Fact versus Fiction re: GDS

[Anonymous]

huh. I have many friends at GDS and they are very down-to-earth. We're at another Big3 which always seems much wealthier in comparison. I think of GDS as having the largest contingent of public school transplants and "normal people" among the Big3 (a good thing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have been a GDS family for about eleven years and have had kids in the LMS and the HS. Don’t believe everything you read on this Board. Some people are irrationally anti-GDS, and others are irrationally pro-GDS. It is an excellent school, but no school is for everyone. On the whole, the teachers and administrators are very good at what they do, and care deeply about the kids. The LMS has vastly improved since we first came in 2010, and is a kind place that really wakes up kids’ love of learning. The MS used to be very stressful for kids, and now they have changed the curriculum so that kids are prepared for HS without being overly stressed or burdened. The new building is beautiful and it is nice having the whole school in one location. The HS is a great place, and benefits from the influx of new kids in 9th. People on this Board like to trash GDS for how many kids are admitted at 9th, but most schools would benefit from an influx of new kids at 9th. The HS tends to meet kids where they are, and not push them into competition. Some kids are super driven, and operate with a high degree of stress, but others are pretty low key and happy go lucky. And some happy go lucky kids are top students, and others are not, but everyone is supported. We have been pleased with the college placement process, which we found to be well informed and empathetic. I would talk to people you know who have kids there and do whatever virtual events you can. Regarding excessive displays of wealth, that has not been my experience. There is no top private in DC that does not have a lot of wealthy families—that’s the unfortunate nature of the private school model, and holding GDS to a different standard than other privates in the area seems unfair. GDS as an institution shies away from ostentatious displays of wealth. There is no annual auction for instance, which is usually the wealth flaunting Super Bowl for most schools. So I do think they try to demonstrate their commitment to their mission in how they operate.

Thanks, this is exactly what I wanted to know. Trying to ignore the irrational posts (pro and con) for ALL the schools we're looking at. GDS posts seems to contain the most hyperbole.

[Anonymous]

This is our child’s second year of high school at GDS (so first “real” year on campus). I think the stereotypes on this board are, as is typical of stereotypes, quite exaggerated.

In terms of “wokeness,” yes, this might be place where the stereotype is closest to true. Social justice is very, very important at GDS. It is important to us too, so we’re fine with it. I do not think a conservative/right-wing family would feel comfortable at the school. But I also think this is true of a lot of schools around here — we live in a very lefty area, and the schools reflect that (not all, of course). GDS is a peg or two to the left of most other schools though.

In terms of wealth, I think that, if anything, GDS attracts the less ostentatiously wealthy. We don’t drive expensive cars and I see plenty of “normal” cars at and around the school (among more expensive ones too, of course). And comparing to other privates, this is also a matter of degree. You will find “normal” cars and expensive cars at every private school. The proportions might differ somewhat, but there is no school where your Honda Accord will be a source of shame, assuming you have an normal adult human’s sense of self-esteem and are not insanely sensitive.

In terms of the so-called pressure cooker environment, this was our biggest concern. But we’ve been pleasantly surprised — it’s a school that cares a lot about academics, but our child’s teachers are very reasonable and the homework load has been manageable. The best endorsement is from our child, who was also worried about this but now, two years in, says that he is extremely happy he ended up at GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:huh. I have many friends at GDS and they are very down-to-earth. We're at another Big3 which always seems much wealthier in comparison. I think of GDS as having the largest contingent of public school transplants and "normal people" among the Big3 (a good thing).

Thanks. We are a middle-class family and don't know anyone with a child who currently attends any of the schools we're applying to, hence the need to turn to an anonymous board (not ideal by any means).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this ends up generating helpful posts, I think it’s a really great topic to do for all the most talked about schools on this board.

Sidwell: (1) joyless pressure cooker full of virtue signaling but also prestige-obsessed parents who start cool in LS but ultimately will *cut* your kid and the college counseling office by flooding them not just with death threats but with pictures of someone else’s kid partying with all the other really hard partying sidwell kids (their kid was practicing for olympic ice skating that night thank you); or (2) holy grail of all private school admissions that is impossible to get in (despite the fact that tons of relatively similar kids from relatively similar backgrounds actually do get in, year in and year out) that no one ever turns down (even though they do) or that if they do turn down will be forever blacklisted at the school and in the Quaker records and maybe the democratic “who’s who” list; or (3) rigorous, serious school with a recent turn toward performative wokeness…and on and on I gather from the boards. Would be very helpful to dispel most if not all of what I said….

Same with NCS, STA, and Maret…So much craziness on these boards. If this works for GDS, I hope we can get other schools straight too!

Ma'am, this is a Wendy's. Actually, this is a thread about GDS fact v. fiction, not SFS.

We came to GDS in US, and have found it to be a great fit for our child and family. But families differ, and I feel for OP that it is hard to get a sense of fit without on-campus visits. For the lower school, I've heard most families find the school very welcoming and nurturing, as well as meeting the child where they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is our child’s second year of high school at GDS (so first “real” year on campus). I think the stereotypes on this board are, as is typical of stereotypes, quite exaggerated.

In terms of “wokeness,” yes, this might be place where the stereotype is closest to true. Social justice is very, very important at GDS. It is important to us too, so we’re fine with it. I do not think a conservative/right-wing family would feel comfortable at the school. But I also think this is true of a lot of schools around here — we live in a very lefty area, and the schools reflect that (not all, of course). GDS is a peg or two to the left of most other schools though.

In terms of wealth, I think that, if anything, GDS attracts the less ostentatiously wealthy. We don’t drive expensive cars and I see plenty of “normal” cars at and around the school (among more expensive ones too, of course). And comparing to other privates, this is also a matter of degree. You will find “normal” cars and expensive cars at every private school. The proportions might differ somewhat, but there is no school where your Honda Accord will be a source of shame, assuming you have an normal adult human’s sense of self-esteem and are not insanely sensitive.

