Would you choose School Without Walls over the private HS in which your DC is accepted?

[Anonymous]

If you have options, then the final choice is really personality driven. If you have choices, it means your college prospects are going to be great no matter where you go. My DC ranked admitted options:

Private boys
Wilson
Coed Catholic
Walls

Dcs friends who had similar options ranked the same schools in a different order. Academically they will all be prepared; how they enjoy the journey is about personality and fit. Having those options is a privilege of wealth and intelligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have options, then the final choice is really personality driven. If you have choices, it means your college prospects are going to be great no matter where you go. My DC ranked admitted options:

Private boys
Wilson
Coed Catholic
Walls

Dcs friends who had similar options ranked the same schools in a different order. Academically they will all be prepared; how they enjoy the journey is about personality and fit. Having those options is a privilege of wealth and intelligence.

not necessarily wealth, financial aid levels the playing field a little (two of the options listed are free). Definitely intelligence and personality..DC/MD privates are rejecting smart, full pay kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the private option was Sidwell or the like, that is the school I would choose, because I would feel my child was getting very challenging academics, a strong intellectual cohort and teachers, and a robust experience of activity and sports offerings. If I calould not comfortably afford that, I would happily send DC to SWW but I would feel the facilities/sports/spirit aspect was probably not as good.

Exactly our thoughts. DC ended up choosing private (and we can afford it). But I like the idea of a public very urban high school. It was a hard decision.

Is it all privates or just the top tier ones that you would chose over Walls? Walls vs. Sidwell/NCS/GDS might be a different decision than Walls vs. Field or Burke or where ever else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC got into SWW, GDS and Sidwell and shadowed at all three. DC reported that there was a dramatic difference between experience at SWW and that of Sidwell/GDS. in particular, the cohort attending DC’s various classes all day, the level of discourse, and the attitude of many of the teachers and their engagement with the students.

I don’t know why these factors are all but ignored in the many threads on this exact topic. The only aspect that is ever mentioned — seriously, ever — is college matriculation. As if that’s the only point of attending high school for high-ability teens: precisely how high does your college rank on the USNWR list?

+1

Our DS applied at SWW as backup if top private’s didnt pan out. They did, and he will decline SWW walls if its offered. I understand why folks choose SWW but for our family it isn’t about college matriculation or cost of public vs private but instead about quality of experience and for our child SWW is a lesser option.

Was it quality of experience of the academics/cohort of kids or the extras (the kind of stuff you can supplement)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWW decisions will come out Friday 3/29. Question for families already accepted and enrolled at privates: assuming you are accepted at SWW, do you see yourself choosing SWW over the private high school in which you are already enrolled? How would you compare SWW with the area's top private high schools? (You don't need to remind me that SWW is free, I know that.)

Tough call. Depends on which private. Weigh cons and pros of each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the private option was Sidwell or the like, that is the school I would choose, because I would feel my child was getting very challenging academics, a strong intellectual cohort and teachers, and a robust experience of activity and sports offerings. If I calould not comfortably afford that, I would happily send DC to SWW but I would feel the facilities/sports/spirit aspect was probably not as good.

Exactly our thoughts. DC ended up choosing private (and we can afford it). But I like the idea of a public very urban high school. It was a hard decision.

Is it all privates or just the top tier ones that you would chose over Walls? Walls vs. Sidwell/NCS/GDS might be a different decision than Walls vs. Field or Burke or where ever else?

Not to people who feel that Field or Burke is a great fit for them. I know at least three kids who chose Burke and Field over Walls, which is not about Walls, but about the child's preference. I know a lot of kids who chose Wilson over Walls too.

Honestly, not many people choose a high school based on a DCUM "rank" or believe one is "best" for everyone or the best education of all -- it really isn't true and is just a construct on DCUM. And, as is obvious from where these threads usually end up, the people doing that are usually using things like how many HYP matriculations or who got more kids extra time to boost their SAT averages, which are variables that have nothing to do with the education and experience of high school. Most people choose a high school based on more personal criteria.

