Someone from TJ has hijacked this thread. We got the message the first time. Start a TJ thread if you want -- this one is about STA

With the small class sizes over a decade of fine education, big time outside tutoring and fancy summer camps at universities, colleges and other sites, big time bucks at home, 99.9 percentile entering WPPSI scores this is what 1/2 million dollars gets? Only 10 to 15 percent can achieve the cut-off scores on a PSAT exam? I am shocked.

How does STA stack up on scores of 4 and 5 on AP exams compared to TJ and Blair magnets? Given the higher caliber of teachers (with masters and doctorate degrees) and the richer and deeper curriculum, smaller classes, more teacher student interaction, one would expect them to beat the pants off schools like TJ and Blair magnet? These are largely "non bubble" exams!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting, highly alarming! With under 80 students in each graduating class, exorbitant resources (both at school and home), this is the result?

I guess it all depends on how you look at the numbers. Like I said though, setting aside TJ & Blair magnets, StA and a few other DC schools with similar percentages all lead the DC pack by a fairly significant margin. And the StA percentage is about the same as what you'd find at well-known boarding schools (e.g., Andover). So the take-home message is that most really well-respected schools in the country seem to average about 15%, and StA is right there with them. So maybe it's legitimate to ask whether StA (with all the resources available to it) should be producing a higher percentage of NMSFs, but it's not as if anyone has many better practical options available.

I think a better question is to ask how TJ and Blair manage to produce such high percentages. I know they pull huge numbers of highly-caliber students from relatively affluent areas, and they do a good job teaching them. However, the same could be said for plenty of other public magnets. Yet TJ/Blair seem to produce more NMSFs than anywhere else. I'm impressed every time I look at the numbers.

Yes, I just reviewed the NMSF averages at Sidwell, GDS and others, just as you said 10-15%. Again, thanks for posting those numbers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists.

New poster here. I think you're mistaken about this claim. I've been doing some research into the number of Nat'l Merit Semifinalists at various schools, and it seems that about 12-15% of each class at St Albans is recognized as NMSF. That's about the same class percentage as a few other well-known DC/MD/VA schools, and about the same percentage as some well-known boarding schools. I'm sure there are criticisms that can be lobbed at St Albans, but the number of NMSFs is not one of them.

STA's 2010 graduating class has 77-80 students only 5 NMSFs (a few were expelled). Not 12-15% NMSFs as you claim nor was it last year.

I have not looked at data for 2008-09 yet. But here are StA NMSF numbers for several other years:

2007 = 10 NMSFs
2006 = 9
2004 = 10
2002 = 18
2001 = 11
2000 = 10
1999 = 12
1998 = 16
1997 = 12

StA seems to pretty consistent in its ability to generate a substantial percentage of NMSFs.

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting, highly alarming! With under 80 students in each graduating class, exorbitant resources (both at school and home), this is the result?

I think Sidwell had 8 out of this years senior class and the class is substantially larger than St.A. (120 v. 75)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting, highly alarming! With under 80 students in each graduating class, exorbitant resources (both at school and home), this is the result?

I guess it all depends on how you look at the numbers. Like I said though, setting aside TJ & Blair magnets, StA and a few other DC schools with similar percentages all lead the DC pack by a fairly significant margin. And the StA percentage is about the same as what you'd find at well-known boarding schools (e.g., Andover). So the take-home message is that most really well-respected schools in the country seem to average about 15%, and StA is right there with them. So maybe it's legitimate to ask whether StA (with all the resources available to it) should be producing a higher percentage of NMSFs, but it's not as if anyone has many better practical options available.

I think a better question is to ask how TJ and Blair manage to produce such high percentages. I know they pull huge numbers of highly-caliber students from relatively affluent areas, and they do a good job teaching them. However, the same could be said for plenty of other public magnets. Yet TJ/Blair seem to produce more NMSFs than anywhere else. I'm impressed every time I look at the numbers.

There is a difference between public magnet and public exam schools. Note the word exam- test scores are a driving force in admissions. Now what about the approx 25% of the other NMSF in FX who are not at TJ? Did they also apply and NOT get in yet placed higher in the PSAT than TJ students who get commendation or no NM level of recognition?

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting, highly alarming! With under 80 students in each graduating class, exorbitant resources (both at school and home), this is the result?

I guess it all depends on how you look at the numbers. Like I said though, setting aside TJ & Blair magnets, StA and a few other DC schools with similar percentages all lead the DC pack by a fairly significant margin. And the StA percentage is about the same as what you'd find at well-known boarding schools (e.g., Andover). So the take-home message is that most really well-respected schools in the country seem to average about 15%, and StA is right there with them. So maybe it's legitimate to ask whether StA (with all the resources available to it) should be producing a higher percentage of NMSFs, but it's not as if anyone has many better practical options available.

I think a better question is to ask how TJ and Blair manage to produce such high percentages. I know they pull huge numbers of highly-caliber students from relatively affluent areas, and they do a good job teaching them. However, the same could be said for plenty of other public magnets. Yet TJ/Blair seem to produce more NMSFs than anywhere else. I'm impressed every time I look at the numbers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists.

