Bolles School (credit, catholic schools, colleges)

[kort677]

any opinions on the Bolles school, I have a high school aged boy

[riveree]

Bolles is a great choice for a private school. Gorgeous campus too. It also has the right kind of accreditation for the colleges. It's pricey, much more than it's competitors.

All things being equal, I would chose St. John's Country Day School. They have the same accreditation and the focus seems to really be on education.

My own personal snob opinion is that Bolles is "nouveau riche" and St. John's Country Day school is "old money".

I know a lot of St. John's graduates and I really feel that they received an excellent education (they all agree). I don't know any Bolles graduates, hence my personal snob opinion is simply based on outside observations.

St. John's is on the opposite side of the river from Bolles, so where you live may play a factor in choosing a school.

It's funny though, even after these great prep school educations, so many of these kids end up staying right here and going to UNF anyway! They're not all going to the big ivy leagues as the schools would like you to believe.

[HIF]

Both my cousins went to Bolles for 12 years and their folks were very happy with it. Great education, sports, arts and culturally diverse. Both graduated with high honors and had their pick of colleges and are in graduate school. Neither are snobs, although I think that parents, not schools, have the greatest influence in attitudes like that.

[jsimms3]

Episcopal High also, and Bishop Kenny and Bishop Schneider are catholic schools. Episcopal High is where I went, and yes has an Episcopalian affiliation, but I had atheist and Jewish classmates so it didnt seem to make much of a difference. Your kids will be competeing with the Bolles kids because they are big rivals, same with Kenny and Episcopal as they are down Atlantic Blvd. from each other in town (at the start of Arlington/in St. Nicholas.

[riveree]

Maybe "snob opinion" wasn't the best choice of words on my part - I wasn't suggesting that people who attend these schools are snobs, not at all - I was calling my own opinion snobby (if that makes any sense?).

I can't remember now where I had seen this, but I was looking at all of the clubs the kids can join, you know like "Math League", that kind of thing - and Bolles had SO MANY choices for the kids, some of them were just silly, for lack of a better word. At St. John's the clubs are focused on further education, arts, sports or community service, so it's a different kind of feel. No doubt Bolles is an excellent school though and much bigger.

Episcopal has a great reputation, Bishop Kenny, from what I understand has a prep track but they have a regular private track as well and often both groups of kids are going to the exact same classes, which never made much sense to me.

[HIF]

Sorry, my bad, in rereading your post I see that I misread originally. See, if I had gone to one of those schools, I wouldn't have had that problem!

Originally Posted by riveree

Maybe "snob opinion" wasn't the best choice of words on my part - I wasn't suggesting that people who attend these schools are snobs, not at all - I was calling my own opinion snobby (if that makes any sense?).

I can't remember now where I had seen this, but I was looking at all of the clubs the kids can join, you know like "Math League", that kind of thing - and Bolles had SO MANY choices for the kids, some of them were just silly, for lack of a better word. At St. John's the clubs are focused on further education, arts, sports or community service, so it's a different kind of feel. No doubt Bolles is an excellent school though and much bigger.

Episcopal has a great reputation, Bishop Kenny, from what I understand has a prep track but they have a regular private track as well and often both groups of kids are going to the exact same classes, which never made much sense to me.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by riveree

Maybe "snob opinion" wasn't the best choice of words on my part - I wasn't suggesting that people who attend these schools are snobs, not at all - I was calling my own opinion snobby (if that makes any sense?).

I can't remember now where I had seen this, but I was looking at all of the clubs the kids can join, you know like "Math League", that kind of thing - and Bolles had SO MANY choices for the kids, some of them were just silly, for lack of a better word. At St. John's the clubs are focused on further education, arts, sports or community service, so it's a different kind of feel. No doubt Bolles is an excellent school though and much bigger.

isn't the idea of clubs to do things outside the scope of regular classes?

I look at the clubs as a way to give the kids an opportunity to expose themselves to subject, concepts and activities other than what they get in the classroom.

[riveree]

I suppose you're right there, kort677.

When I look at Bolles, it is big and impressive (and no doubt a great education is to be had there), and I DO like it - believe me, it will be on my very, very short list if and when - but my preference is for a smaller, more intimate private school that's a bit more low key.....does that make sense?

[kort677]

Originally Posted by riveree

I suppose you're right there, kort677.

When I look at Bolles, it is big and impressive (and no doubt a great education is to be had there), and I DO like it - believe me, it will be on my very, very short list if and when - but my preference is for a smaller, more intimate private school that's a bit more low key.....does that make sense?

it makes sense at the lower grades, at the high school level bigger (to a point) is better, I believe that a larger school can offer more educational and social opportunities

[riveree]

I went to a large high school myself (not here, in NY), my graduating class was in the hundreds (I don't quite remember the number...400 or so?).

My husband graduated from one of the schools we've been discussing. I think he only had something like 25 kids in his class! Quite a difference!

With his school, the kids were like a family, they really knew each other well. In my school, it was like a small city unto itself - there were kids I graduated with that I never met.

Maybe I've just got a case of "grass is always greener", I see some real advantages to the smaller setting, but I'm thinking about what you're saying.