Sidwell vs GDS upper school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Sidwell parent, but my kids have many friends who attend or have graduated from GDS. It's a great school; in fact, I would have loved to send my youngest there, but she wanted to go to the school her sibs attended. Academics at the two schools are certainly on par, but I get the sense that GDS has more kids who are out-of- the-box thinkers and that there's more inclusion and appreciation of kids with non-traditional learning styles. For those trying to stir up some sort of GDS-Sidwell rivalry-to-the-death, I really don't think it's there among the kids except in terms of certain sports, and it's certainly not there among parents.

GDS parent and I've got to agree. Most people I know in DC (obviously a limited universe), see the two as comparable schools that you'd choose between (and choose based on personalities/learning styles). By contrast, someplace like Landon isn't even in the mix for most of us.

I think that the math comments come up not from insecurity but because/when someone (often, I suspect someone who isn't from Sidwell but just reads DCUM and recirculates the site's conventional wisdom) asserts that GDS's math isn't up to snuff. At which point people who know the math team at GDS respond. IMO, it's pretty irrelevant to the vast majority of parents and the parents/kids who are into that scene presumably already know who's where. Math curriculum at both places seems pretty similar, judging both from website and from comparing notes with Sidwell families. Probably not a coincidence. T

[Anonymous]

he two departments (and some other local privates) used to meet and collaborate on these issues.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is a lot more like a co/ed Sta than it is like gds

[Anonymous]

Well, of course, a "coed St Albans" doesn't exist and, if it did, it wouldn't be St Albans.

Sidwell's sort of in the middle in the sense that there will be families who are interested in Sidwell and the Cathedral Schools, but who would never apply to GDS (not their style) and there will be families who are interested in Sidwell and GDS, but who would never apply to StA or NCS (not their style). There will be a few families for whom all three are appealing, but it's probably relatively rare that a family can't decide between StA and GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Sidwell parent, but my kids have many friends who attend or have graduated from GDS. It's a great school; in fact, I would have loved to send my youngest there, but she wanted to go to the school her sibs attended. Academics at the two schools are certainly on par, but I get the sense that GDS has more kids who are out-of- the-box thinkers and that there's more inclusion and appreciation of kids with non-traditional learning styles. For those trying to stir up some sort of GDS-Sidwell rivalry-to-the-death, I really don't think it's there among the kids except in terms of certain sports, and it's certainly not there among parents.

I would completely agree, the rivalry only exists because the schools are so close and so similar. But no one holds a grudge against each other, at sports games its fun to do that so its done. But in all academic and social aspects the schools are extremely similar and the kids would never be involved in a physical confrontation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, of course, a "coed St Albans" doesn't exist and, if it did, it wouldn't be St Albans.

Sidwell's sort of in the middle in the sense that there will be families who are interested in Sidwell and the Cathedral Schools, but who would never apply to GDS (not their style) and there will be families who are interested in Sidwell and GDS, but who would never apply to StA or NCS (not their style). There will be a few families for whom all three are appealing, but it's probably relatively rare that a family can't decide between StA and GDS.

I had that problem. I went to the Beauvoir and my 3 sisters all went to NCS. About 10 kids from Beauvoirs class leave that system and go to GDS, its about a sixth or so of the kids. The decision was purely my parents and I would have been fine at either school. There are several times that I feel I would have been better at STA but also times that I think some kids at STA would be better at GDS. All 3 of these schools have the same kind of kids, each has just most of one group then the others. Sports wise STA, but that doesnt mean that some GDS or Sidwell sports are not better then STA sports because all three can compete with each other. In terms of academics I'm basing my expirience of the ones my sisters had and one still has. I spend more time working then them, but that doesnt mean that NCS is worse then GDS, that just means I get assigned more work, and all 3 schools still send kids to the same colleges. All three schools dont publish what colleges kids go to so this is insider info that I get by comparing the grades that I know at all the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the way the GDS parents are going Landon on Sidwell. Instead of Lacrosse they talk smack about math but they just as weirdly insecure.

Really? You are a troll!

[Anonymous]

Beauvoir's different (co-ed and child-centered), which is why I didn't say no one struggles to decide between Beauvoir and GDS. Some do.

I agree that college admissions/abilities are roughly comparable across all four schools.

Out of curiosity, do you have a sense of why your parents chose GDS for you vs. NCS for your sisters? I do think that the GDS vs. StA choice will be starker for some people than the GDS vs NCS choice if only because there are people who, for example, see all-girls schools as feminist and all-boys schools as retrograde.

[Anonymous]

i have experience with both GDS and Sidwell. The schools are actually very different. Sidwell is much more task oriented. GDS is more goal oriented.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, but that's a difference more parents won't notice/care about. Basically, it's an academically-oriented high-prestige urban school they're looking for and one that doesn't jar with their sensibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is a lot more like a co/ed Sta than it is like gds

That only makes sense . . . and barely at that . . . if one is perhaps talking about similar teaching styles of some faculty and overall intellectual rigor. Otherwise the cultures of STA and Sidwell are incredibly dissimilar, and both are places where there is a distinct culture that is very important to the soul of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is a lot more like a co/ed Sta than it is like gds

That only makes sense . . . and barely at that . . . if one is perhaps talking about similar teaching styles of some faculty and overall intellectual rigor. Otherwise the cultures of STA and Sidwell are incredibly dissimilar, and both are places where there is a distinct culture that is very important to the soul of the school.

STA is an IAC school. Academics come first, but athletics are important too. Jocks are at the top of the pecking order and the school is a true tradtional all boys school. At the coed MAC schools (Maret, Sidwell,Potomac, St. Andrews, GDS) athletics and competition have been deemphasized and the environment is more sex/drugs/rock & roll for non-jocks. All have superior academics, but the difference in culture, especially at the extremes of STA and GDS is night and day. It’s hard to imagine two more different environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is a lot more like a co/ed Sta than it is like gds

That only makes sense . . . and barely at that . . . if one is perhaps talking about similar teaching styles of some faculty and overall intellectual rigor. Otherwise the cultures of STA and Sidwell are incredibly dissimilar, and both are places where there is a distinct culture that is very important to the soul of the school.

STA is an IAC school. Academics come first, but athletics are important too. Jocks are at the top of the pecking order and the school is a true tradtional all boys school. At the coed MAC schools (Maret, Sidwell,Potomac, St. Andrews, GDS) athletics and competition have been deemphasized and the environment is more sex/drugs/rock & roll for non-jocks. All have superior academics, but the difference in culture, especially at the extremes of STA and GDS is night and day. It’s hard to imagine two more different environments.

There are many very fine private schools in the DC area, but St. Albans and NCS remain securely at the top. For proof, one need do no more than scan these forums. Every one wants to create a grouping that puts their school into the same group as STA and Cathedral. Whether it’s “Big 3” or IAC or “single gender” the purpose is always to soak up the reflected glory of the most elite schools in the area. STA and NCS parents don’t need the validation that some must think comes with grouping their schools with others. You won’t find another school in the area where parents aren’t trying to group their school with other schools – almost always including STA and NCA. Try as they might, there is no other school that offers a comparable mix of academic excellence, athletics, urban location, spacious campus and tradition.

[Anonymous]

It seems the StA children are home from break and playing with their computers.

[Anonymous]

10:08 - LOL!