Best College Outcome- Less Stress. Bcc or WHitman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Lots of international families at BCC, likely b/c of the IB program and many of those kids go to university overseas so the college counseling office must (?) have some familiarity with that process.
I have a hard time believing that Whitman is better just because of an invisible line that separates the boundaries for the school. There are just as many well educated, driven families in Eastern Bethesda/Chevy Chase as there are in Western Bethesda/Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Lots of international families at BCC, likely b/c of the IB program and many of those kids go to university overseas so the college counseling office must (?) have some familiarity with that process.
I have a hard time believing that Whitman is better just because of an invisible line that separates the boundaries for the school. There are just as many well educated, driven families in Eastern Bethesda/Chevy Chase as there are in Western Bethesda/Potomac.

Agreed. There is more than enough opportunities to succeed at both Whitman and BCC. Highly doubt going to one over the other will change a kid’s college outcome. I’m the PP who went to Whitman, and I think that the diversity that schools like BCC, RM, and Blair provide are invaluable and I wish my own parents valued their diversity more than they valued making sure I would go to Whitman and only Whitman. Like many of these other posters, they chased after the “best of the best” schools.

I get why that “imaginary line” was so important to my parents and I have respect for the fact that they cared about my education. Likewise, I totally understand OP’s concern about what’s best for their child. However, Whitman is just one school in this state. There are plenty of other great schools in MCPS and Maryland that not only offer great academics and a great community, but also offer experiences you just won’t get at Whitman. I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to return to MoCo, but if I can, Blair/BCC/RM are going to be a first choice. In HoCo, we can probably afford River Hill and Marriotts Ridge HS, but we are eyeing Atholton and Hammond HS for similar reasons.

Besides diversity issues, there’s even the little things like having only Pyle feeding into Whitman. It made starting high school less exciting because I knew it would be all the same people from Pyle, whereas my BCC friends had numerous new friends to make from other feeder middle schools, and it also helps with “resetting” friend groups from middle school if middle school wasn’t the greatest for your kid (which it isn’t for most kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither really. Both are pretty average for their demographic mix and have a problematic drug culture.

Are you not American? literally EVERY high school in the entire country has a drug problem

Have been overseas for a year. Can you briefly explain why this is happening in such high numbers? Thanks!

Look I'm 54 and it was happening in my own high school in Greenwich Ct. It was happening at the private schools in Los Angeles when my kids were tiny.

It's just what happens in HS. You become more aware of it as a parent and when you start reading online reviews on GreatSchools.org etc

Its not new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither really. Both are pretty average for their demographic mix and have a problematic drug culture.

Are you not American? literally EVERY high school in the entire country has a drug problem

Have been overseas for a year. Can you briefly explain why this is happening in such high numbers? Thanks!

Look I'm 54 and it was happening in my own high school in Greenwich Ct. It was happening at the private schools in Los Angeles when my kids were tiny.

It's just what happens in HS. You become more aware of it as a parent and when you start reading online reviews on GreatSchools.org etc

Its not new.

PP here - it is just that I never heard the issue being as bad as now, and so rampant everywhere and all the OD-ing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Lots of international families at BCC, likely b/c of the IB program and many of those kids go to university overseas so the college counseling office must (?) have some familiarity with that process.
I have a hard time believing that Whitman is better just because of an invisible line that separates the boundaries for the school. There are just as many well educated, driven families in Eastern Bethesda/Chevy Chase as there are in Western Bethesda/Potomac.

Agreed. There is more than enough opportunities to succeed at both Whitman and BCC. Highly doubt going to one over the other will change a kid’s college outcome. I’m the PP who went to Whitman, and I think that the diversity that schools like BCC, RM, and Blair provide are invaluable and I wish my own parents valued their diversity more than they valued making sure I would go to Whitman and only Whitman. Like many of these other posters, they chased after the “best of the best” schools.

I get why that “imaginary line” was so important to my parents and I have respect for the fact that they cared about my education. Likewise, I totally understand OP’s concern about what’s best for their child. However, Whitman is just one school in this state. There are plenty of other great schools in MCPS and Maryland that not only offer great academics and a great community, but also offer experiences you just won’t get at Whitman. I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to return to MoCo, but if I can, Blair/BCC/RM are going to be a first choice. In HoCo, we can probably afford River Hill and Marriotts Ridge HS, but we are eyeing Atholton and Hammond HS for similar reasons.

