St.John's or Kinkaid Admissions (St. Jo: best school, salaries, club)

[CindyDavis]

There are three entrance grades at Kinkaid. At the Pre-Kindergarten grade, 80% of the slots are granted to children of legacy parents and grandparents. Only 20% of the slots are for new families. Given that the school is over 100 years old, the competition for entrance among the 80% legacy slots is still very fierce. Not all are admitted by any means. The school simply isn't big enough to accommodate more than a small fraction of the applicants. Since it is impossible to judge 5-year olds on their academic history, they simply admit the kids of the alumni base in 4 out of 5 cases. The next entrance levels are 6th grade and 9th grade, in which prior academic achievement plays a part, but the school still sees an abundance of applicants at those levels. Standout athletes are recruited at those levels and are given great preference in some cases despite academic history, and the school aims to recruit an ethnically diverse array of students at those grades as well.

St. John's has a much shorter history than Kinkaid and does not focus as much on legacy families as Kinkaid, which is a positive for new applicants. The issue with SJS is that they focus purely on academics, and outpace Kinkaid by a wide margin in average SAT scores, National Merit Scholars and sending graduates to the Ivy League and the top colleges in the South and West. SJS places a low priority on athletics and families, and therefore virtually every individual student is academically strong.

They are two very different schools.

[vwgto]

One thing for sure, if a parent has been through the admissions process of competitive private schools, and then college after that, and then graduate schools, and then possibly certifications - - having the financial part behind you is only part of the huge relief! Just the conversations bring back flashes of anxiety....

[KatieKennedy]

She was accepted to Kinkaid and wait listed for St. John's. She is an artistic kid that likes drama, singing, painting and sculpture. She is not into sports. Kinkaid seems like a no brainer right now. Any insight on how the St. John's wait list for 9th grade moves?

[crbcrbrgv]

This thread makes me grateful I believe in the pubic schools. What a headache, this whole process!

With that said, OP, both schools are spectacular and I hope your child gets in.

[CindyDavis]

Originally Posted by KatieKennedy

She was accepted to Kinkaid and wait listed for St. John's. She is an artistic kid that likes drama, singing, painting and sculpture. She is not into sports. Kinkaid seems like a no brainer right now. Any insight on how the St. John's wait list for 9th grade moves?

I don't know about the wait list at St. John's, but characterizing Kinkaid as a no-brainer is interesting. Do you know much about the school other than that it is difficult to get in?

[KatieKennedy]

By no brainer I meant Kinkaid seems to be a the obvious choice over the other schools where she applied (EHS and St. Agnes) and was accepted. We are very impressed with the arts programs, especially in theater, and with the academic rigor. The list of colleges where Kinkaid graduates get in is also impressive. However, Kinkaid does not produce as many National Merit Scholars or Ive leaguers as St. John's does.

[CindyDavis]

Originally Posted by KatieKennedy

By no brainer I meant Kinkaid seems to be a the obvious choice over the other schools where she applied (EHS and St. Agnes) and was accepted. We are very impressed with the arts programs, especially in theater, and with the academic rigor. The list of colleges where Kinkaid graduates get in is also impressive. However, Kinkaid does not produce as many National Merit Scholars or Ive leaguers as St. John's does.

The list of colleges that Kinkaid graduates get into - on average - has not been that impressive lately. Of a class of roughly 125 seniors, the number of Ivy League admits recently has actually been quite sparse. If you are categorizing UT as impressive (and it is a very good school) then I would agree.

The remainder of the admits has been deteriorating over the past 5-6 years, and is not that great especially given the reputation. But they are better than EHS and St. Agnes.

Of course, you need only be concerned with your student, who is obviously a high achiever and will likely be fine.

[dnjay]

Anyone waitlisted at St. John's or Kinkaid for 6rh grade? How do their waitlists work?

[CindyDavis]

Originally Posted by dnjay

Anyone waitlisted at St. John's or Kinkaid for 6rh grade? How do their waitlists work?

Regarding Kinkaid, there are two phases. Phase I is immediately following March admissions notifications, when students who have been accepted to multiple schools make a final decision. (For example, a student who has been accepted at both schools decides to go to St. John's, freeing up a spot at Kinkaid, and they notify someone on the wait list. That will be sorted out in a couple of weeks.

Phase II will occur after that, when families that had initially accepted decide not to attend due to changing their plans, job transfers, etc. Some wait listed families are notified of openings as late as July and August.

[dnjay]

St. John's website states:
Students requesting admission to Grades 6-8 are considered on the following criteria: teacher recommendations (math and English), academic record (mid-year report card and previous 2 year's report cards), test results (OLSAT and ISEE), interview and, writing sample.

My child is in the top 5% for most of the above criteria(can't say about the interview and writing, which I am sure went good), but is still waitlisted! If they have any other criteria, they should clearly state them.
They also state that "All else being equal, they give preference to legacy students", which I highly doubt.