What kids go to McLean school?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| What are the average profiles plans after high school etc specifically the high school college outcomes? any info you have please share |
Anonymous
|
We have a son there now as well as a graduate. As long as we've been there all seniors are going to college. Here are some schools I know kids have gone: American, Emory, Dickinson, University of Pittsburgh, Kenyon, James Madison, Denison, High Point, Christopher Newport, University of MD, George Washington. I've always felt it's a good mix of schools and the college counseling team works so hard to help students find the right fit for where they will flourish.
|
Anonymous
| A child with a mild to moderate learning disability in reading without behaviors and with average/above average IQ. |
Anonymous
|
Former McLean family here:
It is a very woke school. Our family identifies as left-of-center but this is way, WAY, way beyond progressive. "Guidance counselor" (with the ironic name of Love) is militant. I'd describe it as a "Field lite". A lot of quirky kids like Field but without the pretty campus and with a lot of other baggage. |
Anonymous
| All the children there have special needs but the school does not identify as a SN school. So, mild issues. That don’t really need intensive help but wouldn’t be able to be successful at a typical private and would need a 504 at public that might not work. Debate away, but this is the bottom line. |
Anonymous
| Its a college prep school. The kids there are college bound. The school literature specifically calls out that they are a fit for kids with dyslexia, attention and organizational challenges. |
Anonymous
My kid has attention and EF issues. He’s academically advanced in math and science. Would McLean be able to support him academically? |
Anonymous
Yes, probably. That sounds like similar profile to mine. In lots of classes they separate the kids into different groups by level and pace, which is great. I suggest you go speak to them personally and ask them what it looks like. e.g. "What does EF support look like in x grade?" "In x grade, how do you teach kids at different levels of Math"? "WHat happens if my Larlo is ready to accelerate beyond grade level"? FWIW, you should ask all the schools you meet with these questions. |
Anonymous
But what about learning differences? |
Anonymous
I'm the first poster on this thread. The school is very soft-ball in its academics and very woke in its culture. It has some AP courses, but the scholastic peer group is not competitive and nor is the academic program challenging. This is probably perfect for a certain kind of insecure GLBTQ+ kid or a shy African-American child with LD, but it's an unpleasant environment if you have a boy who does not identify with these groups even if they are neuroatypical. Said differently, they are not interested in embracing neurodiversity. 
|
Anonymous
| Would someone please elaborate on the wokeness. Two posters have mentioned it and it seems to be at a level beyond other DMV private schools. |
Anonymous
| Literally the original question was college plans. I swear every other thread on here ends up with someone throwing out “woke”. Go visit the school and ask for a school profile or talk to the college counseling office. |
Anonymous
|
I have a kid in the Middle School. Profile is ADHD with relatively mild dyslexia and the typical EF & working memory challenges that come with ADHD. DC’s ADHD is fairly well-controlled with medication & robust extracurriculars. DC is social and fairly sporty—would do decently well in those regards in public school. Classmates tend to have ADHD, mild learning differences, and/or older siblings at McLean. Group is probably a little quirkier than a typical private school but still decently socially adept (as far as middle schoolers go).
I was pretty unimpressed by the lower school—thought it was low pressure to the point of ridiculous. Middle School is better—work is grade level, EF supports are good, and the teachers are stronger (there were some standouts in LS, but it was inconsistent). We are mixed about keeping DC in for Upper School. I will say their college outcomes seem very good. All the kids are going to 4-year schools with pretty solid reputations. Are they sending a bunch of kids to Ivies? No. But that’s not really the goal of the school. As for Wokeness—it’s a liberal school. But I think it’s pretty in-step with the area. It definitely prides itself on being a welcome & supportive environment for all kids, which I find lovely. Does it take itself a little seriously? Probably. But I just occasionally roll my eyes & keep it moving. |
Anonymous
| I also am not sure what the poster means by "woke." As the parent of a McLean student from third grade to high school graduation last year, I can say that my straight, white son felt very welcome at McLean and learned an appreciation for diversity and the importance of building community - both of which I think are important. At McLean the small classes and individual attention meant he also learned to be an excellent reader despite his dyslexia, how to self-advocate, how to think (not just memorize!), and to love school. McLean challenged him academically and helped him build his confidence, and now he is thriving as a freshman in college - he made the Dean's List his first semester! He and his former classmates are at Emory, University of Richmond, JMU, and other great colleges. Not every McLean kid has the same profile, but they meet your kid where they are at. (And the new head of school and college counseling director are fantastic!) |
Anonymous
I don't believe you actually had a child at McLean. There is no deans list at McLean. My DC was at McLean for several years. He's sporty and heterosexual and was made to feel like he was deviant. We are now at a catholic school and he is much happier. I'd be cautious about sending a sporty child to McLean. It is definitely a school for oddball kids. |