My son is considering Don Bosco, and I was wondering if anyone had knowledge of their academics, are they strong, and selective college matriculations? Is is too sports oriented for the more academic child?
Bosco is pretty solid. I wouldn’t put it in the same category as CBA, Bergen Catholic, Notre Dame or Delbarton. However, a student that is happy there and does well can go anywhere. All the NJ Catholic prep schools have exceptional acceptance rates to the most selective Catholic colleges, far higher than public schools. This is not to say they are weak otherwise, just that if your son has is heart set on ND, there is no better place to go. CBA and Delbarton probably have the best overall college placement.
Just a warning, they all focus on merit awards during the college selection process, so guidance will steer you below to get big money offers.
Bosco has a great relationship with IHA, the all girls school, so the social life is very good.
Check Bosco’s policy on taking AP classes and see how restrictive it is and whether students need to apply or if there are GPA requirements.
Catholic private schools are not the same as independent schools, except for Delbarton. If you live in a NJ town with good public schools I would stick with that rather than Catholic schools. Noteworthy privates in NJ are: Lawrenceville, Pingry, Delbarton, Kent Place, Blair Academy, Princeton Day…
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To broaden the search, how would you compare Don
Bosco, versus MKA versus a public school like Ramsey High School?
@oldfort You would be wrong on that. CBA for example already had 3 Princeton SCEA acceptances. The private schools you mentioned have about the same results but they cost 4 times as much. If you look stat for stat the boarding schools talk a good game but that is about it. There are plenty of parents that scratch their heads after spending $250k only to see their kid go to the same schools.
The only point you are right about is whether private school is necessary at all for NJ residents. The choice to go to Catholic school is more complicated.
I never scratched my head for sending my kids to one of those private schools.
It’s not even beginning of Dec, how did 3 kids already got SCEA acceptances, unless they are athletic recruits.
They are but all had over 2300 on their SATs.
@cocolucky Ramsey High is a very good school. Montclair Kimberly is a waste if you ask me. The decision to pick Bosco in my opinion would be based on whether you value the total experience and religious foundation.
In looking at college placement results you really would need a super computer to figure out the advantage of private school in NJ stat for stat. However, a very bright athlete would do best in one of the Catholic prep schools because they literally dominate the state.
The boarding schools have about 100-150 point SAT differential on average but you would expect that based on the admissions process and the fact SAT prep starts very early at those schools.
I think good private schools offer more than college placement.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/
This is the prep school admissions section of this site. Your query might be well placed there.
My close friend has two sons who went to Don Bosco. She told me that although her sons were happy and did well, she felt that our local public school (her third kid went there) was stronger academically. Just her opinion. FYI Ramsey HS is pretty strong.
2300+ on SAT is not getting almost anyone into Princeton in Nov, except recruited athletes. With not much knowledge about this particular school, I know some catholic schools are big feeders of athletes in certain sports to elite colleges, but that’s not common and your kids have to be highly athletic to take full advantage of those schools. Obviously, there are outstanding ones among public schools, religiously affiliated and indepemdent schools, but in terms of which one category sends more graduates to elite colleges, here are some quick stats pulled up randomly. To get a better perspective, consider referencing percentages of high schools that are boarding schools, religiously affiliated schools and independent day schools etc… One then can argue that it’s the students these schools take that makes the difference, but then why do these
schools could draw so many “privileged”/“connected” and high stats students while other independent schools cannot if they are equally good or even better?
https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/admission-statistics
http://www.eikoh-seminar.com/letters/taguchi/Yale%20Class%20of%202015%20Profile.pdf
Let’s not lose the focus on the OP’s question which was only about Don Bosco.
Expensive private schools are a great choice for some, but doesn’t 't seem to be in the OP’s plans.
And the OP does not seem to have sights set on Princeton.
As for the OP, my H went to Bergen Catholic many years ago and felt it was wonderful and a much better fit for him than the public school. I would suggest you visit Don Bosco with you S and then decide if it is a suitable place for him.
