FIELD SCHOOL: HIDDEN GEM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field is new GDS.

Nah, it's the new Maret. Except much more expensive.

Admission to GDS or Maret is quite different than Field and it's not fair to suggest otherwise. They are very different schools in my opinion. As an aside, what is up with the cost? Why is Field so much more expensive?

[Anonymous]

Beautiful buildings.

[Anonymous]

Be sure to ask about teacher training and AP classes. Less than a gem in my eyes.

[Anonymous]

It is likely expensive because it is very small and has very small classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be sure to ask about teacher training and AP classes. Less than a gem in my eyes.

Field does not have AP classes, though it does have advanced classes of their own creation. I think this is far superior to APs, which give curriculum development over to a for-profit corporation that emphasizes breadth over depth. My DC who went to Field was very academic and was not hurt at all in the college process. Colleges want to see applicants who take the most advanced courses at their school, not necessarily APs. Andover doesn't offer APs. Schools are moving away from them because they are highly flawed.

I can't speak to teacher training. We haven't had a bad teacher yet. I know they must exist, they exist every where, but after three years at Field I have yet to be disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field is new GDS.

Nah, it's the new Maret. Except much more expensive.

Admission to GDS or Maret is quite different than Field and it's not fair to suggest otherwise. They are very different schools in my opinion. As an aside, what is up with the cost? Why is Field so much more expensive?

Ah, perhaps, but I would be cautious about equating selectivity with excellence. (No sour grapes, BTW; my kids attend/ed one of the most selective schools in town.)

[Anonymous]

Field doesn't attract the same kinds of kids who want to go to GDS or Maret. They can now afford to select those students/families they think truly want to be at Field and aren't just using it as a "safety" Also, the tuition is high in part because they do not have an auction to raise money for financial aid every year. Instead they charge a little more and spread that money around for financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Laughing that OP thinks Field is "hidden." I hear so much buzz and excitement about this school from 8th graders and parents at our k-8. It has become very popular. It is attracting the type of kids from our school that used to head to GDS and Maret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids who go there are very weird.

I truly hope you are a student somewhere else and not a parent writing this.

[Anonymous]

Current (new) parent here. The major cost driver for Field is the low student-teacher ratio. The biggest share of tuition expenses for most schools is faculty salaries; more faculty means more money set aside for those.

As someone else mentioned, they also use tuition payments upfront to lessen the constant demand for additional fundraising (i.e., auctions) during the school year. I have to say, so far it seems to be totally worth it.

As far as the lack of APs -- AP today does not at all mean what it used to mean. I would do some research before deciding if it should be as important for your child today as it likely was for you 20/30 years ago.

I'm not losing any sleep over the lack of classes (and if it IS that important, your child can still take the exams...)

[Anonymous]

I WISH Field were hidden: my child will be applying next year and I sure hope the applicant pool is not clogged up with kids who would really prefer GDS or Maret.

The attraction of Field has historically been the fact that it attracts and caters to slightly quirker kids: kids who are turned off by the ultracompetitive environment at the "Big 3," kids who are more creative/artsy/independent minded, kids with minor learning differences, and kids with unconventional styles who just don't "fit in" as well at the other big schools, for one reason or another.

Long may it stay that way. I'd really hate to see it turn into just another cookie-cutter school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I WISH Field were hidden: my child will be applying next year and I sure hope the applicant pool is not clogged up with kids who would really prefer GDS or Maret.

The attraction of Field has historically been the fact that it attracts and caters to slightly quirker kids: kids who are turned off by the ultracompetitive environment at the "Big 3," kids who are more creative/artsy/independent minded, kids with minor learning differences, and kids with unconventional styles who just don't "fit in" as well at the other big schools, for one reason or another.

Long may it stay that way. I'd really hate to see it turn into just another cookie-cutter school.

+1

Field's original mission was to give kids who were bright but unsuccessful in other schools a place and a fresh start. Their student body now draws from a wider population but they are still willing to take a chance. It would be a real loss if that were to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I WISH Field were hidden: my child will be applying next year and I sure hope the applicant pool is not clogged up with kids who would really prefer GDS or Maret.

The attraction of Field has historically been the fact that it attracts and caters to slightly quirker kids: kids who are turned off by the ultracompetitive environment at the "Big 3," kids who are more creative/artsy/independent minded, kids with minor learning differences, and kids with unconventional styles who just don't "fit in" as well at the other big schools, for one reason or another.

Long may it stay that way. I'd really hate to see it turn into just another cookie-cutter school.

I'm not convinced that it IS changing. This year's freshmen seem to fall into the "quirky" category as before. The increase in the middle school will change things a bit, but I am not sure it would make a huge difference as the new admits still outnumber the "lifers" -- a major difference between Field and some other schools out there.

But it is certainly far more popular (and thus becoming more competitive by definition). There seem to be far more suburban kids (Fairfax, Montgomery) applying to DC private high schools in general than there were even 3-4 years ago...

[Anonymous]

Field is a nice school and several friends and their kids have had happy experiences there. We toured there ourselves several years ago and had an overall positive impression, except for one thing. The school library had virtually no books. Clearly the school could afford them but they explained that there philosophy is that everything is on computers. Others (myself included) have a different view, that open stack libraries are an important part of academic discovery for students (and adults).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I WISH Field were hidden: my child will be applying next year and I sure hope the applicant pool is not clogged up with kids who would really prefer GDS or Maret.

The attraction of Field has historically been the fact that it attracts and caters to slightly quirker kids: kids who are turned off by the ultracompetitive environment at the "Big 3," kids who are more creative/artsy/independent minded, kids with minor learning differences, and kids with unconventional styles who just don't "fit in" as well at the other big schools, for one reason or another.

Long may it stay that way. I'd really hate to see it turn into just another cookie-cutter school.

+1

Field's original mission was to give kids who were bright but unsuccessful in other schools a place and a fresh start. Their student body now draws from a wider population but they are still willing to take a chance. It would be a real loss if that were to change.

This. My friends who have children there and are quite happy have kids that were denied admissions elsewhere due to ld, aspergers, adhd. It is nice when a school can look outside the box.