Landon vs. Georgetown Prep Upper School

[Anonymous]

Landon grad here with best friends from Prep and Landon with whom I still keep close contact with.
Previous Prep grad was right on. Ignore worries about reputation or that Ivy leaguers from Prep/Landon are jocks. Its a completely distorted myth. If your son is a good student, he will succeed academically at either. I wouldn't base school choice on playing soccer, track or any other sport. Your son is going to go thru a lot of changes in the next few yrs and may completely change sports or abandon them completely. Both schools have plenty of support for athletes in various sports and it would be a mistake to pick one school over another because of a sport. Both schools have increasingly diverse student bodies in terms of ethnicity and extracurricular interests. Wherever he goes, he will almost certainly develop lifelong friendships with students and faculty and feel proud about his school. My experience is that the biggest difference is the religious component to the education. In the end, the kids are just not that different. If your son seems comfortable with one over the other, I would let him make the choice. There is no bad choice.

[Anonymous]

Wow a Landon and GP grad who is sensible? Who would have thought.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Holton girl here.

Go with prep. You might not care about Landon's rep, but every girl in the area can tell you that it is not unwarranted. You've probably heard about UVA and Duke (the high profile cases) but those are just the tip of the iceberg. Recent accomplishments of Landon boys include:

1) 8th graders making a 'fantasy league' based on how far they could get with girls at a party (girls who were unaware that they were only invited based on their presumed 'sluttiness')
2) Sandwiches for homeless people laced with hot sauce as a prank (by the 7th graders)
3) Banned from the national high school Model UN conference and the Dupont Circle Hilton after smoking weed, then panicking when they were caught and throwing the weed in a couch out the 10th floor window
4) Pervasive stealing of laptops, personal items, etc from each other and visitors
5) Banned from having mixers after three ambulances were called for substance abuse problems at the mixer last year
6) Laughing at the domestic violence speaker for saying that hitting girls is bad
7) Hazing of younger boys, especially freshman
8) Enforcing a social hierarchy where 'LAX bros' are on top and arts are abandoned
9) Performing school plays (both at Holton and Landon) under the influence of alcohol and weed
10) Selling drugs (I can name at least a dozen dealers) to eachother and kids at the neighbouring schools.

If these things alone don't concern you, you should be aware that all my friend's parents with kids at Landon are pulling them out. Landon boys graduate with a sense of entitlement, superiority, and a disregard for the well-being of their girlfriends. Does that sound like your son? If so, you have found the perfect school.

[Anonymous]

Dear Holton Girl,

You have unusual strength and courage. I won't add anything myself today, because you have summed up the Landon situation perfectly. Anything that I might write would be redundant and less clear than the words you have already spoken. I envy your friends, family and community that they should have such a fearless defender of the defenseless in their midst.

One day you just might change the world.

Your courage gives us strength and reason for hope.

[Anonymous]

Since both these schools are very similar, do the boys from Prep have that sense/air of entitlement too? Have Prep had any similar problems, like those listed in 14:04?

[Anonymous]

I seriously doubt 14:04 is a Holton girl but is the crazy person who keeps posting on this forum about Landon and Hitler.

1) The Hilton incident happened in 2003. What the poster fails to tell is the students were expelled from the school.

2) The students that ended up in the hospital were not Landon students but students who came to Landon already intoxicated and tripping. (inc one from GP)

3) I am not sure how you can say the arts have been abandoned. These students would disagree:

Congressional Art Competition Finalists Named
Posted 04/11/2011 03:01PM
Six Landon Artists Are Honored

Works by six Landon artists have been selected as finalists in the 2011 Congressional Art Competition for Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District. Representative Chris Van Hollen’s office announced the results of this annual competition, sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Fifteen student artists from Landon submitted works to the competition, and all will receive a Congressional certificate of participation personally from Congressman Van Hollen at a Reception on April 11th at VisArt in Rockville.

The finalists’ artwork is on display at VisArt from April 6-May 4. Of more than 250 works submitted, 92 were selected to be exhibited.


Congratulations to Landon’s artists



Ten Landon Artists Are Competition Finalists
Posted 03/30/2011 01:34PM
Landow Gallery Reception Is April 2

Ten Landon Upper School students are among the 88 finalists of the 2011 Best of the Independent Schools Art Competition. The Competition, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by the Landon Fathers Club. The winners will be announced at a Reception in the Landow Family Gallery on Landon’s campus on Saturday, April 2, from 3-5 p.m. The works are currently on exhibit at the Landow Gallery from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

This year’s competition drew 180 entries from 16 independent schools from Baltimore to Virginia. The entries represented five categories: mixed-media, drawing, painting, photography and sculpture. Landon Upper School art teacher Walt Bartman organized the event.

The works are being juried by Bethesda native Gavin Glakas, an internationally recognized portrait painter who has painted numerous works for the House of Representatives.

