Relocating with 9th grade girl- serious student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gds and Sidwell are far more open to advanced math than either NCS or Holton. GDS was 100% fine with calc in 10th. Sidwell was also open to it. Just went through this with our kid.

Some of the all boys schools too, but not relevant to OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NCS is way over-enrolled for the current 9th grade. They had the highest yield they've ever had this year and the class is about 95 girls (in contrast this year they just graduated about 75). Girls are having trouble getting electives and classes are large.
I've heard that GDS 9th is also overenrolled for 9th.
I don't know about Holton.
I know Sidwell 9th went to the waitlist so they may be a good bet because they managed enrollment well.
Debate is not a big thing at NCS. Sidwell has a team but the top schools for debate in the DMV are Potomac (the had the top debater in the US last year and she's currently a senior) and GDS.

There are not 95 girls in the 9th grade at NCS. Yes, it is a large class but still worth calling admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If OP thinks she can just waltz her 9th grader into the top private schools in DC, it has to be because she and the school she's coming from have connections. So let them recommend the right place, not randos on any anonymous website.

Nobody is waltzing anywhere. I read OP as asking for a starting place. If it were me, I would want to be informed on best possible options before my head do school picked up the phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCS is way over-enrolled for the current 9th grade. They had the highest yield they've ever had this year and the class is about 95 girls (in contrast this year they just graduated about 75). Girls are having trouble getting electives and classes are large.
I've heard that GDS 9th is also overenrolled for 9th.
I don't know about Holton.
I know Sidwell 9th went to the waitlist so they may be a good bet because they managed enrollment well.
Debate is not a big thing at NCS. Sidwell has a team but the top schools for debate in the DMV are Potomac (the had the top debater in the US last year and she's currently a senior) and GDS.

There are not 95 girls in the 9th grade at NCS. Yes, it is a large class but still worth calling admissions.

Yes there are.

[Anonymous]

Debate is a big deal at Potomac, robotics too.
You should certainly have your current school reach out to admissions at several schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Debate is a big deal at Potomac, robotics too.
You should certainly have your current school reach out to admissions at several schools!

They should accommodate the math as well, there are kids who take calc as sophomores on occasion. Not what they encourage, but they deal with students who are already accelerated when they enter in 9th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here: thinking of moving at this point Is really making me sad!

Also interested in schools that really value teachers and high quality instruction m.

And schools that can accommodate post calculus math. She will be in BC calculus as a sophomore

Sidwell will accommodate advanced math, usually by working with a teacher one on one or in a small group depending on cohort size.This could be through Linear Algebra, Differential Equations etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are possibly relocating to the DC area with our daughter who is currently in 9th grade. Obviously this isn’t a great time to move and uproot a high schooler. She currently goes to a rigorous private school in our area and I realize we would need to have our headmistress reach out ti help find her a spot somewhere. She is a tip top student in terms of grades , honors classes, standardized tests and likes challenging classes but a kind , supportive atmosphere. She’s very committed to STEM, involved in two school sports, and involved in speech and debate. She is thinking about computer science as an area of interest for college or engineering, along with economics
If we make this move we could have some flexibility to try to live near a school that is a good fit. We’d consider both all girls and co-Ed schools. Any suggestions on where to look ?

Top of mind is Holton Arms (secular) and National Cathedral School (Episcopalian). Next tier for all girls would be Madeira (secular), Visitation (Catholic), and Stone Ridge (Secular).

For co-ed, there are a lot of choices. Sidwell Friends (Quaker), Georgetown Day, Maret and Potomac School are among the most sought-after. St. John’s College has a strong honors program. Basis Independent in McLean is super strong in STEM, but is not a “kind, supportive atmosphere” (gross understatement).

