Which are top public high schools that don't have too strong a sports culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know of *any* public schools inside the beltway, or close to the beltway, where the jocks are the popular kids. You have nothing to worry about!

Huh? The FFx Co. public HS I went to didn't fit in this generalization. I made the It Academic team as an alternate and was sure glad I wasn't really "on" the team because the football and lacrosse guys (and the cheerleaders) sure did a lot of giggling and making fun of the smarty-pants (...although their tune quickly changed when it came time to study for mid terms and finals - ha!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know of *any* public schools inside the beltway, or close to the beltway, where the jocks are the popular kids. You have nothing to worry about!

I think it's more accurate to say that there are no public schools in the immediate urban/suburban area where athletics dominate the school. As a PP stated, public schools in this area are big and diverse enough to allow virtually any kid to find a happy home. Even in schools where sports play a large role, they are not the sole or dominant culture. Your son will likely be happy wherever he ends up.

[Anonymous]

I agree with both views- yes, sport did play a big part in most schools here (football is part of the US culture)- so therefore the sports players, cheerleaders- got noticed- but the schools are big enough that there were other clicks as well. But the sport people were more well known since they represented the school- well, in sports- and therefore "popular"- so it's silly to say they weren't but did it lead them over others in high school and beyond to excel? most likely not.. there are niches for everyone in general..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know of *any* public schools inside the beltway, or close to the beltway, where the jocks are the popular kids. You have nothing to worry about!

I think it's more accurate to say that there are no public schools in the immediate urban/suburban area where athletics dominate the school. As a PP stated, public schools in this area are big and diverse enough to allow virtually any kid to find a happy home. Even in schools where sports play a large role, they are not the sole or dominant culture. Your son will likely be happy wherever he ends up.

I agree with this. I teach in a public HS inside the Beltway in Fairfax Co. and there is a wide range of popular kids here. Sure, athletes are noticed, but we also have the IB program at our school, so smart kids are cool, too. And often times the smart kids are the athletes as well! We also have a great drama department and a diverse student body so there are many places for kids to fit in. Because the schools are so good around here and parents are generally quite involved and well educated, I don't think it is "uncool" to be smart at any of the schools around here.

[Anonymous]

I went to Whitman (albeit years ago), and have a niece at Churchill, and a nephew at Langley.

I think the "jocks" get attention at ANY school. The star football/soccer player always gets noticed, and the cheerleaders are always popular. Even at the smart schools, parents and kids want to be well-rounded so sports and activities are still a big thing.

I think the difference is that, at the top public schools, your peers will frown on you if you're a dummy. So while the jock quarterback with the 3.5 GPA is still a "catch"... the dumb jock quarterback who is failing out of school is likely to be less popular. And, its never "uncool" to get good grades at these schools.

Sports is still a big part of the culture at these schools, but I think they also accept a wider range of activities. I remember our student body president was a very smart guy who didn't have an athletic bone in his body, and was not very good-looking. But people thought he was nice, smart and funny.