Are there any feeder schools for Holton?
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Anonymous
| PP -- You're funny & I agree. I don't know anything about Lowell, but I know a lot about Holton. My daughter goes there and it has more work than any school I know of. My daughter had more homework in Middle School there than my husband had in his MBA Program or I had at law school. So, Holton is not for the faint of heart. If the Lowell kids want to go there -- good for them. Anyone considering it should just be aware how very, very rigorous it is. We've given up our weekend getaways and weeknight movies thanks to Holton's rigor. And, yes, like a poster somewhere on DCUM -- we gave up cable too. Any girl who graduates from Holton should be given a medal of honor -- it's quite an accomplishment. Most Holton grads say Holton is harder than any college/university they've gone on to -- including top Ivies such as Harvard and Princeton. |
Anonymous
| I agree that Holton has tons of homework. It is a very hard school. It's a great school with great resources. It's just not for everybody. It tends to have a lot of mean girls -- very, very rich ones from Potomac who live in compounds. Before someone jumps on me -- they do have some girls from middle class backgrounds or even some poor backgrounds. But, those girls don't get choice awards or college spots -- those are reserved for the rich girls. |
Anonymous
| Agree with previous poster. Holton does try to be diverse in every way. It's hard to be economically diverse when it costs $30k and then adds on other fees for other things (eg. seniors do global initiative travel). |
Anonymous
| agree |
Anonymous
| 9:08 I suppose "effectively" is a judgment call but based that on this class' placement and the notion that that is part of her job: developing relationships with target schools, just like college counselors develop relationships with admissions offices and regional representatives. Other schools (Sheridan comes to mind) are very up front about this. I know "networking" can have a negative connotation. I meant this as a compliment. |
Anonymous
| That brainiac set of twins at Holton paved the way for all future Lowell girls...no one else needed to do any marketing or "effective networking". No one at Holton had ever heard of Lowell frankly until those twins arrived. Now, no one at Holton will ever forget Lowell. Those brainiacs go to a top Ivy -- think CT -- they didn't get into a number of the "top" private schools in DC since there were two of them....just goes to show the entrance rituals here in DC for the privates are very rigorous, challenging and political |
Anonymous
| Yes -- the students are the best "marketers" for a given school. People always ask where someone went before. |
Anonymous
| It will be a tough transition for the Lowell girls to move to Holton. Holton is much more rigorous and requires very high IQs for someone to make it through |
Anonymous
Wow - that's a pretty big assumption - so Lowell girls do not have high IQs? And what pray tell is your basis for this assertion? |
Anonymous
| Lowell is a really sweet school - it's just not in the same league as Holton...nothing personal...don't take my word for it -- check out WSJ |
Anonymous
Goodness - no one on this thread ever claimed that Holton and Lowell are in the "same league". You claimed that Lowell girls don't have a high enough IQ to be at Holton and I am asking you how you came to this conclusion. Is it because there aren't more Lowell girls at Holton or do you have some facts to support your claim - i.e. that Lowell girls do not do well at Holton. Without this type of analysis, your post is just dumb. Please tell me you are not a Holton mother! |
Anonymous
Huh???? My dc is at another school I did not apply to these schools but I respect them. I have no bias. However, I feel it would be irresponsible to not respond to this post because it is extremely misleading to insinuate that by checking out the Wall Street Journal the OP could determine that Holton is in a different league than Lowell. First, Holton is an excellent school and has national recognition as demonstrated in it's outstanding college placement as reported by the WSJ (I think NCS and Sidwell Friends were the only other local schools who also were acknowledged in the article), but it is unfair to ask the OP to check the WSJ as a reference as to how Holton is in a "different league" than Lowell. Lowell's students are in Pre-K (or possibly 3s - I'm not sure) through 6th grade, so obviously the school would NEVER be on the radar of the WSJ's ranking of college placement. Holton's curriculum is for 3rd through 12th. You really cannot compare them. It is bothersome to me that someone would make such a ridiculous statement, especially if the OP were not familiar with both school. As for "feeder" schools to Holton. I have friends who sent their children to Primary Day, Concord Hill, NPS, St. Patrick's (although Primary Day is the only school listed that goes through 2nd - so the students may enter later from the other schools) who went on to Holton. I only have one friend who sent her son to Lowell and he now is thriving at St. Albans and based on previous posts, it sounds like Lowell has a strong relationship with the school. My advise to the OP is probably obvious, don't be overly concerned about the "feeder" issue and find a school where your child will excel in the next few years. Baby steps. Also when you tour/interview from school and can specifically about how many of the former students in recent years have gone on to Holton. But for now, focus on next year and try not to focus on down the road. |
Anonymous
Really? and how is the WSJ relevant when we are talking about a school that ends at 6th grade???? |
Anonymous
| I think people are worrying too much. If your kid does really well at just about any "feeder school" the prestigious schools will look at them. But our daughter was not considered at NCS for admittance because they didn't like the idea she had gone to Montessori for 9 years before the 7th grade -- they didn't think she'd be able to deal with their 5 hours or so of homework a night. She didn't' go there -- she went to another great girl's school that I won't mention |
Anonymous
| NCS & Holton are for the academically talented girls. Somene who isn't at that level will suffer at both schools. |