Do schools like this exist anymore?

[Anonymous]

As someone else mentioned, I would look at some of the K-8s. Some kids leave in 6th or 7th so spots can open up. Norwood and WES since you're close-in MoCo. Neither is a pressure cooker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot: Lowell, WES, St. Patrick’s, NPS, Sheridan etc. if you can pay full boat you in.

OP here. It can't truly be that simple, can it? If so, this forum wouldn't exist.

[Anonymous]

Lots of schools desperate for people. Especially so in these uncertain times.

For upper school - SSASS. Sandy Spring Friends, St Andrew’s, Bullis, Landon. None are overly religious or even religious at all.

Your options are even wider if you consider lower tier DC Catholics like Archbishop Carroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot: Lowell, WES, St. Patrick’s, NPS, Sheridan etc. if you can pay full boat you in.

OP here. It can't truly be that simple, can it? If so, this forum wouldn't exist.

it's not but these schools, plus Norwood, seem to fit the rest of your criteria. You need to make a distinction between competitive admission (there are more applicants than seats at almost all DC area schools) and whether a school has a competitive environment once admitted. Most of these schools listed are not a shoo-in but once in, they're not pressure cookers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the "all you have to do is apply and write a check" a relic of the 80s and 90s?

Most, but not all, were Catholic schools. That's not meant to be a dig, as I attended one of them (not in the DC area).

I mean this sincerely, as I'm looking for non-competitive middle-school options that aren't too religious. Options seem limited.

All school rec threads should have a required set of parameters:

Where are you located and how far will you drive?

Is your kid sporty, nerdy, in between?

Big school, small school, in between?

Pressure cooker test factory, less structured mastery curriculum, something in between?

You want to look for schools with "rolling admissions" that do still exist but usually fill a special niche of one sort or another above.

The more you can tell us, the more you may get ideas.

Thanks for this. I'm very new to the process. This would be for the 2026-2027 school year (6th grade).

Where are you located and how far will you drive?

close-in MoCo. 20 mins each way. If transportation is provided, we'd use it.

Is your kid sporty, nerdy, in between?

Sportyish, bright, but not on a gifted track. Has IEP with basic accommodations (extra testing time, etc.) for ADHD. Executive functioning is the biggest challenge.

Big school, small school, in between?

Open to any, but really tiny (staying with the same 15 kids for the entire school career) is least preferable.

Pressure cooker test factory, less structured mastery curriculum, something in between?

NOT a pressure cooker for sure. Supportive environment, strong emphasis on humanities and writing in particular.

Other things that may help:

We are open to schools designed for ADHD students, but I am under the impression admission is so competitive that he's unlikely to get in (thinking of McLean here). However, other DC is NT, so would prefer for them to be able to attend the same school.

Budget isn't an issue for the right fit.

Your commuting limits cuts down the possibles, but the Waldorf School in Bethesda could come close. Though it's only 278 students K-12 so each grade is likely to be near your minimum.

The larger schools tend to have more competitive admissions since they are not focused on executive functioning, ADHD support, etc. Tends to be a tradeoff between size and attention.

There may be some others like Waldorf in your neck of the woods. Worth checking around for the "rolling admissions" parameter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the "all you have to do is apply and write a check" a relic of the 80s and 90s?

Most, but not all, were Catholic schools. That's not meant to be a dig, as I attended one of them (not in the DC area).

I mean this sincerely, as I'm looking for non-competitive middle-school options that aren't too religious. Options seem limited.

All school rec threads should have a required set of parameters:

Where are you located and how far will you drive?

Is your kid sporty, nerdy, in between?

Big school, small school, in between?

Pressure cooker test factory, less structured mastery curriculum, something in between?

You want to look for schools with "rolling admissions" that do still exist but usually fill a special niche of one sort or another above.

The more you can tell us, the more you may get ideas.

Thanks for this. I'm very new to the process. This would be for the 2026-2027 school year (6th grade).