Stone Ridge is catholic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are possibly relocating to the DC area with our daughter who is currently in 9th grade. Obviously this isn’t a great time to move and uproot a high schooler. She currently goes to a rigorous private school in our area and I realize we would need to have our headmistress reach out ti help find her a spot somewhere. She is a tip top student in terms of grades , honors classes, standardized tests and likes challenging classes but a kind , supportive atmosphere. She’s very committed to STEM, involved in two school sports, and involved in speech and debate. She is thinking about computer science as an area of interest for college or engineering, along with economics
If we make this move we could have some flexibility to try to live near a school that is a good fit. We’d consider both all girls and co-Ed schools. Any suggestions on where to look ?

Top of mind is Holton Arms (secular) and National Cathedral School (Episcopalian). Next tier for all girls would be Madeira (secular), Visitation (Catholic), and Stone Ridge (Secular).

For co-ed, there are a lot of choices. Sidwell Friends (Quaker), Georgetown Day, Maret and Potomac School are among the most sought-after. St. John’s College has a strong honors program. Basis Independent in McLean is super strong in STEM, but is not a “kind, supportive atmosphere” (gross understatement).

Stone Ridge is catholic

And so is St. John’s (just want to make sure OP knows in case this is a deal breaker)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gds and Sidwell are far more open to advanced math than either NCS or Holton. GDS was 100% fine with calc in 10th. Sidwell was also open to it. Just went through this with our kid.

Kids in my DC's GDS class took calculus in 9th - not many but some, and many of them were lifers. My kid did not, and not a lifer. There is definitely upward flexibility in the math tracks. I also checked - current 9th is not over-enrolled but 10th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP thinks she can just waltz her 9th grader into the top private schools in DC, it has to be because she and the school she's coming from have connections. So let them recommend the right place, not randos on any anonymous website.

Nobody is waltzing anywhere. I read OP as asking for a starting place. If it were me, I would want to be informed on best possible options before my head do school picked up the phone.

Unless OP or the headmistress at her current school has some serious pull, She’s going to have to be happy getting in wherever is willing to take her. The odds that she will be in a position to choose between the schools people are listing are not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are possibly relocating to the DC area with our daughter who is currently in 9th grade. Obviously this isn’t a great time to move and uproot a high schooler. She currently goes to a rigorous private school in our area and I realize we would need to have our headmistress reach out ti help find her a spot somewhere. She is a tip top student in terms of grades , honors classes, standardized tests and likes challenging classes but a kind , supportive atmosphere. She’s very committed to STEM, involved in two school sports, and involved in speech and debate. She is thinking about computer science as an area of interest for college or engineering, along with economics
If we make this move we could have some flexibility to try to live near a school that is a good fit. We’d consider both all girls and co-Ed schools. Any suggestions on where to look ?

Top of mind is Holton Arms (secular) and National Cathedral School (Episcopalian). Next tier for all girls would be Madeira (secular), Visitation (Catholic), and Stone Ridge (Secular).

For co-ed, there are a lot of choices. Sidwell Friends (Quaker), Georgetown Day, Maret and Potomac School are among the most sought-after. St. John’s College has a strong honors program. Basis Independent in McLean is super strong in STEM, but is not a “kind, supportive atmosphere” (gross understatement).

Agree with this, tho Stone Ridge is not secular.

Yep, it’s a Catholic school. It’s just independent and not parochial.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure that choosing the school based on the math class is the best idea. All the privates still have good math programs and there might be larger issues to consider for a 10th grade move.
I did this exact thing myself due to job transfer.
I would think about your daughters personality as the fit of the school.
Also if she has a particular sport or interest you may want to factor that in to your decision as making social connections will depend largely on what she does outside of class.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP here: I’d say sports are the least important consideration. She plays for fun and exercise and happened to make a varsity team as a freshman, but isn’t super serious about sports, not looking to play in college etc.

Not really interested in Catholic / religious schools but wouldn’t eliminate it.

I don’t want to talk to the current headmistress about this until the move is definite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here: thinking of moving at this point Is really making me sad!

Also interested in schools that really value teachers and high quality instruction m.

And schools that can accommodate post calculus math. She will be in BC calculus as a sophomore

This will be a problem at most if not all privates. I would look at public. Whitman, Blair magnet, TJ in Virginia.

I was coming here to say the same but +1 to needing to discuss this with your daughter's current school.