My bhatij wants to study in Rato Bungalow, he just scored about 90% in SLC and asked me about it. I grew up in village, so did my brother. I was able to come here and do well, and now I want to help bhatij go to a good school. So essentially I will be footing his bill.

I would like to get some answers from the esteemed visitors, especially those with the first hand experience of the bungalow or competitive schools:

1. How hard is the entrance exam?
2. Since he will be going to KTM from outside, and we dont' have a home in KTM, how is the boarding facility? Do they have one? Is it male/female combined?
3. Also, does St Xavier offer A level? Do they still send students to Harvard like they used to do? Which one is harder to get in, St Xavier or Rato Bungalow?

Any relevant suggestion will be highly appreciated.

entrance:

stxaviers: 10000 candidates
rato b: 500

fee:

stx: 500/month
rato8000/month

seems stx is harder to get in but cheaper


if ur person like medical or engineering fields definately stx.

Once you get into StX, you are a Xaverian for life, for whatever it is worth. Rato Bangala is good (class 7 kids critiquing Shakespeare, I heard), and prepares better for US colleges etc, that I heard as well.

StX is highly competitive, and that is where your bhatiji should be, in the middle of competition, with that kind of SLC.

StX has a very good support and guidance system for further studies. And a very good atmosphere to be in for 2 years. And that experience of 2 years something paisa cannot buy at other schools/colleges.

StX does not offer A level. Try Budhanilkantha for that, if they still offer A level. Actually BKNS is better statistically with student placement at Top US/UK universities. BKNS students are one heap of ambitious kids, and VERY hard working as well.

I would also be looking at Xavier Academy in Lazimpat. Very good, sound and all rounded kids there.

So pick the best. Visit all colleges. Talk to ex-students. And don't fall for Newspaper ads. DONT GO TO WHITEHOUSE etc...

_x

I agree with axara.  your bhatij's slc result is very impressive.  I would suggest BNKS or StX.  BNKS has A level while StX has ISc.  Rato bangla is a good choice too.

I think StX and BNKS should your first option. Although Rato Bangala is good, your bhatij might feel out of place if he is from outside kathmandu to suddenly all english speaking Neps at rato Bangala and i feel it is too expensive. At his age, if he starts feeling inferior about himself, it could hamper his education. Better to opt for places that have wider selection of students from all over Nepal.

Axara,
I am not against St Xaviers and don't doubt its quality simply because I don't know how it is but but to say "Once you get into StX, you are a Xaverian for life, for whatever it is worth" sounds something like the world view of a "frog in a well".

Between frog in a well and frog from ocean:
"Hello there, brother," said the frog from the well. "Welcome to my well. And where are you from?"

"From the Great Ocean," answered the ocean frog.

"I've never heard of that place," said the frog from the well. "But I'm sure you must be thrilled to see my magnificent home. Is your ocean even a quarter this big?"

"Oh, it's bigger than that," said the ocean frog.

"Half as big, then?" asked the well frog.

"No, bigger still."
"As big as my well?"
"Your well would not even be a drop in the Great Ocean," answered the visiting frog.

"That's impossible!" cried the frog from the well. ......

Pire ji, I also went to a village school in a remote part of Mid West Nepal upto 10th grade and one of my contemporaries from my village was lucky, came to KTM with his family, went to St Xaviers but I don't think that I am lagging so far behind him and he is enjoying a superb life as Axara mentioned--that comes along with a Xaverian degree "Xaverian for life". WHAT IS XAVARIAN? A f...kn Christianity? Evangelism? Why do we need that? This is a myth among high class Kathmanduities. Do they know what is the background of St Xaviers school? What politics is associated with it? Axara, I am sorry to say that you are still in delirium of Missionary opium if you went to that school that you are still eulogizing the myth. Grow up man. Know the politics behind such religious missionaries and don't be a frog in a well.

Pire ji, I don't have to say anything to you except that your Vatij doesn't need any Xavier or Bungalow school. He can excel from anywhere. Don't give credit to those blood suckers. GROW UP FROM KATHMANDU MENTALITY!!! Any simple name are also equally good, namely Kathmandu Model college or NIST or ....I am not advertising them. 

Best of luck for the best student.

No need of A-level if she is the best. BNKS, St.X, RatoB, etc are all part of a hype in a poor society. As they get the good students, the results will obviously be good; and nowadays its fashion for good students to join these 'rich' or 'christian' schools.

A good student achieves his/her goal even he/she is from a Ascol or Tri-chandra or PN Campus. If she is from western region, PN Campus is the best. I am 100% sure that the study at PN Campus is not ,in any way, not inferior to any of the private colleges in Nepal.

