Episcopal High School of Jacksonville review by Swarthmore College student.
Episcopal High School's academic excellence is represented in every department, particularly in the AP and honors classes. The majority of the student body is not particularly competitive, but students in the advanced courses tended to be much more competitive about grades and test scores. The school definitely prepared me for Swarthmore - most of my friends at Swarthmore spend significantly more time and energy on academics in college than in high school, whereas Episcopal was just as demanding of my time and energy as Swarthmore. Probably the two most important skills Episcopal helped me develop are (1) academic writing and (2) how to study. I've rarely had a professor take issue with the structure or overall style of my writing, something that a lot of other students experience problems with. I'm also very good at managing my time and studying in such a way as to maximize the benefit of my efforts. As far as whether or not Episcopal is an "exam factory," I do think there is too much emphasis on test taking, although there wasn't much pressure from the school to do well on state or nation-wide tests. I think it would be easy for a student who had an alternative learning style to become discouraged, although I know that teachers would be more than willing to help out as much as they could. The work load is pretty intense for honors and AP classes. In my junior and senior year, I usually studied at least 5 hours every night, and usually at least 3 hours on weekends. It is possible to do well at Episcopal and study less than I did, however. A student's stress level is really dependent on the classes they opt to take and how many honors or AP classes they take at a time. Faculty are very caring if a student comes to them for help, and are generally willing to spend as much time with the student as necessary, so long as the student is willing to put in the work.
I believe discussion about college admissions began my sophomore year, but was most frequent during.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Episcopal High School of Jacksonville as experienced by former pupil and Swarthmore College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
To be admitted to Episcopal, the administration takes into consideration previous school records, admissions test.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Episcopal High School of Jacksonville by former pupil and Swarthmore College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
I think quality of life on campus was below average - average for most students. The school and surrounding neighborhood generally felt safe and crime was never a huge issue. Facilities were usually top of the line, especially for athletics and academics. The school's strongest point was definitely the resources available to students (teachers, equipment, etc). By far Episcopal's most redeeming factor, faculty were great and very accessible. The content of academic courses was usually very engaging, although my impression was that faculty who tried to represent a diverse array of views were meeting with increasing resistance from the administrators..... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Episcopal High School of Jacksonville as experienced by former pupil and Swarthmore College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review