NoVa private high school that's strong academically but not a pressure cooker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are open to all-girls you could inquire at Madeira to see if any places might be available (my daughter is a senior, very happy there and it may fit what you’re looking for)

Possibly, assuming they have regular social interaction with boys at nearby all-boys schools or in some other way. (DD has friends who are girls and friends who are boys, and I think she'd find it odd to only be around girls all of a sudden.) Would a day student have difficulty fitting in at a place like Madeira, if joining partway through high school and not boarding there?

Madeira does a very good job of integrating the day and boarding students. I don’t think it would be any more of an issue there than at any regular non-boarding private. But they do not have regular interaction with a boys’ school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could look at Trinity Christian in Fairfax.

Would have to have at least one practicing Christian parent and the child herself would also have to be practicing. They are fairly firm on this.

Dp. Yea, I don’t think that one is a good fit for op’s family.

[Anonymous]

What’s your housing budget and where will you be commuting to? Are you concerned that the public’s will be too much of a pressure cooker, or too big, or is there some other specific reason for looking at private? Can you swing one of the $50k privates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're moving to the area next year for work in the tech sector and are considering private school for DD for 11th and 12th grades. She's very academically minded and highly motivated, but we want to avoid a pressure cooker atmosphere, because she's already putting more than enough pressure on herself. She's interested in humanities rather than STEM.

Any recommendations in Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William Counties for a private high school that's not obsessed with academic achievement or social status, yet has a strong academic program and might admit someone in those grades? She's sociable and well rounded, so a healthy social scene would be a plus, but the sports programs won't matter because she's not interested in playing sports.

You are seeking a unicorn. All rigorous local schools - public (e.g., TJ) or private - are pressure cookers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think there are any true pressure cookers in the counties you name. The pressure cookers here are all in DC proper. Struggling to think of 1 outside the beltway.

TJ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're moving to the area next year for work in the tech sector and are considering private school for DD for 11th and 12th grades. She's very academically minded and highly motivated, but we want to avoid a pressure cooker atmosphere, because she's already putting more than enough pressure on herself. She's interested in humanities rather than STEM.

Any recommendations in Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William Counties for a private high school that's not obsessed with academic achievement or social status, yet has a strong academic program and might admit someone in those grades? She's sociable and well rounded, so a healthy social scene would be a plus, but the sports programs won't matter because she's not interested in playing sports.

It sounds like your work will be in VA.

If so, please understand the Potomac River bridges are a complete mess both ways during commute hours. This means that having work, home, and school on the same side of the river is best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're moving to the area next year for work in the tech sector and are considering private school for DD for 11th and 12th grades. She's very academically minded and highly motivated, but we want to avoid a pressure cooker atmosphere, because she's already putting more than enough pressure on herself. She's interested in humanities rather than STEM.

Any recommendations in Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William Counties for a private high school that's not obsessed with academic achievement or social status, yet has a strong academic program and might admit someone in those grades? She's sociable and well rounded, so a healthy social scene would be a plus, but the sports programs won't matter because she's not interested in playing sports.

You are seeking a unicorn. All rigorous local schools - public (e.g., TJ) or private - are pressure cookers.

I disagree. I think the Catholic schools here offer opportunities for rigorous classes without being real pressure cookers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're moving to the area next year for work in the tech sector and are considering private school for DD for 11th and 12th grades. She's very academically minded and highly motivated, but we want to avoid a pressure cooker atmosphere, because she's already putting more than enough pressure on herself. She's interested in humanities rather than STEM.

Any recommendations in Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William Counties for a private high school that's not obsessed with academic achievement or social status, yet has a strong academic program and might admit someone in those grades? She's sociable and well rounded, so a healthy social scene would be a plus, but the sports programs won't matter because she's not interested in playing sports.

You are seeking a unicorn. All rigorous local schools - public (e.g., TJ) or private - are pressure cookers.

I disagree. I think the Catholic schools here offer opportunities for rigorous classes without being real pressure cookers.

Agree but she would have to self-select into the easier classes or learn to ignore the competition around her because every Catholic school has a cohort of kids who take every AP available and aren’t happy with anything below a 1500 SAT. Easy enough to avoid them but the problem is the non-honors/non-AP classes aren’t as rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Saint John Paul the Great

[Anonymous]

A public school might fit the bill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depending on where you are the commute might be long, but St Stephens and St Agnes (SSSAS) in Alexandria is a very strong school but not a pressure cooker. My kid loves it. It’s Episcopalian, not Catholic, and the religious aspect is very mild.

There’s also Flint Hill in Oakton. It was DC’s close second choice for HS, but it’s a longer commute for us and DC liked SSSAS more after both shadow days.

I agree with these recommendations and would add Bishop O’Connell, if you’re open to Catholic in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s your housing budget and where will you be commuting to? Are you concerned that the public’s will be too much of a pressure cooker, or too big, or is there some other specific reason for looking at private? Can you swing one of the $50k privates?

We will need to live within a reasonable commuting time to the Dulles corridor, and can afford housing in that general area. The concern about publics is their size, and the environment (discipline issues, etc.). I've also gotten the impression that it's a pressure cooker atmosphere among those kids who tend to take AP classes at NoVa publics, but maybe I'm wrong about that. We've done a mix of public and private in the past, and prefer the private route. We would need financial aid to be able to afford a $50k private though, which I realize may not be forthcoming, but we figure it's at least worth a try, if we can find one that seems like a good fit. If it doesn't work out, we'll go with a public school.

[Anonymous]

Look at PVI in the South Riding area if you’re ok with Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Some of that pressure cooker environment is simply the reality of living in this area.

+1 to O’Connell and your child can focus on college prep or honors courses rather than AP. Excellent education without the major pressure of the top tier classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your housing budget and where will you be commuting to? Are you concerned that the public’s will be too much of a pressure cooker, or too big, or is there some other specific reason for looking at private? Can you swing one of the $50k privates?

We will need to live within a reasonable commuting time to the Dulles corridor, and can afford housing in that general area. The concern about publics is their size, and the environment (discipline issues, etc.). I've also gotten the impression that it's a pressure cooker atmosphere among those kids who tend to take AP classes at NoVa publics, but maybe I'm wrong about that. We've done a mix of public and private in the past, and prefer the private route. We would need financial aid to be able to afford a $50k private though, which I realize may not be forthcoming, but we figure it's at least worth a try, if we can find one that seems like a good fit. If it doesn't work out, we'll go with a public school.

To be brutally honest, I think the probability of a high school offering financial aid to incoming 11th grader is between slim and none. They all have more demand than supply in terms of aid, and priority is always going to go to incumbent students that are continuing the aid that they’ve been receiving for years.

Everyone is providing the same info. Flint Hill is the only non-religious private that seems to meet your needs. I think aid is unlikely and some question whether FH is really different than area publics. SSSAS is in Alexandria and may also work but it sounds like the commute is a bit far. The rest of the secular list are in DC or Maryland: Field, Burke, SAES, SSFS. If you want to stay close to home and want a lower cost, the Catholic schools may be your best bet. Again, class size may not be much different than your publics.

While housing is more expensive, living in Arlington, Montgomery County, MD or McLean might give you more options. The commute to the Dulles corridor isn’t horrible and you are close enough to DC to open up many more options.