Maret or GDS

[Anonymous]

If your child is remotely interested in playing football, high level baseball or high level basketball then Maret is the obvious choice. If your child is into running or wrestling then GDS is the choice. Strictly talking athletics here. Obviously going to St. John’s is the definite scholar if sports is all you care about and your child is very talented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at both and chose Maret. Maret gave us a warmer vibe. The campus is lovely and students seemed to really feel at home there. The students really know each other. No one more falls between the cracks in a school this size. Also, while the school is very progressive, the political culture didn’t seem so heavy-handed and doesn’t permeate everything the way it seems to at GDS. Both great schools, can’t go wrong!

The Maret buildings are a little dated and raggedy inside. But that lawn!!! OMG. I want to take off my shoes and socks and roll back and forth across it. So lovely.

[Anonymous]

All of the posts so far have been pretty informative, but have left out how GDS tends to be more religiously diverse while Maret, while by no means discriminatory, does not tend to have as broad an array of represented faith communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the posts so far have been pretty informative, but have left out how GDS tends to be more religiously diverse while Maret, while by no means discriminatory, does not tend to have as broad an array of represented faith communities.

Look closer, it’s not that broad and frankly delineated by race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS students are admitted at a wider number of schools, generally more prestigious. Maret students tend to go to SLACs, but lower percentage than GDS to HSLACs.

GDS' campus will be much nicer than Maret once GDS completes move.

Maret is hard to get into because it's small, not because it is academically stronger.

Social life can be more difficult @ Maret, because of fewer students. If there's bullying or bad dynamics, fewer options and your child can't get much distance.

Money and donations matter more at Maret. School is more reliant on a smaller # of donor families. More special treatment of larger donor families and their kids.

Would choose GDS over Maret.

Same here! I was wondering when the anti GdS poster would show up and they did not disappoint.



Nice try. If you want to be in a self righteous insufferable community where everything every child does is "perfect", go to GDS.

Wow, I was just thinking this thread was an amazing breath of fresh air with no anti-GDS vitriol but I guess that was never going to last. OP, ignore this person. My kids are both at GDS and they are far from perfect. In fact today they are total nightmares.

What? The dance party video didn’t pep them up? Still waiting for something academic to start.

It's been 4 days. Even in a normal year, the first 4 days of school are not particularly rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at both and chose Maret. Maret gave us a warmer vibe. The campus is lovely and students seemed to really feel at home there. The students really know each other. No one more falls between the cracks in a school this size. Also, while the school is very progressive, the political culture didn’t seem so heavy-handed and doesn’t permeate everything the way it seems to at GDS. Both great schools, can’t go wrong!

The Maret buildings are a little dated and raggedy inside. But that lawn!!! OMG. I want to take off my shoes and socks and roll back and forth across it. So lovely.

Imagine if they took $200k/year off the Head’s salary and put it towards facilities! But then I don’t know how HoS would survive on only $400k/yr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the posts so far have been pretty informative, but have left out how GDS tends to be more religiously diverse while Maret, while by no means discriminatory, does not tend to have as broad an array of represented faith communities.

Look closer, it’s not that broad and frankly delineated by race.

What? Well some religions are, generally speaking, based off of the history of religious formation in the world. ie most Jews are white, most Muslims are not, most Catholics are white, most Baptists are black, etc. obviously that has nothing to do with the school.
Should they only admit black Jews, etc to even things out?
Such a stupid comment, pp..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS students are admitted at a wider number of schools, generally more prestigious. Maret students tend to go to SLACs, but lower percentage than GDS to HSLACs.

GDS' campus will be much nicer than Maret once GDS completes move.

Maret is hard to get into because it's small, not because it is academically stronger.

Social life can be more difficult @ Maret, because of fewer students. If there's bullying or bad dynamics, fewer options and your child can't get much distance.

Money and donations matter more at Maret. School is more reliant on a smaller # of donor families. More special treatment of larger donor families and their kids.

Would choose GDS over Maret.

Same here! I was wondering when the anti GdS poster would show up and they did not disappoint.



Nice try. If you want to be in a self righteous insufferable community where everything every child does is "perfect", go to GDS.

