Big 3, Big 5??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to answer OP once again and facts are facts the old establishment Big 3 (top 3) have always been:
1. STA
2. NCS
3. Sidwell

Regardless of others trying to get into the mix they can't change the historic facts which those have always been the top 3 schools.

If expanding to Big 6 - I would say Maret, GDS and Potomac should be added into the mix but then there are the Catholic schools which a few would be added into a Big 10 category.

Don't you have anything better to do during spring break? It is absurd to think that there is a "historic" Big-3. Please.

Op asked the question. Sorry if you do not the multiple replies from most posters answering it. Seems you don't like the answers.

Most posters seem to be insecure Cathedral and SFS parents and bored 16 yr old lifers.

+1. Lot of insecurity esp by the NCS parents who cannot imagine their traditional girls' school being replaced by those GDS progressives. Oh well, times change.

[Anonymous]

Only the kids who attend the actual Big 3 are really special... sorry everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

Second tier would be made up of these schools: Maret, Potomac, Holton, GDS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

If you are Jewish or Black, GDS has long been considered part of the Big 3. If you are invested in keeping the Big 3 white and Christian, then you'll leave out GDS. The point being Big 3 is based upon one's notion of prestige, which is subjective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

If you are Jewish or Black, GDS has long been considered part of the Big 3. If you are invested in keeping the Big 3 white and Christian, then you'll leave out GDS. The point being Big 3 is based upon one's notion of prestige, which is subjective.

Lots of Jewish and Muslim families and black families at Sidwell, STA, and NCS. You clearly do not know these schools well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to answer OP once again and facts are facts the old establishment Big 3 (top 3) have always been:
1. STA
2. NCS
3. Sidwell

Regardless of others trying to get into the mix they can't change the historic facts which those have always been the top 3 schools.

If expanding to Big 6 - I would say Maret, GDS and Potomac should be added into the mix but then there are the Catholic schools which a few would be added into a Big 10 category.

Don't you have anything better to do during spring break? It is absurd to think that there is a "historic" Big-3. Please.

Op asked the question. Sorry if you do not the multiple replies from most posters answering it. Seems you don't like the answers.

Most posters seem to be insecure Cathedral and SFS parents and bored 16 yr old lifers.

+1. Lot of insecurity esp by the NCS parents who cannot imagine their traditional girls' school being replaced by those GDS progressives. Oh well, times change.

+2. Am I the only one troubled by the fact that the same posters bring up the _1950s_ to support their arguments? There are many things that happened in the 1950s that we don’t want back—segregation in DC schools, lack of reproductive freedom, Jim Crow, and voter suppression. Why are we ranking schools on prestige based on what your grandparents thought?

Back in the 1950s, Stanford was much “younger” than Brown, UPenn and other ivies. I suppose you could say it’s not as prestigious, but people may call that “out of touch.”

I feel fortunate to live in 2024 and benefit from all the ways our society has evolved.

(Bringing up RFK, Jr.’s attendance at DC schools just makes me laugh.…)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

Really? LOL

As one PP pointed out, lots of the parents you say don’t care are the ones keeping this and any other Big # thread alive.

“GDS is part of the Big #!”
“How dare you, you little upstart! EVERYone who is ANYone knows it’s (fill in your school’s name here)!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

I have two kids at two of these schools. I just don't think that people should be touting alum of these schools who attended when these schools discriminated against Blacks and Jews, and at the same time argue that because today these schools accept Blacks and Jews, that should be the standard by which a school is determined to be "big." If the latter, then GDS is definitely considered Big-3. If the former, then just admit that you are abiding by moral standards that most of us today reject.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

If you are Jewish or Black, GDS has long been considered part of the Big 3. If you are invested in keeping the Big 3 white and Christian, then you'll leave out GDS. The point being Big 3 is based upon one's notion of prestige, which is subjective.

Lots of Jewish and Muslim families and black families at Sidwell, STA, and NCS. You clearly do not know these schools well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who created the so-called Big 3, Big 5, Big 10, etc.? I noticed a thread pinned at the top, and I was curious to know how it came about. Was it based on college outplacement, where the wealthy sent their kids, SAT scores, etc.? Does anyone know? Does the Big 3 change year to year? I know there are a lot of great schools in the area, I just wonder why it's such a polarizing topic on this board.

It is not polarizing actually except for those in schools that are not in the Big 3. Most parents in the Big 3 don't care as they have nothing to prove. It does not really matter. NCS, STA, and Sidwell have always been the top tier followed by Maret.

Maret used to be regarded only slightly better than Juvie.

[Anonymous]

Colleges see GDS as the equivalent of Sidwell and NCS/STA, and that's all that really matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges see GDS as the equivalent of Sidwell and NCS/STA, and that's all that really matters.

Hmmm…🤔

[Anonymous]

This entire thread should make all of us Marxists who want to dismantle private education.

No matter where you send your kids, you're wealthy. And you're ensuring that your children maintain that wealth. The cosmetic details (co-ed vs. SS, religious vs. secular, liberal vs. conservative) really don't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big 3 has always been Sidwell, GDS and STA/NCS. If you’re not including STA/NCS as one school system then NCS falls off that list.

GDS was not even created as a school when the Big 3 schools began. It has always been STA, NCS, and Sidwell. Always. NCS/STA are NOT the same school. Different institutions, different boards, different finances, etc... Only 30 percent of families have kids in both schools.

As said GDS was not even in existence as a school when the Big 3 term began.

Huh???
What are you talking about? GDS was created in 1945. The "big 3" is a term created on DCUM. DCUM has not even been around for 30 years.

No but Big 3 school and top tier have been around for over a hundred years and the top tier has always been Sidwell and Cathedral schools. Ask anyone that grew up in this area. GDS came into the picture much later as did Potomac.

Yes, they have been around a long time, but they were never called big 3 or big anything. The big 3 term started on DCUM.

There’s literally a Wikipedia article about the term “big 3” and its use to describe HYP dating back 100+ years ago.

But we are not talking about HYP here

Some posters are claiming DCUM invented the term Big 3, so this PP is pointing out a usage far predating DCUM. We know we're not talking about HYP here.

Seriously, are you really that obtuse? We are talking about big 3 in term of private schools in DC, which was created on DCUM. Not the general usage. No one outside of DCUM refers to these schools as big 3, big 5 or big anything.
My goodness!

Fair point! I was just saying why (in my opinion) the PP brought the HYP usage into it.

Yes, that is why I brought HYP usage into it. Lots of posters are claiming that the TERM "Big 3" was invented by DCUM. It wasn't.

Are y'all really that obtuse and insecure? People are not talking about the TERM big 3. They are talking about the "big 3" of DC private schools, which is a DCUM thing.

[Anonymous]

People....look at the the college admits.
GDS is #1 this year-with the most imprssoev results in a very difficult year. So if you are basing your "Big Three" on when you went to school in the 80's, I guess you can discount it, but for those of us living in 2024- GDS is the hardest school in the DMV to be accepted to and has the best admits this year. So for a current Big three list:
GDS
Sidwell
St Albans