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need to decide GDS or Maret for 9th
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Anonymous
| Maret /GDS parents how much homework are your kids doing in HS? Are kids able to get the classes they want? Is the school too small for kids for 4 years? |
Anonymous
| None of them are good. |
Anonymous
Jerk ! |
Anonymous
| Honestly, I asked the same question. You are not going to get away with an hour homework in high school if you are top 20 college bound which will be in the air at both schools. 2+ hours is not unrealistic and yes, weekends and holidays including tests right after holidays are real. I have one kid in one of the mentioned schools and one at another. Guess which kid is happier? Guess which kid just got into a top 20 school? |
Anonymous
| My GDS 9th grader has about 2 hours of homework a night. He also gets work done at school. He works on weekends but not breaks/holidays. As a freshman, he only has one elective, but he got his first choice. |
Anonymous
I assume not the same kid for both, but which school is which? |
Anonymous
|
So, I’ll comment only on Maret as someone who made the same decision. I genuinely believe that both are great schools, great communities, great teachers and will set your kid up absolutely splendidly.
They are more similar than different but I’ll make a few comments on minor perceived differences. Your mileage may vary and I’ll reiterate that I think both are great. 1. I think the workload is materially higher at GDS but I don’t think the college outcomes are correspondingly better. That’s not a GDS criticism. Many (most?) parents believe that more rigor is better and better prepares them. I happen to believe that the intersection between “enough to be ready for the next level” and “as little as possible” is the right answer. Again, just my thought. 2. Maret is progressive but not, in my opinion, obnoxiously so. Being progressive and inclusive is part of who the school is, and I love it. But, it’s not somehow part of every communication, every event, everything. While I don’t think the latter example is the case at GDS, I sense from friends that it’s more so. To some, that’s a draw. To some, it’s not. Both are totally fine and right and good. You’ve got a first class problem in making your decision. Congratulations. I might be off and others will inevitably disagree. |
Anonymous
| What’s your 3rd option? |
Anonymous
| GDS if your kid is a strong student. More rigorous academically, and better college outcomes. |
Anonymous
There are not better outcomes the argument is ridiculous and old. Neither has the recognition out of the area like the coveted Cathedral Schools or Sidwell and to some extent Potomac so you can take which is more well regarded off the table. I would pick Maret again hands down mainly because the homework load at GDS is insane. My daughters friends are always stressed out and tired. There is a lot of joy sucked out of them that is not happening as much at Maret. The top kids sometimes do more then 2 hours a night. It is competitive. And while I don't have first hand experience, it seems like from the friends, that you'll definitely be hiring a college counselor to work on some of the issues the GDS college office has. Plus beware of the application limit. Happiness and balance are more important for our family. Maret wins in that area. |
Anonymous
lol For 9th admission any student who is accepted at Maret and GDS is strong student. Move aside lifers the smart kids are coming! More rigorous = more homework(ie busy work). OP do not listen to pp. We faced the same choice. Our kid was playing a high level travel sport and had another extracurricular she wanted to pursue. We asked about homework load. GDS proudly said 4 hours a night and weekends. Maret’s answer was much more reasonable - time during school to do homework, free periods to meet with teachers, homework not graded, no homework over breaks, etc. Kid takes a very challenging course load and has had a few late night(maybe 2-3 this fall). I believe that was caused by procrastination. Still has time for other activities and a social life. Our kid really liked the class schedule(look in to that) and the online classes available through Malone Schools Online Network https://maloneschoolsonline.org/our-courses/ Also you only have 4 Thanksgiving in High School. Shame to waste them with a grumpy teenage studying or doing a paper. Maret gives the whole week off and it is nice. |
Anonymous
Have to be a strong student at both, but GDS if your kid loves doing work. If they’d rather do school work than play video games, play sports, socialize, or anything else, send them to GDS. otherwise, I’d choose Maret. |
Anonymous
Potomac has more recognition than GDS? That’s interesting. |
Anonymous
The bolded has been my GDS kid's experience. No homework over breaks, including Thanksgiving, time during school day to work, accessible teachers during free periods. Math homework isn't graded, assignments like papers in English and history are (as I assume is true about Maret too). |
Anonymous
| We are deciding on GDS for 9th. In talking with current students who came from our K8, it does sound like the homework levels are reasonable. But it is a small sample size. |