SSSAS - what is the culture like currently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to be surrounded by rich people, and I mean truly rich, SSSAS is the way to go. It’s for people willing to pay top dollar for meh because they don’t really care.

We have >$200 HHI and picked SSSAS because it was an excellent fit for DC, who is 2e, and who has excelled in an academic environment that challenges the giftedness and supports the learning difference. DC’s friends do mostly have more money than we do (an opinion based solely on what I’ve seen of their homes) but not overwhelmingly so. Certainly not what anyone on DCUM, which skews wealthy but tries to downplay it, would call “truly rich.” I’m sure there are families there with that much wealth, just as there are at, say, the Cathedral schools, but there are also kids being picked up in beat-up old Hondas, and everything in between.

I think most of the people trying to appear ultra wealthy on here are full of it. They’re “up playing” it to the max, not for playing it.

And yet there are so many who make $500k, $800k and still bemoan how hard it is to send Larla to private school. Those are the folks I mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to be surrounded by rich people, and I mean truly rich, SSSAS is the way to go. It’s for people willing to pay top dollar for meh because they don’t really care.

We have >$200 HHI and picked SSSAS because it was an excellent fit for DC, who is 2e, and who has excelled in an academic environment that challenges the giftedness and supports the learning difference. DC’s friends do mostly have more money than we do (an opinion based solely on what I’ve seen of their homes) but not overwhelmingly so. Certainly not what anyone on DCUM, which skews wealthy but tries to downplay it, would call “truly rich.” I’m sure there are families there with that much wealth, just as there are at, say, the Cathedral schools, but there are also kids being picked up in beat-up old Hondas, and everything in between.

Did you mean <$200k household income? If so I don’t know how you do that with school alone costing ~$50k.

Yes, I did mean <$200k, sorry. And no, we did not qualify for financial aid. Our parents pay about a third, instead. Fortunately DC’s previous k-8 was less expensive. But both schools are worth every penny, and we could and would manage the full cost if we had to. It’s easier to get aid (need and/or merit) for college - and there are far more options - and getting the right fit for DC’s foundational education was important.

Oh, so the grandparents pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to be surrounded by rich people, and I mean truly rich, SSSAS is the way to go. It’s for people willing to pay top dollar for meh because they don’t really care.

SSSAS skews less rich than most of its peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to be surrounded by rich people, and I mean truly rich, SSSAS is the way to go. It’s for people willing to pay top dollar for meh because they don’t really care.

SSSAS skews less rich than most of its peers.

100%. But it also is filled with those who think they are rich and those who try their best to "appear" wealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to be surrounded by rich people, and I mean truly rich, SSSAS is the way to go. It’s for people willing to pay top dollar for meh because they don’t really care.

SSSAS skews less rich than most of its peers.

100%. But it also is filled with those who think they are rich and those who try their best to "appear" wealthy.

Less rich in a sense. Still pretty rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s experience joining in middle school: if you are not from the same wealthy area of Alexandria and a Belle Haven member, your child will have a tough time becoming a member of the school community. It is not impossible, but the value system of many of the kids and their parents is pretty messed up.

This checks out. I think there’s an effort for more types of kids and backgrounds but at $55,000/year ultimately the culture is very privileged and country club.

Oddly, I don't know one family amongst my kid's friends who belong to a country club. I'm sure they're there but they're hardly pervasive.

My child is in K, and we've met quite a few Belle Haven members. You have to listen for what they aren't saying, though, because Belle Haven seems to have this unwritten rule about actually referring to it in public. Most will simply call it the pool during the summer and discuss specific events they went to otherwise. It's an odd little quirk, but I have rarely heard members say anything about the club or mention it by name.

People say “the pool” because it’s less obnoxious than saying “the club”. Most kids at SSSAS belong to a pool. Whether it’s Belle Haven, Army Navy, or one of the many community pools that cost a few hundred a summer. So saying “the pool” is a way of being more inclusive.