Pire,
I am a Xavarian. I completed my SLC from a well known school in Kathmandu and decided to study Isc in St. Xaviar's at Maitighar. And no St. Xaviar's doesn't have A levels.

Regarding where you should send your bhatij, it all depends on what do you want your bhatij to do after ISc/A levels. If your bhatij is going to study MBBS or engineering at Pulchowk, then nothing can be a better option than SXC (St. Xavier's College), and tell him to join the Biology group. The tuition and fees are relatively cheap......It is around 1500 per month I believe. The competition is fierce to get in and it never really subsides as you study there. The kids in Xavier's are very motivated and hard working. Thus, no wonder a lot of students get into Maharajgunj, Pulchowk, and many places from the Ministry. From my class, out of the 40 students they take in Maharajgunj, 5 bagged the MBBS seats and one of the guys from my physics group topped the pulchowk entrance exam. Lot of my friends are studying engineering in Pulchowk.

But if you want your bhatij to go abroad, specifically USA for higher education, then I strongly reccommend Rato Bungalow or Budhanilkantha A levels. Nothing really beats the A levels. The reason is that most kids from Xaviar's don't apply abroad initially and when they don't get into pretigeous MBBS/ engineering schools, then they do. They end up not knowing/getting into the prestigeous schools in the United States. But kids from Rato Bungalow and BKNS have to apply abroad as the A level curriculum is very different from Isc (and better in my opinion) and they have tough time getting into medical/engineering schools in Nepal anyways. Those kids already prepare for US college Admissions while they are in high school. So, it totally depends on what your bhatij wants to do after high school.

If you ask me as an Xavarian, I strongly suggest that he get into Rato Bungalow or Budhanilkanta A levels, do extremely well in his A levels and the SATs, and apply to top universities/colleges in the United States. If he works hard, he will get in and he will definitely get full financial aid. There are very few (probably a couple) students from St. Xaviar's that I know who are studying in very prestigeous schools (MIT, Harvard, Upenn, or any Ivy League, Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, or any top liberal arts school). But there are a handful of students from Rato Bungalow and BKNS. The quality of education here is way better and relevant to the industry than in Nepal.
Another reason to take A leves is that having A levels gives you more credibility while applying in the US because it is internationally recognized. A lot of international kids in my current college took A levels in their high school and almost all international students get full financial aid here. With A levels you even get credit for the introductory college level classes.

All the Best.

Hi All,

Thanks. Specially to fortunefaded for his detailed suggestion.

It's funny that these days, we don't know what even a 90% mark in SLC is (i.e. how many students score higher than that?), so it is hard getting to know whether he could excel in these schools once he got in.

Everyone's suggestions have been valuable. Some of my early acquantees in some Ivy Schools were actually from St Xaviers. So, I am surprised to know that there are not many xavierians around in top schools anymore.

"Do they know what is the background of St Xaviers school? What politics is associated with it?"
and sarkozy,
mind your f.king language.For the two years I studied in Xaviar's it never felt like we were in a missionary school trying to preach us Christianity. They don't even mention Christ or Christianity for that matter. We had this class called 'social' something and we would talk about problems and social issues but the sisters and the fathers aren't there to convert us. Xaviarians started out as missionaries but times have changed and so has their focus. They are more into helping society (through God's will as they say ). But if someone wants to do good ( garbage collection , roadwork, helping poor and underprivileged kids in Kanti Hospital, etc) in the name of God, then why not?

And would you kindly tell me the politics associated with it?

Peace.

Very good discussion goin on:-)
Hi Pire, congrats to your Bhatij. He must have worked hard and definitely must be a brilliant student. But it surely does not meant that those who score below 90% (60 or even 50%) are not brilliant student. But academically he has done wonders. He deserves his choice of school.

Please talk to him (im sure u r doin) before u made decision for him.

Good Luck again

Sarkozy,

Success (academic, professional, athletic, etc) is a traingle of hard work, guidance and environment. Hardwork comes from the individual. Guidance comes from teachers, mentors, etc. Environment comes from everything around. Take one out and the triangle collapses.

StX provides the environment and guidance. It is up to the student to use it. There are a lot of hard working students at other colleges also. But the environment is very questionable, and guidance does not exist.

Xaverian for life is a TRUTH. One can be in denial, confusion, acceptance or even 'granduer' about it. But it cannot be taken away. By 'it' I mean the Xaverian identity. You will never understand it because you do not have it. And I cannot explain it in words. You may ask if there is any meaning in being a Xaverian. Hence my qualifier 'for whatever it is worth'. It is a matter for the individual to live with. And one can live in denial, entirely their choice.

Besides this, you do not say much besides 'hearsay' and those do not deserve response.

