Indulge my fantasy - top private vs. Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Sidwell people are so insecure.

Wow! Public school parents are so insecure, defensive, and broke. Bad combination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think anyone cares where anyone went to high school, especially if they went to college. And if they went to law/medical/graduate school, no one cares where you went to college. People only care (to the extent they do) about the last school you attended.

This is the lie some public school parents tell themselves to manage their envy.

That must be why thousands of people who are law firm partners, Wall Street investment bankers, Silicon Valley tech bros, etc list their elite high schools on their LinkedIn profiles years after they’ve graduated from high school and COLLEGE. Don’t try to argue with me, do a LinkedIn search (with the elite private high school of your choice) and see for yourself.

Look, if you went to Sidwell and didn't get into a tippy top college, you should never ever tell people you went to Sidwell, because they will assume you were just a very dumb rich kid.

Who cares what people who went to inferior high schools think. Dumb and rich is still rich. 😀

[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:You’re not just paying for quality but you are paying for a network.

Don’t want to hear the screeching. It’s just true. And yes, I’m sure many “high profile parents” send their kids to public. It’s true.

Meanwhile outside of DC approximately zero people will even know what Walls or Sidwell are …

Sidwell has had some very high profile graduates. I heard of it before I moved to DC.

Because Obamas. Otherwise, you know of it if you went to college with people from Sidwell. But it's not wildly special.

I mean, J-R has some very high profile graduates too, as does Langley, Georgetown Prep, my high school in the a southern state, and many, many other high schools.

“Meanwhile outside of DC approximately zero people will even know what…Sidwell [is] …”

Which is it? Have zero people outside of DC heard of Sidwell or not? It doesn’t matter why they’ve heard of it.

P.S. I was watching a Villanova game recently (featuring a recent Sidwell graduate) on ESPN, and one of the commentators (Grant Hill) mentioned that two NBA players (Josh Hart and Siddiq Bey) were both Sidwell and Villanova graduates. They put up a graphic for about 10 seconds with Sidwell’s name/location and the two NBA players’ photos. I’m sure a whole new crop of people, across the country, watching that game now know about Sidwell.

'

Sounds super if you care a lot about basketball or need Secret Service protection at school. Otherwise, that makes no difference on your child's experience.

The point (which flew over your head) is that Sidwell is nationally known for a variety of reasons: Rigorous academics, educating Presidents’ children (and grandchildren), basketball, etc.

No one cares but you, Jan. And no, it isn’t nationally known lmao.

NP but all of these responses are to someone saying no one knows Sidwell outside of DC. This is demonstrably false. It doesn’t matter why it’s known. The only private schools I’ve ever heard of is because of rich and famous people going there.

Barely anyone knows Sidwell and that’s the g-d honest truth. maybe a few more know Phillips Exeter or Andover because those are synonymous with being preppy. Sidwell? Nah. It did have a blip of national recognition due to the Obama girls being bigger figures of public attention than other presidential kids, but truly, nobody knows or cares about the name Sidwell outside of DCUMlandia.

Aww, you wish. 😂

Instead of taking your word, I’ll rely on facts. Here’s a small sample of national and international publications that have written about Sidwell (as the article’s headliner):

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/13/politics/sidwell-friends-supreme-court

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/sidwell-friends-parents-are-behaving-badly/592408/

https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10137079/1/Gift_DCPS%20or%20Sidwell%20Friends%3F%20How%20Politician%20Schooling%20Choices%20Affect%20Voter%20Evaluations_AOP.pdf

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7111939/amp/Inside-DCs-elite-Sidwell-school-pushy-parents-obsessed-getting-kids-college.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/sports/sidwell-basketball.html

https://archive.nytimes.com/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/and-the-winner-is-sidwell-friends/

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2015/07/18/sasha-obama-bidens-granddaughter-forge-friendship/

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2024-01-13/prep-basketball-roundup-etiwanda-girls-beat-sidwell-friends

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/despite-pushback-sidwell-and-other-dc-area-prep-schools-are-keeping-their-small-business-loans/2020/05/05/8590893e-8df8-11ea-9e23-6914ee410a5f_story.html

https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/hard-work-nothing-new-for-versatile-hawks-forward-saddiq-bey/43GX2SDIGVF5BLDJN2ROST4XNE/

This is pathetic. No one cares where your kid went to high school. Maybe you shouldnt care so much either, because it's turning you into a weirdo.

You care. That’s why you keep responding, weirdo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

The outcomes are not different though and many publics are superior in terms of the ambition and intelligence of the students. I sincerely prefer my kid to be exposed to different types of kids and more professional teachers of a public school.

On average, the outcomes are different. Wealthy, successful families tend to beget wealthy, successful children (because: family wealth, access to elite social networks, easy access to higher education, etc). I don’t need to check tax returns to know that overall, Sidwell families have higher gross incomes than families at any DCPS school.

I’m glad you prefer public school. It’s nice when people can get what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Sidwell people are so insecure.

Wow! Public school parents are so insecure, defensive, and broke. Bad combination.

So funny. 19 pages of Sidwell folks getting wrapped around the axle. On the DCPS sub. Even the GDS parents aren’t so sensitive. You are seriously insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

I'm one of those Ward 3 parents of a high performer. I have first-hand experience with what we're talking about.

Sidwell's excessive workload and unhappy kids are not part of my--or my child's--definition of good education.

