WJ v. BCC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family is looking to move to Kensington, which is divided between the WJ and BCC clusters. I’ve looked at the MCPS reports online re: demographics, size, and achievement, but I can’t discern an appreciable difference. Our kids are elementary school age, so I’m looking at the entire cluster from ES to MS to HS. Our family is racially mixed and values academic achievement, diversity, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. I’m looking for any insight into these clusters based on first-hand experience, not stereotypes. It may well come down to happenstance and the home we love the most, but all things being equal, is there a reason to choose one cluster over the other? Appreciate any insight you all can offer.

OP here. Hoping to refocus the discussion. Does anyone know of concrete differences between BCC and WJ based on first-hand experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is looking to move to Kensington, which is divided between the WJ and BCC clusters. I’ve looked at the MCPS reports online re: demographics, size, and achievement, but I can’t discern an appreciable difference. Our kids are elementary school age, so I’m looking at the entire cluster from ES to MS to HS. Our family is racially mixed and values academic achievement, diversity, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. I’m looking for any insight into these clusters based on first-hand experience, not stereotypes. It may well come down to happenstance and the home we love the most, but all things being equal, is there a reason to choose one cluster over the other? Appreciate any insight you all can offer.

OP here. Hoping to refocus the discussion. Does anyone know of concrete differences between BCC and WJ based on first-hand experience?

You're correct there are no appreciable difference between these schools, and although I went to BCC many years ago, the area's changed so much I don't think my experiences are relevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Also fewer people will want to buy in areas like Bethesda since there are so many more interesting choices these days than there were a decade or two ago.

I wouldn't go this far. The areas in Montgomery County are incredibly similar. DTSS is just like Rockville or Crown in Gaithersburg or even Bethesda and all the other places building little faux downtown areas. All variations on the same type of restaurants and shops, parking garages, farmers market ...rinse repeat, rinse repeat. The areas are just not that different or unique outside the level of crime and school quality which do vary widely.

I think of it like this. When I was young the only places that were safe and interesting we're largely around Georgetown or DuPoint. Decades later places like Logan, Shaw, and even Petworth seem like better choices. If the metro area had a center of mass, it would have shifted eastward over the past two decades. Perhaps, it's hard for people to see this when they're in the middle of it, but it is, in fact, happening even in moco. With the skyrocketing costs of real estate, people are looking for better values and this often makes areas that you wouldn't have considered a decade ago a viable choice.

Although it may not be as pronounced as in the district, the great inversion has and will continue to have an effect moco real-estate and schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is looking to move to Kensington, which is divided between the WJ and BCC clusters. I’ve looked at the MCPS reports online re: demographics, size, and achievement, but I can’t discern an appreciable difference. Our kids are elementary school age, so I’m looking at the entire cluster from ES to MS to HS. Our family is racially mixed and values academic achievement, diversity, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. I’m looking for any insight into these clusters based on first-hand experience, not stereotypes. It may well come down to happenstance and the home we love the most, but all things being equal, is there a reason to choose one cluster over the other? Appreciate any insight you all can offer.

OP here. Hoping to refocus the discussion. Does anyone know of concrete differences between BCC and WJ based on first-hand experience?

Very few people will have first-hand experience at both schools. B-CC has IB whereas WJ has APEX and AP classes but no IB. WJ currently has an Aspergers/Autism program I believe, but those kinds of programs can be moved by the county based on space constraints and other considerations. I think both campuses have open lunch. WJ definitely does. But again, that’s a policy that can potentially change over time. At the ES level, I think the location of the schools and bus ride are the biggest difference. Also the K-2 3-5 split versus K-5.

[Anonymous]

Truancy and fighting are kept at a minimum. Drug use is moderate but not different than other similar schools. Alcohol culture is toxic but improving. Parents are OK - not unlikeable but typically inner suburbs. No pets allowed in either school except for support. Dress code — avoid short-shorts ad tank tops.

[Anonymous]

BCC also has open lunch.

I understand why you're trying to refocus the discussion OP but you're going to have difficulty getting first-hand comparisons of the two HS. You may find people who have had kids in the feeder elementaries of both catchments, so if that matters you should say so.

Fwiw I posted on page 1 and I'll make this point again. WJ is very overcrowded and will be for the next 5 yrs at least based on projections of the timeline for Woodward. I can't speak to how that impacts student experiences, but it's worth looking at if you will have a kid in HS in the near future. My oldest was at Westland at its overcrowded peak and it was a lousy experience all around, in part because it was just too overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BCC also has open lunch.

I understand why you're trying to refocus the discussion OP but you're going to have difficulty getting first-hand comparisons of the two HS. You may find people who have had kids in the feeder elementaries of both catchments, so if that matters you should say so.

Fwiw I posted on page 1 and I'll make this point again. WJ is very overcrowded and will be for the next 5 yrs at least based on projections of the timeline for Woodward. I can't speak to how that impacts student experiences, but it's worth looking at if you will have a kid in HS in the near future. My oldest was at Westland at its overcrowded peak and it was a lousy experience all around, in part because it was just too overcrowded.

They're both fine schools. Like the poster stated, WJ is kind of overcrowded. Best bet would be to buy in an area of likely to be zoned for Woodward if your kids are 5+ years out from HS.

[Anonymous]

More BCC kids get into ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More BCC kids get into ivies.

The actual data published in Bethesda magazine shows they're about they're comparable.

[Anonymous]

Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

Surely you are trolling. LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

Surely you are trolling. LOL

Because of SES differences, there's a different overall average which shows the affluence of one community or the other, but when you look deeper there isn't much of a difference between these schools in terms of how a particular student would do at one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

Surely you are trolling. LOL

Because of SES differences, there's a different overall average which shows the affluence of one community or the other, but when you look deeper there isn't much of a difference between these schools in terms of how a particular student would do at one or the other.

If you think Einstein is comparable that is cool, just know that almost nobody who doesn't live IB does. Hell Einstein isn't even that popular in the DCC and come on what is it really competing against?

It isn't the strongest argument that the small handful of middle class white kids won't fail when sent to the high poverty and underachieving school. One white kid making it though and on to college doesn't make it a good school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

Surely you are trolling. LOL

Because of SES differences, there's a different overall average which shows the affluence of one community or the other, but when you look deeper there isn't much of a difference between these schools in terms of how a particular student would do at one or the other.

Love Einstein! Those other schools are overrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget BCC and WJ, save your money and go with Einstein. It really is a better school.

Surely you are trolling. LOL

Because of SES differences, there's a different overall average which shows the affluence of one community or the other, but when you look deeper there isn't much of a difference between these schools in terms of how a particular student would do at one or the other.

You went from Einstein is better to there isn't much a difference between Einstein WJ/BCC. Those aren't the same thing. Which is it in your opinion?