Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a legitimate chance at getting into one of the very top schools, you probably know it by the time they're in sixth or seventh grade. And whether they go to Sidwell or Walls or any number of other high schools probably doesn't make much difference. They will rise to the top regardless of where they are. And if you think Sidwell is going to get your average or somewhat above average kid into Harvard, you're going to be deeply disappointed.
Once again, for those of you in the cheap seats. For many/most elite private school parents, Harvard isn’t the goal. The goal is to give your children an education that provides social/academic prestige (long after graduation), and a similarly situated peer group (socioeconomically speaking). Unless your child is an academic superstar, legacy, recruited athlete, large donor, etc, a school like Harvard is the cherry on top (not the main dish). I do think most Sidwell/elite private high school parents want/expect a T25 university or better. Most get it. Even when their child is in the lower half of the class).
That’s exactly what everyone is saying. Your kid cannot hack it at a truly academically elite school thus you have to purchase them a private education. Less discussed (but well known by those of us in inner circles) is that many of your failsons will NOT be going to a T25 but you will have to continue purchasing their education for them (eg a mid-tier SLAC full pay where they will graduate eventually in 5-6 yrs with a 3.0 after a few semesters off for rehab.)
Oh, envy is not a good look for you! 😝 Sidwell’s admission statistics to T25 universities speak for themselves. Argue with yourself.
It’s hilarious that you think wealthy, well educated parents care about whether or not their kids can scrape their way up from the bottom with your public school kids. That’s for you, and the rest of the general population. Nor do we care about your opinion of private school. We know you’re jealous.
I've watched multiple family members cocoon their children with wealth. But money can't buy everything. Eventually the kid ends up struggling (finding meaning, connection, etc.), because they never developed the drive or problem-solving skills that would lead them to success.
It doesn't look so great from here. But I understand that different people have different definitions of success.
This, obviously. I went to an Ivy, as a first gen college student on a full Pell Grant, where I made a good many wealthy pals. I've been to each of my class reunions, every 5 years for 30 years now, to meet up with friends. My strong sense at reunions is that the children of privilege I know from my cohort don't seem to have any done better than others overall. At this age, it's not difficult to see that generational wealth and a tony private school education may or may not do the trick in laying the foundation for a life well lived.
Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a legitimate chance at getting into one of the very top schools, you probably know it by the time they're in sixth or seventh grade. And whether they go to Sidwell or Walls or any number of other high schools probably doesn't make much difference. They will rise to the top regardless of where they are. And if you think Sidwell is going to get your average or somewhat above average kid into Harvard, you're going to be deeply disappointed.
The truly top kids will get in no matter where they went, and they are easy to spot. I think most parents know their kids aren't automatically getting into the T3, so they are trying to get advantages for their kid who is at best T4-25. In some cases, this is where private vs public can make a difference. Most people would assume that private will give the advantage, but that isn't necessarily true.
Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a legitimate chance at getting into one of the very top schools, you probably know it by the time they're in sixth or seventh grade. And whether they go to Sidwell or Walls or any number of other high schools probably doesn't make much difference. They will rise to the top regardless of where they are. And if you think Sidwell is going to get your average or somewhat above average kid into Harvard, you're going to be deeply disappointed.
Once again, for those of you in the cheap seats. For many/most elite private school parents, Harvard isn’t the goal. The goal is to give your children an education that provides social/academic prestige (long after graduation), and a similarly situated peer group (socioeconomically speaking). Unless your child is an academic superstar, legacy, recruited athlete, large donor, etc, a school like Harvard is the cherry on top (not the main dish). I do think most Sidwell/elite private high school parents want/expect a T25 university or better. Most get it. Even when their child is in the lower half of the class).
That’s exactly what everyone is saying. Your kid cannot hack it at a truly academically elite school thus you have to purchase them a private education. Less discussed (but well known by those of us in inner circles) is that many of your failsons will NOT be going to a T25 but you will have to continue purchasing their education for them (eg a mid-tier SLAC full pay where they will graduate eventually in 5-6 yrs with a 3.0 after a few semesters off for rehab.)
Oh, envy is not a good look for you! 😝 Sidwell’s admission statistics to T25 universities speak for themselves. Argue with yourself.
It’s hilarious that you think wealthy, well educated parents care about whether or not their kids can scrape their way up from the bottom with your public school kids. That’s for you, and the rest of the general population. Nor do we care about your opinion of private school. We know you’re jealous.
It's also hilarious (and creepy) how you post obsessively on this thread while claiming not to care. Your insecurity is showing.
And you’re responding to all of my posts. I guess we’re both insecure. 😃
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!
This is really gross. Eat the rich.
Don’t worry, that’s person is definitely not rich.
Just checked in on this thread and ... wow. Two people who are spending hours a day on an anonymous board justifying their choices and shitting on other parents' choices for their kids. Is this your idea of a successful and happy life? Ridiculous.
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!
This is really gross. Eat the rich.
Don’t worry, that’s person is definitely not rich.
The funny thing is that is *exactly* how my very rich brother would talk … but guess where he sent his kids? Public school! Some rich people are cheap at heart even if they love being d*cks ha ha. But anyway, I never asked my brother, but I assume that since we all did well going to public schools he figured publics were fine and even better for his kids than private.
Anonymous wrote:Just checked in on this thread and ... wow. Two people who are spending hours a day on an anonymous board justifying their choices and shitting on other parents' choices for their kids. Is this your idea of a successful and happy life? Ridiculous.
I think you're just mad that you're so incredibly poor and that your kids' school sucks. Good luck begging for scraps of food. Now, excuse me, I need to get into my solid gold Ferrari and pick up my kids at Sidwell. We have a lunch date in Lake Como.
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.
Sounds like you did not learn how to manage your privilege.
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.
Sounds like you did not learn how to manage your privilege.
That's why she needs to send her kids to a school to teach them this. She never learned it herself, along with many other things, it seems.
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.
Sounds like you did not learn how to manage your privilege.
That's why she needs to send her kids to a school to teach them this. She never learned it herself, along with many other things, it seems.
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