St Andrew's School, Delaware

Prep School Admissions
421

<p>Hi SevenDad,</p>

<p>Thank you for offering your help in answering questions regarding SAS. Our son is choosing between SAS and another school within the next week, in fact, our visit back day to SAS is on the 1st of April. One of the questions we have is regarding athletics. Our son has played multiple sports (tennis, basketball & swimming), but none competitively. His main focus has always been academics (Science Olympiad, debate & math count). However, lately he has shown a desire to take sports (especially tennis) more seriously. How much effort is put in the development of students on the athletic end at SAS, especially if the child shows serious interest? Thanks</p>

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<p>I’ll chime in as a parent with a boy in the IV Form who likes athletics. He had played middle school soccer and basketball, competitively but not at a high team level. He has been on JV soccer for both years, and decided to try totally new sports in squash and crew, also both for two years now. Trying new activities and sports is something that a small school and SAS very much encourages, as the Varsity spots are not already sewn up by kids coming in with vast experience (though this is the least true of boys basketball, which is why I believe the squash appeared on my son’s radar so quickly). Since there is a sports requirement at SAS, your son is likely to go another season with either basketball or swimming. The lower levels of basketball, thirds team and JV, are very accessible and the coaching is fine. The swimming team also will welcome him, and in this area I would say that the coaching, right off the bat, may prove to be very inspiring. Mr. Wallace is really interested in developing individuals as swimmers, and he is a very thoughtful and effective coach. His assistants are extremely energized as well after the recent highly successful season, with good leadership expected from the older boys in the coming seasons. SAS has a tradition of pushing its tennis players along as well, and the boys took home a trophy last spring. I would characterize athletics in the DISC, and at SAS specifically, as small-school sports with a talent pool that yields above-average quality from such low numbers, particularly when better coaching is present. Generally, teams from nearby Mid-Atlantic Prep League schools (averaging 250 more students each) are going to defeat the DE teams, but in some sports that will not be true for some (even many) years. At SAS, some sports have better coaching, either at the Varsity level or perhaps up and down. None of them expect the student to give up other sports and to specialize in just one. These kids are definitely coached to be student-athletes and well-rounded humans engaged in the wider world; the teachers are, similarly, expected to do a range of things and are not coaching specialists. So, if a kid gets super-serious about a sport, and is DI-talented, another school might be in order. The SAS kids who care that much but not enough to transfer will do camps in the summer and find time for conditioning in the off-season. A good number of alumni play at the DIII schools, and some compete in the Ivy League, or at places like Northwestern, mostly in sports like squash and crew. One of the best male athletes of recent years, who was all-state in soccer his junior year, is the rare exception in accepting a DI scholarship to play basketball at Providence College. If you have more direct questions about athletics, or others, feel free to post here or to pm (though you don’t have enough posts yet to do that, I think).</p>

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<p>Charger78’s son is sportier than my daughter, but I will say that I feel that SAS can help develop students in pretty much any sport if they are interested. C78 mentioned the recent case of a senior who committed to play basketball at a D1 school. The school also had a Gatorade level XC runner this year. And of course there are quite a few kids who row crew in college after taking it up at SAS.</p>

<p>I think the boys tennis team is fairly strong, winning the state (albeit a small state!) championship last year:
<a href=“http://www.standrews-de.org/news/detail.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=1666&ModuleID=21&NEWSPID=5”>http://www.standrews-de.org/news/detail.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=1666&ModuleID=21&NEWSPID=5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I don’t know how much of that was kids who were strong coming into the program and how much is the program developing the kids…maybe you can request to meet the coach and some team members at revisit or even observe/sit in on a practice?</p>

<p>As noted by Charger78, SAS has room for kids of all abilities/levels of experience. If your son does choose SAS, I would suggest he at least try rowing one season. The SAS rowing facilities are excellent…and the regattas are a great excuse to visit campus soak in the ambiance/camaraderie.</p>

