As for the 'eyes wide open' STA parent, I'm a little surprised you would 'definitely' be pulling your son out of a school based on incomplete information posted on an anonymous parent's site. I would at least ask to speak to the administration about your concerns.

I'm not saying the information isn't relevent. It is. But I also think the posters (or single poster) who are hell bent on destroying the luster of St. Albans have their own agenda. I appreciate when test scores/NMSF percentages/college exmissions informtion is posted. I could do without the hifalutin language disparaging STA parents, though (a la Toney Marboro Man). Everyone is trying to find the right school for their kid. So when someone goes beyond presenting information to the point of denegrating anyone who foolishly chose St. Albans, I am likely to think their opinions are a little suspect. In the end, if your kid is not doing well at the school or if you feel your kid is not being challenged sufficiently, of course you should examine other schools. But I wouldn't pull a kid out of a school because a couple of other schools have finer stats. I guess I expect what is important is how my kid does in the environment, not just how the group does. My kid has a verbal/debating/history/geography bent. He's fine in math and science, but he would be like a fish out of water in TJ. I feel like I have him in the right place (St. Albans).

Not a disgruntled, but current STA parent here. Eyes are wide-open now. Definitely will not stay beyond 8th grade.

Academic excellence? If you say so. Exmissions probably equal connections.

This is the sober reality today for many of the elite private secondary schools. As Beauvoir is to STA and NCS today, so too were many of these prep schools to the "Ivies, yesterday". These schools remain academically excellent but "Ivy" exmission is no longer a guarantee (but for the legacies and connected). All the rest must compete.

Agree there is some craziness vs. STA in particular and I don't have a kid there. I know it's a great school -- I don't know why someone is so against it unless their own kid was rejected. I know that would hurt

I doubt this. In fact, it would not surprise me if the poster's kid rejected the admission offer of STA!

I have read all the last pages of posts and no one has stated that STA is not a great school. And we know there are a lot of great schools in this area. What seems to gnaw at STA's boosters is the undeniable fact that a couple of public school programs in the area consistently produce 3 to 4 fold higher more number of national Merit Finalists than any other schools -- including STA. And this is highly significant. No one has suggested this means STA is not a great school or that you are "throwing money down a rathole". I am quite certain there are secure STA family members that understand this, are secure and aren't threatened by this revelation (it's not new).

Apparently, we who send our boys to StA are throwing our money down a rathole, because our lousy school hasn't been able to produce the same proportion of NMSFs as TJ or Blair. Moreover, our school is deviously keeping relevant information from us.

I don't believe the person posting all the stats is so much a TJ/Blair booster as someone insanely disgruntled about StA (for what reason, I have no idea), because you will not see any of these comparisons for the other 25-30 highschools in the area with a similar price tag.

If sons of STA parents debated divisive topics in the manner of these parents I wonder what message this sends to prospective students?

Not a disgruntled, but current STA parent here. Eyes are wide-open now. Definitely will not stay beyond 8th grade.

Academic excellence? If you say so. Exmissions probably equal connections.

Agree there is some craziness vs. STA in particular and I don't have a kid there. I know it's a great school -- I don't know why someone is so against it unless their own kid was rejected. I know that would hurt.

Apparently, we who send our boys to StA are throwing our money down a rathole, because our lousy school hasn't been able to produce the same proportion of NMSFs as TJ or Blair. Moreover, our school is deviously keeping relevant information from us.

I don't believe the person posting all the stats is so much a TJ/Blair booster as someone insanely disgruntled about StA (for what reason, I have no idea), because you will not see any of these comparisons for the other 25-30 highschools in the area with a similar price tag.

Why all the discussion about TJ and Blair? They aren't in DC. They aren't privates, although no one would argue that they're not very good schools. But one obsessed person keeps steering this thread to those schools, which is of no interest to those of us who are reading a thread dealing with St. Albans.

Anonymous wrote:

I think there is one person who seems to be obsessed with TJ, Blair and Exeter. The rest of the posts are much more balanced and not obsessed with PSAT scores. To read the one poster though apparently our children are doomed if they do not attend one of those 3 schools. 2 of them require living in specific school jurisdictions and then passing the rigorous testing to get in. The 3rd is a boarding school. So apparently those of us who are not willing to send our sons to boarding school or move to Fairfax or MoCo may as well pack it in now. Totally bizarre outlook in my opinion but to each his own. Actually I understand the school with the highest average SAT scores is actually a school in Korea. So maybe that poster better send her son there if she cares only about the scores.

Does STA have any boarding students? Or, does PEA have special advantages because it's a boarding school, which explains PSAT results and prize winning? Perhaps PEA should incrfease tuition for day students?

STA has a few boarding students - under 20 total i think (probably on their website). Exeter has an advantage in that it draws nationally rather than from a limited geographic area. Any of the local day school are going to be limited to people who are in commuting radius.