Where are you located and how far will you drive?

close-in MoCo. 20 mins each way. If transportation is provided, we'd use it.

Is your kid sporty, nerdy, in between?

Sportyish, bright, but not on a gifted track. Has IEP with basic accommodations (extra testing time, etc.) for ADHD. Executive functioning is the biggest challenge.

Big school, small school, in between?

Open to any, but really tiny (staying with the same 15 kids for the entire school career) is least preferable.

Pressure cooker test factory, less structured mastery curriculum, something in between?

NOT a pressure cooker for sure. Supportive environment, strong emphasis on humanities and writing in particular.

Other things that may help:

We are open to schools designed for ADHD students, but I am under the impression admission is so competitive that he's unlikely to get in (thinking of McLean here). However, other DC is NT, so would prefer for them to be able to attend the same school.

Budget isn't an issue for the right fit.

Others have identified some schools you may want to target. I don’t see McLean being so competitive in terms of admissions. It sounds like you will have options, especially if you can pay in full. You just have to be prepared for the work involved in attending all the open houses and speaking with admissions officers, completing applications and interviews, etc. It’s a pretty time-consuming process, but well worth it in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Norwood and McLean would be a good fit. McLean if you are looking to go through 12th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of schools desperate for people. Especially so in these uncertain times.

For upper school - SSASS. Sandy Spring Friends, St Andrew’s, Bullis, Landon. None are overly religious or even religious at all.

Your options are even wider if you consider lower tier DC Catholics like Archbishop Carroll.

Lol SSSAS, Bullis, and Landon are not desperate; all have more applicants they can take. SSSAS underestimated their yield this year and the incoming freshman class is about 10% bigger than target. It’s a pain. Likely they will try to resize next year so expect it to be more competitive than typical. All three of these schools reject many applicants.

SSFS, yes, desperate, obviously, since it was pulled back from the brink of closure due to lack of enrollment and funds and may still not survive more than two or three years. I expect they will take any warm body with a checkbook.

I don’t know anything about St. Andrews.

[Anonymous]

I think Catholic schools don't want to take discipline problems. In the long ago past I think some parents did this, sent them there to "straighten them out," a step before military academies. If you are respectful and polite when applying/interviewing and your child is not a problem, I think they are open to most children, though they may give preference to parish members. At that point you write a check each year and donate some extra during fundraising.

[Anonymous]

Try Woods Academy. It’s an independent Catholic school. Catholic lite as the other Catholic schools comment.

[Anonymous]

K-8’s like some other posters mentioned. Washington Episcopal, St. Pat’s, Sheridan, Woods, NPS, Green Acres, Congressional School, Lowell, Westminster School, Browne Academy etc etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of schools desperate for people. Especially so in these uncertain times.

For upper school - SSASS. Sandy Spring Friends, St Andrew’s, Bullis, Landon. None are overly religious or even religious at all.

Your options are even wider if you consider lower tier DC Catholics like Archbishop Carroll.

Lol SSSAS, Bullis, and Landon are not desperate; all have more applicants they can take. SSSAS underestimated their yield this year and the incoming freshman class is about 10% bigger than target. It’s a pain. Likely they will try to resize next year so expect it to be more competitive than typical. All three of these schools reject many applicants.

SSFS, yes, desperate, obviously, since it was pulled back from the brink of closure due to lack of enrollment and funds and may still not survive more than two or three years. I expect they will take any warm body with a checkbook.

I don’t know anything about St. Andrews.

St. Andrew's definitely does not take everyone, especially for upper school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot: Lowell, WES, St. Patrick’s, NPS, Sheridan etc. if you can pay full boat you in.

Hahaha. Not Sheridan

[Anonymous]

Check out Oneness-Family School, their middle school program is amazing- great academics and teachers who truly care about the kids

[Anonymous]

Second recommendation for Woods Academy. Not particularly selective, but not a bad choice either. Lovely school, tends to send kids off to Catholic High Schools, not a pressure cooker. Does tend to skew more boy heavy in the later grades.