Moving HS student to DC area. Need school advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be the top 3 VA public HSs?

TJ (competitive STEM magnet), Langley and McLean.

I would put Yorktown in Arlington ahead of McLean. TJ is application only, so scratch that. Also consider that VA public colleges are far better than MD ones.

Don't scratch TJ. The have a small summer admissions round, if you can move by the deadline. Check the admissions site under summer round admissions. But summer round admissions is probably out of reach unless your DC is in 8th grade honors geometry making strong grades. TJ also accepts Sophomore transfers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would be the top 3 VA public HSs?

Langley and McLean HS have good reputations. TJ is the Fairfax county STEM magnum school that will need to be test in. Space for 10th is pissible but rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.

If you are moving this summer, get your applications in right now. Dome deadlines have passed but most are in a few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.

If you know you are moving, then apply during the regular application process. If you won't bother to do that, then no one can advise you on schools. Private school admissions are different than Catholic school admission. The later is more of a as long as you meet the academic standards/behavior standards and there is room, you are in. For private schools, you will need to contact schools in late August and see which schools will have an opening for 10th grade and if they will accept a late application. Then you will have to go through the application process that all other kids go through and then you will get an admissions decision and there is no guarantee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.

If you know you are moving, then apply during the regular application process. If you won't bother to do that, then no one can advise you on schools. Private school admissions are different than Catholic school admission. The later is more of a as long as you meet the academic standards/behavior standards and there is room, you are in. For private schools, you will need to contact schools in late August and see which schools will have an opening for 10th grade and if they will accept a late application. Then you will have to go through the application process that all other kids go through and then you will get an admissions decision and there is no guarantee.

Not true.

OP, you will soon learn that on DCUM, people who don't actually know anything about the independent Catholic HS of the DMV speak with authority despite their ignorance. Please directly contact any school you are interested now and ask them the process. Do not rely on DCUM or Wikipedia. For example, Wikipedia incorrectly lists as parochial schools several DC-area schools that are independent and not associated with any parish.

[Anonymous]

Wilson has an excellent theater program, though I understand it's competitive. There is a humanities academy and the kids seem really close knit. A lot of chorus kids in it too.

[Anonymous]

OP. Your budget is low for a 30 minute commute to Tenley. You may want to consider public schools so you can up your housing budget a bit. I don't agree with PP who recommended Wilson - a public high school in DC. It's not really in the same league as the other publics listed below.

MD public high schools - in these locations you should be only a 15-20 minute commute to Tenley:

1. Walt Whitman
2. Bethesda Chevy Chase (but I believe they are IB, not AP- research this)

VA public high schools - these are probably more like a 25-30 minute commute to Tenley:

1. McLean
2. Langley
3. Yorktown

Privates (most of these are $37-40K per year, visitation is about $10K less)

1. Sidwell
2. Georgetown Day
3. National Cathedral School
4. Maret
5. Holton Arms
6. Madeira
7. Field
8. Potomac school
9. Georgetown Visitation (catholic)

[Anonymous]

There is Bishop O'Connell as well, but it is different academically from the other schools just listed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. Your budget is low for a 30 minute commute to Tenley. You may want to consider public schools so you can up your housing budget a bit. I don't agree with PP who recommended Wilson - a public high school in DC. It's not really in the same league as the other publics listed below.

MD public high schools - in these locations you should be only a 15-20 minute commute to Tenley:

1. Walt Whitman
2. Bethesda Chevy Chase (but I believe they are IB, not AP- research this)

VA public high schools - these are probably more like a 25-30 minute commute to Tenley:

1. McLean
2. Langley
3. Yorktown

Privates (most of these are $37-40K per year, visitation is about $10K less)

1. Sidwell
2. Georgetown Day
3. National Cathedral School
4. Maret
5. Holton Arms
6. Madeira
7. Field
8. Potomac school
9. Georgetown Visitation (catholic)

Perfect! Thank you.
For those asking why not apply now...we just did it for the 9th grade and it was a dreadful process. We are trying to negotiate a stay here/travel option but not sure really a good idea. Actually leaning toward public bc don't want to put daughter through it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.