Indeed, I took a quick look at the most Siemens results, and it seems the two schools are pretty evenly matched:
(http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/siemens_com...alist_website_listing_2009.pdf)

TJ: 1.8% of class named Siemens semifinalists (8 of 450 in senior class)
StA: 1.3% of class named Siemens semifinalists (1 of 77 in senior class)

Or if you assume that both juniors and seniors participate in Siemens (which seems reasonable):

TJ: 0.89% of jr/sr class named Siemens semifinalists (8 of 900 in jr/sr class)
StA: 0.65% of jr/sr class named Siemens semifinalists (1 of 155 in jr/sr class)

I would have expected TJ to dominate since it's a "School of Science & Technology" (or whatever the name is), but the difference actually seems pretty negligible. No one's taking anything away from TJ -- it's a great school. But you sound like an idiot by not giving other top schools the same respect.

Patulous oral sphincter (loose lips) to accompany a tight anal sphincter.

Don't be such an utter asshole. It's pretty clear that StA graduates are pretty accomplished in lots of areas. Perhaps TJ students generally fare better in math/science (since TJ is a math/science-focused school after all), but to suggest that StA students are unable to demonstrate "deep subject expertise" is just dumb.

Indeed, I took a quick look at the most Siemens results, and it seems the two schools are pretty evenly matched:
(http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/siemens_com...alist_website_listing_2009.pdf)

TJ: 1.8% of class named Siemens semifinalists (8 of 450 in senior class)
StA: 1.3% of class named Siemens semifinalists (1 of 77 in senior class)

Or if you assume that both juniors and seniors participate in Siemens (which seems reasonable):

TJ: 0.89% of jr/sr class named Siemens semifinalists (8 of 900 in jr/sr class)
StA: 0.65% of jr/sr class named Siemens semifinalists (1 of 155 in jr/sr class)

I would have expected TJ to dominate since it's a "School of Science & Technology" (or whatever the name is), but the difference actually seems pretty negligible. No one's taking anything away from TJ -- it's a great school. But you sound like an idiot by not giving other top schools the same respect.

I think there is one person who seems to be obsessed with TJ, Blair and Exeter. The rest of the posts are much more balanced and not obsessed with PSAT scores. To read the one poster though apparently our children are doomed if they do not attend one of those 3 schools. 2 of them require living in specific school jurisdictions and then passing the rigorous testing to get in. The 3rd is a boarding school. So apparently those of us who are not willing to send our sons to boarding school or move to Fairfax or MoCo may as well pack it in now. Totally bizarre outlook in my opinion but to each his own. Actually I understand the school with the highest average SAT scores is actually a school in Korea. So maybe that poster better send her son there if she cares only about the scores.

This defensive, thin skinned, whinny drivel about moving to Korea or out of the County does not shed any light to questions posed in this thread:

1. Why potential parents and students cannot get an accounting of the academic outcome of an education at STA. Potential parents and students could care less whether existing parents or students do not wish to provide this information. If the information is not provided STA will continue to receive inquiries based on reporting of this type of outcomes from other institutions and in the media. Clearly, this is not the total substance of an education but it is quantifiable and measurable across the land and compliments information about football and lacrosse championships.

a. AP scores
b. SAT/ACT scores
c. SAT subject scores
d. annual exmissions list (not by decade)

How does the undoubtedly fine and superior education at STA impact the above variables?

This data is available. It is provided by the push of a button without substantial dollars or work effort.

I think there is one person who seems to be obsessed with TJ, Blair and Exeter. The rest of the posts are much more balanced and not obsessed with PSAT scores. To read the one poster though apparently our children are doomed if they do not attend one of those 3 schools. 2 of them require living in specific school jurisdictions and then passing the rigorous testing to get in. The 3rd is a boarding school. So apparently those of us who are not willing to send our sons to boarding school or move to Fairfax or MoCo may as well pack it in now. Totally bizarre outlook in my opinion but to each his own. Actually I understand the school with the highest average SAT scores is actually a school in Korea. So maybe that poster better send her son there if she cares only about the scores.

Does STA have any boarding students? Or, does PEA have special advantages because it's a boarding school, which explains PSAT results and prize winning? Perhaps PEA should incrfease tuition for day students?

I think there is one person who seems to be obsessed with TJ, Blair and Exeter. The rest of the posts are much more balanced and not obsessed with PSAT scores. To read the one poster though apparently our children are doomed if they do not attend one of those 3 schools. 2 of them require living in specific school jurisdictions and then passing the rigorous testing to get in. The 3rd is a boarding school. So apparently those of us who are not willing to send our sons to boarding school or move to Fairfax or MoCo may as well pack it in now. Totally bizarre outlook in my opinion but to each his own. Actually I understand the school with the highest average SAT scores is actually a school in Korea. So maybe that poster better send her son there if she cares only about the scores.

On the other hand, the poster may have included a PEA (Exeter), a private school like STA, and the 2 publics to drive home the point that private schools also show the beef in this regard.