Anonymous wrote:I found this whole thread comical. OP posted the same thing in the private school forum and basically got the opposite advice. We have an 8th grader applying to both privates and Walls and have had this conversation. If we have the choice we will choose private. But I don't believe every family should automatically make that choice. There are students/families that are happy with their choices at both. You have to decide what is best for your student/family.
I agree it’s funny but it’s not surprising. All the schools under consideration have plenty of selling points, and all have drawbacks. So naturally (and happily!) confirmation bias leads us all to conclude that we made the right choice.
All school debate threads on DCUM are just parents justifying the decision about which school their kids attend that they happened to make.
There is also a strange group of posters who don’t seem to have children or any particular connection to DC, but who are very upset about Walls dropping the test and show up to argue about test-in magnets in NYC in threads where that was never the question.
Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.
Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.
Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…
In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.
If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.
What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.
People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.
You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.
Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.
No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.
I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.
They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.
If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.
🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.
dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.
Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.
DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.
Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.
That’s your reality. Not mine.
What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?
My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.
Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.
lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.
These comments are hilarious…and so telling. Public school parents are so envious of the choices (and wealth) private school parents have. I don’t blame you.
P.S. Most parents I know who had the choice between TJ and Sidwell chose Sidwell (even with the commute!).
How many national merit semifinalists does Sidwell typically have? Two? Maybe three? It is completely normal for one-third of the entire class at TJ to be semifinalists.
In recent years, anywhere from 6 to 15 NMSF. That’s with 125 graduating seniors. Sidwell also routinely sends nearly 1/2 of its class to Ivy+/T25 universities.
A few years ago, Stuyvesant High School had *173* semifinalists. Some of these application schools are on a whole other level than DC schools, private or public.
Apples and oranges. Please focus:
1. Stuyvesant is a public magnet school in NYC. Sidwell is an elite private school in DC;
2. Stuyvesant has ~835 students/grade. Sidwell has 125 students/grade; and
3. On average, Stuyvesant sends fewer students to Ivy+ universities (~11%) than Sidwell (~35%).
I’ll take Sidwell’s educational/social environment, superior facilities, and college admissions odds over an overcrowded public magnet school full of desperate strivers who are burdened with the crushing weight of their entire families’ hopes and dreams (and where nearly half of the students are “economically disadvantaged”).
“Still, some students may consider Stuyvesant’s acceptance rates to elite universities inadequate, lamenting that Stuyvesant “only” sends a handful of students each to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton per year (note that nearly an eighth––96 students in 2020, 70 students in 2021––of all students attended an Ivy League or another elite school like MIT or Stanford).”
"Last year’s senior survey indicated that as many as 40.9 percent of Stuyvesant students who applied to an Ivy League college or elite university attended one."
That easily beats Sadwell.
Exactly.
Sidwell just can’t compete on college admissions.
Even Stuy’s student newspaper disagrees with you. The cope is hilarious! 😆
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.
Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.
Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…
In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.
If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.
What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.
People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.
You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.
Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.
No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.
I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.
They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.
If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.
🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.
dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.
Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.
DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.
Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.
That’s your reality. Not mine.
What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?
My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.
Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.
lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.
These comments are hilarious…and so telling. Public school parents are so envious of the choices (and wealth) private school parents have. I don’t blame you.
P.S. Most parents I know who had the choice between TJ and Sidwell chose Sidwell (even with the commute!).
How many national merit semifinalists does Sidwell typically have? Two? Maybe three? It is completely normal for one-third of the entire class at TJ to be semifinalists.
In recent years, anywhere from 6 to 15 NMSF. That’s with 125 graduating seniors. Sidwell also routinely sends nearly 1/2 of its class to Ivy+/T25 universities.
A few years ago, Stuyvesant High School had *173* semifinalists. Some of these application schools are on a whole other level than DC schools, private or public.
Apples and oranges. Please focus:
1. Stuyvesant is a public magnet school in NYC. Sidwell is an elite private school in DC;
2. Stuyvesant has ~835 students/grade. Sidwell has 125 students/grade; and
3. On average, Stuyvesant sends fewer students to Ivy+ universities (~11%) than Sidwell (~35%).
I’ll take Sidwell’s educational/social environment, superior facilities, and college admissions odds over an overcrowded public magnet school full of desperate strivers who are burdened with the crushing weight of their entire families’ hopes and dreams (and where nearly half of the students are “economically disadvantaged”).
