When parents are only applying to Maret, GDS and Sidwell...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is the most difficult to get in among these three schools.

Selectivity does not equate to quality. Rigor is the most important quality for high achievement.

Plenty of rigor at Maret.

Compared “rigor” issues with a Maret parent one day and all they could say was, “wow, we are not at that level.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Social climb to what? This isn’t 18th century France.

Omg this made my day 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is the most difficult to get in among these three schools.

Selectivity does not equate to quality. Rigor is the most important quality for high achievement.

Plenty of rigor at Maret.

Maybe. I couldn’t say. But I can say a low acceptance rate has nothing to do with rigor.

[Anonymous]

Maret tuition is lower than the other hot Independents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well if you’re going to post a list with long explanations of the GDS alumni, and say nothing about the alumni from the other schools, of course the GDS list is going to look longer.

Guess we wouldn’t recognize most of the GDS alumni without it, though?

Why is it the Maret list includes a pro basketball and pro player, but the Sidwell list doesn't include the two kids in the NBA and one in the NFL?

I don't even understand the SFS list that was posted. It doesn't include some of the more impressive scientists, journalists, government officials or business people.

This is from the school’s wiki pages which they presumably edit themselves … only related what they self report …

Still think some other privates and public’s in area have more impressive alumni lists … anyone who sends their kids to “top 3” (or top 5) for snob value is missing the plot ..,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is the most difficult to get in among these three schools.

Selectivity does not equate to quality. Rigor is the most important quality for high achievement.

Plenty of rigor at Maret.

Compared “rigor” issues with a Maret parent one day and all they could say was, “wow, we are not at that level.”

Yeah, I would probably say the same to avoid a pissing contest. The only way to fully grasp rigor is to have a system to measure it against then collect the data and chart it up. Word of mouth is a terrible unmeasurable metric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could this seriously be an educational decision for elementary school or is it just pure social climbing strategy?

Not sure why it's any business of yours. We only applied to GDS, Sidwell, and STA. Those were the only schools where we felt it was worth $50,000/year tuition. We have no need to climb socially, but are people who want good educational value for the money.

And wouldn't your best bet be to just go to a highly regarded public school for elementary? That'd be free. So yes, you want to be able to put that magnet on the BMW so folks can see it at the Chevy Chase Club.

FWIW - we're a family that has had our children in private from the start. We have never put a school magnet on our car, don't belong to country clubs, and don't think privates are better than our highly regarded public. But we did feel the private our children attended for LS was a better match than our public for each of our children and same with the Big 3 high schools they chose. Have had to get used the the price tag and the stigma from public parents - but it's been a good path for our children. College placement never played a factor. Try not to paint everyone with the same brush.

I am giving an eyeroll to "a better match". That is some serious code speak. Match in what sense, exactly? And how much do you actually know about your highly regarded public, versus what you presume or carried with you based on your own biases? A Better Match... because you want a cute controlled environment where you pay and therefore feel entitled? Where you don't have to accommodate disabilities and diversity? Where you know "the kind of people" your dear children will associate? Please do tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maret tuition is lower than the other hot Independents.

Maybe they should raise tuition so they could buy WiFi that actually works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret tuition is lower than the other hot Independents.

Maybe they should raise tuition so they could buy WiFi that actually works.

Can’t they get it free from the district? Grift on!

[Anonymous]

Car magnets have become the new culture war. LOL.

[Anonymous]

I saw someone today driving like a jackazz with GDS and BVR magnets. Somehow unsurprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is the most difficult to get in among these three schools.

Because it is so small.

This has got to be one of the dumbest comments I’ve ever seen on this board- schools aren’t selective because they are small (Little Flower is small; it is neither selective nor terribly rigorous)

Maret has a warm community, great teachers, and plenty of academic rigor- which is why its hard to get in. It may not be Groton or Andover, but it is great. And yes, we have sticker on our car because we are happy to be there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is the most difficult to get in among these three schools.

Because it is so small.

This has got to be one of the dumbest comments I’ve ever seen on this board- schools aren’t selective because they are small (Little Flower is small; it is neither selective nor terribly rigorous)

Maret has a warm community, great teachers, and plenty of academic rigor- which is why its hard to get in. It may not be Groton or Andover, but it is great. And yes, we have sticker on our car because we are happy to be there!

Of course it is because it is small. How many kids does Maret take for 9th? Something like 10 boys and 10 girls? How many does GDS take? Something like 50? 25 boys and 25 girls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret tuition is lower than the other hot Independents.

Maybe they should raise tuition so they could buy WiFi that actually works.

Can’t they get it free from the district? Grift on!

They might be- that would explain why we haven’t had a day yet this school year without a massive failure! I guess our internet is finding it quite rigorous!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could this seriously be an educational decision for elementary school or is it just pure social climbing strategy?

Not sure why it's any business of yours. We only applied to GDS, Sidwell, and STA. Those were the only schools where we felt it was worth $50,000/year tuition. We have no need to climb socially, but are people who want good educational value for the money.

And wouldn't your best bet be to just go to a highly regarded public school for elementary? That'd be free. So yes, you want to be able to put that magnet on the BMW so folks can see it at the Chevy Chase Club.

FWIW - we're a family that has had our children in private from the start. We have never put a school magnet on our car, don't belong to country clubs, and don't think privates are better than our highly regarded public. But we did feel the private our children attended for LS was a better match than our public for each of our children and same with the Big 3 high schools they chose. Have had to get used the the price tag and the stigma from public parents - but it's been a good path for our children. College placement never played a factor. Try not to paint everyone with the same brush.

I am giving an eyeroll to "a better match". That is some serious code speak. Match in what sense, exactly? And how much do you actually know about your highly regarded public, versus what you presume or carried with you based on your own biases? A Better Match... because you want a cute controlled environment where you pay and therefore feel entitled? Where you don't have to accommodate disabilities and diversity? Where you know "the kind of people" your dear children will associate? Please do tell.

Hey eyeroll. Why so fighty today?

My dear child was a better match at NWDC private lower school vs JKLM for curricular reasons. He read, wrote and spoke publicly so much more than my neighbors’ kids at DCPS. So much more writing every week. We care a lot about writing and speaking in front of groups. DCPS accelerated faster in math. We care less about completing Calc BC by junior year. We wanted foreign language multiple times a week beginning in K. We wanted more studio art classes and instrumental music instruction during the 9-3 school day than the DCPS curriculum offers.

1:12 ratio vs 1:22. Three outdoor recesses daily vs one. Both factors more optimal for our dear children. Maybe for other kids, having twice as many kids per teacher would be a better match.

Before I posted this, I looked up the reported percentages of races at our assigned DCPS compared to the private. Private has same % of white kids, many more hispanic, more black and fewer asians. The FARMS rate at assigned DCPS is surprisingly consistent with the percentage of kids at this private who receive full financial aid.

The one area where our school isn’t diverse at all is that there are few to no kids with severe behavioral challenges. Or learning disability that turns into behavioral manifestation. I freely admit that and, you got it, that seems like it would be a better match for my dear children than the alternative. I base this guess on our kids’ limited experience with consistently disruptive kids in extracurricular settings.