TC Williams or private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recent anecdote: My niece and nephew went to TC. One is at Princeton; the other graduated from Yale a few years ago and is in a graduate program at Cal Tech. Both felt very well prepared for college. Both are highly motivated, self-starter types.

Not so recent anecdote: I went to TC and then to UVA as an Echols Scholar with nearly a year of college credit (AP exams). I was very well prepared. Better prepared then some of my classmates who attended DC-area privates. Went to law school at Yale. I'm a highly motivated, self-starter type.

Future anecdote: My kids will be at Minnie Howard next year and TC proper in 2017 - 2018. Both are highly motivated, self-starter types. I'm confident they'll do well.

Now we're talking. Pp, thank you so much. How did your tc classmates and your niece's and nephew's tc classmates do post high school? Similar experience? Did you all enjoy your high school years?

My niece's and nephew's high school friends are a stellar group of kids. To a person, they landed happily at great colleges. One of my niece's close friends stumbled a bit - transferred from University of Chicago to Georgetown after a hard first year to be closer to home (mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer) - but as a group, they're doing very well. Nephew's friends are either employed and exploring graduate school or in grad school. They both had a great high school experience and remain close with their high school friends.

Same for me: great experience. Crew was a lynchpin for me and my group of friends in high school. My closest and oldest friends are women with whom I went to GW middle school and TC. All successful professionals and, more importantly, really good people. A few weekends ago we were all in the same place celebrating one of our kid's bat mitzvahs. Good times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recent anecdote: My niece and nephew went to TC. One is at Princeton; the other graduated from Yale a few years ago and is in a graduate program at Cal Tech. Both felt very well prepared for college. Both are highly motivated, self-starter types.

Not so recent anecdote: I went to TC and then to UVA as an Echols Scholar with nearly a year of college credit (AP exams). I was very well prepared. Better prepared then some of my classmates who attended DC-area privates. Went to law school at Yale. I'm a highly motivated, self-starter type.

Future anecdote: My kids will be at Minnie Howard next year and TC proper in 2017 - 2018. Both are highly motivated, self-starter types. I'm confident they'll do well.

Now we're talking. Pp, thank you so much. How did your tc classmates and your niece's and nephew's tc classmates do post high school? Similar experience? Did you all enjoy your high school years?

My niece's and nephew's high school friends are a stellar group of kids. To a person, they landed happily at great colleges. One of my niece's close friends stumbled a bit - transferred from University of Chicago to Georgetown after a hard first year to be closer to home (mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer) - but as a group, they're doing very well. Nephew's friends are either employed and exploring graduate school or in grad school. They both had a great high school experience and remain close with their high school friends.

Same for me: great experience. Crew was a lynchpin for me and my group of friends in high school. My closest and oldest friends are women with whom I went to GW middle school and TC. All successful professionals and, more importantly, really good people. A few weekends ago we were all in the same place celebrating one of our kid's bat mitzvahs. Good times.

Wonderful reflection, and completely consistent with our experience at CBES, GW, Minnie/TC, and especially with Alexandria Crew.

[Anonymous]

I totally get that crew is wonderful and I wish my child did crew but he does not - he plays other sports that are not nearly as well-regarded. How do the kids do who are not in crew, particularly the boys? I feel like the boy culture is tougher for academically motivated kids as they may be viewed as "try hards" etc - whereas the girls just compete over everything (which is good and bad).

[Anonymous]

Private unless you wanna get a street life hard knocks life experience

[Anonymous]

Jumping on the TC question here - how crazy are the hours the kids at TC are doing homework? I've been hearing stories about kids up on a regular basis until 1 and 2 am doing homework. Is this the norm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jumping on the TC question here - how crazy are the hours the kids at TC are doing homework? I've been hearing stories about kids up on a regular basis until 1 and 2 am doing homework. Is this the norm?

No, but it's not easy, especially if your DC is in a meaningful-commitment to a aport or a significant co-curricular. For 2 or 3 yrs, a number of parents regularly griped that TC somehow lacked rigor, or something like that. So now, the kids (especially those in AP, IB, Honors, and STEM carve-outs, which collectively is most of the school) get their cans creamed on homework, tests and projects. I guess the benefit is that, if my DC is an Olympic neurosurgeon pilot, or something, that part will come easy.

regularly, 1 or 2 AM? No.

Instead, 6/7 nights, 11 pm or later, with one night per week to 1230 AM, and at least one early morning per week. That's true for my DC and for nearly all of DC's friends, and their parents confirm that to me repeatedly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jumping on the TC question here - how crazy are the hours the kids at TC are doing homework? I've been hearing stories about kids up on a regular basis until 1 and 2 am doing homework. Is this the norm?