Besides diversity issues, there’s even the little things like having only Pyle feeding into Whitman. It made starting high school less exciting because I knew it would be all the same people from Pyle, whereas my BCC friends had numerous new friends to make from other feeder middle schools, and it also helps with “resetting” friend groups from middle school if middle school wasn’t the greatest for your kid (which it isn’t for most kids).

Thank you for your feedback - it is very useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Yes. I don’t know if Westland is rigorous but it prepares kids for BCC and we found BCC offered the opportunity to take a rigorous schedule while also finding a supportive friend group and various extea-curriculars. (Of course that was just our perception as parents for better or worse…)

PP here - I think Pyle is probably more rigorous than Westland, but if we want BCC, than it has to be WEstland. Thank you for your feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Lots of international families at BCC, likely b/c of the IB program and many of those kids go to university overseas so the college counseling office must (?) have some familiarity with that process.
I have a hard time believing that Whitman is better just because of an invisible line that separates the boundaries for the school. There are just as many well educated, driven families in Eastern Bethesda/Chevy Chase as there are in Western Bethesda/Potomac.

Thank you - that is useful feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Yes. I don’t know if Westland is rigorous but it prepares kids for BCC and we found BCC offered the opportunity to take a rigorous schedule while also finding a supportive friend group and various extea-curriculars. (Of course that was just our perception as parents for better or worse…)

PP here - I think Pyle is probably more rigorous than Westland, but if we want BCC, than it has to be WEstland. Thank you for your feedback.

Really none of the middle schools are rigorous overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Yes. I don’t know if Westland is rigorous but it prepares kids for BCC and we found BCC offered the opportunity to take a rigorous schedule while also finding a supportive friend group and various extea-curriculars. (Of course that was just our perception as parents for better or worse…)

PP here - I think Pyle is probably more rigorous than Westland, but if we want BCC, than it has to be WEstland. Thank you for your feedback.

Really none of the middle schools are rigorous overall.

I heard Pyle is really strong/good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither really. Both are pretty average for their demographic mix and have a problematic drug culture.

Are you not American? literally EVERY high school in the entire country has a drug problem

Have been overseas for a year. Can you briefly explain why this is happening in such high numbers? Thanks!

Look I'm 54 and it was happening in my own high school in Greenwich Ct. It was happening at the private schools in Los Angeles when my kids were tiny.

It's just what happens in HS. You become more aware of it as a parent and when you start reading online reviews on GreatSchools.org etc

Its not new.

PP here - it is just that I never heard the issue being as bad as now, and so rampant everywhere and all the OD-ing.

1) The drugs kids have access to today are more dangerous than in the past because fentanyl can be in almost anything
2) media loves talking about kids in danger
3) MCPS and MCPD and the State's Attorney have really been very public recently about the fentanyl/opioid issues in schools - much more so than they've ever been. So the awareness of drug use is probably higher now than it has ever been.
4) Having attended MCPS high schools back in the 90s, there were definitely drugs around back then. They just weren't spiked with fentanyl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - if we want rigorous academics and good kids/ nice friends (and parents of course), incl. good sports, music, science, math etc. - will Westland and BCC qualify? We are international, educated family, with smart kid entering MS this Fall, but we are not rich/affluent in Bethesda-terms. So, I would feel more at ease with kid going to economically more diverse schools, as long as they are just as excellent as I hear Pyle/WW are. Kid is smart, but I don't think as driven as I hear those kids at WW are; neither am I as a parent. Any feedback? We are white if that matters.

Yes. I don’t know if Westland is rigorous but it prepares kids for BCC and we found BCC offered the opportunity to take a rigorous schedule while also finding a supportive friend group and various extea-curriculars. (Of course that was just our perception as parents for better or worse…)

PP here - I think Pyle is probably more rigorous than Westland, but if we want BCC, than it has to be WEstland. Thank you for your feedback.

Really none of the middle schools are rigorous overall.

I heard Pyle is really strong/good

They have an excellent French Dept and their Social Science teachers suck.

[Anonymous]

We were Westland parents and now BCC. Our DC has a group of friends that includes a wide variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. That was hugely important to us because of how I grew up. . I can’t say that DC wouldn’t have had that same experience at Pyle and Whitman but a big part of me tends to think no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were Westland parents and now BCC. Our DC has a group of friends that includes a wide variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. That was hugely important to us because of how I grew up. . I can’t say that DC wouldn’t have had that same experience at Pyle and Whitman but a big part of me tends to think no.

Thank you for your feedback. Could you please give me some feedback on your Westland experience? i.e. academics, teachers, principal, counseling, sports, languages, music, arts, clubs, extracurriculars, any bullying, drugs etc. Anything you can share. Good and bad. Thank you!