In terms of the so-called pressure cooker environment, this was our biggest concern. But we’ve been pleasantly surprised — it’s a school that cares a lot about academics, but our child’s teachers are very reasonable and the homework load has been manageable. The best endorsement is from our child, who was also worried about this but now, two years in, says that he is extremely happy he ended up at GDS.

Super helpful info. I'm a bleeding heart, lefty, pinko liberal so I don't care that GDS is labeled progressive. But can you give me an example of "wokeness"/the social justice mission that makes some people uncomfortable? I want to make sure that my child is taught HOW to think critically, not WHAT to think. The HS English curriculum, for example, seems to include a wide variety of texts (selections from the Bible, Shakespeare plays, and Black/Hispanic/Asian authors). I'd imagine every high school in the area uses similar texts, so why all the fuss? I believe you have to be exposed to a world of opinions (nothing nuts like "There are good people on all sides") because that's the world we live in, and as evidenced by the current political climate, compromise is a lost art.

We are also very concerned about the "pressure cooker" label on some schools. Glad to hear that your child has not found that to be the case at GDS.

I know that all private schools in this area attract wealthy families -- who else could afford the $45-$50 K annual tuition? We are not wealthy and our child is starting to understand that there are nice people and jerks from all walks of life.

[Anonymous]

Another GDS parent - second year at middle school. They are NOT taught WHAT to think, but they have more opportunities and platforms to discuss social justice, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:huh. I have many friends at GDS and they are very down-to-earth. We're at another Big3 which always seems much wealthier in comparison. I think of GDS as having the largest contingent of public school transplants and "normal people" among the Big3 (a good thing).

+2 It seems like tons of Deal kids go to GDS in 9th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another GDS parent - second year at middle school. They are NOT taught WHAT to think, but they have more opportunities and platforms to discuss social justice, etc.

It's our second year at the middle school too, and I agree with this. My child rolls his eyes at the 6th grade seminar that discusses "identity formation," but because he finds it boring, not because it's about white guilt or any of the bogeymen invented by the anti-CRT crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our child’s second year of high school at GDS (so first “real” year on campus). I think the stereotypes on this board are, as is typical of stereotypes, quite exaggerated.

In terms of “wokeness,” yes, this might be place where the stereotype is closest to true. Social justice is very, very important at GDS. It is important to us too, so we’re fine with it. I do not think a conservative/right-wing family would feel comfortable at the school. But I also think this is true of a lot of schools around here — we live in a very lefty area, and the schools reflect that (not all, of course). GDS is a peg or two to the left of most other schools though.

In terms of wealth, I think that, if anything, GDS attracts the less ostentatiously wealthy. We don’t drive expensive cars and I see plenty of “normal” cars at and around the school (among more expensive ones too, of course). And comparing to other privates, this is also a matter of degree. You will find “normal” cars and expensive cars at every private school. The proportions might differ somewhat, but there is no school where your Honda Accord will be a source of shame, assuming you have an normal adult human’s sense of self-esteem and are not insanely sensitive.

In terms of the so-called pressure cooker environment, this was our biggest concern. But we’ve been pleasantly surprised — it’s a school that cares a lot about academics, but our child’s teachers are very reasonable and the homework load has been manageable. The best endorsement is from our child, who was also worried about this but now, two years in, says that he is extremely happy he ended up at GDS.

Super helpful info. I'm a bleeding heart, lefty, pinko liberal so I don't care that GDS is labeled progressive. But can you give me an example of "wokeness"/the social justice mission that makes some people uncomfortable? I want to make sure that my child is taught HOW to think critically, not WHAT to think. The HS English curriculum, for example, seems to include a wide variety of texts (selections from the Bible, Shakespeare plays, and Black/Hispanic/Asian authors). I'd imagine every high school in the area uses similar texts, so why all the fuss? I believe you have to be exposed to a world of opinions (nothing nuts like "There are good people on all sides") because that's the world we live in, and as evidenced by the current political climate, compromise is a lost art.

We are also very concerned about the "pressure cooker" label on some schools. Glad to hear that your child has not found that to be the case at GDS.

I know that all private schools in this area attract wealthy families -- who else could afford the $45-$50 K annual tuition? We are not wealthy and our child is starting to understand that there are nice people and jerks from all walks of life.

FYI - I think the progressive label at GDS refers to the progressive education model, which is different than progressive politics. However, GDS also feels in line with progressive politics it is just not why the school is called “progressive.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when are Mercedes SUVs ostentatious? It’s just a car. Nobody cares about what people drive. It’s not the 1980s.

Mercedes suvs, BMW x series, range rovers, denalis, suburbans. That is the big 3 fleet.

From my limited experience, these are the trends I generally see:

Mercedes SUVs = GDS
BMW SUVs = Maret
Range Rovers, Jeeps, Denalis and Suburbans = STA/NCS
Mini Coopers and Teslas = Sidwell

That’s slicing gds, maret, and cathedral too thin. Mercedes and BMWs abound at cathedral schools. X7 especially

[Anonymous]

With the lack of testing and group interviews, what does it take to be admitted in lower school? Are we just throwing our $75 away ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wholeness is a gloss over the fact that it’s a schools of massively rich people who are conflicted by their money in really strange ways.

+1 And a smattering of scholarship kids and no one in between.

Does GDS give scholarship? I thought it is all need-based FAs.

[Anonymous]

It's all need based

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, are the lower and middle schools subpar, or just not as rigorous? We are applying for lower school.

Ugh, sadly yes. Good for boys who can’t sit still.