St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Upper School

Sep 11th, 2021

Nov 10th, 2020

The school focuses more on its image than its students. It places high value on that which can make it appear better, often to the detriment or even exclusion of other programs. It seems determined to make itself seem like a large family of sorts, when it’s excluding atmosphere and even bullying problem tell otherwise. Academically, this school is great, but the feeling of having to be either sporty and athletic in some major way or be left on the dark can and likely has thrown off many people from attending. But make sure to take this with a grain of salt.
Oct 23rd, 2020

Terrible school highly toxic
Jun 30th, 2020

Rather than writing my own review, I’ll let others speak for me. These quotes are gathered from various school review websites and message boards and are a completely accurate idea of what your child can expect at St. Stephens and St. Agnes: "This was some years ago…in the summer between their 9th and 10th grade, a student at St. Stephens and St. Agnes (we’ll call them Student A) initiated a vicious, calculated online hate campaign against one of their peers (Student B), using deception, emotional abuse, and fabricated conversations created to embarrass and humiliate. Student A had attended St. Stephens and St. Agnes for most of their school career up to that point. Student A laughingly bragged about this at school for years after and it became an open secret. When the administration finally became aware of this, they did nothing. Student A never suffered any consequences for this and went on to graduate with honors. This should tell you everything you need to know about St. Stephens and St. Agnes School." “….It is not a good school for individualistic kids, very bright or artistically talented students, or those with little athletic talent. The reports of cliques (among students and parents) are true, as are those of favoritism for the kids of big donors, prominent alumni, and important Alexandrians…” “…the culture was extremely exclusive. The review that describes it as a "polite cold shoulder" is spot on….it was clear I never fit in, and it destroyed my confidence for a while….There was a huge sense of elitism, as I constantly heard students make fun of public schools. It was extremely uncomfortable…” “The student body (and apparently many parents) are more interested in sports…than academic excellence…..Group projects are a painful ordeal for smart and engaged kids who want to do well……Bottom line, if you have a very bright child, I would look for a more challenging environment…” “….The administration caters to a certain class of country club students….There is nothing global or multicultural about this school….” “….my problem lies with the people that attend the school….I think the amount of people that think they are above the rest of the student body is staggering. I feel that because the girls [lacrosse] team is in the top 20 nationally they get special treatment from some of the staff…” “…. it is very particular with money and friend groups…” “…there is a pattern of special treatment for star athletes and kids whose parents donate money to the school, and the administration looks the other way from bullying.” “…I do feel like there is a lot of stress on sports. I feel as though the kids that play sports (specifically lacrosse) get treated differently. They never have to try that hard…” “Advice from the parent of a long term student: if you have a daughter who excels in field hockey or lacrosse, this is your school. Otherwise, look elsewhere.” “….Mean, entitled, little rich girls….Who cares how excellent the academics when all you do is worry about being bullied by the class right ahead of you? ….Literally THE most damaging experience of my young years….” “…the drug, alcohol, and hook up culture dominates the school. There is bullying, but cleverly done so as to not be obvious….there is a polite cold shoulder. If parents think their child will be sheltered from all this at SSSAS, that is a foolhardy idea. The more likely scenario is that the student can either be drawn into the aforementioned culture, or be sidelined for not participating in it. There is a huge amount of pressure on students to "have it all", imposed by the parent and student culture…” “…If you are an obsessive parent with lots of money to donate (in excess of tution) to ensure your child receives every opportunity--deserved or not-- this is your school! However, if you find it unethical….that a school would favor children of alumnae and wealthy donors to the point of idiocy then stay far far away. I do not know why more people do not speak about this school…”
Jul 17th, 2021