<p>Because of the small size of SAS, kids are often “double or triple threat”…meaning that the same kid you saw running a cross country race will be a singer in Noxontones (a cappella) or play in the orchestra, and perhaps have some art hanging in the student gallery or be on a mock trial team.</p>

<p>Sending you a PM with more thoughts…</p>

<p>@twinsmama: Sorry! Just doing my SAS advocate duty for this cycle! I know you understand…;-)</p>

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<p>Thank you guys for all the great information. I think speaking to the tennis coach during our visit is a good idea. SAS has so much to offer that I’m sure my son will find a sport that he can enjoy. We want him to have a well rounded education and we’re confident SAS will provide that. We’re happy that we can get feedback like this from people who have experience with what we’re going through, so once again, thank you both for your input. </p>

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<p>@jab1215: Forgot to mention that Headmaster Tad Roach is a huge fan of tennis and has been known to wield a racket on court now and then.</p>

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<p>@SevenDad, Salt in the wound! :slight_smile: We never made contact with the tennis coach and that is my son’s sport. </p>

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<p>Had to drop off some things for my kids and walked over to the pond to see a bit of the crew practice. Mr. Robinson filmed some of it and the short clip is on the FB crew page linked below. This was the last day of snow in Delaware for the spring, I hope. </p>

<p>Crew has been mentioned often on this thread, basically because it has a lot of tradition at SAS, some recent successes, even so far away as Henley on the Thames, and the regattas are such inclusive social events in the spring. Many kids choose to give it a try their first year in Middletown, and that is a good thing. If an outsider like myself can venture an opinion, this is a sport with a rich “interior life”, by which I mean the athlete/rower gets to dwell a lot on the pain they are going to put themselves through. I wonder that they persevere so. Huge props.</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Andrews-Crew/114534725227164[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Andrews-Crew/114534725227164&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I’ve mentioned before that SAS sends out a Friday email to parents recapping some of the highlights of the week on campus. The most recent installment shared what I feel to be a VERY St. Andrew’s story (hard work, perseverance after failure, students helping students, trying new things, etc.)…</p>

<hr>

<p>When Dominic H. ’16 learned that he needed to pass the swim test before being allowed to join the crew team, the non-swimmer did the only thing he could think to do: he started taking swim lessons.</p>

<p>“I remember Jonathan W. ’13 met me in the pool on a Friday afternoon in September of my freshman year,” recalls Dominic. “He asked me to swim out from the wall. I made it about ten feet and then I actually began to drown. Ms. Kelly had to jump into the pool to save me.”</p>

<p>The incident reinforced what Dominic describes as an irrational fear of water — “drowning, specifically” — but he came back the following Friday and Jonathan was again there to help. And he kept coming back for Friday lessons and even some open swims on Sunday afternoons. “Rowing was something I wanted to do since I applied to St. Andrew’s. I wanted to be on the water with my classmates and I needed to get past my fear.” He felt ready to take the swim test by the opening of crew season in the spring.</p>

<p>And then he failed “spectacularly” before unceremoniously joining the j.v. baseball team. He also recommitted to his goal. The swim lessons continued and he rarely missed opportunities for extra practice. Kirstin A. ’14 and Taylor G. ’14 picked up where Jonathan left off after graduation and helped Dominic get stronger in the water. “I felt good, but I was also still a little nervous,” he says. A moment during a St. Andrew’s service trip to Nicaragua last month helped him summon the courage to face the test again.</p>

<p>“I was in a field at midnight and found myself surrounded by cows and horses. I’d never been in a situation like that. I’m from Brooklyn. I decided I needed to take advantage of every opportunity I had in life and at St. Andrew’s.”</p>

<p>Last Thursday, varsity swim coach (and Dominic’s Chemistry teacher) Bill Wallace met Dominic in the pool to try the test again. “He immediately sensed how tense I was and told me to relax and remember to breath. He was very encouraging.” Dominic made it the length of the pool and back and readied himself for two minutes of treading water. “I’m treading water and Mr. Wallace asks me about Chemistry. So that’s what we did. We talked about our class. I forgot about the clock.” A full three minutes went by — enough to let Dominic know he could do it, and more — before Wallace turned the subject back to the test and congratulated him on passing.</p>