New poster here. I think you're mistaken about this claim. I've been doing some research into the number of Nat'l Merit Semifinalists at various schools, and it seems that about 12-15% of each class at St Albans is recognized as NMSF. That's about the same class percentage as a few other well-known DC/MD/VA schools, and about the same percentage as some well-known boarding schools. I'm sure there are criticisms that can be lobbed at St Albans, but the number of NMSFs is not one of them.

STA's 2010 graduating class has 77-80 students only 5 NMSFs (a few were expelled). Not 12-15% NMSFs as you claim nor was it last year.

I have not looked at data for 2008-09 yet. But here are StA NMSF numbers for several other years:

2007 = 10 NMSFs
2006 = 9
2004 = 10
2002 = 18
2001 = 11
2000 = 10
1999 = 12
1998 = 16
1997 = 12

StA seems to pretty consistent in its ability to generate a substantial percentage of NMSFs.

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting, highly alarming! With under 80 students in each graduating class, exorbitant resources (both at school and home), this is the result?

Anonymous wrote:Further the publics at TJ and Blair have 4 to 5 fold the number at St Albans School (or 40 to 50 percent of an entire graduating class)

My numbers suggest that's a little exaggerated. Each TJ class seems to have about 33-37% NMSFs. The Blair average is only about 6%, but that's a school-wide average, not just limited to the magnet program. If you assume most of the NMSF kids at Blair are in the magnet program (no idea if that's true though), then Blair's magnet numbers are fairly similar to TJ's. Obviously both TJ and Blair have huge numbers of NMSFs and are excellent schools. However, their position as limited-geography and limited-grade magnet schools puts them in a slightly different category than StA (at least for parents making decisions on where younger children should go to school).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists.

New poster here. I think you're mistaken about this claim. I've been doing some research into the number of Nat'l Merit Semifinalists at various schools, and it seems that about 12-15% of each class at St Albans is recognized as NMSF. That's about the same class percentage as a few other well-known DC/MD/VA schools, and about the same percentage as some well-known boarding schools. I'm sure there are criticisms that can be lobbed at St Albans, but the number of NMSFs is not one of them.

STA's 2010 graduating class has 77-80 students only 5 NMSFs (a few were expelled). Not 12-15% NMSFs as you claim nor was it last year.

I have not looked at data for 2008-09 yet. But here are StA NMSF numbers for several other years:

2007 = 10 NMSFs
2006 = 9
2004 = 10
2002 = 18
2001 = 11
2000 = 10
1999 = 12
1998 = 16
1997 = 12

StA seems to pretty consistent in its ability to generate a substantial percentage of NMSFs.

Further the publics at TJ and Blair have 4 to 5 fold the number at St Albans School (or 40 to 50 percent of an entire graduating class)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists.

New poster here. I think you're mistaken about this claim. I've been doing some research into the number of Nat'l Merit Semifinalists at various schools, and it seems that about 12-15% of each class at St Albans is recognized as NMSF. That's about the same class percentage as a few other well-known DC/MD/VA schools, and about the same percentage as some well-known boarding schools. I'm sure there are criticisms that can be lobbed at St Albans, but the number of NMSFs is not one of them.

STA's 2010 graduating class has 77-80 students only 5 NMSFs (a few were expelled). Not 12-15% NMSFs as you claim nor was it last year.

Anonymous wrote:Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists.

New poster here. I think you're mistaken about this claim. I've been doing some research into the number of Nat'l Merit Semifinalists at various schools, and it seems that about 12-15% of each class at St Albans is recognized as NMSF. That's about the same class percentage as a few other well-known DC/MD/VA schools, and about the same percentage as some well-known boarding schools. I'm sure there are criticisms that can be lobbed at St Albans, but the number of NMSFs is not one of them.

They'll appreciate the diversity and NE private school steal. Go for it!

A family friend will be moving to the DC area in the next 6 months. They are looking at several schools for their son, including STA. He currently attends a highly regarded private school in the NE (not NYC). They may apply to sta in the next week but wanted to get a sense as to the son's chances. It would be for 4G, which appears to be good. I gather he will have very strong recommendations from his current school. He just took the WISC(?) (115) and ERBs (7-8).

Any thoughts? Obviously, they (as well as I) have no connections to the school.

Much appreciated.

Preexisting aptitude, really? Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists. By the way, what's the the school's average SAT score since you for one are on top of your research? I agree with this, its ranking is probably based upon the rep of its legacies and money.

I agree with this assessment. Reputation, legacy and money explain the national standing, not academic ribbons (National Merit Semifinalists, Intel and Siemens winners, Morehead and Rhodes Scholars, Math, Physics, Science US Olympiad team members, National Mathcount Middle School winners, etc, etc, etc).

With regards the latter (money), a $30 ish million endowment (+ endowment/student ratio) seems paltry given toney reputation, legacy and endowments of other reputable and selective private schools across the nation.

With regards admission selectivity -- not so impressive as in early entry years this onus is largely biased by the Beauvoir filter-- the prime feeder (and Beauvoir pre-K, K and Grade 1 entry is based less on academic aptitude, accomplishment and achievement rather "fit", socio-economic status, legacy, sibship and money; and the latter entry years with near 40 percent acceptance rates).

Finally, as a single gender school, the exclusion of over half the potential adolescent brain power further compounds the already restricted pool of talent compared with other coeducational institutions.

Disclosures: None. I am neither an alumna nor mom of any child attending a D.C. area private school. But, keep this option open in future.