“Still, some students may consider Stuyvesant’s acceptance rates to elite universities inadequate, lamenting that Stuyvesant “only” sends a handful of students each to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton per year (note that nearly an eighth––96 students in 2020, 70 students in 2021––of all students attended an Ivy League or another elite school like MIT or Stanford).”
Lololol. Yes - that is what we are saying. Sidwell does not produce better academic results for similar kids. What is does is allow rich parents to buy their way out of the school with the “desperate strivers.” (and let’s not kid ourselves - most Sidwell kids would not be a shoo-in to Stuy).
You seem to assume that wealthy people send their children to private school, primarily for “better academic results.” That’s nice, but it’s not always the most important factor. I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: Most wealthy people send their children to private school for: 1. The social/academic prestige of the institution (isn’t that why most Stuy students aspire to attend Ivies?); and 2. To insure their children are (overwhelmingly) surrounded by their social and economic peers.
People with means don’t want their children to fight for scraps (in substandard facilities) with the rest of you. What good is money if you don’t use it to purchase more comfort, convenience, and privilege? I don’t want my children tussling and hustling with yours in any public school full of desperate strivers. If Stuy, TJ, Walls, Boston Latin, etc is my only option, 1-2+ generations after my ancestors have graduated from college and established themselves professionally, I have done something wrong.
I mean we are in agreement - you are spending your money to purchase comfort for your kid. It has zero to do with the actual education or intelligence or drive of the kids at public (which are likely superior to your kids).
I’m not only purchasing comfort, I’m also purchasing access and privilege for my children. My children will do better than 99% of any public school kids because they’re smart and ambitious (enough) and they come from wealth and privilege. They attend schools that provide a learning environment that teaches privilege (how to manage it, navigate it, and acquire more). For the most part, public schools teach students how to obey and survive a hunger games-type of environment. A few winners emerge each year (survival of the fittest), but that’s not what I want for my children. My family has moved past that starting point. Good luck to your children, though!
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.
Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.
Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…
In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.
If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.
What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.
People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.
You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.
Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.
No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.
I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.
They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.
If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.
🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.
dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.
Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.
DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.
Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.
That’s your reality. Not mine.
What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?
My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.
Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.
lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.
These comments are hilarious…and so telling. Public school parents are so envious of the choices (and wealth) private school parents have. I don’t blame you.
P.S. Most parents I know who had the choice between TJ and Sidwell chose Sidwell (even with the commute!).
How many national merit semifinalists does Sidwell typically have? Two? Maybe three? It is completely normal for one-third of the entire class at TJ to be semifinalists.
In recent years, anywhere from 6 to 15 NMSF. That’s with 125 graduating seniors. Sidwell also routinely sends nearly 1/2 of its class to Ivy+/T25 universities.
A few years ago, Stuyvesant High School had *173* semifinalists. Some of these application schools are on a whole other level than DC schools, private or public.
Apples and oranges. Please focus:
1. Stuyvesant is a public magnet school in NYC. Sidwell is an elite private school in DC;
2. Stuyvesant has ~835 students/grade. Sidwell has 125 students/grade; and
3. On average, Stuyvesant sends fewer students to Ivy+ universities (~11%) than Sidwell (~35%).
I’ll take Sidwell’s educational/social environment, superior facilities, and college admissions odds over an overcrowded public magnet school full of desperate strivers who are burdened with the crushing weight of their entire families’ hopes and dreams (and where nearly half of the students are “economically disadvantaged”).
“Still, some students may consider Stuyvesant’s acceptance rates to elite universities inadequate, lamenting that Stuyvesant “only” sends a handful of students each to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton per year (note that nearly an eighth––96 students in 2020, 70 students in 2021––of all students attended an Ivy League or another elite school like MIT or Stanford).”
Lololol. Yes - that is what we are saying. Sidwell does not produce better academic results for similar kids. What is does is allow rich parents to buy their way out of the school with the “desperate strivers.” (and let’s not kid ourselves - most Sidwell kids would not be a shoo-in to Stuy).
