The Potomac School - Spill the Beans Please

[Anonymous]

You don't get it pp. I'm saying if someone is an athlete and want to play DI in college and they're a high school student in VA -- they should choose SSSA over Potomac.

I don't have any ax to grind per your question. I don't live in VA or work there. I noticed everyone was saying so many positive things about Potomac but no one had mentioned anything about the sports. Some people -- obviously not you -- would like for their kids to have the chance to play DI in college -- not DIII

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:30 also needs to check facts. SSSAS does play in the same league as Potomac. In fact, boys soccer playing Potomac today. SSSA also plays against St. Albans, Landon, GDS, Sidwell and Maret among others.

Having experience with both schools, SSSAS and Potomac share very similar philosophies and emphasis on academics and sports. Same set-up with the sports programs. Potomac might have a slight edge with performing arts in terms of emphasis.

We're actually both right. Potomac plays in the MAC for boys, and the ISL for girls. St Stephen's plays in the IAC for boys, and the ISL for girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't get it pp. I'm saying if someone is an athlete and want to play DI in college and they're a high school student in VA -- they should choose SSSA over Potomac.

I don't have any ax to grind per your question. I don't live in VA or work there. I noticed everyone was saying so many positive things about Potomac but no one had mentioned anything about the sports. Some people -- obviously not you -- would like for their kids to have the chance to play DI in college -- not DIII

I'm not disagreeing with you PP. SSSA probably does have a better record of placing athlete's at DI schools than Potomac, just like Potomac probably has a better record of placing kids at Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford (who may or may not play sports) than SSSA. To each his or her own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:30 -- Potomac is a nice school for sure. However, it is no Sidwell Friends. I can't believe you would even make that comparison. Potomac is more like Maret.

Oh give it a rest. The truth is there is very little difference between schools like Sidwell, Potomac, Maret, GDS, and the Cathedral Schools. I've seen both local and national rankings that have all of these schools in them, sometimes one school is on top, sometimes another.

To try and argue that one of these schools is clearly better than another is simply to engage in a pathetic form of social climbing and petty elitism - usually driven by low self esteem.

[Anonymous]

Bingo

[Anonymous]

Or maybe people in the south, like VA, hate to admit the schools aren't as good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't get it pp. I'm saying if someone is an athlete and want to play DI in college and they're a high school student in VA -- they should choose SSSA over Potomac.

I don't have any ax to grind per your question. I don't live in VA or work there. I noticed everyone was saying so many positive things about Potomac but no one had mentioned anything about the sports. Some people -- obviously not you -- would like for their kids to have the chance to play DI in college -- not DIII

NP here - this last couple of pages is bizarre. If people are really sports obsessed then the privates probably aren't the way to go anyway. Most of the top schools in most sports are the public schools, and occasionally the top catholic schools. A few of the independent schools sneak in for some sports like lacrosse or squash. Or Sidwell for soccer right now. I really don't think most people applying to private schools are focused on having their kid play D1 sports in college, especially if they are applying at the K level when a child's sports skills are unlikely to be fully developed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe people in the south, like VA, hate to admit the schools aren't as good.

Bigot.

Say want you want, I'd rather be surrounded by kind, loyal, gentlemanly/womanly Southerners who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of others. If that's what going to an inferior Southern school is all about - I'll take it every day of the week and twice on Tuesday.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. If you want your kid to play football at a Division I school, go public.

[Anonymous]

For those who hope their kids are Ivy-bound -- Ivy schools are DI sports. And, it's a lot more likely to get into an Ivy as a recruited athlete than one of thousands(20,000 for that matter) who happens to have good grades/test scores only.

[Anonymous]

Get a grip, ladies. These previous posts of name-calling and trying to assert your superiority are so very junior high.

I think it's time for those who feel angry, incomplete or just plain frustrated to find a job, hobby or something in which to positively channel your energies. If you are living through your child's accomplishments, time to find something to call your own. These childish posts are just so unprofessional and unbecoming.

[Anonymous]

Again I see a series of negative posts which I find to be most unhelpful and I feel a need to defend the esteemed Potomac school Academically it is in the same league as the other top schools frequently mentioned on this board. It has outstanding facilities, teachers and very active community. Hate to burst the bubble of the person who claimed it was "no Sidwell friends," but that is completely incorrect. While Sidwell is an outstanding school, so is Potomac. Case in point, the ubiquitous Worth Magazine top 100 schools for college admissions lists Potomac at number 22 ahead of SFS. Clearly the school has an excellent track record with colleges. It is extremely competitive to get into, especially if you conveniently live in Northern Virginia, as the school is committed to having a student body from all over the DC area. I have many friends who attended the school and/or are sending their children there and they all love it.

Bottom line, it is well worth touring and learning more about. Finally, I think it is wonderful that a lifer posted on the board how much they love the school. It is nothing less than cruel and in poor form to criticize and/or minimize the student's genuine feelings.

Disclaimer, my child goes to another school so I have no agenda in stating the above. I can't comment on their sports, but I will say that many of the top academic coed private schools in the DC area are not known for their sports programs but have extremely strong extracurriculars and academics. If your child is applying for entry to their upper school the sports scenario may be a factor if your child excels at a particular sport(s), but this would be a consideration at all of schools your child is applying and have to be addressed on a case by case basis as to how strong that team is at each school. As for applying for Kindergarten, I think the upper school sports teams situation is a secondary consideration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a grip, ladies. These previous posts of name-calling and trying to assert your superiority are so very junior high.

I think it's time for those who feel angry, incomplete or just plain frustrated to find a job, hobby or something in which to positively channel your energies. If you are living through your child's accomplishments, time to find something to call your own. These childish posts are just so unprofessional and unbecoming.

Amen, sister! I am right there with you!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't get it pp. I'm saying if someone is an athlete and want to play DI in college and they're a high school student in VA -- they should choose SSSA over Potomac.

I don't have any ax to grind per your question. I don't live in VA or work there. I noticed everyone was saying so many positive things about Potomac but no one had mentioned anything about the sports. Some people -- obviously not you -- would like for their kids to have the chance to play DI in college -- not DIII

Hey PP, Potomac varsity girls soccer just beat SSSA this weekend 4-1. That makes Potomac 9-1-1 on the season. I guess if you want your daughter to play soccer you should send her to Potomac over SSSA, huh? (this is absurd logic, of course, but just goes to show how silly your former post was).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry pp -- you must not know much about the sports programs at Potomac. Most are not good -- there may be a few exceptions from year-to-year. But, if someone is looking to be recruited in a sport and they want to stay in VA --- SSSA is a better choice -- check out the records for the last 5 years. In fact, name 5 athletes in the past 5 years who have been recruited from Potomac...you'll be working a long time to come up with that list. Sorry.

Here you go PP - http://www.potomacschool.org/athletics/panther-alumni/index.aspx

Pretty impressive list - former Potomac athletes have been recruited to schools like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Georgetown, Michigan, Dartmouth, NYU, SMU, UNC, Brown, UPenn, Yale, and others just in the last 3-4 years.

I guess you better check your facts next time before you post, or risk looking like an idiot.