APS or private school - NOT a pandemic driven question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard that Arlington Traditional School is solid and just as good as Catholic school, if you can get in.

LOL. “Just as good as Catholic school”. Is that a joke?

No.

DP but Catholic Schools aren't known for being excellent from an education perspective. There are other positives but....

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

I have one kid in an APS high school and one who just graduated from college having gone thru APS. I'm happy with the education both have received. My older child got a college scholarship and did superbly in college. Now gainfully employed in their field of choice and planning on grad school in a few years. Both my kids scored well on SAT/ACT/AP/IB tests without any extra prep (which I know are just standardized tests, but are one measure that would suggest that they are doing as well as or better than most students, public or private). They are both very good writers. They certainly seem more knowledgeable than I was at their ages, and they know and are friendly with people from a much broader socio-economic/racial/ethnic range than I did. I have loved having teens who walk or ride their bikes to school and drive only rarely. Yay for local schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

One thing to remember when looking at admissions lists from NoVA high schools: Many public school families in this area have HHIs that make them ineligible for financial aid, and that has a big impact on where their kids end up going for college. My spouse is a high school teacher in Arlington and sees lots of students with grades and test scores that make them good candidates for top colleges but who don't end up there because their parents don't want to (or can't) pay $250k out of pocket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

My kids attend APS.

It’s not about the money. The affluent parents aren’t sending their kids to top colleges either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

My kids attend APS.

It’s not about the money. The affluent parents aren’t sending their kids to top colleges either.

Really? Because among the affluent public school families we know in Arlington, we know kids who are at or have recently graduated from Stanford, Brown, Wellesley, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, and Claremont McKenna. Those seem fairly "top" to me.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone-

OP here. I really appreciate all of the wonderful posts. The tips for what to look for to ensure my children are learning the fundamentals early on; the review of ATS; the thoughts of families who decided that private school would best meet their child’s needs; and the thoughts of families who loved their experience at APS. I hadn’t yet thought about college, but I appreciate the reference to the APS college list, and now my curiosity is piqued enough to check it out. I really appreciate all of the sincere, thoughtful responses.

[Anonymous]

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.


I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

Hi, OP here. This seems like it was directed at me, but I’m not the person who made the comment you are responding to (about underwhelming colleges). My kids are too little to think about college (in my mind anyway!) I think my concerns have been alleviated by the first few posts in this thread, and I’m excited to see the new elementary school take shape. I’m not sure we would be at Potomac or St Stephen/St Agnes even if we did look at other options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

My kids attend APS.

It’s not about the money. The affluent parents aren’t sending their kids to top colleges either.

Really? Because among the affluent public school families we know in Arlington, we know kids who are at or have recently graduated from Stanford, Brown, Wellesley, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, and Claremont McKenna. Those seem fairly "top" to me.

So that’s across how many graduating years?

Are the lists posted in Arlington Magazine missing some data? Because when you look at the #s of kids for any particular year, it’s pretty pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Basically I’m nervous we are going to be stuck in a cycle of redistricting due to capacity issues. I attended a public school district with one high school that was smaller than any of the current Arlington options. I don’t expect an urban area to be like that, but I didn’t quite appreciate the capacity issues until recently (and that’s on me).

You wont get redistricted again. The capacity problems are annoying, in that kids might have to eat lunch early or late, or have to be in a mobile classroom, but it doesn't impact education quality. You should be worried about the dumbing down of curriculum (not solely an APS problem, btw) rather than these secondary issues.

Thanks for the perspective. I know families who LOVED Key Immersion and LOVED ASFS. I’m sure people will love the new school too. With all the unhappiness around APS lately, I think it’s easy to worry.

I think the unhappiness is exaggerated, its the same handful or more posting over and over. Did these people go to the gold standard of schools as kids? I don't know where they develop their expectations. Look at the high school graduation rates and excellent colleges that APS students go to. It's still a very good system, but of course has flaws and room for improvement.

[/b]I personally would only look at private if your students struggle or are extremely gifted[b]. Some kids fly under the radar if they have good behavior (e.g. ADHD girls who are also gifted). I think a smaller school would help those kids.

Agree. Don't put too much stock into online complaints - it's very one-sided from a small group of vocal parents.

And I think APS works well for most kids. Only exceptions are learning challenges or profoundly gifted.

Thanks! I def got sucked into reading too many complaints online during this pandemic and I started to think - “why does everyone hate APS? I thought the schools were good here” Time to get off the Internet 😂.

This. We moved 2 of our kids to private because of this. One with learning disabilities and one gifted and unchallenged by APS. As long as you’re a typical learner APS is fine. We still have one here. APS is good but I really don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be.

No, it's not. And the college admission list published in the local magazine is ... underwhelming. Having said that, it;s a school system. It;s in Virginia. It's generally ok. So your kid will have a chance at UVA (or W&M) that they would not otherwise have had. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

Hi, OP here. This comment seems like it was directed at me, but I’m not the person who made the comment you are directly responding to (about underwhelming colleges). My kids are too little to think about college (in my mind anyway!) I think my concerns have been alleviated by the first few posts in this thread, and I’m excited to see the new elementary school take shape. I’m not sure we will apply to Potomac or St Stephen/St Agnes even if we do look at other options. But thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone-

OP here. I really appreciate all of the wonderful posts. The tips for what to look for to ensure my children are learning the fundamentals early on; the review of ATS; the thoughts of families who decided that private school would best meet their child’s needs; and the thoughts of families who loved their experience at APS. I hadn’t yet thought about college, but I appreciate the reference to the APS college list, and now my curiosity is piqued enough to check it out. I really appreciate all of the sincere, thoughtful responses.

You’re too reasonable and kind for DCUM. The AEM trolls will eat you alive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone-

OP here. I really appreciate all of the wonderful posts. The tips for what to look for to ensure my children are learning the fundamentals early on; the review of ATS; the thoughts of families who decided that private school would best meet their child’s needs; and the thoughts of families who loved their experience at APS. I hadn’t yet thought about college, but I appreciate the reference to the APS college list, and now my curiosity is piqued enough to check it out. I really appreciate all of the sincere, thoughtful responses.

You’re too reasonable and kind for DCUM. The AEM trolls will eat you alive.

I think they already are 😂. I’m pretty sure someone called me classist and I fell for the bait! I’m so disappointed in myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, aside from TJ, the list of admissions from VA high schools is underwhelming.

I mean, there are lots of students in VA high schools whose parents aren't attorneys or consultants living by the country club. Where do you think the kids of lower-income, first-gen families end up going to college? Many of them go to NVCC, GMU, VCU. You don't see these schools on the admissions lists at Potomac and St. Stephen's because there are very few students from lower-income families there. But of course you know this; I'm sure it's why you are interested in private school in the first place.

Hi, OP here. This seems like it was directed at me, but I’m not the person who made the comment you are responding to (about underwhelming colleges). My kids are too little to think about college (in my mind anyway!) I think my concerns have been alleviated by the first few posts in this thread, and I’m excited to see the new elementary school take shape. I’m not sure we would be at Potomac or St Stephen/St Agnes even if we did look at other options.

Sorry OP, that is me above--I did not think you were the one talking about underwhelming colleges.