Washington Liberty v Meridian HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One positive for Washington-Liberty for new students is that relatively few students at the school matriculate from the same elementary through middle school and beyond. This is due to its location in the middle of the county with mostly split feeder schools, and also due to a popular magnet option program there. So there are plenty of new students looking to make friends, especially in grade 9.

Hah, good luck finding each other. WL will be 2800 students next year

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capacity-Utilization-2021-to-2023-for-posting-online.pdf

A new student could be invisible and anonymous for years in that environment.

Meridian is 850 students. A new student will be a bit of a celebrity as “the new girl” in the little city.

OP here. This is a dilemma for me. My kid marches to the beat of his own drummer so I’m not sure if being “the new kid” would be great for him. (Although I am similar and moving to a new school in 8th grade years ago was great for me.) OTOH I do worry about him getting lost at a big school, academically and socially. While he’s got a good group of buddies in MS, they are all neighbors in a small and made friends due to proximity (walk to each other’s houses). He doesn’t have a sport or art that would create a ready-made group.

It seems like you’re not sold on either. Or maybe you’re overthinking. While at W-L there would be lots of new kids looking to make friends freshman year, it’s too large for your liking. (For context, there are other high schools in Northern Va that are larger). At Meridian, standing out as the new kid in a small school where most students grew up together isn’t a benefit for your family.

Arlington and Falls Church are great places to raise a family / grow up. And at least in Arlington, many new students enter freshman year. But Maybe just stay in DC if you like your current neighborhood. MacArthur HS is small and growing. J-R (former Wilson) is large but not nearly as large as the Virginia high schools. Then there’s Latin, DC International, etc., for charter schools.

Lastly, don’t worry about the generalizations on whether W-L or Meridian is arts focused or sports focused. There are great extracurricular options for students of all types at most any high school. Since W-L is larger there are more clubs, extracurriculars, and sports, even sports for non-sporty types. Ultimate frisbee is wildly popular in the Arlington schools.

The larger high schools in NoVa are 7-12 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

OP here. Amusingly this kind of post makes me more sure W-L would be a better fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One positive for Washington-Liberty for new students is that relatively few students at the school matriculate from the same elementary through middle school and beyond. This is due to its location in the middle of the county with mostly split feeder schools, and also due to a popular magnet option program there. So there are plenty of new students looking to make friends, especially in grade 9.

Hah, good luck finding each other. WL will be 2800 students next year

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capacity-Utilization-2021-to-2023-for-posting-online.pdf

A new student could be invisible and anonymous for years in that environment.

Meridian is 850 students. A new student will be a bit of a celebrity as “the new girl” in the little city.

OP here. This is a dilemma for me. My kid marches to the beat of his own drummer so I’m not sure if being “the new kid” would be great for him. (Although I am similar and moving to a new school in 8th grade years ago was great for me.) OTOH I do worry about him getting lost at a big school, academically and socially. While he’s got a good group of buddies in MS, they are all neighbors in a small and made friends due to proximity (walk to each other’s houses). He doesn’t have a sport or art that would create a ready-made group.

It seems like you’re not sold on either. Or maybe you’re overthinking. While at W-L there would be lots of new kids looking to make friends freshman year, it’s too large for your liking. (For context, there are other high schools in Northern Va that are larger). At Meridian, standing out as the new kid in a small school where most students grew up together isn’t a benefit for your family.

Arlington and Falls Church are great places to raise a family / grow up. And at least in Arlington, many new students enter freshman year. But Maybe just stay in DC if you like your current neighborhood. MacArthur HS is small and growing. J-R (former Wilson) is large but not nearly as large as the Virginia high schools. Then there’s Latin, DC International, etc., for charter schools.

Lastly, don’t worry about the generalizations on whether W-L or Meridian is arts focused or sports focused. There are great extracurricular options for students of all types at most any high school. Since W-L is larger there are more clubs, extracurriculars, and sports, even sports for non-sporty types. Ultimate frisbee is wildly popular in the Arlington schools.

The larger high schools in NoVa are 7-12 schools.

Plenty of larger 9-12 schools too. Chantilly is absolutely huge. Centreville’s addition will make it bigger than W-L. Whether we like it or not, schools systems in Northern Va build large high schools. Some larger than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One positive for Washington-Liberty for new students is that relatively few students at the school matriculate from the same elementary through middle school and beyond. This is due to its location in the middle of the county with mostly split feeder schools, and also due to a popular magnet option program there. So there are plenty of new students looking to make friends, especially in grade 9.

Hah, good luck finding each other. WL will be 2800 students next year

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capacity-Utilization-2021-to-2023-for-posting-online.pdf

A new student could be invisible and anonymous for years in that environment.

Meridian is 850 students. A new student will be a bit of a celebrity as “the new girl” in the little city.

