WL IB or TJ or Private

[Anonymous]

Hello, I am a believer in public schools, and interested in WL IB for my child. Child was accepted into a strong private school, and also applied to TJ (but is leaning against a STEM focus career). Appreciate any views. Money is obviously a differentiator, but I also wonder about supports that may be needed to navigate WL (or whether IB will feel like a school within a school with good college counseling). ECs are mostly outside school so not concerned about making teams etc. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

[Anonymous]

My two cents is I’d ask you which private. In terms of academics, you can have an experience at W&L IB which is going to be on par with Prep, STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. From there, the only academic differentiator I see is in writing and critical thinking, due to the number of kids and feedback allowed in private. There are significant other intangibles that weigh on both sides—big school, more groups to choose from to find friends, small school, closer knit community, religious/not, ethics, college counseling, sports, etc. If kid is happy in APS and they have a good group of friends (who are likewise smart and motivated), it’s hard to justify the cost but definitely worth it for some families. Plus, in private, theyd be in school today!!!

[Anonymous]

I suggest having DC attend the "shadow day" and your family attend ALL "prospective student/parent" events at the private. If they have not yet offered a shadow day at the private, then ask Admissions Office if a Spring shadow day is possible soon for your DC.

I think this is more about which school will be the "best fit" for your DC. Either should have tolerable academics. Get as much information about both options, talk it over with DC, and choose the school which is the best fit for DC.

Privates generally have smaller class sizes which helps many kids. Most privates have few behavior problems (not zero, just fewer) simply because they can "counsel out" the behavior problem students. Privates like the one you describe generally will differentiate academics, but also generally do not have a "remedial" track (instead, students are "counseled out" from a private school if they can't keep up with the main track). Homework loads at a good private on the rigorous track will be several hours every night. While many local privates talk up STEM, as that is stylish right now, the truth is that many of the local private school graduates are more Arts & Letters oriented and end up taking a pre-Law undergraduate degree or get a business-oriented undergraduate degree. If going private, do NOT leave the course placement to chance. If there are "placement tests" then make sure DC studies a bit before taking those (the other new students also will be prepping). Actively engage with the private school about which specific classes DC will take AND at which level (regular, Honors, AP, or whatever). Privates are smaller, so often (not always) it is easier to be on a Varsity sports team, although playing time will vary with how good DC really is compared with others on the team.

Publics need to educate everyone, so they just don't have as much flexibility in handling behavior problems. Similarly, publics unavoidably have much larger typical class sizes. Because public schools are so much larger, one usually has to be a much better athlete to make the Varsity team for a particular sport. I am not sure what is typical nightly homework load at WL on the top track. Someone here might know.

[Anonymous]

Either TJ or Arlington Tech are NOT great options if DC is confident that they do NOT want a STEM college degree. Either one is very heavily loaded with STEM courses which will be very difficult. This should be a thoughtful family discussion about what DC is 100% confident about, what they are leaning towards for college, and how these choices impact the college admissions options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suggest having DC attend the "shadow day" and your family attend ALL "prospective student/parent" events at the private. If they have not yet offered a shadow day at the private, then ask Admissions Office if a Spring shadow day is possible soon for your DC.

I think this is more about which school will be the "best fit" for your DC. Either should have tolerable academics. Get as much information about both options, talk it over with DC, and choose the school which is the best fit for DC.

Privates generally have smaller class sizes which helps many kids. Most privates have few behavior problems (not zero, just fewer) simply because they can "counsel out" the behavior problem students. Privates like the one you describe generally will differentiate academics, but also generally do not have a "remedial" track (instead, students are "counseled out" from a private school if they can't keep up with the main track). Homework loads at a good private on the rigorous track will be several hours every night. While many local privates talk up STEM, as that is stylish right now, the truth is that many of the local private school graduates are more Arts & Letters oriented and end up taking a pre-Law undergraduate degree or get a business-oriented undergraduate degree. If going private, do NOT leave the course placement to chance. If there are "placement tests" then make sure DC studies a bit before taking those (the other new students also will be prepping). Actively engage with the private school about which specific classes DC will take AND at which level (regular, Honors, AP, or whatever). Privates are smaller, so often (not always) it is easier to be on a Varsity sports team, although playing time will vary with how good DC really is compared with others on the team.

