The Potomac School v. Maret/GDS?

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who lives in McLean and whose daughter got into both GDS and Potomac. She chose GDS, saying that, from what she saw and heard, there was no just comparison between the two academically. She sent her second kid to GDS as well, so it's not a decision she ended up regretting, despite the twice-daily schlep and the playdates in MD and DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who lives in McLean and whose daughter got into both GDS and Potomac. She chose GDS, saying that, from what she saw and heard, there was no just comparison between the two academically. She sent her second kid to GDS as well, so it's not a decision she ended up regretting, despite the twice-daily schlep and the playdates in MD and DC.

That is very interesting to apply to those two schools. They are so increduibly different. Suburban, conservative and preppy v. liberal, lots of diversity and more urban (at least in feel). Why those two? Potomac and Beauvoir/STA/NCS I can see, even more Maret but GDS and Potomac = really odd combo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who lives in McLean and whose daughter got into both GDS and Potomac. She chose GDS, saying that, from what she saw and heard, there was no just comparison between the two academically. She sent her second kid to GDS as well, so it's not a decision she ended up regretting, despite the twice-daily schlep and the playdates in MD and DC.

That is very interesting to apply to those two schools. They are so increduibly different. Suburban, conservative and preppy v. liberal, lots of diversity and more urban (at least in feel). Why those two? Potomac and Beauvoir/STA/NCS I can see, even more Maret but GDS and Potomac = really odd combo.

If I am reading you right, you say Potomac is more like Maret than the Cathedral Schools because it is conservative and preppy. Am I misreading this? I always thought the Cathedral schools were unmatched for conservative and preppy.

[Anonymous]

They had planned to be abroad during their daughter's Pre-K year and so didn't do a full school search. When they decided not to go, they had to do school apps at the last minute. (And since it was PreK, stakes didn't have to be incredibly high -- their daughter could have stayed in Montessori). So my friend asked around and folks in the neighborhood said Potomac, while a friend from her pre-kid days, whose son is a year older and who was already at GDS, urged her to apply to GDS as well. She applied to both. GDS was a good fit and she was really grateful she listened to that friend (and wasn't daunted by the odds of admission).

Now she's wondering whether she should be living in McLean since all their school-found friends are in DC or MD and it's become increasingly clear that the neighbors in McLean have really different values than her family does.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean that "the neighbors in Mclean have really different values than her family does"?

[Anonymous]

Seems pretty clear to me. Why do you ask?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone get the impression that parents feel that if a school is difficult to get in to, then it must be good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who lives in McLean and whose daughter got into both GDS and Potomac. She chose GDS, saying that, from what she saw and heard, there was no just comparison between the two academically. She sent her second kid to GDS as well, so it's not a decision she ended up regretting, despite the twice-daily schlep and the playdates in MD and DC.

That is very interesting to apply to those two schools. They are so increduibly different. Suburban, conservative and preppy v. liberal, lots of diversity and more urban (at least in feel). Why those two? Potomac and Beauvoir/STA/NCS I can see, even more Maret but GDS and Potomac = really odd combo.

If I am reading you right, you say Potomac is more like Maret than the Cathedral Schools because it is conservative and preppy. Am I misreading this? I always thought the Cathedral schools were unmatched for conservative and preppy.

No, no, sorry if that was not clkear. What I mean is that Potomac is most like the Cathedral schools and the least like GDS. Potomac may have more in common with Maret than it does with GDS (but just barelky). Potomac is really far in the opposite direction of vales/lifestyle choices/politics, etc...

As for the poster who asks, "Does anyone get the impression that parents feel that if a school is difficult to get in to, then it must be good?" Well, actually its a pretty good indication that its a good school. Generally, it means that many people have found it to be a great educational facility and want their child to go there. So, yes, but its a rationale reason and not as simplistic as you are phrasing it.