GC rep is just OK. Very few kids get turned down. Nice, new campus, really strong sports. Similar to St. Johns. They are fine for solid,middle of the road kids but it is not an academic oriented school.
Would not compare to Georgetown Prep or Gonzaga. Prep is prep and many boys get turned down at Gonzaga. GC is better than DeMatha, but that's not saying much.

Anonymous wrote:Academics are so-so, sports are great but geared only for the very talented, travel team crowd. In terms of academics, they are a tier down from Prep/Gonzaga/Stone Ridge. Not hard to get into, the joke is you get into GC by opening the door. It is not vastly different crowd/environment/culture from Sherwood just down the street.

Prep's reputation is clearly better than GC's in terms of academics. Gonzaga (and Dematha for that matter)? GC is probably on par, and definitely not "a tier down." As the PP stated, for sports, it is a great option if college athletics potential exists.

It is best to check the GC college matriculation stats as it relates to the selective colleges.

Academics are so-so, sports are great but geared only for the very talented, travel team crowd. In terms of academics, they are a tier down from Prep/Gonzaga/Stone Ridge. Not hard to get into, the joke is you get into GC by opening the door. It is not vastly different crowd/environment/culture from Sherwood just down the street.