4) The hazing is not happening. The US boys especially the seniors have worked hard to be role models and supporters of the younger kids.

[Anonymous]

14:04

No, she's not the person you claim has recently made disparaging remarks about Landon. I'm the person to whom you are alluding. I would repeat those historical similarities/references now and perhaps I will again in the future, but at the moment any additions I might add would only serve to diminish the power of this young woman's courage and convictions.

[Anonymous]

15:23 I'm yet another person who agrees with 14:04.
I know the Fantasy Sex League really happened and that those boys are still Landon students.
I know the sandwich making for homeless people 'community service' was
ruined and turned into chaos because some boys put hot sauce in the food. Last year, fyi. I know laptops and electronics are taken on a regular basis--or many times kicked or dropped on purpose. Lots of mentions from the MS head about that. See the newsletters over the years. I know the Landon dance last year was completely out of control. No one checking at the door and none of the regular safeguards.
It happened. I know some hazing goes on in the school.
Much of that is class centric and goes on and on. Or, is that just bullying? I know about the lax bro atmosphere and that it is a pervasive atmosphere. I heard first hand about the laughter that was directed at the domestic violence speaker. I know some boys 'slept' through the
presentation. I don't know about the drugs, but have heard rumors. Let's hope that's incorrect. I can understand why a Landon staffer or board member would be so quick to defend the school. But, why does this stuff continue and why can't Landon get around it's
reputation if these things are 'fantasy'?

[Anonymous]

OP did you choose Landon or Prep? or something else?

[Anonymous]

16:24

I don't think you will be repeating those references as that entire thread was deleted by the administrator. Apparently, he thinks you are a nut too.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I thought I'd let this whole thread die out. However, I was looking at more threads concerning all boys schools to help us start getting a taste of what lies ahead next year. We finally chose Landon for various reasons. From recent conversations with friends and current parents, their senior class and rising senior class seems to be composed of bright young men. Thus, they'll have a strong core of upperclassmen to help lead the show for the underclassmen. The administration seems to be heading in the right direction with a few key decisions which I learned through current Landon parents. Their arts programs seems to be solid and there is promise in their soccer and track programs. In contrast, Prep was also great with a stellar campus, almost equal to Landon in all aspects(some are better and some are worse). In response to 14:04 and other posts, I will just say, every family has their own requirements and tastes. DS did not like Georgetown Prep at all after conducting another shadow visit after acceptance, he specifically pointed out that most of the Prep kids were "cocky" and "too full of themselves." After visiting Landon, he said "it felt right." Now I'm not exactly sure the specific details of the day, but at the end of the day, I wan't to send DS where he's comfortable because of the fact that high school plays a vital role in developing a child. Thus, we chose Landon.

[Anonymous]

OP, from this Landon parent: welcome! The school has had its issues, but I think it's committed to improving. There are some great teachers, a wonderful music program, and many terrific young men. I hope your son will enjoy his time there.

[Anonymous]

20:54, I totally understand your decision making towards Landon and Georgetown Prep. My DD and family were in the same dilemma a few years back, obviously different schools since we have a daughter. As a current Holton parent, I can say for sure Landon isn't perfect by any means. It has its share of flaws, some which I strongly oppose to since I have a daughter, but their administration and community are trying to overcome last year's events. Since my DD goes to Holton, Landon's issues concern us equally as the actual Landon parents because of the sister-brother school relationship. From the Landon boys and families I know, it is a fine school with its share of a few rowdy kids who ruin it for everyone. Anyways, congratulations on the choice and hopefully your DS and your family thrive in the Landon community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I thought I'd let this whole thread die out. However, I was looking at more threads concerning all boys schools to help us start getting a taste of what lies ahead next year. We finally chose Landon for various reasons. From recent conversations with friends and current parents, their senior class and rising senior class seems to be composed of bright young men. Thus, they'll have a strong core of upperclassmen to help lead the show for the underclassmen. The administration seems to be heading in the right direction with a few key decisions which I learned through current Landon parents. Their arts programs seems to be solid and there is promise in their soccer and track programs. In contrast, Prep was also great with a stellar campus, almost equal to Landon in all aspects(some are better and some are worse). In response to 14:04 and other posts, I will just say, every family has their own requirements and tastes. DS did not like Georgetown Prep at all after conducting another shadow visit after acceptance, he specifically pointed out that most of the Prep kids were "cocky" and "too full of themselves." After visiting Landon, he said "it felt right." Now I'm not exactly sure the specific details of the day, but at the end of the day, I wan't to send DS where he's comfortable because of the fact that high school plays a vital role in developing a child. Thus, we chose Landon.

There is too much shame surrounding Landon for the boys there to exude confidence.

[Anonymous]

Someone asked if Prep boys were the same as Landon boys in regards to their attitudes towards women, etc, etc. Absolutely.