Potomac parents are SO ANNOYING

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

Look, when someone walks into a discussion and says ‘the snacks at my kid’s Big 3 school suck’ and everyone pulls menus and starts comparing approaches, Potomac wasn’t mentioned.

That’s kind of what I mean when they say it’s a group that recognizes itself.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

My own husband doesn't even know that Potomac would have been a big no from me because it literally never came up (even when we were talking with other parents looking at different sets).

[Anonymous]

This thread has made “Big 3” parents look like the absolute tools many of them are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has made “Big 3” parents look like the absolute tools many of them are.

🤣

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It seems like Potomac is trying to position itself as an elite school. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great school but it’s not a top three (NCS/STA, GDS or Sidwell) and it has a chip on his shoulder because of that.

Soon to be new family at Potomac. I think of Potomac as a neighborhood private school. Lots of people in McLean send their kids there. I would not expect anyone not in McLean to know or care about this school.

I certainly wouldn’t expect or think anyone from dc or md would care.

Potomac is dealing with a lot of moving targets at once.
They are definitely a big fish in a small pond but by many metrics competitive with big 3.
And I think this is a fairly recent development. They're still getting used to it

Potomac decided maybe a couple of decades ago to almost abandon some of it's legacy preferences because it had started drawing an applicant pool that was far more competitive than it had seen in the past.
This is just conjecture but I think the legacy parents got very loud and proud about Potomac and the newcomers thought that was what they were supposed to do. The Potomac pride was not understated. Some people liked that.

The 9th grade admits are so much more competitive than the kids that got in 10 years ago that they almost belong in different schools. Potomac is getting more and more competitive by the year. I think it's the location. McLean didn't used to be like this.

A couple of decades ago Potomac didn’t even have a high school. Question- do people really not know about the teacher that r*ped a dozen girls? The school knew something was up but failed to report him. Then he went off to teach at another private before finally a victim who was also a mother at that private spoke up.

Huh, what? They had an upper since the 1980s. They opened a new upper school building about 20 years ago. maybe that is what you are thinking of.

Fall 1987 was the first year that students could start 9th and go through 12th grade (class of 1991) in the new high school. The class of 1990 was technically the first class to graduate, but they would have completed 9th grade in the old facilities and only 10th-12th grades in the new facilities. Before that time, the school went through 9th grade. Some new facilities were built in time for the classes of 1990/1991 but I don’t think the build out was complete and there has been a ton newly built and improved since then. For those who think about Potomac as a neighborhood private school - Potomac actually used to be in Georgetown (1904-1951), and there are lots of Georgetown families that sent their kids to Potomac for generations, even though it moved to McLean in 1951. (It was named Potomac bc it was close to the Potomac River when it was in DC). Since the Tysons Corner build out and resulting traffic on Chain Bridge increased in the early 2000s, the Georgetown to Potomac pipeline has decreased. There used to be nothing past old downtown McLean so a DC to McLean drive across Chain Bridge was a reverse commute; now it takes just as long either way both morning and afternoon and Chain Bridge was not built to accommodate that kind of traffic. Anyone who attended Potomac would know about the pedophile as there was a lot of communication sent out to alumni. I remember him vividly from when he was head of what was known then as the intermediate school (7th/8th grades). I am thankful that I am not a victim, deeply saddened for those who are, horrified at how long the abuse went on, and in disbelief that he went from Potomac to be employed at the school my sibling attended (which is where a victim encountered him and reported him). I do still have wonderful memories of Potomac and I am grateful for my experience there; I can only hope that everything that we have learned about child predators since that time has resulted in more systemic protections across the board at Potomac and other schools. It would not dissuade me from sending my children to Potomac.

10am coffee sipper back to say I really appreciate you bringing some real context into this thread.

I think part of what keeps happening here is that people are reacting to something they don’t fully name (especially on the play ground, where most of these IRL conversations happen), so it comes out sideways. To those who haven’t been around it, it can read as snobbish or dismissive, when it’s often more of a gut reaction shaped by what they’ve heard or experienced. Without that context, it can make it come across as more toxically competitive than intended.

That gap in understanding is what seems to keep fueling the back-and-forth.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

NP. One of my children will be attending Potomac this fall and we live in McLean. I would not expect dc parents to talk about Potomac or VA schools the same way I don’t think or talk about dc or nyc schools.

And no one ever says big 3 in real life.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

NP. One of my children will be attending Potomac this fall and we live in McLean. I would not expect dc parents to talk about Potomac or VA schools the same way I don’t think or talk about dc or nyc schools.

And no one ever says big 3 in real life.

Yeah, it’s really more of a DCUM shorthand than something people say in real life. I think we tend to say "the typical" in real life 🤣

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why the Potomac school is in McLean, and the McLean school is in Potomac.

People have been asking this question for generations

The Potomac School started in DC (1904) and was in Georgetown - after an early re-location from its first site - until 1951 (at which point it moved to McLean). It was named after the Potomac River because the campus was near the river when it was in DC. The purchase of the land in McLean allowed for significant expansion and later (1987) the addition of grades 10-12. As to why the McLean school is in Potomac, that I do not know. I know Potomac’s history because I attended. When I was there (80s), there were quite a few kids that lived in Potomac (the place) and traveled to McLean to attend Potomac (the school) using Georgetown Pike as a short cut from Potomac to McLean. I wonder if that is still the case given the explosion of regional traffic.