The denial is not realizing that even affluent people don't all think in lockstep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

I'm one of those Ward 3 parents of a high performer. I have first-hand experience with what we're talking about.

Sidwell's excessive workload and unhappy kids are not part of my--or my child's--definition of good education.

The denial is not realizing that even affluent people don't all think in lockstep.

No one said all kids go private but you know very well that many top performers are going private if they get in and not going the DCPS route. Now of course if they don’t get in which some won’t, then that is another story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Sidwell people are so insecure.

Wow! Public school parents are so insecure, defensive, and broke. Bad combination.

So funny. 19 pages of Sidwell folks getting wrapped around the axle. On the DCPS sub. Even the GDS parents aren’t so sensitive. You are seriously insecure.

Wrapped around the axle? 😂 We must be reading different threads. No one is more insecure than DCPS parents discussing private schools. No one!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

The outcomes are not different though and many publics are superior in terms of the ambition and intelligence of the students. I sincerely prefer my kid to be exposed to different types of kids and more professional teachers of a public school.

On average, the outcomes are different. Wealthy, successful families tend to beget wealthy, successful children (because: family wealth, access to elite social networks, easy access to higher education, etc). I don’t need to check tax returns to know that overall, Sidwell families have higher gross incomes than families at any DCPS school.

I’m glad you prefer public school. It’s nice when people can get what they want.

How can you be so supposedly smart yet so dumb? does attending Sidwell make a child’s parents richer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

I'm one of those Ward 3 parents of a high performer. I have first-hand experience with what we're talking about.

Sidwell's excessive workload and unhappy kids are not part of my--or my child's--definition of good education.

The denial is not realizing that even affluent people don't all think in lockstep.

No one said all kids go private but you know very well that many top performers are going private if they get in and not going the DCPS route. Now of course if they don’t get in which some won’t, then that is another story.

The highest concentration of smart kids is always in the high performing publics and everyone knows that. many many families in Scarsdale and Palo Alto who could easily afford private and stick with public. And the MCPS magnets and TJ beat the pants off any private. This is because, and I know it is hard to swallow, truly smart and accomplished people often choose to make lives in fields other than hedge funds and investment banking so they cannot afford private.

[Anonymous]

Walls is an amazing place, very sheltered from the DCPS crazy. Let her choose or pick walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

I'm one of those Ward 3 parents of a high performer. I have first-hand experience with what we're talking about.

Sidwell's excessive workload and unhappy kids are not part of my--or my child's--definition of good education.

The denial is not realizing that even affluent people don't all think in lockstep.

No one said all kids go private but you know very well that many top performers are going private if they get in and not going the DCPS route. Now of course if they don’t get in which some won’t, then that is another story.

The highest concentration of smart kids is always in the high performing publics and everyone knows that. many many families in Scarsdale and Palo Alto who could easily afford private and stick with public. And the MCPS magnets and TJ beat the pants off any private. This is because, and I know it is hard to swallow, truly smart and accomplished people often choose to make lives in fields other than hedge funds and investment banking so they cannot afford private.

Why are you even talking about the schools above? We are talking Walls here not the better schools above. It’s a totally different calculation

The only thing Walls has going for it is that there is a better cohort of kids than your IB. That is it. Nothing else to commend the school about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is getting ridiculous. Who cares if people know Sidwell or not.

What matters is the quality of the school and hands down Sidwell offers a much better education overall in every department. Yes you have to pay for it. If I had the money, it’s a no brainer to send the kid to Sidwell over Walls. If money was not a factor, 99% would send their kid there.

End of story.

Signed public school parent

Except facts don't bear out your claim. Kids do turn down Sidwell, or choose not to apply there even if they are applying to other schools.

I'm not sure you can even argue that the educational quality is "hands down" better than Walls. Sidwell does have some academic weaknesses.

But even assuming the academics are better, some things about Sidwell are pretty awful. Like do you really want to go to school with the Sidwell poster here, who is so obsessed with money and name-recognition and jockeying for status?

If you haven't, at a minimum, been to both schools and know students well at both schools, then don't make presumptions.

I’m the PP. Of course kids turn down any private school but it is a very small number at Sidwell. The reality is that many kids who don’t apply to Sidwell but Walls is due to cost or that they likely won’t get in. Lots of top kids leave DCPS after middle school to go to privates. Ask any ward 3 parent with a high performer.

Sorry but you are so in total denial if you think the education at Sidwell is not better than Walls. The top kids come out so much better prepared for college. Any Walks parent on here who are taking this stance are just trying to justify their choices.

I'm one of those Ward 3 parents of a high performer. I have first-hand experience with what we're talking about.

Sidwell's excessive workload and unhappy kids are not part of my--or my child's--definition of good education.

The denial is not realizing that even affluent people don't all think in lockstep.

No one said all kids go private but you know very well that many top performers are going private if they get in and not going the DCPS route. Now of course if they don’t get in which some won’t, then that is another story.

The highest concentration of smart kids is always in the high performing publics and everyone knows that. many many families in Scarsdale and Palo Alto who could easily afford private and stick with public. And the MCPS magnets and TJ beat the pants off any private. This is because, and I know it is hard to swallow, truly smart and accomplished people often choose to make lives in fields other than hedge funds and investment banking so they cannot afford private.

Why are you even talking about the schools above? We are talking Walls here not the better schools above. It’s a totally different calculation

The only thing Walls has going for it is that there is a better cohort of kids than your IB. That is it. Nothing else to commend the school about.

On what do you base your assessment?