Anyone have DC move off a waitlist?

[Anonymous]

Any Big 3 w/l movement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any Big 3 w/l movement?

I have not heard about Big 3 w/l movements, but have heard about families who are thrilled that their DC will be at NPS, Sheridan, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any Big 3 w/l movement?

People need to STOP USING THIS STUPID PHRASE!!!!! Its so f#*@#ing annoying and ridiculous. There is NO SUCH THING!!! Ugh!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Big 3 w/l movement?

People need to STOP USING THIS STUPID PHRASE!!!!! Its so f#*@#ing annoying and ridiculous. There is NO SUCH THING!!! Ugh!!

Whoa! Sounds like someone didn't fill their prescription..

[Anonymous]

You should read the NYC parent forum: urbanbaby.com. They make us look sane. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, uses the term "top tier" (which is abbreviated TT). And what is funny is that NO ONE ever responds negatively to it. They all accept that there is some top tier, middle tier, lower tier. I personally think Big 3 is way less offensive than TT. Big 3 could just be some division I schools or something, like with the NCAA.

[Anonymous]

I personally think "Big 3" is something that was created right here on DCUM by some overzealous moms. Therefore, deeming the "big 3" as the "division I" schools in the area is only the opinion of a few who have way too much time on their hands, posting in the hopes of recruiting the rest of us....There are too many great private schools in DC to be convinced that the "Big 3" are just that because DCUM says so....I don't know, maybe I'm just not easily convinced and/or a follower.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest Big 3 was division I as in "great", I just meant to say that Big 3 seems more like some strange categorization of a few schools, but they could be in that pile for any number of reasons (like the NCAA schools are for basketball). But TT (top tier) assumes that there are truly "good schools" and "bad ones". And of course, what matters is what is good for the child.

[Anonymous]

I like TT. With Big 3, it's always which three? Sidwell, Maret, GDS? What about St. Alban's and NCS? Also, Holton-Arms, which, along with Sidwell is the only DC area school that makes thee WSJ's top 50 schools list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest Big 3 was division I as in "great", I just meant to say that Big 3 seems more like some strange categorization of a few schools, but they could be in that pile for any number of reasons (like the NCAA schools are for basketball). But TT (top tier) assumes that there are truly "good schools" and "bad ones". And of course, what matters is what is good for the child.

I agree with you here. I'm beginning to think that "The Big 3" has come to be what's good for the parents, and their status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like TT. With Big 3, it's always which three? Sidwell, Maret, GDS? What about St. Alban's and NCS? Also, Holton-Arms, which, along with Sidwell is the only DC area school that makes thee WSJ's top 50 schools list.

Not a fan of name "The Big 3" - even though I went to one of them and think very highly of it. DC is not as clear cut as NY. In NY all the "TT" begin in Kindergarten and go through high school with the exception of Buckley which goes through 8th grade... they are all similar in size.. there are easy comparisons to make and reasons why they would be "lumped" together as a group. DC has a little bit of this & that all of which are very impressive. Schools like Holton, Landon and the Catholic High schools don't start until later on. There are many schools which are top notch which are either elementary/middle or high school... varying greatly in size and ages. Many of these top notch elementary/middle schools send their students on to NSC/STA, Holton, Landon, Maret, Sidwell, GDS - which are TT schools. Bottom line, too many apples and oranges to make such a vast generalization. One other reason I like about top tier - is because it does NOT have a limiting number 3 in implies... well, just that 3 schools where as TT leaves room for subjectivity.

I urge parents to use this forum to learn about all the wonderful cities in the DC area, and not as a limiting tool with labels like "Big 3" which is ridiculous.

Oh and for what it's worth, WSJ also has lists NCS along with Sidwell & Holton in their top 50 high schools based on 2007 college placement. Mind you their list was soley based on admission to 8 colleges: Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Williams, Pomona, Swarthmore, the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins... omitting many top schools including Stanford & Yale.... so the results are in my opinion manipulated. The link is: http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-COLLEGE0711-sort.html

[Anonymous]

Holton isn't competed for as often by people who live in the city b/c it's in the burbs. But if you ask suburban MDers it's at the top. Just a different community that apparently is less represented on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so the results are in my opinion manipulated.

I wouldn't say "manipulated" but rather they give a very incomplete picture of admissions--for someone who cares about getting into princeton, most such people would probably care as much about Stanford, Yale, and Harvard (and some others). It's an assortment of schools and I'm not sure that the schools chosen don't introduce some significant bias into the results.

[Anonymous]

23:24 Righ, NCS is just amazing, some of us moms were joking recently about how we wished we could dress up our boys as girls and send them there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:23:24 Righ, NCS is just amazing, some of us moms were joking recently about how we wished we could dress up our boys as girls and send them there.

Thank you for that, funny lady.

[Anonymous]

It is funny but we were absolutely serious, many a true word said in jest and all that!