Both Don Bosco and Montclair Kimberley are excellent schools. Bosco is all-male and is certainly much less expensive than MKA. Based on what I see, these schools seem to cater to very different constituencies. Based on publicly available information (information/alumni brochures), the top ten college choices for the class of 2012 were as follows:
Don Bosco:
NYU
Loyola
Manhattan
Penn Station
Villanova
Boston College
Fairfield Inn
Holy Cross
Columbia
Notre Dame
MKA:
Stanford
Tufts
Lehigh
George Washington
Columbia
Cornell
Washington University St Louis
Georgetown
Michigan
Villanova
Given these lists, I’d suggest that it’s up the the parents to consider carefully whether the extra 15-20k per yr. is worth it for the MKA diploma. Some might say year, others … nah.
I have a son applying to high school next year. He is currently in a small catholic school. He is a very strong student and athlete as well as being well rounded and appreciates the arts. We are only considering Pingry, Delbarton, Newark Academy and Morristown-Beard. Does anyone have any recommendations, thoughts, experiences? Prefer facts, not rumors. Pingry has reputation of fantastic school. Not big in many sports (lacrosse good) but hear it is feeder to ivies. Campus not that great (even with new athletic center (btw - college level athletic center), very cold feel) and kids seem disconnected with low school spirit.Very academic and the ivy connection is huge. Delbarton has an incredible campus and maintains a very strong reputation. Great in (all) sports. Heard used to be able to pretty much guarantee access to good colleges but historic key contact is no longer viable. matriculation starting to drop (but still good). starting to bring in kids that may not necessarily deserve to be there based on sports ability and they are expanding overall enrollment so bigger classes. Huge in school spirit and the “brotherhood” which is nice. Newark Academy has great campus, excellent reputation, somewhat like Pingry just a little “softer”. Strong academics and also maintains strong school spirit and is feeder in to top schools. Morristown-Beard is beautiful. top facilities. Seems like it is becoming differentiator… Kids all seem really happy and very positive vibe…very collaborative. Strong sports program (except football). School made massive investments over last 8 years in new buildings,facilities and technology. Opening new 25,000 square foot math/science building next year (looking forward to seeing it when we go for our campus visit during application process). Big in to community/school spirit. Matriculation good but getting better each year.Never heard a negative word from any parent/student that is involved in MBS. From speaking with parents and kids that go to each of the schools, they all seem like strong options. Thoughts anyone??
Pingry is clearly outstanding academically - they produce more national merit semifinalists by a factor of 2 or 3 vs the other schools you mentio ed year after year and send many recruited athletes or d3 athletes in “small” revenue sports (track, soccer swimming, squash) to top academic colleges. Mo-Beard is just not academically in the same league but has strengthened its sports programs significantly in recent years. Delbarton has the top sports program of these schools and sends those students to top schools - but once you strip out their athletic recruits from their college matriculatuon list you have only a fraction of the kids Pingry sends to top colleges unless you are fine with Villanova and Fordham. Newark is very strong academically but seems to have slipped in sports except for tennis and does not have quite the same college placement success as Pingry. Pingry and Newark are known to be very intense academically.
The fact that Delbarton always has the top sports program has in the state is irrefutable. Currently state champions at soccer, hockey, lacrosse and baseball.
Don’t get distracted however by that fact. The students are incredibility motivated towards academic excellence, community service and the arts. The students support one another through student government and the campus ministry.
The schools motto of what is cut down growers up is ensured by students treating one another as brothers and helping one another to succeed. This year approximately and unconfirmed;
3 Yale
5 Princeton
5 Cornell
3 Dartmouth
3 Brown
2 Columbia
2 Penn
1 MIT
3 Duke
2 U Chicago
1 Williams
1 Amherst
8 Georgetown
6 Notre Dame
Approximate 45 of 125 placed as above.