OP here. This is a dilemma for me. My kid marches to the beat of his own drummer so I’m not sure if being “the new kid” would be great for him. (Although I am similar and moving to a new school in 8th grade years ago was great for me.) OTOH I do worry about him getting lost at a big school, academically and socially. While he’s got a good group of buddies in MS, they are all neighbors in a small and made friends due to proximity (walk to each other’s houses). He doesn’t have a sport or art that would create a ready-made group.

It seems like you’re not sold on either. Or maybe you’re overthinking. While at W-L there would be lots of new kids looking to make friends freshman year, it’s too large for your liking. (For context, there are other high schools in Northern Va that are larger). At Meridian, standing out as the new kid in a small school where most students grew up together isn’t a benefit for your family.

Arlington and Falls Church are great places to raise a family / grow up. And at least in Arlington, many new students enter freshman year. But Maybe just stay in DC if you like your current neighborhood. MacArthur HS is small and growing. J-R (former Wilson) is large but not nearly as large as the Virginia high schools. Then there’s Latin, DC International, etc., for charter schools.

Lastly, don’t worry about the generalizations on whether W-L or Meridian is arts focused or sports focused. There are great extracurricular options for students of all types at most any high school. Since W-L is larger there are more clubs, extracurriculars, and sports, even sports for non-sporty types. Ultimate frisbee is wildly popular in the Arlington schools.

The larger high schools in NoVa are 7-12 schools.

Plenty of larger 9-12 schools too. Chantilly is absolutely huge. Centreville’s addition will make it bigger than W-L. Whether we like it or not, schools systems in Northern Va build large high schools. Some larger than others.

Chantilly has 3000 students, that’s pretty close to 2800 and on a MUCH larger campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meridian all the way.

If you like style over substance, sure.

Meridian is Potemkin School- a nice facade with little to offer behind it. Kids there do well in life because their families are already wealthy and connected, not because of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One positive for Washington-Liberty for new students is that relatively few students at the school matriculate from the same elementary through middle school and beyond. This is due to its location in the middle of the county with mostly split feeder schools, and also due to a popular magnet option program there. So there are plenty of new students looking to make friends, especially in grade 9.

Hah, good luck finding each other. WL will be 2800 students next year

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capacity-Utilization-2021-to-2023-for-posting-online.pdf

A new student could be invisible and anonymous for years in that environment.

Meridian is 850 students. A new student will be a bit of a celebrity as “the new girl” in the little city.

OP here. This is a dilemma for me. My kid marches to the beat of his own drummer so I’m not sure if being “the new kid” would be great for him. (Although I am similar and moving to a new school in 8th grade years ago was great for me.) OTOH I do worry about him getting lost at a big school, academically and socially. While he’s got a good group of buddies in MS, they are all neighbors in a small and made friends due to proximity (walk to each other’s houses). He doesn’t have a sport or art that would create a ready-made group.

It seems like you’re not sold on either. Or maybe you’re overthinking. While at W-L there would be lots of new kids looking to make friends freshman year, it’s too large for your liking. (For context, there are other high schools in Northern Va that are larger). At Meridian, standing out as the new kid in a small school where most students grew up together isn’t a benefit for your family.

Arlington and Falls Church are great places to raise a family / grow up. And at least in Arlington, many new students enter freshman year. But Maybe just stay in DC if you like your current neighborhood. MacArthur HS is small and growing. J-R (former Wilson) is large but not nearly as large as the Virginia high schools. Then there’s Latin, DC International, etc., for charter schools.

Lastly, don’t worry about the generalizations on whether W-L or Meridian is arts focused or sports focused. There are great extracurricular options for students of all types at most any high school. Since W-L is larger there are more clubs, extracurriculars, and sports, even sports for non-sporty types. Ultimate frisbee is wildly popular in the Arlington schools.

The larger high schools in NoVa are 7-12 schools.

Plenty of larger 9-12 schools too. Chantilly is absolutely huge. Centreville’s addition will make it bigger than W-L. Whether we like it or not, schools systems in Northern Va build large high schools. Some larger than others.

Chantilly has 3000 students, that’s pretty close to 2800 and on a MUCH larger campus.

Suburban style campuses are so spread out. I actually like the more urban compact and pedestrian friendly campuses in Arlington. Meridian will soon have that nice village square (adjacent to the campus) when it’s complete with cafes and bistros. Does Meridian have open campus for lunch like nearby school districts? Lunch outdoors on that plaza would be a nice benefit for the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One positive for Washington-Liberty for new students is that relatively few students at the school matriculate from the same elementary through middle school and beyond. This is due to its location in the middle of the county with mostly split feeder schools, and also due to a popular magnet option program there. So there are plenty of new students looking to make friends, especially in grade 9.

Hah, good luck finding each other. WL will be 2800 students next year

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capacity-Utilization-2021-to-2023-for-posting-online.pdf

A new student could be invisible and anonymous for years in that environment.

Meridian is 850 students. A new student will be a bit of a celebrity as “the new girl” in the little city.