You seem to assume that wealthy people send their children to private school, primarily for “better academic results.” That’s nice, but it’s not always the most important factor. I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: Most wealthy people send their children to private school for: 1. The social/academic prestige of the institution (isn’t that why most Stuy students aspire to attend Ivies?); and 2. To insure their children are (overwhelmingly) surrounded by their social and economic peers.
People with means don’t want their children to fight for scraps (in substandard facilities) with the rest of you. What good is money if you don’t use it to purchase more comfort, convenience, and privilege? I don’t want my children tussling and hustling with yours in any public school full of desperate strivers. If Stuy, TJ, Walls, Boston Latin, etc is my only option, 1-2+ generations after my ancestors have graduated from college and established themselves professionally, I have done something wrong.
I mean we are in agreement - you are spending your money to purchase comfort for your kid. It has zero to do with the actual education or intelligence or drive of the kids at public (which are likely superior to your kids).
I’m not only purchasing comfort, I’m also purchasing access and privilege for my children. My children will do better than 99% of any public school kids because they’re smart and ambitious (enough) and they come from wealth and privilege. They attend schools that provide a learning environment that teaches privilege (how to manage it, navigate it, and acquire more). For the most part, public schools teach students how to obey and survive a hunger games-type of environment. A few winners emerge each year (survival of the fittest), but that’s not what I want for my children. My family has moved past that starting point. Good luck to your children, though!
Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.
Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.
Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…
In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.
If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.
What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.
People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.
You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.
Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.
No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.
I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.
They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.
If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.
🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.
dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.
Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.
DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.
Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.
That’s your reality. Not mine.
What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?
My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.
Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.
lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.
These comments are hilarious…and so telling. Public school parents are so envious of the choices (and wealth) private school parents have. I don’t blame you.
P.S. Most parents I know who had the choice between TJ and Sidwell chose Sidwell (even with the commute!).
How many national merit semifinalists does Sidwell typically have? Two? Maybe three? It is completely normal for one-third of the entire class at TJ to be semifinalists.
In recent years, anywhere from 6 to 15 NMSF. That’s with 125 graduating seniors. Sidwell also routinely sends nearly 1/2 of its class to Ivy+/T25 universities.
A few years ago, Stuyvesant High School had *173* semifinalists. Some of these application schools are on a whole other level than DC schools, private or public.
Apples and oranges. Please focus:
1. Stuyvesant is a public magnet school in NYC. Sidwell is an elite private school in DC;
2. Stuyvesant has ~835 students/grade. Sidwell has 125 students/grade; and
3. On average, Stuyvesant sends fewer students to Ivy+ universities (~11%) than Sidwell (~35%).
I’ll take Sidwell’s educational/social environment, superior facilities, and college admissions odds over an overcrowded public magnet school full of desperate strivers who are burdened with the crushing weight of their entire families’ hopes and dreams (and where nearly half of the students are “economically disadvantaged”).
“Still, some students may consider Stuyvesant’s acceptance rates to elite universities inadequate, lamenting that Stuyvesant “only” sends a handful of students each to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton per year (note that nearly an eighth––96 students in 2020, 70 students in 2021––of all students attended an Ivy League or another elite school like MIT or Stanford).”
Lololol. Yes - that is what we are saying. Sidwell does not produce better academic results for similar kids. What is does is allow rich parents to buy their way out of the school with the “desperate strivers.” (and let’s not kid ourselves - most Sidwell kids would not be a shoo-in to Stuy).
You seem to assume that wealthy people send their children to private school, primarily for “better academic results.” That’s nice, but it’s not always the most important factor. I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: Most wealthy people send their children to private school for: 1. The social/academic prestige of the institution (isn’t that why most Stuy students aspire to attend Ivies?); and 2. To insure their children are (overwhelmingly) surrounded by their social and economic peers.
People with means don’t want their children to fight for scraps (in substandard facilities) with the rest of you. What good is money if you don’t use it to purchase more comfort, convenience, and privilege? I don’t want my children tussling and hustling with yours in any public school full of desperate strivers. If Stuy, TJ, Walls, Boston Latin, etc is my only option, 1-2+ generations after my ancestors have graduated from college and established themselves professionally, I have done something wrong.
