How did it work out OP? Your post is now a year old.

I sent one to GZ and one to GC - both boys. Both different kids. Both have thrived. The community at GC is wayyyyy more welcoming. GZ left me feeling inadequate and like I was trying to keep up with the Joneses. It was very insular and felt like I could see the same faces, yet people would act like we’d never met. GC folks are much more down to earth and not concerned with social climbing.

Both of my students have been successful at each school, but there’s no denying GZ is more rigorous. We have family that has taught at both schools and attended both, as well. We are huge supporters of both schools.

GC is very appealing to those of us in MoCo, especially upper MoCo. My older son commuted an hour each way. My younger son wasn’t up for that. It doesn’t make our students less likely to get into a great college bc they didn’t choose the hour plus commute. GC is placing kids in top colleges, as well, and has a strong athletic program for men and women.

My son from GC will graduate with a higher GPA than my Gonzaga son. It will open more doors for him to apply to other colleges his brother couldn’t. The path for each family and child is different and people on this board need to stop worrying about stepping on someone to try to get to the top.

My family has been going to Gonzaga for generations that my kids chose good counsel over Gonzaga.

The all boy thing was a real turn off. Not because they wanted necessarily to go to school with girls but the tone of the school was not appealing. That was from the shadow day.

They also stood in the student section during a football game and the whole tear tearing your shirts off at the end of the fourth quarter was not appealing.

The science classrooms were not modern that I believe that Kimsey (who passed away) has donated since then so perhaps that’s changed.

It felt more diverse.

My boys have always been good friends with girls, so it was nice to have girls in the classroom.

The school spirit didn’t feel toxic. I think the stands are different when you are cheering with girls.

There are a few incidences like the destroying of the house during the religious retreatand some vandalism of schools during football games that were a big turn off.

The lunches were really good when my kids went there, but I hear it’s gone downhill. When surveys are sent out about what they liked about the school, they’ve asked to stop saying they like their lunches.

One son needed really strong, academics, and another didn’t and they were able to accommodate both.

The theater program and the music program is strong.

I feel like I could say a lot of these things about St. John’s as well. St. John’s could’ve been on our list, but it really was just between Gonzaga and good counsel after we did visits. I actually think Gonzaga was only in the running because the pressure from family.

Anonymous wrote:White flight. Like a PP said, demographics have shifted in MoCo and while they used to flee to the DC and Bethesda privates, they now have other options.

More demand during the pandemic allowed all of these private schools to seem more selective because they had more applicants to choose from! So every school seems like they have higher standards for admission than they did before.

False narrative… nobody that lives out there originally lived in DC. They’re all coming from other places.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop it. I had two kids graduate from there. They both earned IB diplomas and played varsity sports. They were recruited athletes who went on to T20 colleges. They found their people at GC and enjoyed their hs experiences. The racial and socioeconomic diversity was evident and invaluable aspect of their time at GC.

+1

Great private school for upcountry residents at a good price point.

Let the haters hate.

*upcounty (that darn autospell)

Anonymous wrote:Stop it. I had two kids graduate from there. They both earned IB diplomas and played varsity sports. They were recruited athletes who went on to T20 colleges. They found their people at GC and enjoyed their hs experiences. The racial and socioeconomic diversity was evident and invaluable aspect of their time at GC.

+1

Great private school for upcountry residents at a good price point.

Let the haters hate.

Anonymous wrote:I couldn’t tell you why it’s popular. They have average academics at best especially when compared to all of the other privates in the area. They have become an athletic school using your academic kids tuition to subsidize the athletes tuitions and there several out of state trips. Think IMG

You mean, "their"? Where did you go, Georgetown Prep?

I couldn’t tell you why it’s popular. They have average academics at best especially when compared to all of the other privates in the area. They have become an athletic school using your academic kids tuition to subsidize the athletes tuitions and there several out of state trips. Think IMG

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is, IMO, the most like a public private school. I wasn't a fan when we were looking at schools. The STEM program is sort of a joke with project lead the way, your student is better off taking rigor over those engineering lite classes.

No public is way better

Good counsel indoctrination center is worthless for stem

What is an indoctrination center??

They mean like good counsel trying to make their students Catholic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is, IMO, the most like a public private school. I wasn't a fan when we were looking at schools. The STEM program is sort of a joke with project lead the way, your student is better off taking rigor over those engineering lite classes.

No public is way better

Good counsel indoctrination center is worthless for stem

What is an indoctrination center??

I agree… it is kinda like a public school, very huge. My son was on the IB track and got into Georgetown and Emory so we are very happy. If you are looking for a more private school sort of feel not the place for you…

Anonymous wrote:It is, IMO, the most like a public private school. I wasn't a fan when we were looking at schools. The STEM program is sort of a joke with project lead the way, your student is better off taking rigor over those engineering lite classes.

No public is way better

Good counsel indoctrination center is worthless for stem

It is, IMO, the most like a public private school. I wasn't a fan when we were looking at schools. The STEM program is sort of a joke with project lead the way, your student is better off taking rigor over those engineering lite classes.

What do you mean?

Anonymous wrote:Why the MAGA references?

Easy cheap shot for the anti-Catholic bigots who post on nearly every Catholic school thread. It really doesn’t tell you much about the actual school.