 | Welcome to the Admissions section of our Web site. Our admissions staff has decades of combined experience as admissions professionals and we want to help you as you go through the process of choosing the best school for your son. We look forward to meeting you personally and to providing information, answering your questions and getting to know you and your son as we go through the process together.
As parents of students and alumni, we hope that you will experience the community that we have come to know and value. Our faculty is dedicated to providing a challenging academic experience in a nurturing and supportive environment. Our parents are involved in many activities from classroom programs to special events on campus. And our facilities offer the setting for unparalleled opportunities. We all share a common commitment to helping each boy become the best he can be.
While we hope our Web site will answer some of your initial questions, the best way to get to know us is to visit personally. We invite you to call and schedule a time to see our campus and meet our students, teachers, and the many other people who make St. Christopher’s a special place. We look forward to working with you.
St. Christopher’s School welcomes qualified students without regard to race, color and national or ethnic origin, and actively seeks diversity among its students, faculty, and staff. |
| Q. | Why should I choose an all boys school? | | A. | At St. Christopher’s we believe that boys and girls develop at different paces and learn differently than one another. Our faculty understands boys and how they learn. |
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| Q. | What kind of students are you looking for?
| | A. | St. Christopher’s is looking for bright, motivated and talented boys of high moral character who would benefit from and contribute to a rigorous academic program in a nurturing and caring environment. |
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| Q. | Are all the boys alike? | | A. | Slightly less than half of our boys are Episcopalians, and students of Protestant, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and other faiths are represented. Minority students comprise over 10 percent of the School’s population. The boys bring and develop many diverse talents and interests, and St. Christopher’s encourages active participation and a global approach to their own and the world community. |
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| Q. | How does St. Christopher’s emphasize values? | | A. | As a church school, boys meet in chapel 3 times a week. Lessons focus on helping others, getting along with fellow students and teachers, and developing integrity and sportsmanship. Community service begins in kindergarten and ends with a 50-hour graduation requirement in the Upper School. The student-run Honor System, built on mutual respect and trust, is the foundation of the community. |
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| Q. | How do new students fit in?
| | A. | St. Christopher's is a very open and welcoming community where students and faculty in every division welcome new students. Various programs are in place to help with the social and academic adjustment. Many new students go on to hold the top leadership positions in the school, serving as class officers, team captains and officers of extracurricular groups. |
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| Q. | Who comprises your faculty? | | A. | Our 148 full- and part-time faculty members are a mix of talented and diverse males and females. Sixty percent have a master’s or higher degree. An average tenure of 13 years insures continuity of programs. They serve as coaches, mentors and role models for their students as well as being their teachers. |
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| Q. | What is your college placement record?
| | A. | Our college placement record is excellent, with virtually 100% of our graduates going on to outstanding four-year colleges. The college guidance process is individualized for each student based on his interests, his record and the best college match. The performance of our graduates and their consistent success in the national merit and advance placement program has established St. Christopher's fine reputation among the nations top colleges. |
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| Q. | Where do St. Christopher’s students live?
| | A. | Our students come from 51 different zip codes in the metro area. Forty-five percent live in the West End, 26 percent live in the far West End, and 14 percent come from south of the James River and the Tri-Cities areas. Almost four percent live in Goochland. The remaining students live in the north side, Hanover County, the Fan and points as far as Lanexa, Fredericksburg, and Kents Store. |
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| Q. | What kinds of families choose St. Christopher’s? | | A. | St. Christopher’s current students represent 778 families. In 45 percent of the families, both parents work outside the home. 165 boys are sons of alumni, and 259 families have girls who attend St. Catherine’s, our sister school. |
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| Q. | How can one afford St. Christopher’s? | | A. | St. Christopher’s seeks a broad and diverse pool of talented students. Financial aid is one way of accomplishing this goal. Approximately one in four students receives financial assistance, and the average need-based grant is $11,997. In 2010, St. Christopher’s awarded almost $3 million in financial assistance to its students ranging from 10-100% of tuition. A variety of loan and payment plans are available. Admission to the school is independent of need. |
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| Q. | How can I prepare my son for testing? | | A. | There is no preparation necessary for testing. We recommend a good night’s sleep, comfortable clothing, and a relaxed atmosphere prior to arriving. Preschool boys should be told they are going to do some of the things that big boys do before entering school. There should not be a focus on testing. Older boys should be encouraged to work diligently, do their best and to ask questions about things that interest them. |
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| Q. | What kind of accreditation does St. Christopher’s have? | | A. | The School holds memberships in the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Secondary School Admissions Test Board, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. |
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| Q. | How do you describe your coordinate program? | | A. | There is a co-operative relationship between St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher's that strengthens each of the schools. Both schools are committed to single sex education for grades JK-8 from a philosophical and educational perspective. Boys at these levels do participate in activities and trips with the girls. Both schools also benefit from the coeducational classes offered for grades 9-12. Two faculties enable the schools to provide a broad and rich academic program while remaining two small schools that know their students well. Coordination of the curriculum JK-12 allows students to come together easily in Upper School. |
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| Q. | Does the school have an endowment? How large is it?
| | A. | St. Christopher’s endowment in July 2010 stood at $61.6 million and is growing . A record number of alumni continue to give generously to the school through annual giving which raised $1.4 million in 2010 in support our boys. |
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| | View our Admissions Video | |