Social climate at Georgetown Day School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always respected that kids from gds were founders/leaders of the DC punk movement in the late 70s/early 80s.

It was a very different school back then. Much smaller and funkier, less like a fancy college campus with no emphasis on sports..more like Burke is now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know folks who have a kid there now and hate it - some awful things going on there - not good at all

Would you elaborate?

Surprisingly given the school's purported "abhorrence of bigotry and intolerance", there was an instance of intolerance-related vandalism to another student's work, and some feel it was ignored by the upper school administration. However, the students themselves came together to decry the situation so I would imagine it was a learning experience. Still left one to wonder whether the commitment to social justice is as ironclad as in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My quite average DS (mostly Bs; 70% on the SSAT) will be attending GDS HS next year. He loves the social aspect of school and skates by academically. He hates homework but loves class discussion and debate. Will he be in over his head? We are not sure what to expect work-wise next year. I'm sure kids like him must do well or they wouldn't have accepted him.

He will be friends with my DS, also entering 9th. Mine's a homework slacker. He loved the history class discussion we heard on visiting day. I worry that he will continue to not read the material and not be prepared for the discussions. Also worry that he won't use all the freedom wisely. But I'm hopeful he will step up to the expectations so he can stay there, as I know he is more than capable.
Anyway, see you at curriculum night!

[Anonymous]

Is GDS a hippie/tree-hugger/liberal school? Why do people claim it to be the best in the city? I can't find a relevant metric where GDS compares on par with or favorably to STA, Sidwell or NCS. From what I can tell it is a more glorified, liberal and urban version of Bullis (w/o real
sports).

[Anonymous]

14:33, oy, really? You find it preposterous for a "tree hugger" to be smart?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My quite average DS (mostly Bs; 70% on the SSAT) will be attending GDS HS next year. He loves the social aspect of school and skates by academically. He hates homework but loves class discussion and debate. Will he be in over his head? We are not sure what to expect work-wise next year. I'm sure kids like him must do well or they wouldn't have accepted him.

He will be friends with my DS, also entering 9th. Mine's a homework slacker. He loved the history class discussion we heard on visiting day. I worry that he will continue to not read the material and not be prepared for the discussions. Also worry that he won't use all the freedom wisely. But I'm hopeful he will step up to the expectations so he can stay there, as I know he is more than capable.
Anyway, see you at curriculum night!

You do know that was posted last year, right?

[Anonymous]

Are you kidding? Bullis? Two schools couldn't be more different. GDS has 6-16 NMSFs per year,usually about 10, and about 30% of the class each year goes to Ivys/top 5 SLACs/MIT or other top 10 non-Ivys. Bullis usually has none or one NMSFs and few admits to Ivy's/similar schools except for the rare recruited athlete or perhaps legacy. At least the GDS high school which we experienced in the very recent past was fantastic academically, I believe in the class we know best, 4 to Harvard, 2 MIT, 4-5 Yale, 1 Princeton, several each to U Chicago, Pomona, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown etc etc. And it wasn't a particularly strong class (the year before I think 8 to Harvard)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you kidding? Bullis? Two schools couldn't be more different. GDS has 6-16 NMSFs per year,usually about 10, and about 30% of the class each year goes to Ivys/top 5 SLACs/MIT or other top 10 non-Ivys. Bullis usually has none or one NMSFs and few admits to Ivy's/similar schools except for the rare recruited athlete or perhaps legacy. At least the GDS high school which we experienced in the very recent past was fantastic academically, I believe in the class we know best, 4 to Harvard, 2 MIT, 4-5 Yale, 1 Princeton, several each to U Chicago, Pomona, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown etc etc. And it wasn't a particularly strong class (the year before I think 8 to Harvard)

You are disgusting and why I would never send my kids to GDS.

[Anonymous]

Henry Rollins went to Bullis. A couple of the Fugazi dudes went to gds. it's all good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sending my kids to GDS HS (one is now a junior in college; the other a freshman) was the single best thing I have ever done for them . . . and for our family generally. They both got into their 1st choice, ED schools. Neither was at the top of their respective classes, but the college counselors are spectacular.

But was GDS your/their first choice? I can't imagine anyone choosing GDS over Sidwell IF they had a choice. GDS seems to me to be "Sidwell-lite." Am I missing something? What does GDS offer that Sidwell does not?

Reply: My daughter was accepted at Sidwell and offered a scholarship. She went to GDS. She just felt too intimidated by the school environment at Sidwell. And, yes, she went to her first choice collage. My second daughter also went to GDS and left after her junior year to attend the college of her first choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sending my kids to GDS HS (one is now a junior in college; the other a freshman) was the single best thing I have ever done for them . . . and for our family generally. They both got into their 1st choice, ED schools. Neither was at the top of their respective classes, but the college counselors are spectacular.

But was GDS your/their first choice? I can't imagine anyone choosing GDS over Sidwell IF they had a choice. GDS seems to me to be "Sidwell-lite." Am I missing something? What does GDS offer that Sidwell does not?

Reply: My daughter was accepted at Sidwell and offered a scholarship. She went to GDS. She just felt too intimidated by the school environment at Sidwell. And, yes, she went to her first choice college. My second daughter also went to GDS and left after her junior year to attend the college of her first choice.

[Anonymous]

Agree that GDS is a great school, as are SFS, NCS, STA, Bullis, Maret, Field, Burke etc. Not sure that Sidwell is any more "intimidating" than the other selective local privates. But, I don't know what you mean when you say your daughter was offered a scholarship. The selective local privates offer financial aid, but they do not provide merit scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Bullis??? Please! Bullis is a poorly operated public school that has tricked parents into paying tuition. I see no value in Bullis.

[Anonymous]

The students at GDS are simply amazing, which is not surprising given that many have very accomplished parents and are taught by an inspiring faculty. GDS students are very bright, self-confident and curious. They're very diverse, too. Of course, the seniors are much sought by the most selective colleges and universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The students at GDS are simply amazing, which is not surprising given that many have very accomplished parents and are taught by an inspiring faculty. GDS students are very bright, self-confident and curious. They're very diverse, too. Of course, the seniors are much sought by the most selective colleges and universities.

They are also pompus, self-important and disrespectful...but they do get into US News top schools.