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Schools and Education General Discussion
Wootton vs. Walter Johnson?
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Anonymous
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We are searching for a house in either Kensington or Potomac. Wondering is anyone had any insight into differences and pros/cons of each school?
TIA. |
Anonymous
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I hear "Wootton" more often mentioned in the same breadth as Whitman, Churchill, BCC - but usually Walter Johnson is in the same paragraph of discussion of best MD high schools. I really do think you cannot go wrong with either, and perhaps the decision should be more house driven than school driven.
Good luck. |
Anonymous
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Most of Potomac is zoned for Churchhill, not Wootton.
When we were house-hunting (ended up in Churchhill district), we were comfortable with both Wootton and Walter Johnson - they are both very good schools. Some of Kensington is zoned for Albert Einstein though, and I did not want to buy a house in that district. I even read recently that it is nicknamed "Crimestein"! |
Anonymous
| I agree with the PPs. Both Wootton and WJ are very well regarded. You wouldn't go wrong with either one. I agree, that I occasionally hear "Wootton" in the same breath as Whitman and Churchill. Less so with WJ, but I really think there is basically no difference. |
Anonymous
| Maybe it was 2004...haven't looked since then but Wootton and Richard Montgomery out ranked Churchill and BCC by several spots. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks to all for your feedback. |
Anonymous
| If you're looking in Potomac, you'll really want to look in the Whitman cluster. Overall, it's probably the top all around of the ones being mentioned here. |
Anonymous
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We have a child in Wootton. The rankings are based upon the number of AP classes children take, not on any real achievement or teacher quality. Wootton has gotten its high rankings by pushing the children to take AP classes, which results in stressed children.
We have relatives whose children went to Churchill, and the experience was less intense -- and both got into very highly rated colleges. Both Wootton and Churchill are better than Walter Johnson, but we plan to have our younger child attend Churchill. |
Anonymous
| Take school culture into account. I attended WJ and my brother Churchill. WJ is slightly less stranded in the suburbs .than Churchill and Wooton, which makes a lifestyle difference for teenagers. FWIW, WJ is a great fabulous wonderful school just barely outside the beltway. |
Anonymous
http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380 (recent rankings) |
Anonymous
| The ratings are all well and good... but if you ask parents whether they'd rather have their child go to Whitman or Richard Montgomery, I'd bet you'd overwhelmingly hear "Whitman". |
Anonymous
| What about churchill? Trying to get a feel for this school. Thanks. |
Anonymous
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According to this week's Newsweek (not that I'm saying their rankings are credible):
#59 Wootton #63 Bethesda / Chevy Chase #68 Walt Whitman #75 Walter Johnson #96 Winston Churchill |
Anonymous
| Yes, but look at the numbers separating these schools, very small. . .and it is all based on ONE measure: the ratio of number of students to number or AP type exams they take. Seems a bit blunt to me. |
Anonymous
| I feel that the parents at Whitman are the most competitive. Followed by Churchill, Walter Johnson, BCC and Wootton. The parents I've met with children in Wootton seem the most laid back and look for their children to enjoy school. |