Big 3?

[Anonymous]

I'm a new mom and I want to be prepared for the "good" schools for my DD. What are the big 3? And, when do you start with the application for pre-school? Are there any magnet school for preschool/elementary in the Arlington/D.C. are? Thanks in advance for the info.

[Anonymous]

While the term Big 3 is thrown around and used very casually on this board, you will never get a consenus on what schools comprise the Big 3. There is another thread on this board where this question was asked and it was endlessly debated. My take-away was for lower schools GDS, Sidwell and Beauvoir and for upper schools Sidwell, NCS/STA and Maret. I am sure I will be quickly corrected and flamed for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Maret is small (harder to get into), but the academics at Sidwell and GDS are highest, with the most tracked classes and highest/hardest academics. The next tier is NCS/STA and Maret, then others.

[Anonymous]

Big three: Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic. Your kid can get these at a number of good local schools, public or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maret is small (harder to get into), but the academics at Sidwell and GDS are highest, with the most tracked classes and highest/hardest academics. The next tier is NCS/STA and Maret, then others.

All comparative data I've ever seen shows STA/NCS outranking everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big three: Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic. Your kid can get these at a number of good local schools, public or private.

Oy. Does anyone else hear the dueling banjos playing in the background of this post? You forgot and added g's.

[Anonymous]

New Mom, do yourself a favor and do your research on this topic elsewhere. You sound like a nice person. Don't let us ruin that for you.

[Anonymous]

OP, please know that there is a difference between the "good schools" and the "most coveted" schools

[Anonymous]

OP, the "best" school is the one that is the best fit for your child and your family.

Forget joining the neurotic group that posts here. Just enjoy your baby.

[Anonymous]

What I find frustrating about all this is that people throw around the term Big 3 like everyone knows what it means and then when someone asks what it means, you get the self-righteous "best fit" responses. I wish people would stop using the terms if it really does not have a meaning.

[Anonymous]

It has a meaning to about 10 people who love to use it here on these boards.

Have you ever heard anyone in real life conversation use the term "Big 3?" If I ever did, (unless we were joking about all the nuts on DCUM, of course), I would look at her like she was out of her mind.

[Anonymous]

What is self-righteous about saying "best fit"? I have a child at a "private/independent school" that is not one of the Big 3. I never heard the term Big 3 until I started posting here, and I never considered applying to them.

It is hardly self-righteous to tell a new mom to relax about the "Big 3," especially since she is trying to figure out when to apply to preschool. She has a newborn, not a toddler. There will be plenty of time to become obsessed with the DC school rat race later. Reading on this board will truly screw with her mind right now.

So, OP, I will reiterate. The best school is the one that is the best fit for your child and your family. It doesn't have to be one of the "Big 3," and your child will undoubtedly do well wherever he or she attends school so long as you are all comfortable there.

[Anonymous]

But how can you say "I have a child at a private but not one of the Big 3" and then say there is no such this as the Big 3. I agree that parents should find the school that is the best fit. I know that and most people want that, but there is nothing wrong with asking what people mean when they say Big 3. You are giving meaning and definition to the term by saying you child is not at a Big 3, which means you know what schools comprise the Big 3. Give the poster an honest answer and tell her what they are. You are not saying that these are the schools that you should try to get your DC into. You are simply saying that when you see someone on this board referring to the Big 3, they are referring to School X,Y and Z. It is hypocritical to say that there is no such thing as the Big 3 but then to say my child is not at one of the Big 3's.

[Anonymous]

The Big Three = Sidwell, Beauvoir/STA/NCS, Maret, and GDS.

See, the problem is, we all majored in English or political science, not math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But how can you say "I have a child at a private but not one of the Big 3" and then say there is no such this as the Big 3. I agree that parents should find the school that is the best fit. I know that and most people want that, but there is nothing wrong with asking what people mean when they say Big 3. You are giving meaning and definition to the term by saying you child is not at a Big 3, which means you know what schools comprise the Big 3. Give the poster an honest answer and tell her what they are. You are not saying that these are the schools that you should try to get your DC into. You are simply saying that when you see someone on this board referring to the Big 3, they are referring to School X,Y and Z. It is hypocritical to say that there is no such thing as the Big 3 but then to say my child is not at one of the Big 3's.

I posted at 6:36 and 9:30. There is nothing in my posts that justifies this charge of hypocrisy. I never said there was no such thing as the Big 3. I merely said that the BEST school is the one that is best for the OP's family. Geez! Yet another reason for the OP not to join the neurotic moms on this forum yet, advice which I stand even more firmly behind given the bizarre post at 12:09.

By the way, the Big 3 are GDS, Sidwell and Beauvoir.