<p>Dominic climbed out of the pool, thanked Mr. Wallace, changed into his workout clothes and bounded down the gully path to the boathouse. He was more than a week behind and a year older than other novice rowers. Some knew and appreciated the journey he took to get there, but all welcomed him. “I’m getting better every day and enjoy the hard work,” says Dominic, instinctively searching for the calluses already beginning to form on his palms. “My goal is to become a very good rower by my senior year. It doesn’t matter what boat I’m in. I just want to be the best I can be.”</p>

<hr>

<p>Go Saints!</p>

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<p>Anyone know how many 10th grade spots they will have for girls in the next Admissions season?
(Hope, Hope…)</p>

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<p>That’s all dependent upon the yield rate for this year. </p>

431

<p>Do they publish the yield rate?</p>

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<p>@Twinsdad499 They still have one revisit day (Tuesday) and accepted students have until April 10 to make a decision. Here’s hoping it’s a low yield! :)</p>

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<p>The yield rate has been in the annual Viewbook the last few years (if not much, much longer), which is linked on the web site in Admissions (or maybe home page too?) It has held steady in the 60s during that time. Obviously, it doesn’t really get published until late summer, maybe first day of school, but they know what it is after April 10 or so. The yield is helpful in determining how popular a school is. </p>

<p>Actual openings, or empty beds in the case of SAS, has to do with re-matriculation, which is an unknown number until the contracts are returned with a 10% deposit at the end of April. Since this is about $5000, and the next installment is due mid-July, of 60% or one-tenth on the ten-month auto-pay plan, there will be some families who decide as late as the summer (instead of April) that they cannot afford, or don’t want, to come back. In some cases, students are not invited back after final faculty meetings in June. So, the April-May-June-July attrition is important to how many spots may need to be filled off of the waitlist during that span. When things go well, new contracts in the late spring/early summer keep all of the beds filled. In some years, there is one or more empty beds. This year, a new sibling ninth grader was allowed to enroll in January, which is rare. There were maybe three new sophomore girls in the fall. Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>So helpful- many thanks!</p>

435

<p>Open Mic Night was yesterday in Engelhard Hall, which holds the entire student body and faculty. The sense of community that SAS is renowned for is in part due to the frequent gathering of darn near every student for open, and voluntary, events like this. A sophomore band performed the last act, and, as the video clip below shows, inspired delirium among the happy participants. Many sporting events, of course, preceded on this Saturday afternoon, and were followed, in the waning daylight hours, by another optional activity, the Scottish Highland Games, for which students and teacher alike sported kilts. This was kicked off by the school’s own bagpipes unit.</p>

<p><a href=“Spring 2014 Open Mic Finale - YouTube”>Spring 2014 Open Mic Finale - YouTube;

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<p>Back from SAS Arts Weekend 2014. </p>

<p>Arts Weekend at SAS is sort of a second “Parents Weekend” in the Spring, and they generally have a few home games/a regatta on the schedule to fill the hours that aren’t filled with performing arts events. There are also Form picnics on Friday (which we missed this year due to a commitment at 7D2’s school) before the orchestra concert.</p>

<p>We rolled into campus on Saturday just in time to hear a few Noxontones (the co-ed acapella group) tunes, then grabbed lunch (seriously, their chicken salad croissant sandwiches are one of my favorites) and a few of the crew races before going back to the hotel for some rest before dinner (the first time we had dinner on campus, and the food was great) and a student play.</p>

<p>We returned to campus on Sunday for chapel and a performance of Henry Purcell’s short opera “Dido and Aeneas” (presented in a more “oratorio” style…no set and minimal action/costuming of leads), with an intermezzo by rejuvenated Pipe & Drum Corps. A few things stood out to me about the opera — above and beyond the truly first-rate performance (and this is coming from someone who had a subscription at the Met many years ago). </p>

