US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Girls High School

In the last 20 years SPSG and NDP have the same number of championships(3). Educate yourself.

Umm everyone knows that but they’ve produced 10x the number of Division I lacrosse players. Off the top my head I can’t think of one lacrosse player from SPSG that’s played a significant role in college.

Aren't they getting the top 2026 goalie, its not like they are giving up on lacrosse.

Does TC recruit as hard as CR or is that she has less to provide?

What would the rankings be for IAAM if you took lacrosse out and only looked at academics? Asking as a parent of 7th grader looking at all options.

Off the top of my head, I'd say the top schools in the IAAM academically are Bryn Mawr, then McDonogh.

What would the rankings be for IAAM if you took lacrosse out and only looked at academics? Asking as a parent of 7th grader looking at all options.[/quote]

If you took lacrosse out McDonough and BrynMawr would be at the top academically. NDP/Maryvale would be mid level academically - although more affordable. Garrison, RPCS, and St Pauls are not known for high academics.

Doesn't change Mcdonogh has won 11 compared to 3

Doesn't change Mcdonogh has won 11 compared to 3[/quote]

THis will change as McDonough isnt recruiting as many top players as they used to.

If you took lacrosse out McDonough and BrynMawr would be at the top academically. NDP/Maryvale would be mid level academically - although more affordable. Garrison, RPCS, and St Pauls are not known for high academics.[/quote]

In my experience, RPCS >>>> NDP and Maryvale

If you took lacrosse out McDonough and BrynMawr would be at the top academically. NDP/Maryvale would be mid level academically - although more affordable. Garrison, RPCS, and St Pauls are not known for high academics.[/quote]

Depends on when you live. Severn would be a top academic school that rivals McDonough and BrynMawr. StMary’s would fit in the NDP/Maryvale column with Spaulding being on the lower end with Garrison, RPCS and SPSG. Look where the non-athletes attend college would give a good picture of the academics at the schools your considering

Depends on when you live. Severn would be a top academic school that rivals McDonough and BrynMawr. StMary’s would fit in the NDP/Maryvale column with Spaulding being on the lower end with Garrison, RPCS and SPSG. Look where the non-athletes attend college would give a good picture of the academics at the schools your considering[/quote]
GCS is a good academic school

History???? MCD had a nice run for many years because of $ and CR but those days are over. You must not be from Baltimore because MCD was a “B” school athletically 20 plus years ago until 1 big donor decided otherwise - not a good long term strategy to establish a tradition.

If you took lacrosse out McDonough and BrynMawr would be at the top academically. NDP/Maryvale would be mid level academically - although more affordable. Garrison, RPCS, and St Pauls are not known for high academics.[/quote]

If you take out athletics, Bryn Mawr stands alone. However, it is very academically rigorous and your child is competing with the other students at Bryn Mawr for 1 spot, max, at the top schools. It may make more sense to be a big fish in a small pond at a less academically rigorous school. The top colleges are getting thousands of applications and the weight that a Bryn Mawr once carried is no longer there. I disagree on McDonogh. Back out athletics, compare only female to female, and back out the "pretty" schools on the matriculation list that only the affluent can afford, and McDonogh falls into the rest of the pack.

And TC has pretty drastically limited her roster size for varsity at McD which, in turn, limits both JV and FS team rosters. So for all of the people who complain about large varsity rosters at schools like NDP, just know that a large varsity roster keeps more girls in the lacrosse program (all 3 teams). A limit for varsity means that girls will be cut at the bottom. There are some girls who will never make their high school varsity team at McD. This would also deter me from sending my daughter there.

The most useful answer to this question would not likely come from a parent, but from a consensus of college admissions counselors. I have talked with quite a few and will try to summarize what I have heard.