I mean we are in agreement - you are spending your money to purchase comfort for your kid. It has zero to do with the actual education or intelligence or drive of the kids at public (which are likely superior to your kids).
I’m not only purchasing comfort, I’m also purchasing access and privilege for my children. My children will do better than 99% of any public school kids because they’re smart and ambitious (enough) and they come from wealth and privilege. They attend schools that provide a learning environment that teaches privilege (how to manage it, navigate it, and acquire more). For the most part, public schools teach students how to obey and survive a hunger games-type of environment. A few winners emerge each year (survival of the fittest), but that’s not what I want for my children. My family has moved past that starting point. Good luck to your children, though!
And yet you sound dumb and also kinda clueless?
I’m neither. However, I’m way richer and happier than you. Anyone who tries to personally attack a stranger on an anonymous board (about high schools 🙄) cannot be happy with their life choices. Seek help so that you can make peace with yourself.
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
A lot of Sadwell admits are hooked legacies, large donors, and athletic recruits. That is not true for Walls.
If you look at unhooked admissions, Walls has better college outcomes than Sadwell.
The unhooked paying $60k/year fo years at Sadwell only to score admisison to Tulane or Towson aren't getting what they paid for.
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
A lot of Sadwell admits are hooked legacies, large donors, and athletic recruits. That is not true for Walls.
If you look at unhooked admissions, Walls has better college outcomes than Sadwell.
The unhooked paying $60k/year fo years at Sadwell only to score admisison to Tulane or Towson aren't getting what they paid for.
Nope. A lot of Walls students who go to Ivies are hooked legacies as well (their parents are just less wealthy than their Ivy educated Sidwell counterparts). I know for a fact that at least 1/3 of the Walls 2024 grads, who went to Ivies, were legacies.
Walls is a meh school with rampant grade inflation and colleges know it. Google it—Walls students wrote about it in the student newspaper.
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
I’m not kidding when I say people like you is why we turned Sidwell down. I didn’t want my kid mixing with families that have this kind of attitude, and unfortunately there are too many of you at Sidwell.
Anonymous wrote:+100. This New Yorker was a semifinalist at Hunter along with more than 1/3 of my cohort. Nobody thought anything of it. Hunter admits about 5% of 8th graders who apply citywide.
Yup. The people creaming their pants about Sidwell wish they had a kid who could get into Hunter! And let’s not even get further down the list to DC area privates.
Some people have no idea what actual brilliance & talent look like and believe they can just buy it.
Let’s not pretend that DC schools like Walls though are anything close to Hunter. Things are the opposite in this town. Get rid of objective data and testing and the race to the bottom is why so many families opt out of DCPS if it’s charter, private, parochial, or whatever else.
No, but Sidwell is as good as Walls. If you opt for Sidwell instead of Walls it is because you affirmatively want to spend money (the aforementioned Veblen good).
Sidwell is much better than Walls. In every conceivable way.
Except in the way that requires you to pay $300k for it and then a bunch of Walls kids do just as well as your kid … for free.
A bunch? 😝
Walls sends about 15% of its students to Ivy+ universities each year. Sidwell sends more than double that amount. I like my kids’ chances at Sidwell much better. Plus, I prefer the socioeconomic status of Sidwell’s student body (among many other things).
Btw, Sidwell’s tuition over 4 years is ~$240k. Are you doing public school math to arrive at $300k? It’s a good thing I can easily afford the tuition.
Are you really so dumb that you don’t understand correlation v causation?
Watch out - purchasing comfort for your kid to the tune of 50K a year for a mere high school carries its own risks. I assert this as a public school and MIT grad from a low-income immigrant family who's done well in my DC legal career.
We looked at Sidwell and other pricey DC privates but decided to move to the burbs for HS. The logic we're following is that our teens are spoiled enough, along with embarrassingly self-involved. We decided to reduce the risk of their embracing an entitlement mentality in a cocoon environment. IMHO, a young person needs character, empathy, intellectual curiosity, great teachers and the ability to relate to a variety of people far more than a privileged upbringing to lead a happy and constructive life. The right inputs can be found in public high schools, but probably not in DCPS.
We had our kids in DCPS from preschool through Deal and wish we'd left for the burbs earlier. We plan to return to DC as empty nesters. Good luck, OP.
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