[Anonymous]

Parents should know their kids better (and kids should know themselves better) to the point to find the best fit.

Stop looking to rankings and talk to your child. You will see how easier life will get if you choose whatever is better for your kid, not whatever will impress more your neighbors.

It is so simple!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC goes to GDS and has several friends at SWW. The Walls students we knew were smart, interesting, and academically well prepared. There are plenty of AP options in addition to the flexibility of taking classes at GW. Considering that most of the Big3 Ivy admits we knew were legacy while Walls generally reflects the demographics of DC residents, Walls does very well with college admissions. My advice on independent schools is not to pay that much tuition if it means sacrificing your family's peace of mind.

I could have written this. DC chose GDS over SWW but it was close, even closer than other privates including one Cathedral school. To be fair, I think I was open about my preference for GDS as a better fit in the end. Lots of DC's friends from former DCPS, private MS, and neighborhood friends are thriving at SWW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC goes to GDS and has several friends at SWW. The Walls students we knew were smart, interesting, and academically well prepared. There are plenty of AP options in addition to the flexibility of taking classes at GW. Considering that most of the Big3 Ivy admits we knew were legacy while Walls generally reflects the demographics of DC residents, Walls does very well with college admissions. My advice on independent schools is not to pay that much tuition if it means sacrificing your family's peace of mind.

I could have written this. DC chose GDS over SWW but it was close, even closer than other privates including one Cathedral school. To be fair, I think I was open about my preference for GDS as a better fit in the end. Lots of DC's friends from former DCPS, private MS, and neighborhood friends are thriving at SWW.

Thanks. This is all very helpful.

[Anonymous]

‘If I was poor’. Yuck!! ? if SWW means avoiding your type - it is the top choice.

[Anonymous]

As a SWW alum, I'd happily send DC there. That's our goal and first choice for HS. Also, I'd love a tuition-free period prior to college.

[Anonymous]

Grandson started at SWW but switched to Jackson Reed(

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grandson started at SWW but switched to Jackson Reed(

Why?

[Anonymous]

I just read this thread, as we are facing the same choice. College admissions stats don't matter to me. That said, an academically motivated and highly capable cohort is something DC wants, for the intellectual challenge. But having a nice all-around experience is also very important.

The school setting, community feel, more holistic approach, and teacher enthusiasm and engagement we saw on our visits were much more appealing at the private. However the longer travel distance and earlier start time at the private would mean getting up 1.5 hours earlier, and DC is not a morning person. That's probably the biggest concern, though it's possible the difference could be cancelled out if SWW is more of a grind and saps more energy (I read on Niche that stress level is high at SWW). The cost is not the ultimate deciding factor, but saving that tuition would be nice, all else being equal.

Another consideration is that going to the private would mean being eligible for in-state admissions and tuition at a Virginia university (I've checked the rules), if DC decides to go that route, and the savings in college tuition could end up far exceeding the private school tuition outlay. But how choices after high school might play out is an unknown right now.

WWYD in this situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read this thread, as we are facing the same choice. College admissions stats don't matter to me. That said, an academically motivated and highly capable cohort is something DC wants, for the intellectual challenge. But having a nice all-around experience is also very important.

The school setting, community feel, more holistic approach, and teacher enthusiasm and engagement we saw on our visits were much more appealing at the private. However the longer travel distance and earlier start time at the private would mean getting up 1.5 hours earlier, and DC is not a morning person. That's probably the biggest concern, though it's possible the difference could be cancelled out if SWW is more of a grind and saps more energy (I read on Niche that stress level is high at SWW). The cost is not the ultimate deciding factor, but saving that tuition would be nice, all else being equal.

Another consideration is that going to the private would mean being eligible for in-state admissions and tuition at a Virginia university (I've checked the rules), if DC decides to go that route, and the savings in college tuition could end up far exceeding the private school tuition outlay. But how choices after high school might play out is an unknown right now.

WWYD in this situation?

How would your child receive in-state admissions/tuition at VA universities if they were admitted to Walls (and thus a DC resident)?