Baltimore is a bubble when it comes to Independent Schools, much like Boston and in some ways NYC. There are many to choose from, and locals will ask you where you went to school and they usually mean high school, not college. It is strange, and unlike anywhere else I have lived. When we started a family here (and neither of us is from here) we were told by many of our friends that we just have to send our kids to (name that school) because it is the place to go. It is other-worldly for those not from here.

Each of the Baltimore area private schools has a particular reputation. Some are known for strong academics, some for being more welcoming to kids who have unique interests or talents. Some local parents are set on their kids going to a certain school because of the name/cachet that comes with having a certain reputation for academics or athletics. Gee...kind of like youth lacrosse teams.

I would offer that the most important factor in the decision - by far - is fit. How well does the child fit the school? What does it feel like for the student on visit and shadow days? Who are the other kids you know from that school and what would you say are their defining characteristics? Is your child a pretty good athlete but also likes the arts? Or perhaps a gifted scholar who wants to play some sports or act in a play?

Obviously, academics are important. Each of the many private schools in Baltimore offers a quality academic experience. Around town, Gilman and Bryn Mawr seem to be the top schools for academics in most peoples' opinions. I would argue that there are a few others that are just as challenging, and the college admissions people I have talked to have validated that opinion.

Think about the characteristics of the students/families who choose to attend the school, and the characteristics of the graduates. Some schools are known for graduating students who are highly qualified academically while perhaps lacking in other areas. Others focus more on producing the well-rounded student who perhaps hasn't taken all AP classes but has done an internship or been an exchange student as well as played on several sports teams.

Some folks on this forum have disparaged the academic quality of some really good local schools. They do not speak from experience nor do they have any idea what they are talking about. Please do your research. Talk to people at the school. Talk to people who looked at the school you think is a good fit and chose another - ask them why. You can even ask for help from a consultant (this is, after all, a huge investment of time and money). There are some really knowledgeable ones in the area who help families and students decide which school is the best fit.

I offer these comments with the sincere hope that you take these ideas into consideration as you make your decision. Best of luck!

Thank you for the in depth take, got to agree with what you say.

So 20 years of winning is not history? Go back and dust off your letterman jacket from 1985.

When my daughter was looking at high schools - a popular Instagram account started popping up at high schools "School ABC Class of 2022" for college selections.
It's a great way to see where the schools are sending their graduates onto college and university.
Also, very easy to tell what high schools are more academically rigorous and how hard it is to get into your first choice these days.
A popular girls school had every other girl going to UMD College Park the year we were looking. Not really any Michigans or many schools out of state, The girls played it like Baltimore does, and stayed local! Kinda of a let down.

The IAAM league started in 2000. MCD’s impressive Championship run in lacrosse started in 2009 and ended 9 years later in 2018. MCD lost to NDP in 2018, won in OT over SPSG in 2019, no season in 2020 and lost to SPSG in 2021. I think people are taking about NDP, MCD and SPSG because these 3 schools have battled for the Championship the past 5 years including this season.

Are people really questioning why SPSG is part of the IAAM lacrosse discussion along with McD and NDP? SPSG just won the last championship. Is the expectation that they will not be competitive this season?

If you take out athletics, Bryn Mawr stands alone. However, it is very academically rigorous and your child is competing with the other students at Bryn Mawr for 1 spot, max, at the top schools. It may make more sense to be a big fish in a small pond at a less academically rigorous school. The top colleges are getting thousands of applications and the weight that a Bryn Mawr once carried is no longer there. I disagree on McDonogh. Back out athletics, compare only female to female, and back out the "pretty" schools on the matriculation list that only the affluent can afford, and McDonogh falls into the rest of the pack.[/quote]

Incorrect. Bryn Mawr’s strength is its excellent college placements. Last year, they had girls going to nearly every Ivy and two to MIT and Harvard. You don’t have to take my word for it, college placement info is on their website.

Someone was claiming SPSG has no "history" in girls lacrosse compared to MCD and NDP.

Someone doesn't know much about local lacrosse.

