St. Anselm's Abbey School

My son came here as a 6th grader and will graduate this spring. Having come from a public school at which he was bullied unmercifully and allowed to stagnate academically, the difficulties and challenges he overcame in adjusting to the academically challenging environment left him all the better. I sincerely believe that St. A's brings the best out in boys and that they reach their full potential here in ways unimaginable elsewhere. My son has friends from all over the DC area of all races and creeds, is well adjusted, accomplished, and has been accepted to his first choice of college. It was a painful financial sacrifice but I would do it again no questions asked.
--Submitted by a parent

Would not work with my child nearly enough for the expensive tuition. Administration tolerated too much bad behavior from students and faculty. Very liitle empathy. St. Anselms actually hurt his self-esteem. Hated it.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great school that struggles a bit with boys not focused on academic achievement. Like any school, it's better for students who enjoy studying or have structures that support 3-4 hours of homework. Along with others, our son struggles in courses like Latin and Physics with significant homework loads and demanding teachers not inclined to focus on marginal students. Occasionally, that has meant as many as half of a class receive a D or F and face academic probation. The school gives its teachers and students a lot of freedom and the boys not as in tune with the academic rigor can disrupt a class or make inappropriate comments. In other private schools, talented kids who are high C or low B students might not be as marginalized in class, or may excel in athletics or extracurriculars (not a major focus here), and see themselves as valued (if not outstanding) members of academic community. The more-or-less bottom half of the classes here seem to suffer here more than at other schools with similar profiles. Our experience is this is wonderfulfor a talented boy who studies but will stress someone who is gifted but not inclined to study more than 10 hours a week.
--Submitted by a parent

It may be a bit early to assess the school, since our child has been here only a year. The main thing I can say is that he is extremely happy here. He is a very sensitive, extremely bright 12 year old, and I feel that the nurturing environment here is amazing. They truly care about the students. I feel that despite being a minority child at the school (non Catholic, non-white) he has been welcomed by teachers and students and truly feels at home.
--Submitted by a parent

I was excited to have my bright son attend St. Anselm's, but it really turned into a nightmare. The bullying was brutal and the school seemed not to care. Multiple times I asked for help and none was given. I was told that my son's class was exceptionally horrid and at one point an administrator said most of the boys with ugly behavior would be asked to leave-that did not happen. I feel this was a good school that lost its way. Overt racial hatred really was soul-crushing to my son. We are a family that embraces all cultures and when kids made whipping noises to the african-american students and made impassioned arguments about slavery being morally correct, I could only shake my head and promise my son to get him out of the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Our son graduated in the past three years. He was an average Abbey boy. That means he wasn't a genius by Abbey standards but he'd have been very close to valedictorian at the other Catholic high schools in the DC area. The Abbey doesn't rank due to the small class size. Candidly, he was probably around 22nd to 24th out of 40 in his class. He was admitted to 9/10 colleges he applied and received merit scholarships from each one. His average scholarship, per school, was $75,000 and that was not dependent on financial need. He was a "typical Abbey boy." The difference is that being a "typical Abbey boy" means the better colleges know that your son is in the top 0.5 percent of students, if not higher, in the country and that he has been rigorously challenged in an academic manner that is unlike 99.99 percent of the other high schools in the country. In the summer before his senior year, he was approached by three colleges, offered immediate acceptances and, again, approximated $75,000.00 in merit (not need) based scholarships on average. The Abbey is a SPECIAL place. It's much more "than a school." It is a life changing experience for your entire family.
--Submitted by a parent

My son began St. Anselms in form A (6th grade). We immediately fell in love with the school. There were 13 boys in his class (much smaller than the school had anticipated) but the boys received the real advantage. The work load is rigorous and they take Latin from the very beginning. My son earned a perfect score on the National Latin Exam due to the preparation provided by St. Anselms. The teachers are demanding and the boys really get a chance to bond with each other. St. Anselms is not well known by many and that surprises me considering the quality of the school. It is a small school (just over 240 students from grades 6-12)..
--Submitted by a parent

My son entered St Anselm's in 6th grade and we have never looked back. This is an extraordinary school - amazing facilities for such a small student body (state of the art theatre, gymnasium, 40 acre campus, etc), rigorous academics and some of the most caring teachers I have come across in my 16 + years of parenting! The middle school gave him a great grounding in study skills, Latin, math, etc. that he would not have received at most other schools. My son has blossomed under the care of the St Anselm's teachers and loves his school. At the beginning of 8th grade, we gave him the option of going to explore other High Schools, and his reaction was "Why would I want to go anywhere else?". The student body is extremely diverse, both racially and religious, but the boys share camaraderie that I have not seen elsewhere and all seem to exhibit great pride in their school. The parent body is very active and provides a welcoming & supportive community to all. St Anselm's is probably one of the best kept school/academic secrets in DC and I would encourage anyone with a bright, curious son to visit.
--Submitted by a parent

I can honestly say I learned more at St. Anslem's than at College. Of my graduating class of 24 students, 14 had some level of National Merit recognition. You 'might' find a comparable school, but not a better one.

St. Anselm's boys have found a place where they are all smart and so they can simply be themselves. They can challenge each other academically and don't need to feel self-conscious about their academic abilities. The boys are also taught to think of others as well as themselves (they do weekly community service) and they tend to be far more caring and gentle-natured than most boys their age. It's a unique environment, one that is not replicated anywhere else.
--Submitted by a teacher