Difference Between GDS, Maret and Sidwell for HS?

[Anonymous]

Vocal music program at Sidwell is fantastic, other arts much stronger at GDS.

GDS facilities actually I think for community/learning are really great, the forum is a wonderful thing, and really brings the HS community together, while not a cafeteria everyone gets lunch from the Safeway nextdoor or local restaurants and often bring it back and eat in the forum. The sidwell cafeteria is not very attractive, low ceiling, food gets monotonous, not sure really a selling point. Other than the new arts center and meeting room and gym at Sidwell, the main classroom US building is ugly as sin and while functiona not really a selling point for the school. GDS HS building post recent renovation is very very nice in terms of classrooms, labs, theater, and the gym/weight room is also really nice. Main lack is just having a single field, so teams have to go to MS via bus on some days to practice.

Both schools are really really strong academically and have more similarities than differences, both quite a lot of pressure on the kids, not sure Sidwell any worse in that respect than GDS. Sidwell is run by the teachers, there are some fantastic ones there, but the HS adminstration has been very weak and unsettled. GDS has a much stronger/more popular administration, and more parent involvement, agree that can be a plus or a minus depending on the issue.

Choose, if lucky enough to get into both, based on how your kid feels about the place, and perhaps the nature of a particular class, in a small school each graduating class can have very definite social and even academic flavors that will be a better or worse fit for your kid. Hard to scope that out in advance, but you may be able to via contacts on sports teams, arts groups, neighborhood. And then if a strong extracurricular interest, that can factor in as well (theater/visual arts GDS, football of course Sidwell or Maret, since GDS has none, but frankly other sports hard to choose, either not great at both schools such as lacrosse and baseball, or varies a lot from year to year, both have quite reasonable boys and girls soccer teams and track programs recently).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have first hand experience with both GDS and Sidwell. Sidwell has better facilities - not even close. But that doesn't mean its the better school for your kid. GDS has much better arts and music. It's probably a more nurturing environment too.
I view Sidwell as less nurturing because it pushes every kid to excel academically. It is not a place that tolerates - the dog ate my homework attitude. It produces excellent students who are ready for college. So does GDS.
At Sidwell the teachers and the administration are in charge. At GDS, parents have more say in the way things are run. That is in part due to the roots of GDS which was founded by a group of parents. I sort of side with Sidwell on that point because sometimes GDS can seem less organized than Sidwell.

+1 GDS's facilities are the worst (by far) among all the top privates in the DMV. That doesn't mean that the GDS facilities are unacceptable, they are just not up to the standards set by the other $35K a year schools.

[Anonymous]

Does not seem that people consider Maret a direct comparable to Sidwell and GDS. Is there something different about Maret?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does not seem that people consider Maret a direct comparable to Sidwell and GDS. Is there something different about Maret?

It is much smaller (75 vs 125 at the other two) so has a different feel. Sports are weaker as a result of the smaller pool to draw from. A few years ago they didn't even have enough girls to field a JV lacrosse team.

[Anonymous]

Maret's sports are pretty good. It regularly beats the bigger schools in baseball and football. I'm a Sidwell parent

[Anonymous]

GDS is the most insecure school in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell has a much stronger Chinese language program, if that is important to you.

Sidwell has an excellent Chinese program, but GDS also has a strong Chinese program, and a GDS student just won an international Chinese proficiency contest, Chinese Bridge. GDS's Latin program is also strong. The Latin teacher is brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i think the 9th grade has around 130.

This year (2013) Sidwell has 14 National Merit Scholar Semifinalists. That is a fairly good number of NMSF assuming the senior class also has only about 130 students. Some schools may do better as a percentage, but this is still a very strong showing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious responses only please. Have toured and our DS likes all three. Am hopeful to get insights on the pros and cons of each, from people that actually have first-hand experience (vs. giving feedback based on perceptions.) Thank you so much!

Great question. DC is also considering all three.

Would love if someone can confirm the following observation: Sidwell has stronger resources in athletics, science, and writing and in general, the facilities at Sidwell are be are better than Maret and GDS.

Sidwell has more fields onsite and from what i've seen better facilities for the most sports (tennis, soccer, football, track). Sidwell includes lunch. GDS does not have a cafeteria. Not sure what Maret does. Sidwell has some fantastic teachers especially english and science. The new arts building is really nice.

I think Sidwell is strong in the objective measurements (NSMF, campus size, facilities) but look closely to see if it is a good fit for your kid. Its an intense place.

Maret's lunches are catered by Ridgwells, but I'm sure that since the OP has toured all three, they are familiar with the respective facilities!

I think the biggest differentiation between Maret and GDS/Sidwell is whether their DC prefers the smaller class size of Maret.

YMMV

[Anonymous]

Another difference is GDS's upper school campus in tenleytown is only 9-12, sidwell wisc campus is 5th-12th, and maret campus is K-12. So when you enter in HS i think GDS is nice as everyose is new to the campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you looking for comments only from people who have experience with two or more of these three, so they can compare/contrast? Or are you also interested in pro-con comments from those of us who have significant experience with just one of the three?

I'm not the OP, but I would be wary of posts comparing schools unless the poster states that s/he has first-hand experience as a parent or teacher at both/all the schools.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, Maret does their best to accept nice kids who also happen to be really smart and involved in the life of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, Maret does their best to accept nice kids who also happen to be really smart and involved in the life of the school.

?

All else equal and assuming your DC was accepted to and was a fit at all three schools, which would you attend and why?

[Anonymous]

Completely depends on the DC and what they want, because in the case of those 3 schools there are really no significant differences academically, other than possibly a few less math/science upper level course options at Maret because of its smaller, size, and your DC will be very well-prepared for college and exposed to interesting and smart classmates and stimulating teachers at all 3, so should completely come down to the feel of the social aspects of the school, the nature of the particular graduating class being joined, and interest in particular extracurriculars that are stronger or of more interest to your DC at one school or the other. Don't over think now, apply to all three, see if your kid is lucky enough to even get into one of the three, and then have DC go back and do visits/shadows and make a decision.

[Anonymous]

I agree with 8:54. Good advice.