New Bullis head -- Reviews?

[Anonymous]

Agree, some of the athletes they are recruiting are to benefit the athletic perception of the school. I wonder how many of recruited athletes will be eligible to play in college or even meet NCAA Clearinghouse standards.

The wave of Bullis recruiting will continue for a few more years before the Headmaster realizes the school can't sustain to give out free rides for anyone can dribble or run a 4.5 forty. It is not a good situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bullis has always been the laughingstock of the IAC schools and has always been looked upon as the safety school - its a fact. Its college placement is GOOD but not excellent for a school where you dish out over $30,000+ a year.

The new headmaster has put a huge emphasis on building the community - well how do you do that - build an athletic program! As a long time follower of the IAC, it seems like Bullis is recruiting heavily for football and basketball. Clearly the old headmaster (now at Sidwell) had no desire to build Bullis' athletics. Just last year, Bullis' basketball team was comprised of several transfer players as well as their football team. Just look at who their best football player was this year and their top basketball players - all transfer students. I kinda feel bad for the students and parents who have been there since the middle school working so hard to compete on the varsity and all of a sudden a new recruited transfer student shows up. Just last year, Bullis had a transfer student from Canada show up at its doors for the basketball season and suddenly transferred out this past summer. Bottom li

The school itself has very nice campus and some very nice academic buildings. I'm not sure what the school really stands as it tends to go in cycles every 5 -6 years when a new headmaster comes in. It has a state of the art Arts Center as well.

Its safe to say its academics are towards the low end when comparing it to the other IAC schools.

You sound like such a bitch.

[Anonymous]

Sounded quite detailed and accurate to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a partial list of where the Bullis class of 2011 went (what I can remember off the top of my head): UMD (several), UVA, Wake Forest (more than one), St. Andrews, Middlebury, Columbia, Wellesley, Sarah Lawrence,Colby, GW, Holy Cross, Franklin and Marshall, Pepperdine, U. Michigan (several), USC, Miami University, University of Miami, University of Chicago, Georgetown (several), University of Pennsylvania (more than one), Clemson, American, Ursinus, Dickinson, Babson, Boston University (more than one), Northeastern, Davidson, Penn State (more than one), Carnegie Mellon, Warren Wilson, University of Mississippi, Ithaca, Johns Hopkins, Tulane, University of Alabama, University of Massachusetts, UMBC. Students also got into, but elected not to attend Washington University of St. Louis, Amherst, William and Mary (more than one), Boston College and Brown.

What I've heard about the class of 2012 EA/ED so far includes: Dartmouth, Brown, Wash U (more than one), Princeton and Haverford.

Seems that these graduates still reflect the old Headmasters efforts and affect on academic prowess. From my understanding he had a major hand in Sidwell's previously strong reputation and had returned to restore the schools lustre again. Several faculty members also accompanied him back to Sidwell as well. The one thing that troubled me on my Bullis visit specifically was that few of the current faculty had a tenure at Bullis of more thatn 2-3 years. The one lower school Math Teacher being the exception. Facilities however were second to none!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a partial list of where the Bullis class of 2011 went (what I can remember off the top of my head): UMD (several), UVA, Wake Forest (more than one), St. Andrews, Middlebury, Columbia, Wellesley, Sarah Lawrence,Colby, GW, Holy Cross, Franklin and Marshall, Pepperdine, U. Michigan (several), USC, Miami University, University of Miami, University of Chicago, Georgetown (several), University of Pennsylvania (more than one), Clemson, American, Ursinus, Dickinson, Babson, Boston University (more than one), Northeastern, Davidson, Penn State (more than one), Carnegie Mellon, Warren Wilson, University of Mississippi, Ithaca, Johns Hopkins, Tulane, University of Alabama, University of Massachusetts, UMBC. Students also got into, but elected not to attend Washington University of St. Louis, Amherst, William and Mary (more than one), Boston College and Brown.

What I've heard about the class of 2012 EA/ED so far includes: Dartmouth, Brown, Wash U (more than one), Princeton and Haverford.

Seems that these graduates still reflect the old Headmasters efforts and affect on academic prowess.L From my understanding he had a major hand in Sidwell's previously strong reputation and had returned to restore the schools lustre again. Several faculty members also accompanied him back to Sidwell as well. The one thing that troubled me on my Bullis visit specifically was that few of the current faculty had a tenure at Bullis of more thatn 2-3 years. The one lower school Math Teacher being the exception. Facilities however were second to none!

