GDS...is it as good as its reputation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an extremely high end and respected school. We are applying to high school and will drive from Virginia to go there. The only schools that can compete are NCS (I don't think Albans can though it is close) and possibly Sidwell because of the macro name it has. Academically, I think if I had a Girl, it would be close between. NCS and GDS.

WTF does that mean?

And St Albans is highly superior for boys than NCS for girls. Holton is a much better school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an extremely high end and respected school. We are applying to high school and will drive from Virginia to go there. The only schools that can compete are NCS (I don't think Albans can though it is close) and possibly Sidwell because of the macro name it has. Academically, I think if I had a Girl, it would be close between. NCS and GDS.

For all girls Holton is much better than GDS, Sidwell and NCS.

[Anonymous]

Welcome back Holton Mom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an extremely high end and respected school. We are applying to high school and will drive from Virginia to go there. The only schools that can compete are NCS (I don't think Albans can though it is close) and possibly Sidwell because of the macro name it has. Academically, I think if I had a Girl, it would be close between. NCS and GDS.

Who says "it is an extremely high end" when referring to a school? It's a f@"king school not a car. I guess GDS really is a school for social climbers. At least that's my take away based on this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an extremely high end and respected school. We are applying to high school and will drive from Virginia to go there. The only schools that can compete are NCS (I don't think Albans can though it is close) and possibly Sidwell because of the macro name it has. Academically, I think if I had a Girl, it would be close between. NCS and GDS.

For all girls Holton is much better than GDS, Sidwell and NCS.

Simply No.

[Anonymous]

I visited twice -- once for a child entering 7th and another for a child entering 9th. I was pretty underwhelmed both times. I think the curriculum is good, but the students were not particularly impressive -- too much babbling, very little substance. We ended up at Sidwell both times.

[Anonymous]

GDS students are uber-well prepared for the most selective colleges and universities. The Top Ivys, Stanford, MIT, Chicago all know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS students are uber-well prepared for the most selective colleges and universities. The Top Ivys, Stanford, MIT, Chicago all know this.

But aren't a majority of the kids from the top IS? I would hope so a $30K+ a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an extremely high end and respected school. We are applying to high school and will drive from Virginia to go there. The only schools that can compete are NCS (I don't think Albans can though it is close) and possibly Sidwell because of the macro name it has. Academically, I think if I had a Girl, it would be close between. NCS and GDS.

This is funny.

[Anonymous]

Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.[/quote]

1. I don't live in an area with good public schools (your response seems to imply everyone does).
2. You sound bitter that your spouse is paying for your step kid to go to private school.
3. Having gone to public school there are things a child receives at an IS they don't at a public school which is more than just the ability to read, write and do math. Good IS focus on the whole child, public schools don't.
4. Unless some the focus isn't just on going to Harvard. It's being adequately prepared for college and public schools are failing at that...I went to a top 20 undergrad and I have a profession degree so I know it can be don't me with a public school education. However, I also know the kids who came from IS at my undergrad where much better prepared and had an overall better four years than others.
5. This post isn't about whether IS are worth it -- I have already concluded they are - it's whether GDS is as good as its reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.

I agree with some of this, except that in my experience with Wilson grads (those more on the "Yale" track than the "jail" track BTW), they can't write as well as I would have assumed. The leading independent schools do a much better job of developing writing skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS students are uber-well prepared for the most selective colleges and universities. The Top Ivys, Stanford, MIT, Chicago all know this.

But aren't a majority of the kids from the top IS? I would hope so a $30K+ a year.

Of course they are. This person is a troll. Pay her no mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.

I agree with some of this, except that in my experience with Wilson grads (those more on the "Yale" track than the "jail" track BTW), they can't write as well as I would have assumed. The leading independent schools do a much better job of developing writing skills.

I also don't recall ever hearing of them having to lock GDS down because someone brought a handgun to school. I'm fairly sure that has happened at least once this school year already...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.

I agree with some of this, except that in my experience with Wilson grads (those more on the "Yale" track than the "jail" track BTW), they can't write as well as I would have assumed. The leading independent schools do a much better job of developing writing skills.

I also don't recall ever hearing of them having to lock GDS down because someone brought a handgun to school. I'm fairly sure that has happened at least once this school year already...

No there have been no lock downs. Scare-monger.