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Big 15??
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Anonymous
This forum needs a reality check. No one is using any real objective metrics to rank any of these schools and it’s full of bias. There is no objective metric that makes Sidwell #1 but for some reason we’re all supposed to accept it as gospel. It doesn’t have the best campus/facilities, price, college outcomes, alumni or sports. People throw these rankings around with no real rigor. |
Anonymous
Name them. |
Anonymous
Which DC Private school has better facilities, college outcomes, alumni or sports than Sidwell? I’ll give you price, though. And I mean name one DC Metro school that is better than Sidwell in all areas listed above? Gonzaga is already out based on its facilities/location (practically a homeless shelter), academics, college outcomes, and alumni. |
Anonymous
No. I agree with OP. You just have to accept that it is #1, if you get it you do and if you don't, oh well. Maybe some schools are better sports wise but notability, merit, academic and tradition everyone collectively puts Sidwell as #1(besides some STA parents). It's like Harvard, when someone thinks of an Ivy, they think Harvard first. Yale's(think-Maret, STA, Bullis, Potomac, SJC and Gonzaga's) entire sports division could dominate Harvards(Sidwell) or Penn's( think- NCS, GDS, Holton, SR, Madeira, STA's, even the fan favorite BIM's) academic curriculum could be more challenging; regardless, if you are from America or are international, you know Harvard. If you know DC privates, you know Sidwell. Simple as that. |
Anonymous
Uh oh, they will be coming for you in the morning with the volunteering and service aspect!!!! 
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Anonymous
Here’s a summary of this thread: Sidwell parents and boosters: Sidwell is #1 The rest of us (confused): But why? Sidwell parents and boosters: Trust me bro The rest of us: blank stare |
Anonymous
DP. Not sure why you would lol at service. So, Sidwell parents think they are the best, because........they are well known. No other criterion than that. Gonzaga parents value service to the community and don't want kids who just look away from homeless individuals (or anyone else for that matter) as less than people. I'd rather know the Gonzaga families. |
Anonymous
Preppy and moderate families are not going to Sidwell. They are not even considering it. There is an entire social network in DC that sends their kids to certain schools and the communities do not cross over. Sidwell families tend to not be in that social network. Good school but number 1? I think not. We did not even look or consider it for our second child. First looked and was accepted but chose another school over it. |
Anonymous
*first child was accepted but chose another school. |
Anonymous
Pat Buchanan, Ken Cuccinelli, Martin O'Malley, and Don Beyer to name a few. |
Anonymous
False. We've gone through the cycle with two kids from the same K-8. Applied to Catholic, Episcopalian and independent. Few of their friends applied exclusively to "religious" or "non-religious" schools. |
Anonymous
There's also only one Bullis, Landon, Georgetown Prep, Holton Arms, Madeira, etc. Each of these schools have their own pros and cons and are the right fit for some kids and not others. Your kid can only attend one at a time. Figure out which is the best for her (or him). Forget which magnet looks best on the back of your SUV. |
Anonymous
I dont know anyone at Potomac but I cannot get over how you are trying to deny that it is worthy of being in the top 15. It has so much better college placement than Gonzaga or whatever other school you are trying to boost. And Bullis looks great, too. Post some actual results or sit down, Here is Potomac’s college placement so far: Stanford Upenn Dartmouth (rowing) Harvard Yale (soccer) Dartmouth Dartmouth Brown (track) Dartmouth Brown US Naval Academy (baseball) Princeton (soccer) Duke Duke Harvard Duke Plus tons of NYU, Colgate, Middle ury, UVA, Washington and Lee. https://www.instagram.com/pmacdecisions2024?igsh=Mnk0NXo0dDl0dDkw |
Anonymous
NP. These lists of where kids commit aren’t that helpful b/c kids at some schools are more likely to consider affordability than others. You’d really need the list from the schools themselves showing where kids were accepted. |
Anonymous
You are making excuses. One student can get into a number of elite schools and it shows up on the list of where kids are accepted. One superstar at a school is nowhere equal to schools like GDS and Potomac sending large numbers of kids to elite schools. If kids were able to afford Potomac (or any other PRIVATE school) either by private pay or financial aid the same will be true for their colleges (in general). Let’s not discount results for your few outliers who need to consider finances. That’s why this is the private school forum. Perhaps, there should be an independent school list (where tuition is 40+). This would include schools like Visi, SR, GP. But would leave out some of the other Catholics. That way you are comparing apples to apples. |