And why is the McLean school in Potomac?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It mentioned how there is a former board president that writes recs - whenever they write a rec the family is guaranteed acceptance to the school. This doesn’t help the toxic culture at the school nor does the fact that some families are also accepted simply based on the size of their perceived wallet. It’s sad that some schools like Potomac do this to appease parents and forget to consider fit for the child.

I think you are lying when you claim that whenever a former board president writes a recommendation, it is a guarantee of acceptance. I know a former board president with his family name on one of the buildings that can't guarantee acceptance with a recommendation. Which former board president are you talking about?

I think you are lying when you claim that families are accepted based on the perceived size of their wallet. Potomac regularly turns away wealthy families, either because the child is not an academic or social fit for the school.

It's one thing to make subjective judgments about how annoying the parents at Potomac are, but you are making false factual claims.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The Big 3 represents the best options available to NW DC UMC families. Mostly lawyers, that's all.
And speaking as a lawyer, there is no more prestige grubbing group of people than a bunch of lawyers.

This is some big fish in small pond energy.
The NYC and New England privates have never heard of any of these schools except Sidwell but don't really think much of Sidwell either unless the student's last name is Obama or Clinton
The admissions officers don't really talk about any of these schools the same way they talk about Exeter or Trinity or Harker.
They know TJ better than they know any of the Big 3 and they probably know the MoCo W's better than NCS/STA/GDS

If the reason you are sending your kid to private is so you can brag about sending your kid to private, your kid probably hates you. And they should

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

For someone who couldn’t care less about Potomac, you seem to have spent a lot of time in this thread espousing your opinions about the school. Why is that? What need in your life is going unmet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

For someone who couldn’t care less about Potomac, you seem to have spent a lot of time in this thread espousing your opinions about the school. Why is that? What need in your life is going unmet?

Really? A lot of time? From one throw away response comment while most likely waiting in the school drop off line? I'm not the person you reacted to, BUT I see a LOT of projection coming from your reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't really see a non-Potomac parent considering Potomac comparable to the Big 3...

The whole idea of a Big 3 is silly. We were a non Potomac parent , but then our DS had the choice between a supposed Big 3 and Potomac and he wound up choosing Potomac. It’s about fit. Potomac has a very good academic reputation even if many DC-centric DCUMers don’t want to admit that.

I don't disagree that school is about fit, but claiming you were a non-potomac parent before ultimately choosing Potomac doesn't make you a non-potomac parent comparing to the Big 3 😂

I’m guessing you’re a teenager that is posting on a parent forum for some reason. I’m not “claiming” anything. Technically I am still not a Potomac parent since DS doesn’t start there until the fall. I’m also not comparing it to the Big 3. I am saying it has an excellent reputation.

Excellent reputation according to whom? What is the reputation you have in mind?

According to their college admits for 2026 -take a look.

College admits equates to solid reputation? Didn’t know that was the sum of a person.

Oh come on. It’s not and you know it but my response is directed to the posters on this thread who insist they are right on which schools qualify as “ big 3” or “big 5” and anyone using that term is presumably talking about academic rigor which is generally measured ( for better or worse) by a school’s ability to send their students to top colleges and universities. By that measure, anyone suggesting that Potomac isn’t in that running should look at their college admits for at least the past decade, with this year being particularly impressive.

Hard to disagree and I think that is why Potomac parents get so upset and bothered. The Big 3 represents a choice set of equal value, but different child personality that DC families decide between. Frankly, Potomac just is not part of that set and statistics don't change that fact.

The only true “set” I can ascertain from years of reading DCUM posts ( yea I shouldn’t admit that) anout the big 3 or big 5 is that the school be located in NW DC. That isn’t much of a value set imo. And having been in the independent school world with two kids ( one who is about to graduate) for a decade plus, it’s obvious that ALL of these schools are similar and so are the parents. Some are annoying, some flaunt their wealth, some are down to earth and some are not. Anyone targeting Potomac as somehow attracting a different kind of parent likely has some other axe to grind.

Look you walk on the campus of Sidwell/GDS/the close and try to claim Potomac is Big 3 you are gonna get sideways looks. You claim any of those 3 as a parent of one of the others and claim Big 3 they say "oh yea" because there is a shared understanding. That's what makes them the Big 3. It isn't me claiming, it is self recognizing group.

Shared understanding of what exactly? I know parents at every single school you’ve mentioned, including Potomac. Literally every single one. And I also sent a child to one of these NW schools. The only people I’ve ever heard even use the term big 3 are from this board. Everyone out in the real world, you know those without some weird hang up about Potomac being in VA ( you know the NW DC crowd who don’t “do” VA) include Potomac in any critical discussion of top schools in the area.

You don’t need to lie. I couldn’t care less about VA, and none of the parents at our Big3 ever mention Potomac’s name when talking about schools. I definitely can’t remember the last time I heard someone say the name “Potomac” out loud to refer to the school. From what I’ve read on this board, it seems like Potomac parents are desperate to prove something about themselves/their kids and desperately want to be included in NW DC and MoCo discussions. It’s not happening - and it turns everyone off from the school.

For someone who couldn’t care less about Potomac, you seem to have spent a lot of time in this thread espousing your opinions about the school. Why is that? What need in your life is going unmet?

Dear Potomac mom,

That PP was shutting down the other poster’s fallacy that everyone groups Potomac with the top DC private schools. In reality, Potomac only occupies the headspace of NOVA families, unless the Potomac moms force the rest of us to remember their existence by boosting it on DCUM.

Hope this helps.