Barrie School vs. GDS?

[Anonymous]

No one is bashing the school. Barrie is a good school for residents in the 'burbs who don't have access to Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS/Maret?etc. but is not nor never has been a peer of GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is bashing the school. Barrie is a good school for residents in the 'burbs who don't have access to Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS/Maret?etc. but is not nor never has been a peer of GDS.

Why not? They are very similar. GDS is NOTHING like STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is bashing the school. Barrie is a good school for residents in the 'burbs who don't have access to Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS/Maret?etc. but is not nor never has been a peer of GDS.

Why not? They are very similar. GDS is NOTHING like STA.

Nothing above says that GDS and STA are similar. The point is that GDS, STA, Sidwell, Maret and NCS are usually all considered by many families. Also, GDS and BS might have similar styles but to suggest that BS is as academically rigorous as GDS is ludicrous.

[Anonymous]

GDS attracts brighter students, if that is what you mean. But if GDS is a fit, Barrie probably would be too and STA would not.

GDS is a top progressive school, but it obviously fails as an all boys traditional prep school. Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS attracts brighter students, if that is what you mean. But if GDS is a fit, Barrie probably would be too and STA would not.

GDS is a top progressive school, but it obviously fails as an all boys traditional prep school. Apples and oranges.

the second part of your first statement is not true based on my experience. Many people initially consider all the schools listed and once they rule out either co-ed or single-gender, they then consider similar schools in the category where their DS/DD feels most comfortable.

Obviously GDS is co-ed and progressive and STA is traditional all boys but that does not mean the kids at STA did not consider GDS and even apply before selecting STA. The same holds true when reversed. Remember that there are a limited number of elite schools in DC: Sidwell, GDS, Maret, STA and NCS. Most families do the smart thing and consider all the schools to maximize their odds that their DS/DD gets accepted to at least one of the Big 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS attracts brighter students, if that is what you mean. But if GDS is a fit, Barrie probably would be too and STA would not.

GDS is a top progressive school, but it obviously fails as an all boys traditional prep school. Apples and oranges.

the second part of your first statement is not true based on my experience. Many people initially consider all the schools listed and once they rule out either co-ed or single-gender, they then consider similar schools in the category where their DS/DD feels most comfortable.

Obviously GDS is co-ed and progressive and STA is traditional all boys but that does not mean the kids at STA did not consider GDS and even apply before selecting STA. The same holds true when reversed. Remember that there are a limited number of elite schools in DC: Sidwell, GDS, Maret, STA and NCS. Most families do the smart thing and consider all the schools to maximize their odds that their DS/DD gets accepted to at least one of the Big 5.

The point is NOT that parents don't consider both schools, it is that the schools are very different such that if one fits the other probably does not. That is NOT a judgment on the quality of either school, just a statement of the fact that the schools are very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS attracts brighter students, if that is what you mean. But if GDS is a fit, Barrie probably would be too and STA would not.

GDS is a top progressive school, but it obviously fails as an all boys traditional prep school. Apples and oranges.

GDS has progressive parents, but the school is diverse,not homogenized

[Anonymous]

I don’t think there are “Barrie bashers” on this forum, rather people who have enrolled their DCs in the school and were disappointed in the school. I’ve found the pro-Barrie posters are typically people who haven’t even enrolled their kids in Barrie or people who plan to enroll their kids for three years either for the PK-K program or for three years in middle school. But the pro-Barrie posters are generally not people who are invested in a PK-12 private school – they just plan to enroll their kids for 3-4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS attracts brighter students, if that is what you mean. But if GDS is a fit, Barrie probably would be too and STA would not.

GDS is a top progressive school, but it obviously fails as an all boys traditional prep school. Apples and oranges.

the second part of your first statement is not true based on my experience. Many people initially consider all the schools listed and once they rule out either co-ed or single-gender, they then consider similar schools in the category where their DS/DD feels most comfortable.

Obviously GDS is co-ed and progressive and STA is traditional all boys but that does not mean the kids at STA did not consider GDS and even apply before selecting STA. The same holds true when reversed. Remember that there are a limited number of elite schools in DC: Sidwell, GDS, Maret, STA and NCS. Most families do the smart thing and consider all the schools to maximize their odds that their DS/DD gets accepted to at least one of the Big 5.

The point is NOT that parents don't consider both schools, it is that the schools are very different such that if one fits the other probably does not. That is NOT a judgment on the quality of either school, just a statement of the fact that the schools are very different.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

Barrie School is generally about $8-9K less expensive than GDS for each year form PreK through 12 - for those parents who don't want to spend $33K for 1st grade, Barrie might be a good option with the intention of transferring into GDS for high school.

http://www.barrie.org/admission/tuition-and-fees/index.aspx

http://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=122750

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience transferring in to GDS upper school from Barrie School? If so, how was the transition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience transferring in to GDS upper school from Barrie School? If so, how was the transition?

I know parents who had this in mind going in, but the DC thrived at Barrie School and they decided to stay.

[Anonymous]

Don't try to compare. Schools are not remotely comparable with respect to prestige and college exmissions.

Here are the schools on Barrie's matriculation list and not on GDS's:

Delaware Valley College
Kalamazoo College
Prince Georges Community College
Ohio Northern University

Here are four schools on GDS's list and not on Barries:

Harvard
MIT
Stanford
Yale

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't try to compare. Schools are not remotely comparable with respect to prestige and college exmissions.

Here are the schools on Barrie's matriculation list and not on GDS's:

Delaware Valley College
Kalamazoo College
Prince Georges Community College
Ohio Northern University

Here are four schools on GDS's list and not on Barries:

Harvard
MIT
Stanford
Yale

GDS doesn't publish a "list," but nice try. GDS probably has better matriculation, but not from grade school - the PP was discussing Barrie School for elementary and transfer to GDS. If the brightest Barrie School students are transferring to high schools like GDS, you wouldn't see their "exmissions" on any Barrie School list. The schools have very comparable progressive environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't try to compare. Schools are not remotely comparable with respect to prestige and college exmissions.

Here are the schools on Barrie's matriculation list and not on GDS's:

Delaware Valley College
Kalamazoo College
Prince Georges Community College
Ohio Northern University

Here are four schools on GDS's list and not on Barries:

Harvard
MIT
Stanford
Yale

GDS doesn't publish a "list," but nice try. GDS probably has better matriculation, but not from grade school - the PP was discussing Barrie School for elementary and transfer to GDS. If the brightest Barrie School students are transferring to high schools like GDS, you wouldn't see their "exmissions" on any Barrie School list. The schools have very comparable progressive environments.

PP must be from one of those places that is always 10 degrees colder than NW. The discussion has generally focused on Upper School so the exmissions to college is relevant and you are right GDS does not publish a list but for those of us who are familiar with the school, we know that the statement above re: colleges is accurate.