This is great advice! Not only for researching future high schools but also future colleges, whether playing college lacrosse or not. My youngest child is a senior and all of my kids have chosen to attend different high schools and different colleges. Some played college lacrosse and some decided to skip that experience although they had the opportunity. However, all of my kids have chosen the high school and college that was the right overall fit for them. I’m most proud of my high school senior who didn’t get caught up in the Baltimore “I need to play for a D1 program” but instead chose a D2 program that was the best overall fit for her (& yes she did receive D1 offers). She learned by observing her older siblings and their friends over the years. I’ve seen so many local kids and parents over the years fall for the peer pressure/ego motivation only to transfer mid-college years or stay but quit playing lacrosse altogether. Your kid is more likely to love their college experience (& continue to play lacrosse) if they and their parents do the research noted below on the front end. Isn’t your child’s long term success and happiness worth a lot more than your short term bragging rights? Sadly, most parents lose sight of this…

Most IAAM schools who are competitive and winning are handing out financial aid. SPSG got really good when top lacrosse players were “earning” these scholarships. McD was the same. They were the conference bottom dweller and all of the sudden got top players to go there. And to be honest, most parents don’t care about the education, fit of school or who the coach is as long as they can tell their friends that they got a scholarship. They go to where they pay the least. Plain and simple.

Money has definitely slowed for McD. Only recruited one girl for this year. Roster now has 16 Seniors…..Very top heavy

This year? As in 25s? I heard they have 4 freshmen on the roster.

Any freshman make varsity? Should be known at the IAAM schools by now.

Only one of the four was recruited. Next year will be very tough for McDonogh….

Maybe. Maybe not. It's not like one school has cornered the market on girls lacrosse.

You have no idea what you’re sliding about. SPSG started to change when MG took over. Girls from her M&D 2021 team decided to go there to play for her. Only one girl per year at the school gets a free scholarship and it’s not always a lacrosse player. MG has built the program on hard work. Not by throwing money at girls.

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Correct Mcd has more than enough depth the next couple years to compete for a title. It’s not how may girls you have on the sideline. It’s about putting the best 12 on the field and McD has more than enough the next 2 years. 3 years from now is too far out as who knows where the girls from the 26,27 and 28 class will go. My guess is that they compete for the title the next 3 years and win 2.

They didn’t say they were giving away free scholarships, but if there is a girl MG wants at SPSG you can bet that girl is offered a generous financial aid package.

I agree with the previous poster - you are without a clue as to financial aid policy at SPSG. And the post before that - "most parents' don't care" is the most uninformed and frankly notIntelligent comment I have seen on here in a while. I have talked with literally dozens of families about their decision as to which school is best for their kids. Yes, money is a factor for many. To say they "don't care" is just ridiculous.

Some strong players who are also strong academic students receive offers which include modest merit-based aid, but nobody - really, nobody - gets money just to play sports. One girl at SPSG receives a full tuition scholarship each year - and it is a competitive essay competition, not a lacrosse tryout.

I know of cases in which SP or SPSG offered modest merit aid to a student from a family with capacity to pay full tuition (read: wealth) and the schools were told, "you have to do better - such and such school offered us a free ride."

i know exactly how the financial aid policy works at SPSG, we went through it. MG wanted my daughter and we were offered a very generous package. In the end we choose a different school for a better fit due to logistics.

SPSG and SP offer generous needs based financial aide to eligible students as do all the private high schools (some more than others).

Agreed. McD offers need based packages but does not offer merit based aid. They also say they do not offer athletic scholarships.

They are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships. The athletic scholarships are called financial aid.

Hence-the rise of GCS!

SO GCS rise is due to giving out money but SPSG rise is because of MG who coached at multiple other conference schools without ever coming close to winning anything? SPSG has finished in the top 5 regular season teams 1 time. That was last year. Keep telling yourself that SPSG rise has nothing to due with the fact that most of those scholarships have gone to lacrosse players.