It is daunting. And what does “the vast majority of the boys step up”mean?
But 2-5 hours of homework is not unusual for any private school. My brothers went to a boys catholic school in Baltimore and had that kind of homework. My kids went to one in California and had several hours of homework a day. When they switched to a public school after we moved, one still did that amount of homework because that’s what she was used to so she just sat down and did the work. The other preferred to read novels and talk on the phone.
I’m sure there are students at Stuy doing 5 hours of homework a day.
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Bill - it simply means that everyone enrolled there is able to adapt to the tough workload because they have been assessed to be and are inherently capable of handling the rigor.
I would just like to say that your 15% estimate is probably a bit low. Cornell usually takes around 80 Stuy kids which is already almost 10%.
Homework is going to be similar in all of these competitive schools, but more than anything it depends on your course load and teachers. I do agree that there is a tough transition period but students definitely figure out how to manage their time effectively which is a great skill to have for the future.
That being said, I love Stuy and all it has done for me personally but it does seem like you would thrive at Regis. Especially if you are not from here, it could easily be overwhelming to enter a big school like Stuy. Basically you have to decide if you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. That’s a choice only you can make.
Can’t beat NYC Catholic HS basketball. Stuyvesant BB was 1-15 during their last season.
My guess was a bit low, but not by much, according to the following article.
https://www.stuyspec.com/opinions/go-college-crazy
Here is the relevant quote:
Note that I am not saying that these 11 (Ivy+ is usually 12 including Duke) are the only elite schools worth attending. But these are often the schools that students and parents think that the Stuy bootcamp experience will enable. And as the numbers show, it really doesn’t unless you are at the top of the class.
I think I generally include more schools in what I consider “top tier.” For example if Dartmouth and Cornell are included in this metric there is no reason Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Johns Hopkins should not be.
And each university has a different definition of top of the class. Kids with 88 averages still get into schools like Cornell, Northwestern and NYU.
“Can’t beat Catholic HS basketball. Stuy was 1-15 during their last season.”
That reminds me of a funny story. Regis was 1-16, going into its last game of the season, in Fauci’s senior year. He was captain of the team and gave a fiery speech, telling his teammates that they were not going to lose one more game, but that they were going to beat their then-archrival, Fordham Prep. Regis did in fact go out and beat a very good Fordham Prep team in that game, and they won by 13 points. The kicker is that the star of that Fordham Prep team was future NBA coach and NY Knicks’ president, Donnie Walsh.
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I think you’ll find Regis sends a lot more students to Catholic schools, especially Jesuit schools, than Stuy. Catholic high schools are still feeder schools to BC, Georgetown, Fordham, the Loyolas, Notre Dame and others. In many cases, the letters of recommendation stand out because the writer and the admissions officer know each other.
Yes, and Holy Cross, where Fauci went.
What is impressive about both Regis and Stuy is not just where their top quartile/half of students end up for college. The ‘lower’ end of their gradates is what to me distinguishes these schools even if those students don’t go to the heady elite colleges. Remember the demographics of both HSs are more mainstream compared to private NY schools. Both attract a large proportion of kids from low income households. In fact, Regis actually makes it a point to give preference to the least privileged but well qualified candidates. Stuy has a lot of Asian and E European kids who are recent immigrants and/or come from lower income homes. As such, for Regis and Stuy kids, college costs, scholarships and financial aid all play a massive role in where they end up, and even more so if they aspire to graduate schools like medicine, law, etc. (Factors like college legacy, major donors, etc. are far less at play when it comes to college admissions too (esp versus private schools)… but that’s slight tangent).
Going to Ivies or other top private colleges - even though they can get accepted - is thus not a given for a lot of those kids. So if you look carefully, there are a lot of brilliant graduates from both HSs who choose to go to SUNYs, state schools, near home, etc. Those college options are more affordable and many Regis/Stuy grads get generous FA or are on full/near full rides. So even though their ‘top’ college exmissions are super impressive, I think the ‘lower’ end of their spectrum truly makes Regis and Stuy stand out.
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First, I would not pick a HS by the college outcomes other students have had. Pick a HS that you feel will be the best match for your HS years. High school is an expereince in and of itself – a time a growth and learning – it should not be viewed simply as a four year college prep course.
Secondly, while it does make sense that Regis points students towards Catholic colleges more than Sty would, you have a mind of your own and you will be an active participant in the college application process. If you are at Regis and want to attend a non-sectarian college you can make your wish known to your guidance counselor and apply accordingly. I know Regis grads who went on to many different non-sectarian colleges including Ivy League and other fine LACs and universities. In addition, as noted above finances end up being part of the decision for many students so state schools and schools that offer large scholarships are often considered as well.
Bottom line – pick the HS where you want to spend the next for years. If you do well at either school you should have many excellent college options.
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I wasn’t saying that if he goes to Regis he’ll go to a catholic college, but that comparing the % of Stuy students who end up at an Ivy and the % of Regis students isn’t a good way to judge. More Stuy students may end up at Ivys, but Regis students also go to other really fine colleges, many of which are catholic because of the connections.
For my kids, if they were boys, this wouldn’t have been a hard decision. Regis in Denver costs $20k/yr and in NYC it is free. A Jesuit education at any level is great, and free is really fantastic.
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^this!
I agree with you completely!