OP here. This is a dilemma for me. My kid marches to the beat of his own drummer so I’m not sure if being “the new kid” would be great for him. (Although I am similar and moving to a new school in 8th grade years ago was great for me.) OTOH I do worry about him getting lost at a big school, academically and socially. While he’s got a good group of buddies in MS, they are all neighbors in a small and made friends due to proximity (walk to each other’s houses). He doesn’t have a sport or art that would create a ready-made group.

It seems like you’re not sold on either. Or maybe you’re overthinking. While at W-L there would be lots of new kids looking to make friends freshman year, it’s too large for your liking. (For context, there are other high schools in Northern Va that are larger). At Meridian, standing out as the new kid in a small school where most students grew up together isn’t a benefit for your family.

Arlington and Falls Church are great places to raise a family / grow up. And at least in Arlington, many new students enter freshman year. But Maybe just stay in DC if you like your current neighborhood. MacArthur HS is small and growing. J-R (former Wilson) is large but not nearly as large as the Virginia high schools. Then there’s Latin, DC International, etc., for charter schools.

Lastly, don’t worry about the generalizations on whether W-L or Meridian is arts focused or sports focused. There are great extracurricular options for students of all types at most any high school. Since W-L is larger there are more clubs, extracurriculars, and sports, even sports for non-sporty types. Ultimate frisbee is wildly popular in the Arlington schools.

The larger high schools in NoVa are 7-12 schools.

Plenty of larger 9-12 schools too. Chantilly is absolutely huge. Centreville’s addition will make it bigger than W-L. Whether we like it or not, schools systems in Northern Va build large high schools. Some larger than others.

Chantilly has 3000 students, that’s pretty close to 2800 and on a MUCH larger campus.

Suburban style campuses are so spread out. I actually like the more urban compact and pedestrian friendly campuses in Arlington. Meridian will soon have that nice village square (adjacent to the campus) when it’s complete with cafes and bistros. Does Meridian have open campus for lunch like nearby school districts? Lunch outdoors on that plaza would be a nice benefit for the students.

Suburban style campus means they aren’t crushed on the hallways, can have enough lunch rooms so people don’t have to eat at 10am, they have enough field space and gym space to match the population. They can even run school within school styles and not have to travel much between buildings if the campus is that large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

OP here. Amusingly this kind of post makes me more sure W-L would be a better fit.

Based on what you've written, OP, W-L would be a better fit for your kid than Yorktown. Are you looking at both W-L and Meridian because both offer IB diplomas? My DD is in 10th at W-L and I've heard anecdotally that the IB diploma is a ton of work, but it helps prepare kids for college -- especially in terms of writing. I have talked to some parents who said they weren't sure it's worth it, but that likely depends on your kid.

Both W-L and Meridian are good schools with great, down-to-earth kids. The biggest issue with W-L is its sheer size, but it offers many clubs and other activities. I also know several kids at Meridian - it seems like it would also be a good place to land.

One thing to note -- you mentioned the VA university system. It is very competitive to get in to UVA, VA Tech (notably engineering and computer science), and William & Mary from NoVA high schools (listing these three because they are generally regarded as the top in the state). Applicants have to be amongst the best in their classes to get accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

Yeah, right. OK. Glad you enjoy YHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

OP here. Amusingly this kind of post makes me more sure W-L would be a better fit.

You got that right, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Other way around
- parent who has had children at both schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meridian all the way.

If you like style over substance, sure.

Meridian is Potemkin School- a nice facade with little to offer behind it. Kids there do well in life because their families are already wealthy and connected, not because of the school.

Like Yorktown.
I'm betting the Potemkin School comment was made by the YHS snob poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown is the high school you want in Arlington, wl is a distance second choice

Fact.

Or alternative fact.
WL is hardly a distant second in Arlington.
I am so glad we are Wakefield, the very factual distant third.

Correct. Wakefield is very much a distant third. Almost at W-L level though.

OP here. Amusingly this kind of post makes me more sure W-L would be a better fit.

Based on what you've written, OP, W-L would be a better fit for your kid than Yorktown. Are you looking at both W-L and Meridian because both offer IB diplomas? My DD is in 10th at W-L and I've heard anecdotally that the IB diploma is a ton of work, but it helps prepare kids for college -- especially in terms of writing. I have talked to some parents who said they weren't sure it's worth it, but that likely depends on your kid.

Both W-L and Meridian are good schools with great, down-to-earth kids. The biggest issue with W-L is its sheer size, but it offers many clubs and other activities. I also know several kids at Meridian - it seems like it would also be a good place to land.

One thing to note -- you mentioned the VA university system. It is very competitive to get in to UVA, VA Tech (notably engineering and computer science), and William & Mary from NoVA high schools (listing these three because they are generally regarded as the top in the state). Applicants have to be amongst the best in their classes to get accepted.

Yes, IB is a draw, but I’m also looking for a good lifestyle and family fit. Obviously not banking on UVA but there are many other solid options that are less competitive.