Kindergarten - Congressional vs Potomac Advice vs Flint Hill

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

My family will be moving to the NoVA area around Falls Church/Tysons area from out of state. We have a 4 year old daughter who's currently in private pre-K.

We've been debating which private school to put her into once we make the move and have been doing some research but wanted some insights from the forum.

Congressional:
- Seems to be more about letting "kids be kids", less academically rigorous in early years and more exploration which may be good for personality development
- K-8 only, so will have the option to explore 9-12 options later on but would likely lose many friends from this transition and cliques may have already formed
- Slightly cheaper


Potomac:
- Seems the most prestigious of the NoVA options
- More rigorous than congressional?
- K-12, if she gets in, we're hopefully "done" with picking schools until college
- I'm assuming it's easier to get in at K vs Gr 9?
- Life long friends through grade 12.


Flint Hill:
- Seems like many people mention this option as a back up if Potomac rejects.


Other thoughts:
- We don't want public options despite how good it is. Not really considering DC options either given the drive
- We hope our daughter has great college preparation and the best chance for Ivy admission (parents are Ivy alumni)
- No plans for 2nd child, HHI is 7 figures.


In our situation, is it better to start her in Congressional then move to Potomac at grade 9 (assuming she's accepted), or just go straight to Potomac for the entire journey?

[Anonymous]

You should also look at Langley, another K-8 in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Just go to Potomac if she gets in but apply to all bc you never know. Also agree Langley before congressional.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, it depends on which school is the best fit for your DC.

Statistically speaking, it is easier to get in to Potomac at K than st 9th.

[Anonymous]

I'd add in Langley (sometimes know as "little Langley" on this board as there is also a Langley public high school). It's a k-8 with solid high school matriculation.

[Anonymous]

These are great questions if you're lucky enough to get int all of them. At this point, I'd just worry about the application process and see what (if any) choices you have this spring.

[Anonymous]

As someone who moved from out of state whose kids had also already been in private (and have now gone all the way through in private), I would suggest you also consider public school. The publics and their family communities are strong in this area. And since this is a somewhat transient area with people moving in and out from government/military jobs, there are more kids swapping in and out of private than in other areas of the country. The result is that you can transfer into private mid-way through if you change your mind about public. With hindsight, we wished we had at least tried our local elementary when we moved here versus just going directly into private.

With that said, the privates you listed are all solid. I'd apply to Potomac, Flint Hill, Congressional and Langley and see where you get in and make a choice from there. The k-8's will focus much more on younger students--if you aren't staying in the area for the long haul that may be a better choice. Otherwise, if you get into Potomac, take the spot and call it a day.

[Anonymous]

I would consider the three you mentioned plus Langley and St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to a k-12 v. K-8. As you point out, k-12 offers the possibility of never having to transition again until college. However, as a parent of children who are 9, 13, and 15, I will say it’s very difficult to anticipate what your child will want or need for high school when she is only 4. Many kids end up wanting or needing something different, and in some ways, it’s easier to recognize that when you’re at a k-8 and everyone is exploring various HS options and going through the application process.

[Anonymous]

We (parents and DC) loved DC’s time at Congressional and DC was well prepared for HS, and Congressional is really hands-on in helping families with the HS application process (which is a lot! Not gonna lie. It’s intense.)

So I’m a big fan of the k-8 model because, like pp said, you don’t necessarily know at a young age what HS will be best, and while of course you can switch out of a k-12, most students won’t if it’s going ok, even if it’s not great. It’s much easier to just stay where you are, especially if things are fine socially—it’s hard to leave friends.

FWIW, DC is at SSSAS for HS, but friends in the same class at Congressional went on to Potomac and Flint Hill (as well as many other schools). Everybody I’ve heard from (several parents still keep in touch) is doing very well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We (parents and DC) loved DC’s time at Congressional and DC was well prepared for HS, and Congressional is really hands-on in helping families with the HS application process (which is a lot! Not gonna lie. It’s intense.)

So I’m a big fan of the k-8 model because, like pp said, you don’t necessarily know at a young age what HS will be best, and while of course you can switch out of a k-12, most students won’t if it’s going ok, even if it’s not great. It’s much easier to just stay where you are, especially if things are fine socially—it’s hard to leave friends.

FWIW, DC is at SSSAS for HS, but friends in the same class at Congressional went on to Potomac and Flint Hill (as well as many other schools). Everybody I’ve heard from (several parents still keep in touch) is doing very well.

Agree with this. Both of my kids enjoyed their time at congressional and placed on to (different) high schools that were excellent fits for each of them. For one, that was a 9-12 only school - which likely would not have been a consideration had they started at a K-12.

[Anonymous]

Potomac. Don’t bother with the rest.

[Anonymous]

“Let kids be kids” means Congressional allows misbehavior and disruptions in class. The school does not supervise resulting in bullying and children just roaming the campus.

A small child’s winter coat actually melted because the child was too close to the fire pit for too long. This is a perfect example of how Congressional “supervises and protects” children. They don’t. The school is very well known in the child counseling world because of the number of children bullied and harmed by other students across grades and time. The HOS and school directors let dangerous and disruptive kids stay without accountability and those kids continue to hurt other kids.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the above posters saying to apply to all. Have you or will you have a chance to tour? Each school has a different vibe, so it's definitely helpful to be able to see them in person. Potomac can be a hard admit at any age. I know someone who is a legacy and has one child in, but could not get their younger child admitted. Younger child ended up at another school. Just a little example of why you should not plan on Potomac at any age. Langley, Flint Hill, Congressional, and SSAS are all great alternative options, though.

[Anonymous]

The universe's greatest mystery is who gets into Potomac and why. You should never have any plan that revolves around Potomac. And if your kid happens to get in -- good for you! Grab that spot.

[Anonymous]

Factor the commute into your decision. Potomac is a great school, but the community likes to think the school is more relevant than it is.