Potomac vs Big 3 - academic workload

[Anonymous]

Potomac is very rigorous. We have friends at STA and workload is similar. Our kid is tracked at Advanced (former AP) level track. Tons of homework, projects, teachers are very demanding. Currently working on finance project. Learning a ton. There are regular tracks as well that are less difficult. But academics are top notch and well above schools like Flint Hill, Bullis which are geared to athletic recruits. And even upper level classes there are easier and scaled upward as we know from our neighbors kids who go there.

Can’t comment on social life at STA, but we know Bullis is all clique. Sports kids are a big group and then you have the Uber rich MD crowd kids. Potomac to a much lesser extent. School has good spirit with tons of after school events like dinners, basketball tourneys, coffee house. Kid had a good group of friends and many kids hang out in multiple groups.

[Anonymous]

From our tutor who works with kids from all the top whatever places, the Big 3, GDS, Potomac, and Maret pretty similar in HS (big differences in MS; fwiw our kids are 5th/7th). That tracks our anecdata.

One of our kids is at Potomac and Potomac’s college counseling is v weak unless a URM. (Look at their acceptances - good this year - and then ask current US parents who is hooked/who hired an outside counselor).

Also consider who your kid is and how much attention they want to give to mandatory sports.

I know this gets said a lot but there really isn’t a best, only a best for your kid(s).

Wishing you the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big three has better college placement.

When will people realize that "college placement" does not exist and hasn't existed since at least the 90's? Big 3 creates the illusion of being an express-track to the T15 schools because they take a ton of legacy students and athletes. If your kid goes to, say, Sidwell and graduates with a 3.7 GPA and 1530 SAT, they are ending up at a school somewhere in the 30-70 range.

[Anonymous]

Is that trie at Potomac too?

[Anonymous]

Is that true at Potomac too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big three has better college placement.

When will people realize that "college placement" does not exist and hasn't existed since at least the 90's? Big 3 creates the illusion of being an express-track to the T15 schools because they take a ton of legacy students and athletes. If your kid goes to, say, Sidwell and graduates with a 3.7 GPA and 1530 SAT, they are ending up at a school somewhere in the 30-70 range.

So the kids with a 3.7 end up in the top 1-2% of colleges and well above where kids with an unweighted 3.7 from public go but you don’t think the name helps with college placement?

[Anonymous]

Is that true at Potomac too?

[Anonymous]

^^^Yes-and true that the CCO is not going to be particularly helpful with meaningful advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it all evens out. There’s more work assigned in Big 3 but the kids are also smarter so…

The kids aren’t smarter in Big 3 schools.

It depends on the rigor of the student’s schedule at Potomac. I know because I work with students at both schools.

+1 Potomac rigor, stress, and hw load can be managed by course selection.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Super helpful responses thanks. Sounds like it wouldn’t be much relief. Sports requirement not a problem for DC case and we’re not doing it for college admission purposes. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac is very rigorous. We have friends at STA and workload is similar. Our kid is tracked at Advanced (former AP) level track. Tons of homework, projects, teachers are very demanding. Currently working on finance project. Learning a ton. There are regular tracks as well that are less difficult. But academics are top notch and well above schools like Flint Hill, Bullis which are geared to athletic recruits. And even upper level classes there are easier and scaled upward as we know from our neighbors kids who go there.

Can’t comment on social life at STA, but we know Bullis is all clique. Sports kids are a big group and then you have the Uber rich MD crowd kids. Potomac to a much lesser extent. School has good spirit with tons of after school events like dinners, basketball tourneys, coffee house. Kid had a good group of friends and many kids hang out in multiple groups.

Why an idiot like the above poster would have to mention Flint Hill is beyond me. Flint Hill has nothing to do with the topic.

[Anonymous]

Harder track is a grind. There is little joy in the learning and teaching. The math department is notoriously terrible. Look up previous threads.

Your child could choose to take lower classes and then it won't be as bad. There are smart kids who are doing this but DC suspects they are hooked which kind of confirms that they are smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The social scene is something to consider too as it will affect your child’s happiness. In addition to the heavy workload, the Potomac US is a miserable place to be for many kids not in the “right” cliques. Probably the same in the Big 3-but the lack of fostering of a good community for an entire class is extremely disappointing.

How do you know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The social scene is something to consider too as it will affect your child’s happiness. In addition to the heavy workload, the Potomac US is a miserable place to be for many kids not in the “right” cliques. Probably the same in the Big 3-but the lack of fostering of a good community for an entire class is extremely disappointing.

Nothing is perfect and that is especially true for Potomac. But I wish I had paid more attention to the social aspect of Potomac. Ask around. Academic fit and social fit are two very different beasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big three has better college placement.

When will people realize that "college placement" does not exist and hasn't existed since at least the 90's? Big 3 creates the illusion of being an express-track to the T15 schools because they take a ton of legacy students and athletes. If your kid goes to, say, Sidwell and graduates with a 3.7 GPA and 1530 SAT, they are ending up at a school somewhere in the 30-70 range.

So the kids with a 3.7 end up in the top 1-2% of colleges and well above where kids with an unweighted 3.7 from public go but you don’t think the name helps with college placement?

Getting a 3.7 GPA at Sidwell is tough and one could say they'd have better college outcomes if they went to a public school and got a 4.5 GPA with less effort exerted.