Research St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School private Schools in Alexandria, Virginia

“St. Stephen's and St. Agnes is an absolutely wonderful place to go to school. I went there for eight years and didn't want to graduate by the time I was a senior. I made lifelong friends there and had some really wonderful teachers, all in an environment where people really care about you as a person. There is no other school in the world that I would have rather attended.”

“SSSAS is one of the best schools in the area. The school is making some strides in diversity unlike other nearby schools (which is great given that it is minutes from MD/DC). The school tends to take a soft approach toward dealing with problematic youth at every level, which allows affluent bullies (girls and boys) freedom to act out. Despite the shortcomings, the administration is excellent/available. They design a plan that fits your child. Most would agree that resilient, high-achieving students who have friends outside do best.”

“My son attended the school for grades 1-12 and had an excellent experience. No school is perfect and SSSAS had several teachers with whom we disagreed (all have subsequently left), but by and large, I would highly recommend it. SSSAS offers a first-rate education in a positive but structured environment. My son and his classmates were happy, challenged and inspired. The education he received at SSSAS enabled him to be accepted to a top college.”

“This is a great school to attend if you are moving to the area. As a perosn who has completed my first year here, I can say that it is one of the top schools in the area. The majority of the teachers are good to average while there is only one teacher that I know of that constantly recieves negitve feedback. The parents are always helping at the school when needed and the after school clubs very from writers club to the iron chef club. There is also a new auditorium known as the CPAC (Chapel & Performing Arts Center). The sports here are all very good and are competitive at their level. Overall, if I am still in the Area at the time I have children, they will go here to SSSAS”

“Our daughter is in lower school here. The school is well balanced, providing the full range of academic and extracurricular activities. Everyone is friendly, and they have three attractive campuses in Alexandria. The school has a uniform and a bus, and seems less P.C. than most other equivalent area private schools. We have heard from other parents that the school becomes less demanding, relatively, at the upper levels, and that therefore some students move on to other schools. Even at the lower levels, there does seem to be a tendency to cater to the typical school student, by which I mean affluent, reasonably smart (75th percentile type) kids. Kids significantly above or below that point may be less well served. Overall, we are satisfied but feel there is room for improvement. We looked at many area private schools (and attended several), and liked SSSAS best for now.”

“As an alumna, I agree that SSSAS is not worth the money. In an area that has so many impressive private schools, St. Stephen's reputation is just not what it used to be. The education was good, but I feel that I could have received a comparable education elsewhere. I do not think the school's reputation significantly helped me in the college search, either. Since I attended, SSSAS has made great strides in its arts programs, which I applaud for a school that once cared only about sports. As for the drugs, I think that you are going to find that problem at any school where kids have that much money. Overall, I had a few fabulous teachers and a solid education, but my high school experience was far from positive at a place that seemed not only to tolerate, but to foster, the unthinking snobbery of affluent teenagers.”

“I have been attending SSSAS for the past 13 years of my life, and as a lifer, I can tell you that it will be a waste of your money to come here for high school. There is too much emphasis on sports, Academically, this use to be a fantastic school, but, as the administration is changing and more of the stellar veteran teachers begin to retire and are replaced with new ones--th e school's foundation is quickly deteriorating.”

“The academic programs is unmatchable by any other school. However, the over-emphasis on getting straight A's and being and 'jock' makes me reconsider the decision to place my child in the school. As I am told by my child and other parents, the behavior of the students - more so in the high school - is quite often repulsive. It is a well known fact that there is a considerable amount of drug traffcking that goes on in the high school. Almost all of the other parents I have spoken to say that their teenagers have been caught either drinking or smoking on numerous occasions. Also the 'clicks' in the school often ignore other students as if they do not exist. The bottom line is that SSSAS is great academically, but all other aspects bring it down to mediocrity, making other less expensive private or public schools better to attend.”

“I know that I am not a parent, but as a former student, I feel like I must comment on St. Stephen's & St. Agnes. Like any school, St. Stephen's has its ups and downs, but now that I am no longer apart of the actual community, I realize how much I loved St. Stephen's and how well prepared I am for whatever future endeavors I might have in the future. I had so much fun there and I am sad that I had to leave this year.”