<p>First, the collaborative nature of the piece, which featured a chamber orchestra made up of the top musicians from the larger orchestra plus Dean of Students/Director of Choral Scholars program Nathan Costa on harpsichord and Orchestra Director Fred Geiersbach on viola, the Choral Scholars themselves, plus a few members of the Dance program. I think this was the first time the various arts departments had ever attempted a joint project on such a large scale — but I hope not the last.</p>

<p>Second, I really dug the fact that so many students turned out to support their friends — to watch a relatively obscure 17th century work on a day when they could have spent getting sun or catching up on homework. I’ve seen a few standing ovations at SAS over the years, but this one was probably the longest and loudest I’ve ever witnessed.</p>

<hr>

<p>A few more thoughts as our third year as an SAS family comes to a close, some unrelated to the arts:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Headmaster Tad Roach. As I’ve noted before, we are not some major donor family, yet Tad always seems to have time to chat with me on these busy parents weekends — despite, I’m sure, having many obligations. He knows me, but more importantly, he knows my kid…one of the many benefits of SAS being a smaller school, but also a credit to Mr. Roach.</p></li>
<li><p>The campus. Though it rained a bit on Saturday, Sunday was bright and sunny…highlighting the natural and architectural beauty of SAS. I believe in the power of a place to influence your attitude and experience, and I am envious of the students who get to spend the greater part of four years there vs. my paltry occasional weekend.</p></li>
<li><p>The warmth and generosity of spirit of the faculty and other parents. At the various meals, we were able to either catch up with or get to know/get to know better a number of parents and teachers. I’ve advised people to use revisit days to see if the other prospective parents seem like people you could hang out with. In the case of SAS, the answer for me has proved to be a resounding “Yes”.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Go Saints!</p>

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<p>Having recently touted on another thread the esteem in which the SAS community holds Tad Roach, let me offer up a short three-minute “Tad spot” in which he speaks at the conclusion of the Arts Weekend with the finale of the “Dido and Aeneas” performance in Engelhard Auditorium. This is at the 7:30 minute mark of the clip posted at the top of the Livestream page. I rather imagine his moving comments were impromptu, but his “voice” as Head is consistent, so . . . This performance highlighted some incredibly skilled seniors from the Choral Scholars and the Chamber ensemble, as well as sensational underclasswomen in the dance program. It boggles my mind that these kids make the time to do sports, go to classes and study, do laundry, be friends, be mentors, etc. Mr. Roach is the “prime mover” in it all, as SevenDad has maintained for years, and which I am appreciating even more now. Am reminded of William Penn’s line, “let us see what love can do”.</p>

<p><a href=“http://new.livestream.com/accounts/158104/events/2985636[/url]”>http://new.livestream.com/accounts/158104/events/2985636&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>From the recent 2014 Graduation at SAS. These pix give a little glimpse into what SAS and its students look like.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.delawareonline.com/media/cinematic/gallery/9575941/st-andrews-school-graduation/”>St. Andrew's School Graduation;

<p>I think there is a “uniform” for graduating seniors of a blue blazer, school tie, blue shirt and white pants for the boys and a white dress for the girls.</p>

<p>I can only hope that graduation day 2015 offers up weather as glorious as they enjoyed this year.</p>

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<p>With her passing, this quote from Maya Angelou got new life: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Now I’m sure that parents at other schools will share my sentiment, but on most of the occasions that I go to performances at SAS, like this past Arts Weekend, or hear Tad speak, I am struck to my core by feelings of shared hope, gratitude, and expectation. A determined quest to strive for the heights of experience permeates this place, and the mundane too yields its own goodness. The virtuous circle is a key principle in play, and it is very intentional. Yes, it’s appropriate to hear protestations that this school has its faults, as it most certainly does, and is far from the perfection that so many comments seem to scream. Still, not many do a whole lot better from this holistic view, and that is because, in part, SAS students, like me, powerfully feel these good things coming from others on campus no matter each days ups and downs.</p>

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<p>Undoubtedly, St. Andrew’s is one of the best schools in America. </p>

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