If you know you are moving, then apply during the regular application process. If you won't bother to do that, then no one can advise you on schools. Private school admissions are different than Catholic school admission. The later is more of a as long as you meet the academic standards/behavior standards and there is room, you are in. For private schools, you will need to contact schools in late August and see which schools will have an opening for 10th grade and if they will accept a late application. Then you will have to go through the application process that all other kids go through and then you will get an admissions decision and there is no guarantee.

Not true.

OP, you will soon learn that on DCUM, people who don't actually know anything about the independent Catholic HS of the DMV speak with authority despite their ignorance. Please directly contact any school you are interested now and ask them the process. Do not rely on DCUM or Wikipedia. For example, Wikipedia incorrectly lists as parochial schools several DC-area schools that are independent and not associated with any parish.

Not the PP bit they are different. The biggest difference is that, right now, it is after the application deadline for Catholic schools and the deadline for the other schools has not passed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.

If you know you are moving, then apply during the regular application process. If you won't bother to do that, then no one can advise you on schools. Private school admissions are different than Catholic school admission. The later is more of a as long as you meet the academic standards/behavior standards and there is room, you are in. For private schools, you will need to contact schools in late August and see which schools will have an opening for 10th grade and if they will accept a late application. Then you will have to go through the application process that all other kids go through and then you will get an admissions decision and there is no guarantee.

Not true.

OP, you will soon learn that on DCUM, people who don't actually know anything about the independent Catholic HS of the DMV speak with authority despite their ignorance. Please directly contact any school you are interested now and ask them the process. Do not rely on DCUM or Wikipedia. For example, Wikipedia incorrectly lists as parochial schools several DC-area schools that are independent and not associated with any parish.

Not the PP bit they are different. The biggest difference is that, right now, it is after the application deadline for Catholic schools and the deadline for the other schools has not passed.

Wrong again. My DD attends an independent Catholic and their admissions for next year have not closed. It's not the only one.

[Anonymous]

2/1 is the deadline to apply to Stone Ridge for grades 10-12, OP.

[Anonymous]

You should consider Georgetown Day, if you are going to be centered around Tenley and she is interested in theater. Best theater program in the area, really huge % of HS students participate in some way. Also the HS is reasonably large, and you never know, current 9th graders leave occasionally due to family relocations, bad fit, find academics too challenging, lots of reasons. If her current school can call/advocate, would seen possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter's current school would be comparable to NCS, Sidwell and Georgetown. She got in...but it wasn't easy. Do not believe we would get into these DC privates but would like to provide an option that is going to give her somewhat of a similar experience and/or options for college.

Westminster in Atlanta?

Top VA schools would be Thomas Jefferson (Magnet) which requires application. Deadline has passed. Others in order would be Langley, McLean, and Oakton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Your budget is low for a 30 minute commute to Tenley. You may want to consider public schools so you can up your housing budget a bit. I don't agree with PP who recommended Wilson - a public high school in DC. It's not really in the same league as the other publics listed below.

MD public high schools - in these locations you should be only a 15-20 minute commute to Tenley:

1. Walt Whitman
2. Bethesda Chevy Chase (but I believe they are IB, not AP- research this)

VA public high schools - these are probably more like a 25-30 minute commute to Tenley:

1. McLean
2. Langley
3. Yorktown

Privates (most of these are $37-40K per year, visitation is about $10K less)

1. Sidwell
2. Georgetown Day
3. National Cathedral School
4. Maret
5. Holton Arms
6. Madeira
7. Field
8. Potomac school
9. Georgetown Visitation (catholic)

Perfect! Thank you.
For those asking why not apply now...we just did it for the 9th grade and it was a dreadful process. We are trying to negotiate a stay here/travel option but not sure really a good idea. Actually leaning toward public bc don't want to put daughter through it again.

Nice job poster on this list. I posted earlier on No Va. I would add Oakton to your list. Should be Potomac be higher than Maret or Holton. Very good list otherwise. Potomac is generally considered just a slight notch below Big 3. Usually folks have NCS ahead of GDS so might want to invert those two.