No, but it's not easy, especially if your DC is in a meaningful-commitment to a aport or a significant co-curricular. For 2 or 3 yrs, a number of parents regularly griped that TC somehow lacked rigor, or something like that. So now, the kids (especially those in AP, IB, Honors, and STEM carve-outs, which collectively is most of the school) get their cans creamed on homework, tests and projects. I guess the benefit is that, if my DC is an Olympic neurosurgeon pilot, or something, that part will come easy.

regularly, 1 or 2 AM? No.

Instead, 6/7 nights, 11 pm or later, with one night per week to 1230 AM, and at least one early morning per week. That's true for my DC and for nearly all of DC's friends, and their parents confirm that to me repeatedly.

That is what we're experiencing, though it is more 5-6 nights than 6-7. She is in a year round sport, as well as choir.

[Anonymous]

Wait, TC or private?



Obviously Private.

This is another edition of simple answers for stupid questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, TC or private?



Obviously Private.

This is another edition of simple answers for stupid questions.

Actually, not really. TC - free; private - eat up everything we have saved for college. Private - longish commute; TC - next to no commute. Private - all the kids applying to the same elite schools; TC - lots of kids looking for schools that are less costly. Private - mostly rich, spoilt kids. TC - huge variety.

OP we are struggling to make a similar decision and are losing a lot of sleep over the decision. At the end of the day, is it better for your kid to potentially be a stand out at TC or average at an elite private? And I don't mean this in terms of college admissions although that is of course a factor- it's also a major factor in terms of your kid's mental health and general happiness. And there are plusses and minuses to both.

[Anonymous]

OP, years from now how will you handle your guilt if your kid got hung up with the TC mediocracy when you and your spouse know she/he had more in them? Because by all objective measures (just look at TC educational assessments), that is what TC Williams High School is.

The prior poster says: "At the end of the day, is it better for your kid to potentially be a stand out at TC or average at an elite private?'

It isn't just about grades, it's also about what values you want your kids to acquire. An average (and really if average is a "C", don't you think your kid would at least top out better than that at a private?), ethical, value driven graduate is very desired by any college.

Don't take the bait, OP. If you can't do private, just move to a better public school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, years from now how will you handle your guilt if your kid got hung up with the TC mediocracy when you and your spouse know she/he had more in them? Because by all objective measures (just look at TC educational assessments), that is what TC Williams High School is.

The prior poster says: "At the end of the day, is it better for your kid to potentially be a stand out at TC or average at an elite private?'

It isn't just about grades, it's also about what values you want your kids to acquire. An average (and really if average is a "C", don't you think your kid would at least top out better than that at a private?), ethical, value driven graduate is very desired by any college.

Don't take the bait, OP. If you can't do private, just move to a better public school system.

Do you really think it's impossible for someone to graduate from TC Williams and be ethical and value driven? Or that going to private school guarantees that? wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, years from now how will you handle your guilt if your kid got hung up with the TC mediocracy when you and your spouse know she/he had more in them? Because by all objective measures (just look at TC educational assessments), that is what TC Williams High School is.

The prior poster says: "At the end of the day, is it better for your kid to potentially be a stand out at TC or average at an elite private?'

It isn't just about grades, it's also about what values you want your kids to acquire. An average (and really if average is a "C", don't you think your kid would at least top out better than that at a private?), ethical, value driven graduate is very desired by any college.

Don't take the bait, OP. If you can't do private, just move to a better public school system.

Do you really think it's impossible for someone to graduate from TC Williams and be ethical and value driven? Or that going to private school guarantees that? wow.

Don't kid yourself, PP. THE ISSUE ACPS is now trying to instill/teach our ACPS students is values,ethics, right from wrong, which is seen lacking in so many student's home instruction. Of course there are families within TC who instill these values, but there are many, many who do not.

Don't take my word for it, though, here is Superintendent Crawley addressing the board this week:

http://acpsk12va.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view...id=2&clip_id=833&meta_id=21792

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, TC or private?



Obviously Private.

This is another edition of simple answers for stupid questions.

Actually, not really. TC - free; private - eat up everything we have saved for college. Private - longish commute; TC - next to no commute. Private - all the kids applying to the same elite schools; TC - lots of kids looking for schools that are less costly. Private - mostly rich, spoilt kids. TC - huge variety.

OP we are struggling to make a similar decision and are losing a lot of sleep over the decision. At the end of the day, is it better for your kid to potentially be a stand out at TC or average at an elite private?[i] And I don't mean this in terms of college admissions although that is of course a factor- it's also a major factor in terms of your kid's mental health and general happiness. And there are plusses and minuses to both.

People always say things like this, but you should factor in the possibility that a kid might end up average at TC (disenchanted, overwhelmed by the large size, etc.) or a stand-out at a private (motivated, at home). It is not as binary as people want to suggest.

[Anonymous]

If she is interested in crew go TC Williams. But she probably should have started in middle school to make the cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she is interested in crew go TC Williams. But she probably should have started in middle school to make the cut.

Isn't crew no-cut? I suppose it depends on the school.