What schools were not what you expected when you visited them in person?

[Anonymous]

WOW! I was thinking of touring Sidwell for next year but “dark lower school classrooms”, no thank you.

[Anonymous]

Education consultant sent us to Landon. Coming from out of state, we didn't know much about it outside of bad press and snarky people here, so no firm expectations really (I take DCUM with a micro grain of salt) We came away impressed with the students, the school leadership, their philosophy and the campus. it was a school where I could see DS really loving and thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Langley was not as nice as I thought it would be.

+1


And the new AD was rude, dismissive, unwelcoming, and seemed to think she was interviewing for Exeter or Andover, going on and on and ON about the acadamic stanards at Langley. Give me a $&*% break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley was not as nice as I thought it would be.

+1


And the new AD was rude, dismissive, unwelcoming, and seemed to think she was interviewing for Exeter or Andover, going on and on and ON about the acadamic stanards at Langley. Give me a $&*% break.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And this, my friends, is why tuition is circling $50k.

It doesn’t add up. Why are many schools able to maintain a lovely physical plant, and have great factulty and all the programming, extracurriculars, etc while others are charging the SAME price for dilapidated facilities.

Hearing that Maret’s head makes $500k could be one reason why that school looks shabby. In 5 years the school could pay him half of what he makes and put a million into needed facility upgrades. I don’t want to pay that kind of tuition for that!

First, Maret's head is a woman. Second, its facilities are not shabby. They're not super fancy, but not shabby by any means. It renovated its athletic facilities just last year.

My understanding is that school isn't interested in families looking for super fancy. They've worked hard to keep tuition down (lower than just about any other school mentioned in this thread) and would prefer to appeal to diversity of socio-economics than gloss and flash families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+100. It definitely had a cattle call feel. I felt the same way when I went an open house with Sidwell a few years ago. I walked out halfway through the open house. They lost me after seeing those fancy cookies decorated with the Sidwell logo yet dark and depressing looking lower school classrooms.

I also didn't like aspects of the Sidwell LS open house. I mean, seriously... how many times in a row do you want us to pause and have 15 seconds of silent reflection? I'm all into that type of stuff, but in that setting it felt very contrived to keep doing it over and over. Coming off of all of that "reflection", the Sidwell logo cookies seemed to convey a contrasting message of privilege and elitism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And this, my friends, is why tuition is circling $50k.

It doesn’t add up. Why are many schools able to maintain a lovely physical plant, and have great factulty and all the programming, extracurriculars, etc while others are charging the SAME price for dilapidated facilities.

Hearing that Maret’s head makes $500k could be one reason why that school looks shabby. In 5 years the school could pay him half of what he makes and put a million into needed facility upgrades. I don’t want to pay that kind of tuition for that!

First, Maret's head is a woman. Second, its facilities are not shabby. They're not super fancy, but not shabby by any means. It renovated its athletic facilities just last year.

My understanding is that school isn't interested in families looking for super fancy. They've worked hard to keep tuition down (lower than just about any other school mentioned in this thread) and would prefer to appeal to diversity of socio-economics than gloss and flash families.

Humbug. There is no school in he city more aware of the finances of its families. Every decision takes into account who gives what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOW! I was thinking of touring Sidwell for next year but “dark lower school classrooms”, no thank you.

They aren't dark. It is a building that was renovated in the last decade. each room has a wall of full windows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WOW! I was thinking of touring Sidwell for next year but “dark lower school classrooms”, no thank you.

They aren't dark. It is a building that was renovated in the last decade. each room has a wall of full windows.

So what was the PP talking about?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, when we looked at Sidwell it wasn't our first choice. We saw it on a rainy day and the admissions process was not as warm or welcoming as others. However, we accepted the offer based on the recommendation of another school's admissions director. It's was totally different as an insider family. I can't say enough about how happy the years have been for our family. You really can't judge a school by the admissions staff or how beautiful or not the campus. It's the faculty and the families in your year that count. The families are a roll of the dice but the faculty isn't. Think hard about your priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, when we looked at Sidwell it wasn't our first choice. We saw it on a rainy day and the admissions process was not as warm or welcoming as others. However, we accepted the offer based on the recommendation of another school's admissions director. It's was totally different as an insider family. I can't say enough about how happy the years have been for our family. You really can't judge a school by the admissions staff or how beautiful or not the campus. It's the faculty and the families in your year that count. The families are a roll of the dice but the faculty isn't. Think hard about your priorities.

Wait... Another school's admissions director advised you? as in another school you were considering? Or someone you knew independently? The first scenario seems so strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, when we looked at Sidwell it wasn't our first choice. We saw it on a rainy day and the admissions process was not as warm or welcoming as others. However, we accepted the offer based on the recommendation of another school's admissions director. It's was totally different as an insider family. I can't say enough about how happy the years have been for our family. You really can't judge a school by the admissions staff or how beautiful or not the campus. It's the faculty and the families in your year that count. The families are a roll of the dice but the faculty isn't. Think hard about your priorities.

Wait... Another school's admissions director advised you? as in another school you were considering? Or someone you knew independently? The first scenario seems so strange.

I read it as they were encouraged by the admissions counselor at the school they were leaving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, when we looked at Sidwell it wasn't our first choice. We saw it on a rainy day and the admissions process was not as warm or welcoming as others. However, we accepted the offer based on the recommendation of another school's admissions director. It's was totally different as an insider family. I can't say enough about how happy the years have been for our family. You really can't judge a school by the admissions staff or how beautiful or not the campus. It's the faculty and the families in your year that count. The families are a roll of the dice but the faculty isn't. Think hard about your priorities.

Wait... Another school's admissions director advised you? as in another school you were considering? Or someone you knew independently? The first scenario seems so strange.

I read it as they were encouraged by the admissions counselor at the school they were leaving

**admissions director

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Education consultant sent us to Landon. Coming from out of state, we didn't know much about it outside of bad press and snarky people here, so no firm expectations really (I take DCUM with a micro grain of salt) We came away impressed with the students, the school leadership, their philosophy and the campus. it was a school where I could see DS really loving and thriving.

Suggest increasing salt dosage.

[Anonymous]

I cannot believe how the majority of the people on this thread are so enamored with bright, shiny objects.

You realize you're evaluating your options for an education and not a luxury spa retreat, right? I actually re-read the thread to see if anyone at all commented intelligently on the discourse within a classroom between teacher/students, student writing on display outside the classrooms, the caliber of the robotic competition entries …. nope, no one.

Just 8 pages of women sniffing about carpet vs. tile and shabby couches in the hallways.