_x

 

 

Never Sent your bhatiji to ratobangla..Kids studying out there donot consider themselves as Nepalese..They think that they are born in US ,AUS or UK..Right from the beginning they are taught to hate Nepal..School sarai dhani mani ko chhora chhori padhchan, tapain ko bhatiji gaun bata padhera aayeko bahyera compexity develop huna sakchha..This is a school for rich spoiled brats .Mahango tuition fee bhayeko schhol ramro hunchha bhane nepali ko bani bata chutkara paunu..Go for Xavier's or some other school where there is a lesser tuition fee and whcih teaches you some culture..Ascol bata padhne haru le pani pragati greka chhan..Ra SLC ko result lai dherai kura portray gardaina..My brother got 90% on SLC and failed in ISC 3 times..So please try to settle her where there is a good study environment which teaches u moral values and being a neplai rather than place which has expesnive tuition fee, teaches to write Shakespearean crtitique at 7 classs..If she does really well then try her enroling at ST xavier..tyahan ko angerzez ramro chha, padhai pani ramro chha, fee pani sastochha..Don't spoil your bhatiji by forcing her to study at some expensive school...hope it helps

Dear All, (&Phoenix who sent me valuable opinion),

I totally understand your apprehension about whether my bhatij would be in awe with some rich kids in Rato Bungalow. But it also reminded me my childhood, when I was going to Ascol, and my mother specially warned me not to hang out with the 'rich kids of Kathmandu'. It turned out that a lot of rich kids were like me, afterall, and once I aced my ISc, they all started grudgingly admire me, even seeking my friendship.

Once in a while, however, we all want our loved kids to taste what we missed. I also had a few communications with Kanak Dixit in the past in some other unrelated events, and he doesn't sound like a man who would encourage kids to forget Nepal or act as if they were 'USA born'. On the other hand, some St Xavierians I knew or even some kids from my highschool in village acted as if they were meant to be in the USA after they landed here.

Regarding St Xavier, I think the name definitely is a put off for a conservative like me, and I used to think of it as an agency of proselytizers. But I am not afraid of some missionaries or their few moments of inculcation in favor of the Christ. My Bhatij is wise enough to appreciate (the superiority of) his own culture and religion.St Xavier school has in the past produced some good students, who ended up contributing to our country's business, media and politics. So, let us recognize the good jobs they have done too, even though their original motive still may remain the demolition of our heritage and supplanting it with theirs. 

"Right from the beginning they are taught to hate Nepal" - I have to correct you on that.That is utter BS!

Have you ever been to that school or even stayed in a class (during teaching workshops) ? How could you say such a thing. In fact children - right from the first graders are taught the value, the essence , the 'nepalipan' , the traditions of Nepal . Children partake in each of these activities and they learn through fun.

Please do not go around saying things that are just not true! And puhleeese there are always a few 'rotten potatoes in a sack' - regardless of a school being elite or not!

Axara,
Who cares about your  Xavarian "identity"? Nobody cares these days. Care for what? Some handful of rich people's children used to go there in the past and obviously did good ( as many other schools are also doing these days), it doesn't make you special and markedly different from others. K ko Xavarian identity? Jaslai Nepali vannuma ani aafulai Hindu/Budhhist bhanera identity dina man lagdaina tesailai hunchha hola Xavarian identity ko matlab. I never heard such term before. After all they are evangelicals: either in the form of education or health or whatever. Hami lai timro xavarian identity sanga kunai sarokaar chhaina ra tesle timro euta gut vitra chahi kaam garchha hola: to help make a perspective of others-- especially of those who are from common schools. Besides, I have seen some snobbish Xavarian people: may be it is the outcome of that very identity construction. 

Phoenix, "Nepali pan" kiss my ass..I have been there , in fact one of my very good friend's sister studies there and i know her friend's too!! "Shakespearean critique" , do they ever study "Devkota" essays and write a critique..In our nature(Ya We Nepali),always feel good in fact great when you relative or someone is very  good in English..

"

i am proud to be a xavarian.  batch of 85.

Hey Atlanta and Axara,
Can you say that you feel proud to be a Nepali instead of Xavarian? What the hell is there in being a Xavarian? I know that you guys enjoy of being special among some traditional, stereotypical and narrow-minded feudal Kathmanduities as those people are in false consciousness that their kids' studying in X-mas-avier and Raato-Gulo-jasto-Bunglaw" school uplifts their social hierarchy among their poor neighborhood. "Mero Chhora ta Xaviers ma ho ni" bhanda aru garib nimukha haruko bich ma social status maintain vairakne ani dhak dhakku dina paine.....aru or kasaile sodhos or not, some Xavarians tend to pronounce their school's name beforehand. huh. poor meat-head Xavarians! I have already given a good reference of "frog in a well".