Publics need to educate everyone, so they just don't have as much flexibility in handling behavior problems. Similarly, publics unavoidably have much larger typical class sizes. Because public schools are so much larger, one usually has to be a much better athlete to make the Varsity team for a particular sport. I am not sure what is typical nightly homework load at WL on the top track. Someone here might know.

Are sports, unlike many DC area private schools, public schools do not recruit. So neighborhood kids can play on competitive sports like Basketball from the freshman teams through varsity. Of course there are limited spots on competitive sports teams so talent is a huge factor. But there are many other varsity sports at a large public high school with no cuts. At W-L, among the no cut sports options there’s rifle team, crew (rowing), ultimate frisbee, track and cross country, swim/dive, wrestling, football, tennis etc. The competitive ice hockey team is a club (not varsity) sport and another option. Ice hockey is a growing sport in this region but not yet sanctioned by the Virginia High School League. APS has been pretty good about expanding sports options to all interested students.

W-L has traditionally had the highest homework load of the three Arlington high schools. Post covid that may have changed a little, but the AP and IB students are typically busy most nights with homework and extracurriculars. A current parent might know about the hours per night.

Yorktown made a huge effort about a decade ago to reduce and/or eliminate homework. So for a homework-lite option, Yorktown might be the better choice? Wakefield is overcrowded and I don’t believe is accepting neighborhood transfers.

As an aside, the new W-L addition “the annex” is stunning, both inside and outside. It must be an inspiring place to learn.

[Anonymous]

Typo above. I meant to say regarding sports, public schools do not recruit (which many privates do), so talented neighborhood kids can still play on the most competitive teams at Arlington’s public high schools.

[Anonymous]

IB was deigned as an APS magnet program at W-L from the start, decades ago. So in some ways it’s a “school within a school” as you wrote. But W-L is a good school overall and most all students are aware of its strong academic legacy. Thus, the students who are not in the IB diploma program are part of the same competitive (in a healthy way) academic community. There are a multitude of advanced AP and IB course options which is nice.

Also, even though you wrote that extracurriculars would be outside of school, joining a no cut team like ultimate frisbee would be an excellent way to make friends and have some fun. It is a huge and growing sport at the school. The W-L team is good too and has been ranked nationally. Same with crew (rowing). The bonds formed in crew typically last many years after high school.

Deciding between a school like St Albans/NCS (for example) and W-L might be tough. But it’s nothing to fret over. Don’t forget that where your kid wants to go (where they’ll likely be happiest) is most important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Typo above. I meant to say regarding sports, public schools do not recruit (which many privates do), so talented neighborhood kids can still play on the most competitive teams at Arlington’s public high schools.

This is not necessarily true. I know talented kids who did not make the most competitive teams - specifically, boys/girls soccer, baseball, and volleyball. Additionally, a kid might make the freshman or JV team, but varsity is a different story. If the kid doesn't have the skills by junior year to make varsity, then they will likely be cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typo above. I meant to say regarding sports, public schools do not recruit (which many privates do), so talented neighborhood kids can still play on the most competitive teams at Arlington’s public high schools.

This is not necessarily true. I know talented kids who did not make the most competitive teams - specifically, boys/girls soccer, baseball, and volleyball. Additionally, a kid might make the freshman or JV team, but varsity is a different story. If the kid doesn't have the skills by junior year to make varsity, then they will likely be cut.

That’s right. For the most competitive teams with cuts it’s skills based. My point was that they are all neighborhood kids. At many privates, kids on the Freshman teams have no possibility of ever making it up to the varsity teams which are stacked with recruits.

[Anonymous]

TJ by far for STEM.
My kid is in college now and feels extremely well prepared because TJ courses prepared them for that rigor. Plus the friends they made are most in top programs …think connections.

[Anonymous]

How many Arlington residents does TJ take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

[Anonymous]

Coming from TJ even as a non stem focused student is your absolute best course.

Do not throw that away.

i personally know of an Ivy bound TJ graduate who is going into the humanities, and not a URM or FirstGen.

It’s an unbelievable opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students