Virginia Episcopal School review by US Naval Academy student.
VES is an excellent school that will academically prepare one for college; I had no difficulties transitioning from the many AP courses offered there to the very demanding curriculum of the US Naval Academy. If anything, a student can easily become spoiled by the small class sizes and individual attention lavished by the teachers, who eagerly seek to help the students in any way possible. The technical classes (chemistry, calculus, physics,) are largely lecture-based (with labs included where applicable, of course,) but student participation is demanded and expected even in those classes. History is a mix of lecture and teachers peppering the students for opinions and factual data they should already know; English, with such small class sizes, is very much lecture based, often conducted around one large conference table. The mix of styles prepared me well for the Naval Academy, where classes (which are also small, here,) are often conducted in a similar manner. The teaching environment (provided the student wants to learn) is wonderful; the teachers know their material and are always available to help, whether the student be seeking the extra challenge or simply trying to keep afloat. Though the workload can be daunting, it is still very manageable. As a single caveat, at such a small school it can at times be difficult for extremely gifted students to find classes with similarly-minded peers, though the teachers often will try to work with such students.
My admissions counselor (who has since moved to a different school,) was excellent, often doing.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Virginia Episcopal School as experienced by former pupil and US Naval Academy 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...
VES asks that the students entering 9th and 10th grade have taken at least the.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Virginia Episcopal School by former pupil and US Naval Academy 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...
The VES environment is one best described by trust and love; we take our Honor System very seriously so that all students may feel free to leave their possessions all over campus without any fear of them being taken. Realistically speaking, with so many teenage youth of course there will be minor amounts of gossip and cliques, but on the whole VES is a very warm and welcoming place. Though a student could approach any teacher on campus with ease and comfort, the school also assigns specific advisers to ensure maximum academic success. In addition, the houseparents on dorm are also.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Virginia Episcopal School as experienced by former pupil and US Naval Academy student — Login or Sign Up to access full review