Best Private Schools in St. Louis? (St. Joseph, St. Charles: school district, university, live)

[bilikins]

Oh wow, I wasn't aware that the highway is shutting down. Is there an alternate route? I am still pretty new to the city.

[TGS]

In January 2008, Highway 40 will shut down all lanes from Ballas to I-170. This shut down is expected to last for one year. Then Highway 40 will shut down all lanes from I-170 to Kingshighway for one year. Every single bridge and interchange is being torn down and reconstructed. In a few locations, the work has already started (look at Kingshighway, Tamm, and the I-170/Highway 40 interchange).

There really won't be a good alternate route. Clayton, Ladue, Manchester, Page, and Olive roads are going to be completely clogged with local residents who work downtown or Clayton attempting to get to work. I-44 and I-70 are going to be full of addtional highway traffic.

If you look at a map, the law schools and Viz are located on opposite ends of the construction zone. That isn't going to be a lot of fun to drive.

[imedfan]

Hi bilikins.
I have lived in this city my whole life.
I went to MICDS, though when I was there (graduated in '89), it was Mary Institute (and our brother school was Country Day). Now they've merged.
My best friend went to Viz.
I had a few friends who attended Villa.
So, here's the skinny:
MICDS-pros: academically challenging, very small class sizes, excellent food (freshly prepared every day, eat off real plates, etc), large, beautiful campus, very involved teachers, great college counselors, traditional education with Latin, Greek, etc, nondenominational (good in my case since my parents are both from India). Cons: expensive, not very racially diverse-esp not many African Americans.
VIZ: pros: academically challenging, small class sizes, food is OK (I've had it on several occasions), so-so campus, very involved teachers and counselors, traditional education. Cons: somewhat expensive, not very racially diverse, pretty strict Catholic school (compared with, say, Villa).
VILLA: compared to the other two, not as academically challenging, small class sizes, haven't had the food, traditional education with good teachers. Cons: expensive and also not racially diverse.

Another you may want to consider is John Burroughs which is closer to you but still in West County. Out of all of the schools mentioned in this post, it is academically the best. A little less conservative than the other schools here. Non-denominational, which I think is a plus.

Good Luck. There are many good schools around here.
Oh, and welcome!
PS-I went to WashU for undergrad-I now live in West County but work downtown.
My husband and I are sending our son to Forsyth school in Clayton from ages 3-5 and then will likely switch to MICDS or Burroughs...

[stlnative29]

My only daughter is a senior at Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill and has been their since she was in kindergarten. I have loved every experience we have had at the school. There are small class sizes from pre-k all the way until 12th and wonderful teachers. The school is under fairly new leadership and the academics have gotten increasingly better in fact many former teachers from Viz have come to Villa and say Villa is a better school academically and socially. It is also becoming more diverse with an increase in financial aid and scholarships in both the lower and upper schools. It is a member of the Network of Sacred Heart schools. All of the Sacred Heart schools base their academics and student life around 5 goals. You can get more info about the goals at vdoh.org or sofie.org

[imedfan]

I stand corrected about Villa..seems it has undergone an academic transformation.
Plus, I should mention that when I was at Mary Institute it wasn't great academically. Good, but not great. ? if the merger with Country Day helped beef up the academics.
Anyway, sounds as though Villa has undergone an academic transformation as well.
I will say that Villa's elementary school (Oak Hill) has always been really fantastic and I would rank it higher than MICDS' Beasley elementary.

[TGS]

Originally Posted by imedfan

Another you may want to consider is John Burroughs which is closer to you but still in West County. Out of all of the schools mentioned in this post, it is academically the best. A little less conservative than the other schools here. Non-denominational, which I think is a plus.

Good Luck. There are many good schools around here.
Oh, and welcome!
PS-I went to WashU for undergrad-I now live in West County but work downtown.
My husband and I are sending our son to Forsyth school in Clayton from ages 3-5 and then will likely switch to MICDS or Burroughs...

I thought that Burroughs was only 7-12. Do they have an elementary school now?

[imedfan]

You're right TGS, I was getting ahead of myself.
They do not.
Thanks

[bilikins]

imed fan -- what are your thoughts on the forsyth school? does your son like it?

[lisamarieslp]

Bilikens--

I tried to email you but don't know if you received it...I, too, am a 1L at SLU.

Another excellent private elementary school is Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles. An obvious con is the location. However, many students commute from West County--the school is a short drive from 40/270 (about 15-20 minutes) as it is just across the river. Many families carpool.

The school has many pros (I know as I am a graduate and my daughter started there this year)...foreign language program--my French was so strong that Visitation provided a tutor for another Academy grad and me and gave us the option of taking French classes at Wash U. our junior year...excellent academics and personal growth--the school emphasizes the basics as well as service to others and the students are well-rounded as a result...Finally, I think the students are very grounded. The atmosphere isn't quite as elitist as the St. Louis schools. I liked Visitation and all the girls in my class were very nice but interacting with debutantes and St. Louis "society" was an adjustment.

Finally, I believe the Academy was ranked the number 1 private independent elementary school in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal (Oct 26th issue). However, I am waiting for a copy from the library for confirmation.

I could go on and on as this school holds a special place in my heart. Despite the commute, I encourage you to check out the website...
Home Page

Good luck!

[lisamarieslp]

I was incorrect about the St. Louis Business Journal's school rankings. The Academy of the Sacred Heart ranked largest of the private independent private schools, not best. The Journal would be a great resource as it lists 25 schools in the area with some general info and stats.