Farquhar did a good job at Bullis, making it a stronger academic institution. He'd been gone from Sidwell since 1989, and was just the upper school dean when he left, so it's hard to make a case that he was the reason for Sidwell's strong reputation. Nor is it my impression (as a non Sidwell parent) that the school had lost its lustre in the Harrison/Stewart years.

[Anonymous]

Bullis IAC Basketball Champs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Several faculty members also accompanied him back to Sidwell as well.

Who?

[Anonymous]

I think it is too early to tell whether Dr. Boarman will be good for Bullis in the long run. He may be involved in other divisions of the school but he seems out of touch with what is going on in the lower school. He did hire the new lower school head who is very difficult to work with and many families and children are unhappy.

[Anonymous]

I think that the academic push from the new head will be exactly what they need.

[Anonymous]

Several faculty members also accompanied him back to Sidwell as well.

This comment is simply untrue. There is one Part-time Economics teacher who currently teaches at Bullis and Sidwell. There are no other Bullis teachers who have followed Mr. Farquhar to Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I just read through these postings and am a bit alarmed by the vitriol and unfounded generalizations about Bullis. Bullis is not as elitist or exclusive as some independent schools...it will take a hard-working B student. However, the top students do very well in the college admissions process--this year's seniors were admitted to Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins. And, while the school is having a terrific year with athletics (Girls ISL champs in soccer and tennis, Boys IAC in Football and Basketball), what about the award winning choir, the Model UN team, the amazing Jazz band, and incredible success of the National History Day program? I think you need to take a closer look...your info is outdated and/or false. Why so mean, folks? Perhaps sour grapes? You wish your child was happy and balanced and loving life at Bullis, I think.

[Anonymous]

Bullis was the school of last resort for boys with problems. Then they improved the academics, but athletics tanked. Now the sports are doing well at the expense of academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I just read through these postings and am a bit alarmed by the vitriol and unfounded generalizations about Bullis. Bullis is not as elitist or exclusive as some independent schools...it will take a hard-working B student. However, the top students do very well in the college admissions process--this year's seniors were admitted to Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins. And, while the school is having a terrific year with athletics (Girls ISL champs in soccer and tennis, Boys IAC in Football and Basketball), what about the award winning choir, the Model UN team, the amazing Jazz band, and incredible success of the National History Day program? I think you need to take a closer look...your info is outdated and/or false. Why so mean, folks? Perhaps sour grapes? You wish your child was happy and balanced and loving life at Bullis, I think.

The Bullis class of '12 had great college acceptances. The fact that Bullis eschews exclusivity just burns some people up. Personally, I grew up in an exclusive town and went to exclusive schools, but I got it out of my system and don't need the "prize pig" medals. Ignore the vitriol - you know the value of the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I just read through these postings and am a bit alarmed by the vitriol and unfounded generalizations about Bullis. Bullis is not as elitist or exclusive as some independent schools...it will take a hard-working B student. However, the top students do very well in the college admissions process--this year's seniors were admitted to Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins. And, while the school is having a terrific year with athletics (Girls ISL champs in soccer and tennis, Boys IAC in Football and Basketball), what about the award winning choir, the Model UN team, the amazing Jazz band, and incredible success of the National History Day program? I think you need to take a closer look...your info is outdated and/or false. Why so mean, folks? Perhaps sour grapes? You wish your child was happy and balanced and loving life at Bullis, I think.

[FYI, the girls' soccer title was in the lower division -- "best of the rest" as they say.] Nevertheless, I think everyone agrees Bullis is going to see even more success in athletics (they are also having an excellent boys' lacrosse season). What is at issue is what they are doing to achieve that -- giving money to affluent families if the child is a good athlete (so, effectively, giving athletic scholarships); taking senior transfers from other league schools; taking students expelled from other league schools; waiving the taking of the SSAT for athletes.

Why do people care? That's a good question. Probably in part because sports ARE taken so seriously, and those with children at league rival schools get bugged by the fact that Bullis has gone renegade but won't admit it. Not saying it makes much sense -- if your kid is happy where they are, who cares what terrible students Bullis is admitting or what crazy new recruiting their football coach is doing -- but it's probably a factor.