| We are almost towards finishing elementary school in DC. Both my boys go to Key ES. I'm planning to get a home in VA or MD and move to a good school district where the boys have opportunities to shine and get into ivy's. I'm a single mom (also paying alimony to their father) and all I want is to fuel their passions. Which areas are good areas without breaking my bank? I also work in DC and I m okay to drive 30 mins or so everyday to and fro. |
| Budget and where are you commuting in DC? Shoot for UMD-CP or UVA. |
| Affordable is going to mean different things to different people. Also know that “Ivy’s” are a long shot even for bright kids with very invested parents. Have some backup plans. |
| You want to get into ivys and live in an affordable house? Leave the DC area. Otherwise dream on. |
TBF if OP picks a low income area, their kids will have a better chance. But, then, most schools in low income areas are not good. But then, Op's kids have a better chance to be a big fish in a small pond. My kid went to a magnet program, super high stats (straight As, high SAT score); rejected from T20. We live in an UMC area with lots of kids like them. OP is looking for a unicorn, just like everyone else. |
I'm in FCPS, even the lowest income schools have cohorts of kids from upper middle class families who value education and preform very well in school. A kid would still have to be exceptional to stand out enough to get into an ivy. The only Ivy kids that I've heard of kids from dd's school attending is Cornell. A great student is most likely to end up at UVA |
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OP you really need to define what "affordable" is to you.
Also, since you want to live within a 30 minute drive from your work you need to be more specific about where you work and also what time of day you start/end work. If your start and end times are not standard you will have a broader range. |
| Affordable is between 700k-850k for me. I have to commute to Dupont, DC and I m prepared to do that. My work doesnt have any particular timings. I rely on nanny's and night nanny's when I travel or I got family to take care sometimes. Most of my education till high school is not in America and I went to Georgetown. So I m still getting an understanding of the school system here through my kids! |
which FCPS area are you at? |
| There is a lot of affordable housing getting built in the Marshall HS district right now. |
MVHS |
| Howard county or Crofton |
| Op normally "affordable housing" means for poor people, not people who can spend nearly a million bucks on a house. |