Wow, I was just thinking this thread was an amazing breath of fresh air with no anti-GDS vitriol but I guess that was never going to last. OP, ignore this person. My kids are both at GDS and they are far from perfect. In fact today they are total nightmares.

What? The dance party video didn’t pep them up? Still waiting for something academic to start.

It's been 4 days. Even in a normal year, the first 4 days of school are not particularly rigorous.

This is not true at our HS (not MaretGDS)...why would you need 4 days before getting back into school? Maybe 1-2, but 4?

[Anonymous]

GDS parent here- because the prospective student is applying for K, I will say there is a difference in the lower schools. GDS is very progressive and consequently the culture and norms can be more relaxed than a school like Maret which is more traditional. If your child needs more routine and structure, that may be a challenge. My older child did great at GDS starting in K, but my younger did not.

[Anonymous]

+1. When we considered both schools for K, several friends with kids at these schools echoed this, and we saw it on our tours. Maret is more structured and orderly, GDS much less so. My children prefer order and structure, which was one of the reasons we chose Maret. We liked GDS a lot, but it does feel more chaotic in the classrooms/hallways than Maret does. We have been happy with Maret’s balance between progressive and warm but still structured and orderly. We also liked that Maret has progressive values but politics doesn’t dominate everything the way it seems to at GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. When we considered both schools for K, several friends with kids at these schools echoed this, and we saw it on our tours. Maret is more structured and orderly, GDS much less so. My children prefer order and structure, which was one of the reasons we chose Maret. We liked GDS a lot, but it does feel more chaotic in the classrooms/hallways than Maret does. We have been happy with Maret’s balance between progressive and warm but still structured and orderly. We also liked that Maret has progressive values but politics doesn’t dominate everything the way it seems to at GDS.

Thanks for this insight to both you and the PP- especially since there will be no tours this year so all will have to be determined via zoom. A bit hard to gauge too much without physically seeing the spaces and feeling the atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. When we considered both schools for K, several friends with kids at these schools echoed this, and we saw it on our tours. Maret is more structured and orderly, GDS much less so. My children prefer order and structure, which was one of the reasons we chose Maret. We liked GDS a lot, but it does feel more chaotic in the classrooms/hallways than Maret does. We have been happy with Maret’s balance between progressive and warm but still structured and orderly. We also liked that Maret has progressive values but politics doesn’t dominate everything the way it seems to at GDS.

Thanks for this insight to both you and the PP- especially since there will be no tours this year so all will have to be determined via zoom. A bit hard to gauge too much without physically seeing the spaces and feeling the atmosphere.

They meet their reputations - what you hear about both is what they are. Also, as pointed out above the schools are more alike than different. If that is for you, apply away - just know your chances, even as a full pay family, are slim - so don’t get your hopes up...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS students are admitted at a wider number of schools, generally more prestigious. Maret students tend to go to SLACs, but lower percentage than GDS to HSLACs.

GDS' campus will be much nicer than Maret once GDS completes move.

Maret is hard to get into because it's small, not because it is academically stronger.

Social life can be more difficult @ Maret, because of fewer students. If there's bullying or bad dynamics, fewer options and your child can't get much distance.

Money and donations matter more at Maret. School is more reliant on a smaller # of donor families. More special treatment of larger donor families and their kids.

Would choose GDS over Maret.

Same here! I was wondering when the anti GdS poster would show up and they did not disappoint.



Nice try. If you want to be in a self righteous insufferable community where everything every child does is "perfect", go to GDS.

Wow, I was just thinking this thread was an amazing breath of fresh air with no anti-GDS vitriol but I guess that was never going to last. OP, ignore this person. My kids are both at GDS and they are far from perfect. In fact today they are total nightmares.

What? The dance party video didn’t pep them up? Still waiting for something academic to start.

It's been 4 days. Even in a normal year, the first 4 days of school are not particularly rigorous.

What are they waiting for?

[Anonymous]

The Maret families I know seem nicer and more down to earth than the GDS families I know, who seem more aggressive in their desire to stay on top and keep their kids there with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Maret families I know seem nicer and more down to earth than the GDS families I know, who seem more aggressive in their desire to stay on top and keep their kids there with them.

I’ve found the exact opposite.