Xaverian Brothers High School review by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student.
Xaverian's academics are very rigorous and demanding, but this is to be expected. Prospective students should be ready to be challenged and to be put outside of their comfort level; this is all part of the experience. The school makes it known from the start that Xaverian's teaching philosophy is not like that of other schools. While other schools (private and public alike) concentrate on academic prowess, Xaverian focuses on forming the young, upstanding gentleman as a complete whole - academically, spiritually, psychologically, and physically. This is definitely where the school shines. I've never once heard someone speak negatively of anyone I met during my four years at Xaverian. In fact, we are often told, "you Xaverian boys are all so nice and polite and helpful." The school and the young men it puts into the world are both VERY well-respected, locally and nationally. The school has a strange but very effective way of molding immature 8th graders into respectful, responsible candidates for college education. I don't know exactly how they do it, but I feel like the approach to forming the student as a whole person vs. just an academician is responsible for this. I'm exceptionally well-prepared for the degree I am pursuing thanks to Xaverian. That being said, I feel like there is somewhat of a weak spot in the Math department. For many students, three years of Algebra and one year of Pre-Calculus were administered. I am not sure if the curriculum has changed since I graduated, but I was not adequately prepared for college Calculus after my time in Pre-Calculus at Xaverian. Class size and teacher availability are both perfect. Both are right where they need to be. Classes, depending on difficulty level, are sized appropriately and the plentiful amount of resources available are informative and germane to the course. Weekly workload is high, especially for higher-level courses (AP and Honors). Expect two to three hours of homework a night at minimum. Extra help is something that Xaverian prides itself on. I would highly recommend the academic centers; they are an invaluable resource for students having difficulty with course material. Teachers are in the center as long as the school is open, and even if a student's particular teacher is not available there will always be someone else in the center available to assist students with issues.
I think that the college counseling alone was worth the price of admission to Xaverian..... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Xaverian Brothers High School as experienced by former pupil and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 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...
I remember the application being very simple and straightforward. Make sure it is not late,.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Xaverian Brothers High School by former pupil and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 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...
Student life is wonderful. There is a wonderful and overwhelming sense of camaraderie at Xaverian; the teachers and students share it. School spirit is consistently very high within the student body, and almost all teachers are in some way involved with coaching or participating in after-school and extracurricular events. The teachers are emotionally motivated to do more than what they're paid to do; this is what makes Xaverian such a great place to be. The school's approach to discipline was fair in my opinion. We switched deans halfway through my academic career at Xaverian, and the new dean (Chris Vasta, former.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Xaverian Brothers High School as experienced by former pupil and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review