Why can't non top tier privates just increase rigor and test prep to remove the perceived gap?

[Anonymous]

Whatever. I went to a mediocre Fairfax Co public HS and attended a top 20 university with a Microbiology major. I was more than ready to meet the rigor. I graduated #11 out of 420 in HS. I didn’t even take a full AP course load. I didn’t find college or grad school that difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, NCS, STA, GDS, Holton, Potomac . . .

And the generally accepted list of the next tier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, NCS, STA, GDS, Holton, Potomac . . .

And the generally accepted list of the next tier?

Don’t play dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, NCS, STA, GDS, Holton, Potomac . . .

And the generally accepted list of the next tier?

Maret, Field, Flint Hill, SSAS, Episcopal, Bullis, Landon, Madeira, Gonzaga

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because their students couldn’t handle a more rigorous curriculum.

Really? You realize some people choose what you perceive to be “lesser” schools for lots of reasons, right? We aren’t applying to them because, frankly, they’re overpriced and we don’t want to be around people like you.

This

[Anonymous]

Increasing rigor, test prep and APs does not work well for students without the balance of sports, extracurricular and social activities, and support that top schools are able to provide their students. With just academics, you end up with mostly Asian kids, which is fine, but they will want good grades too. The students crack the code on how hard they need to work to get the grades. Parents complain if they don’t get good grades, so teachers reduce rigor. It becomes less interesting for top students so they leave, and then you’re left with students who cannot keep up with rigor. Standards for students and teachers are lowered and they try to build community and start over with less focus on academics, destined to be a lower tier school. A school that cannot be selective because they need butts in seats will not be able to add rigor to move into the desirable list of schools. It will be a revolving door of teachers and students, willing to try it but quickly figuring out its flaws.

[Anonymous]

I am a parent of a Sidwell 10th grader.

I’ve read the OP a few times and I genuinely don’t understand the complaint or the ask. Can someone succinctly restate the problem at issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, NCS, STA, GDS, Holton, Potomac . . .

And the generally accepted list of the next tier?

Maret, Field, Flint Hill, SSAS, Episcopal, Bullis, Landon, Madeira, Gonzaga

Wow. Can’t imagine what you think of the schools we’re looking at (Seneca, Barnesville, and SSFS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of a Sidwell 10th grader.

I’ve read the OP a few times and I genuinely don’t understand the complaint or the ask. Can someone succinctly restate the problem at issue?

What’s stopping the non-elites from being just as good as the elite big 3 (or whatever), on paper? Can’t increased rigor and test prep easily diminish the gap between the two tiers, again, on paper?

[Anonymous]

Your definition of rigor seems tied to test scores. Do the big three school test demonstrably better than any of the other near schools (including public). If so, do they teach to the test? Do their parents hire expensive prep and tutors? Haha I wont even rip from the headlines what other lengths they may go to.

[Anonymous]

I’m not entirely convinced there’s a huge difference between so-called first and second tiers. Having been in the private school world of two cities, my take is that schools get reputations that are really hard to shake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of a Sidwell 10th grader.

I’ve read the OP a few times and I genuinely don’t understand the complaint or the ask. Can someone succinctly restate the problem at issue?

What’s stopping the non-elites from being just as good as the elite big 3 (or whatever), on paper? Can’t increased rigor and test prep easily diminish the gap between the two tiers, again, on paper?

Like others have said, there isn’t really a demonstrable difference between the so called “elite” schools and the ones you think are worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your definition of rigor seems tied to test scores. Do the big three school test demonstrably better than any of the other near schools (including public). If so, do they teach to the test? Do their parents hire expensive prep and tutors? Haha I wont even rip from the headlines what other lengths they may go to.

Right. And what tests are we talking about here? SATs? If so, what about the K-8 schools? At the end of the day, it’s really hard to objectively compare private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not entirely convinced there’s a huge difference between so-called first and second tiers. Having been in the private school world of two cities, my take is that schools get reputations that are really hard to shake.

The schools generally regarded as top tier in the DMV are (list someone posted earlier is accurate imo, although I'd say 2nd tier someone else posted isnt as accurate as some schools are missing) regarded by folks who really know the private school landscape are given this regard because they are the most difficult to get into for upper/high school, have the most rigorous curriculum in general classes (very few "easy" or fundamental classes, less help for a student with "challenges" - and I speak from experience here), and send the most kids on to the top tier colleges where they tend to sail through freshman year.

That is not saying a kid cant get just as good of an education at a school not on that list because most privates offer top tier classes, a student just may have to ask or test into those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not entirely convinced there’s a huge difference between so-called first and second tiers. Having been in the private school world of two cities, my take is that schools get reputations that are really hard to shake.

The schools generally regarded as top tier in the DMV are (list someone posted earlier is accurate imo, although I'd say 2nd tier someone else posted isnt as accurate as some schools are missing) regarded by folks who really know the private school landscape are given this regard because they are the most difficult to get into for upper/high school, have the most rigorous curriculum in general classes (very few "easy" or fundamental classes, less help for a student with "challenges" - and I speak from experience here), and send the most kids on to the top tier colleges where they tend to sail through freshman year.

That is not saying a kid cant get just as good of an education at a school not on that list because most privates offer top tier classes, a student just may have to ask or test into those.

Ok ....

But again, you’re focusing all on upper school. What about the K-8s, or the K-8 years in the schools with high schools? I have experience with private school too and know that it’s really difficult to compare schools objectively, especially when you’re talking about elementary and middle school years, when you don’t have SAT data.