Send him to Gonzaga. You wouldn’t regret it.
OH HELL YEAH, TIMES ABOUT 10000. AMDG BABY!!
Seriously Midnighter, a few thoughts, both general and specific:
1. I grew up in a public school environment, and never really 'got' single sex education until my son went to Gonzaga. For boys, they communicate differently, are looking for mentors, and in a world where someday they are going to need to make risk/reward choices, they are not wrapped in bubble wrap. And a SS environment removes the social conventions associated with certain activities -- my son played hockey at GNZ, and tried out for Rugby (took one look at UMD/VaTech OL Johnny Jordan, who sat next to him in bio class and was a peach of a kid, and called it a day), but he found his real passion doing stage crew for the theater program. And most importantly, the boys support each other in all of the activities.
2. The academics are excellent. Probably not the Power 5 DC independents, but really outstanding - lots of AP offerings if your son is so inclined. My son went heavy on the math and science, but his writing instruction was outstanding and really showed when it came time for his college essay. (He is in his fourth year at uva in aero eng, reads latin for pleasure in his spare time, and running deans list). Note, interestingly, I think the kids from VA tend to be smarter than the ones from MD - could be a legacy thing.
3. I'm not obsessed with "networks" for high schoolers, notwithstanding my DMV residence. But my son's best friends are still his Gonzaga friends, and if he is around town wearing GNZ gear, it is not at all uncommon for some 70 year old alum to walk up to him and talk to him. Around here, it's not to be taken lightly.
4. Religiously, conservative catholics tend to dump on the jesuits, sometimes fairly sometimes not. I'm actually a relatively conservative convert, but what you will find is that your son will come out a well rounded person who understands that the Christian faith is not simply about justice (in the law and order sense), but also about mercy. Name one other school that has a mens homeless shelter in its basement, where the boys serve lunch those in greatest need in our community, and talk to them.
5. Sports - I don't know if your son likes sports, but there are several no cut sports there. There are lots of kids who can't make the elite stick-and ball teams, but the coaches have a knack for finding the ones who are good athletes, introducing them to something new like crew or rugby, and wishing them well 4 years later when they go off to places like Harvard or PSU on athletic scholarships.
6. On balance, the families are genuinely nice. Sure, you get some power players (Rand Paul, Paul Begala, and Joe Crowley's kids were all in my son's class), but they have to pick up their kids at practice just like you and me, and don't stand off in a corner by themselve.
7. Getting there - it is actually quite independence building for a 9th grade boy to take the Metro to school in the downtown of a major metro area.
8. In the world of DMV private school tuition, GNZ is a comparative bargain ($25k v. ~35k for STJ and GP v. a shock-the-conscience $45-50k for LAN, STA, SID), and offers some merit based money to boot ($1-2k in my son's case).
9. Finally, as a parent, whenever you go to the school for something, it is an excellent opportunity to visit the Dubliner. Also, whoever does the laundry around your house will find it very easy because you just do one giant purple load.
I'm happy to answer any specific questions you may have. Yep, it's a little bit of a cult, but when you experience it as a parent or a student, you get it.