And for the record we belong to a community pool and I’ve never, not once, felt judged (or even left out!) by families that belong to another pool club like Belle Haven.

The pool at Belle Haven isn’t even that nice or fancy. At all. And you hear constant Rt 1, Ft Hunt and Beltway traffic. It’s not the flex people think it is.

I don’t know that people think it’s a flex (or at least they shouldn’t). Many of the wealthiest families at the school don’t belong to any country club, probably because they either have a pool or spend the summer elsewhere. And Army Navy has reduced and reasonable fees for many levels of military and government, so there are solidly not rich families (like, officer spouse and fed) who attend that club. It’s just not the class divide that some posters here act like.

You are not right about "many of the wealthiest families don't belong to a country club" -- they almost all do to a family. Some may not be here but may be where the second or third house is but almost all belong.

[Anonymous]

We have two in the lower school. The lower school has been fantastic. That being said I don’t think it is worth the cost for high school. The school focuses on inclusivity and equality which results in mediocrity. The school is not striving to excel academically or athletically. The college placements are not great. Outside of girls lacrosse the school is meh. I am really disappointed with Kirsten Adams and the direction of the upper school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have two in the lower school. The lower school has been fantastic. That being said I don’t think it is worth the cost for high school. The school focuses on inclusivity and equality which results in mediocrity. The school is not striving to excel academically or athletically. The college placements are not great. Outside of girls lacrosse the school is meh. I am really disappointed with Kirsten Adams and the direction of the upper school.

Better off looking at a Gonzaga or Visi for same college outcomes at half price. St Johns or BI for slightly lower on college outcomes but significantly less in cost. And girls lax is on the decline. SSSAS is simply not worth the price tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have two in the lower school. The lower school has been fantastic. That being said I don’t think it is worth the cost for high school. The school focuses on inclusivity and equality which results in mediocrity. The school is not striving to excel academically or athletically. The college placements are not great. Outside of girls lacrosse the school is meh. I am really disappointed with Kirsten Adams and the direction of the upper school.

You would think that a school that focuses on inclusivity so much would be a place that would not have so many issues with character of its students. This forum is riddled with posts over the years about the school having problems with bullying, mean girls, etc. They don’t do anything about it. They just think its all part of some phase or rite of passage. I honestly think they hear so many complaints about it now that they are just tone deaf to it.

[Anonymous]

I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

+1

[Anonymous]

Could the PP with a child in the upper school explain how the AP courses work at SSSAS? Are AP courses available to any student that qualifies? How does a student qualify and is there a limit on the number you can take? Curious how their process compares to other schools, especially since many area privates got rid of APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

This is a weird post imho. Re: Cappies, BI is down the street and $35,000 LESS per year and they are nominated for and win Cappies consistently. I’m curious re: the music programs claims and how you can even make that assessment. And lots of schools offer extensive study/serve abroad programs and I’ve never heard anyone care about a language certificate.

-signed parent who looked at SSASS but did not think it was worth it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

This post has to be a joke. We were there and thankfully switched to another k-12. Our kids are now excelling but went in incredibly behind, particularly in math and languages (both language arts and foreign language for the oldest). These are kids who got straight As and SSSAS. Our kids were light years behind in public speaking and presentation skills, and the music and arts at SSSAS are a joke compared to what they now have. The music and arts were also much stronger at all of the schools we looked at for applying out. We found them to be a weak point at the school. Maybe LS art is ok, but after that, they don’t hold a candle to any of the top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

This is a weird post imho. Re: Cappies, BI is down the street and $35,000 LESS per year and they are nominated for and win Cappies consistently. I’m curious re: the music programs claims and how you can even make that assessment. And lots of schools offer extensive study/serve abroad programs and I’ve never heard anyone care about a language certificate.

-signed parent who looked at SSASS but did not think it was worth it

I just posted as a former SSSAS family. I wouldn’t tout the CAPPIES - look at the list of schools involved. There’s not a single good private on that list. Sure, brag that you win vs Publics that have minimal budgets.