April 13, 2018

We learned early that all 10 of our students applying to Elizabeth Seton and all 10 applying to Dematha were accepted, often with generous academic and band scholarships (so far I’ve tallied over $150,000—and that’s independent of financial aid). Seton and Dematha were the most-applied-to schools for our graduates. Our students find these schools to be a good fit because of their strong academics as well as their robust music and sports programs. Other Catholic high schools accepting FCS students this year include St. John’s, St. Anselm’s, Good Counsel, Georgetown Prep, Bishop O’Connell, Bishop McNamara, Pallotti, Archbishop Spaulding, Holy Cross, and Gonzaga.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt’s Science and Math magnet program has traditionally been a popular choice for our graduates, although this year more than half of our 8th graders live outside of Roosevelt’s boundary, including six students in the District. In 2017, Roosevelt’s magnet became even more competitive (from a 14% acceptance rate to a 9% acceptance rate) when the county began testing all 8th graders for admittance. This year, the county began weighing public middle-school honors classes more heavily than other classes, making the process more complicated for our students. That said, this year four of the seven FCS students who applied to the program were accepted, and one is waitlisted. Popular independent school choices accepting our 8th graders include Edmund Burke, Sandy Spring, Landon, Field School, and Georgetown Day School.

 

Students and their families are finalizing their school choices now. Thank you to Erin Murray-Hause, who coordinates the records transfers, Middle School Head Adriana Murphy, and all of the Middle School teachers who supported our 8th graders through the high school application process. Your futures are bright.

In Peace, 

Larry