What are the “Big 3” or “Big 5” in Baltimore?

[Anonymous]

McDonogh, Gilman, and Bryn Mawr?

[Anonymous]

What you said?

[Anonymous]

No one can agree with they are in DC so let's not start that for Baltimore. It really isn't necessary and just ends up being divisive.

[Anonymous]

There are many excellent schools beyond those mentioned

[Anonymous]

Park maybe?

[Anonymous]

I would remove Gilman until they are cleared of wrongdoing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would remove Gilman until they are cleared of wrongdoing

I wonder how many families declined acceptances due to wrongdoing at Gilman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Park maybe?

Agree, the third would be either Park or Mcdonogh

[Anonymous]

You’d have to do them for each gender

[Anonymous]

Things have shifted a bit over the years. Friends isn't quite the academic powerhouse it was 25 years ago, having priced themselves out of a highly educated but not highly paid demographic that now mostly goes to public schools. Even Park has slipped in that sense. While schools like Gilman and Bryn Mawr had a long history among socially prominent Baltimoreans, even that has changed greatly in the last decade.

I'd rank the schools as follows - strictly by academic outcome as measured in college placements, NOT in any sense of superiority, AND it's because the schools get the kids more likely to go to an Ivy, NOT because the schools are able to turn a dullard into an Ivy bound student.

Tier 1: Gilman, Bryn Mawr, McDonogh

Tier 2: Everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things have shifted a bit over the years. Friends isn't quite the academic powerhouse it was 25 years ago, having priced themselves out of a highly educated but not highly paid demographic that now mostly goes to public schools. Even Park has slipped in that sense. While schools like Gilman and Bryn Mawr had a long history among socially prominent Baltimoreans, even that has changed greatly in the last decade.

I'd rank the schools as follows - strictly by academic outcome as measured in college placements, NOT in any sense of superiority, AND it's because the schools get the kids more likely to go to an Ivy, NOT because the schools are able to turn a dullard into an Ivy bound student.

Tier 1: Gilman, Bryn Mawr, McDonogh

Tier 2: Everyone else.

This is highly debatable. Gilman generally draws a fairly elite crowd, and many of its students get into top schools but that also comes from the fact that the school has a lot of Ivy legacy parents and a lot of kids who apply ED and for whom money is no object. I will say this: I coached boys in the Baltimore area for years on various sports teams, and the ones from Gilman were the most entitled and worst behaved.

There is a huge range of schools in Baltimore, and for example Park is very different than NDP, and Boys Latin is very different from Gilman or Calvert Hall. One can be perfect for one child and terrible for the same child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things have shifted a bit over the years. Friends isn't quite the academic powerhouse it was 25 years ago, having priced themselves out of a highly educated but not highly paid demographic that now mostly goes to public schools. Even Park has slipped in that sense. While schools like Gilman and Bryn Mawr had a long history among socially prominent Baltimoreans, even that has changed greatly in the last decade.

I'd rank the schools as follows - strictly by academic outcome as measured in college placements, NOT in any sense of superiority, AND it's because the schools get the kids more likely to go to an Ivy, NOT because the schools are able to turn a dullard into an Ivy bound student.

Tier 1: Gilman, Bryn Mawr, McDonogh

Tier 2: Everyone else.

This is highly debatable. Gilman generally draws a fairly elite crowd, and many of its students get into top schools but that also comes from the fact that the school has a lot of Ivy legacy parents and a lot of kids who apply ED and for whom money is no object. I will say this: I coached boys in the Baltimore area for years on various sports teams, and the ones from Gilman were the most entitled and worst behaved.

There is a huge range of schools in Baltimore, and for example Park is very different than NDP, and Boys Latin is very different from Gilman or Calvert Hall. One can be perfect for one child and terrible for the same child.

The old money Baltimore Calvert --> Gilman --> Princeton pipeline doesn't exist any more. The term socially prominent is probably misleading, a term that had more resonance prior to the 1970s even if it lingered into the 80s and 90s. But you'd be correct that the professional elite, the premier doctors at Hopkins, the Legg Mason/T Row Price managers, would still prioritize Gilman.

[Anonymous]

I'd say Gilman, Bryn Mawr and St. Paul's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say Gilman, Bryn Mawr and St. Paul's.

I wouldn’t put St Paul’s above Loyola Blakefield

[Anonymous]

Is there some kind of rule against having an even number of "Big" Schools? I have always wondered why people don't talk about the Big 4 or Big 6, and now we're assuming Baltimore must have an odd number too? Does Wichita have an odd number? How about NYC?