@STEM2017 would you say SPP Is on par with Xavier? Our school sends more kids to SPP every year than Xavier, and everyone there really loves the school. However, I usually only hear people (outside of our school) talk about Xavier, and very little (if any) about SPP.
Harvard gets many, many applications each year. Hence the tiny acceptance rate. The same holds true for Regis.
I am biased, but I would put SPP above Xavier, but its very very close. I would rank Fordham Prep above both of them, but again its close and its based on a personal bias.
Regis is in a class above by itself.
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They must have changed their strategy recently. Regis has always stated publicly that around 250 boys get interviewed for around 125 spots. 50%
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That may still hold true. I think probably fewer now. My point is really that they have ranked the boys by that point. There is still a chance for #249 at that point but a very slim one.
I thought the numbers you quoted is what theyâre doing now, about 50% of kids get accepted from the interview pool.
You seem outraged about the interview, but they are really giving the kids one last chance. Yes, they pretty much know who they want but theoretically a kid could come out of nowhere and earn a spot. Alternately, a kid who seemed like a shoo-in could blow it at the interview. But for the most part, itâs just a casual, check-the-box sort of thing.
Iâm not outraged. Iâm just surprised - if theyâre just checking the box, then itâs kinda of cruel for the bottom 50% who are (probably) not getting in but have their hopes high because they think they have a chance.
I know thatâs how the process work so it is what it is. Itâs just that I heard from parents of previous years that itâs such a roller roaster ride with Regis - being super competitive to begin in, and then thinking you have a chance and go on to the interview, then get a rejection at the end. I even know one kid who was waitlisted one year!!!
There is no official waitlist. Itâs possible one or at the most two kids will be accepted who were not on the original list but itâs rare. And again, my point is that itâs the opposite of cruel. They could dispense with the interview entirely, given they have a very good sense of who they want to include in the incoming class, but they allow for some wiggle room.
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Here are some facts . Our son applied a few years ago and we have saved everything from then. Regis is a terrific, no cost school and in my sonâs year, 740 took the exam, there were 230 semi-finalists for the interview stage and 145 were selected or about 60% of those interviewed. My son made it to interview but was not selected. He scored a 99% on the entrance exam and had great recommendations and activities. His notification letter said that besides all the criteria like exam, teachers and other recommendations, data collected during the interview, they also considered the financial need of the applicants and in our sonâs year they said that they had a high number of applicants in that category. While we are not rich, we were able to afford an alternative Catholic High School with some financial aid. We completely understood and my son understands that you canât control everything other than giving something your best shot. Everything turned out for the best as he did very well at his school and is going to a top college and I suspect that most kids who made it to the semi final round all ended up where they belong and are doing well.
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Thank you for sharing your story. My S17 has a very similar story. He was not selected and instead attended Fordham Prep. It was perfect for him. S19 never got an interview, and also attended FP, again, it was perfect for him.
Four boys from my neighborhood were accepted. Three are first generation American.
The application numbers you posted confirm what I thought (and what I wrote).
My son graduated from Regis a few years ago, so not sure about atmosphere right now but hope this helps. To answer the original question, it had started becoming much more conservative and religious with the arrive of fr. Lahart.
The boys lost a lot of their days off. School attendance on these days became required so the boys could attend mass together in school. Other catholic schools still had these days off. Losing days off from school did not go over well with my son. The whole school vibe became more formal and conservative. A number of very well liked teachers left. And the teacher turnover has continued. My son remembers a number of gay students and doesnât think they are so out in the open anymore.
My son loved his time at Regis and got a great education, but he was very much glad he graduated when he did. He did not like the changes at all. However, the kids entering today would not be aware of the changes so it may not be an issue.
If your child has an opportunity to attend Regis, they should. Almost every student goes to a top ranked college and I think my son will remain friends with some of his classmates for the rest of his life.
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Is it high pressure and competitive like Stuy?
Do you think the increased conservatism is negatively impacting academics and the school as a whole?
Not high pressure or competitive. Regis doesnât use class rank which takes away a lot of the competition between students. stuy ranks.
Students want their classmates to do well. But there is a lot of homework. The hours your son will spend on homework and papers or studying for tests is very comparable to stuy. But Regis, unlike stuy, also has a service requirement. And it is a very small school. It was half the size of my sonâs middle school. Regis students are smart and they want to do well. They enjoy learning and sharing ideas. A student who is not self motivated to earn good grades and do the work probably will not be happy at Regis. There is a lot of support. Teachers and other students are always available to help.
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BlockquoteDo you think the increased conservatism is negatively impacting academics and the school as a whole?> Blockquote
Yes.
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No offense, but thatâs not what has happened at Regis. Edited to add that if @sonatarhia thinks that there is not scientific consensus on human responsibility for global warming, then Regis is not the right place for your family.
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@hillybean Wait, what? When did I ever said that âthere is not scientific consensus on human responsibility for global warmingâ???
Wow - where did that come from? I think thatâs quite a stretch to imply from my original question âDo you think the increased conservatism is negatively impacting academics and the school as a whole?â
To clarify (which seems is needed here): I was concerned if the conservatism is impacting the ability of the students to explore and question things (all things), if religion is beginning to play more of a role in the schoolâs direction, and influencing academic âfreedomâ, esp if it starts to limit academic and discussion freedom, which would be concerning to me.
Eg one of the things Iâve heard (not directly) is that Regis seem to be less tolerant of LQBTQ recently than before. To me, that would be concerning as I deem the school going in the âwrongâ direction if that is the case.
Perhaps I misunderstood. You âlikedâ LeoBazâs now deleted comment in which he claimed there is not scientific consensus on human responsibility for global warming. As to your question about the LGBTQ community, there is support for those students within the larger Regis community but the new administration very deliberately chose a junior theology textbook that compared homosexuality to pedophilia and alcoholism. When parents complained, they were threatened. When a student finally spoke out publicly, the administration agreed to review the textbook. It also suspended a student for posting viciously homophobic remarks in a group chat. The problem is that the school wants to have it both ways.
Looks like I did âlikedâ his comment. I donât even remember doing that - Iâll blame it on the champagne (prob a few glasses too much) over the last few days.
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