New private school rankings

[Anonymous]

https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/

[Anonymous]

https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

[Anonymous]

If you read the methodology, they explicitly penalize single-sex schools. (See under the Diversity methodology.) Points for them for disclosing the methodology, but points off for not being more transparent up in the "big picture" description up front that this ranking makes the judgment that single-sex schools are worse than co-ed schools.

But, lists work! People love 'em. (See, eg., Buzzfeed, Wild Success Of) So, good for you, Niche people, whomever you are.

[Anonymous]

Another methodology point: Looks like they determine diversity by numbers of URMs, but do not factor in any socio-economic element by looking at the percentage of financial aid (which, admittedly, would be a big job).

But in this area, for example, Sidwell and St. Albans both give significantly more financial aid than GDS or Maret (the older schools have bigger endowments, this is not a knock on GDS or Maret).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you read the methodology, they explicitly penalize single-sex schools. (See under the Diversity methodology.) Points for them for disclosing the methodology, but points off for not being more transparent up in the "big picture" description up front that this ranking makes the judgment that single-sex schools are worse than co-ed schools.

But, lists work! People love 'em. (See, eg., Buzzfeed, Wild Success Of) So, good for you, Niche people, whomever you are.

Most of the schools in the top 10 are single sex, at least for Maryland, b

[Anonymous]

Just, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

I wouldn't put too much confidence in these rankings. The #29 school, Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, VA went out of existence 5 or 6 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Their Academic Ranking, which relies somewhat heavily on colleges that students "are interested in" (?!) or "go on to attend" does not tease out LEGACY.

So, bleh. Yes it would be very difficult to factor legacy status in or out when ranking high schools that are "the best." No question.

But giving that one factor 30% of the weight in academic aspect is eyeroll worthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

I wouldn't put too much confidence in these rankings. The #29 school, Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, VA went out of existence 5 or 6 years ago.

. . . and other good nearby schools aren't listed at all. Not just unranked, but not even in the database.

[Anonymous]

St. Timothy's is better than Gilman? o.O

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

I wouldn't put too much confidence in these rankings. The #29 school, Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, VA went out of existence 5 or 6 years ago.

Ok that's hilarious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

If you believe that Ransom Everglades is the second best school in the nation, then you should take this list seriously.

[Anonymous]

VERY poorly done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VERY poorly done.

+1. Looking at the methodology makes me wonder how they couldn't be too embarrassed to publish the list. The "survey of graduates" data seems completely meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VERY poorly done.

+1. Looking at the methodology makes me wonder how they couldn't be too embarrassed to publish the list. The "survey of graduates" data seems completely meaningless.

Just following up, it really is weak sauce. 10% of the score was just subjective survey data and they tabulated this on as little as 7 responses in some cases. 30% assigned to culture and diversity also seems ridiculously arbitrary. The academic stuff seems to have at least some objective data in it but is largely measuring the quality of the student body as much as it is the quality of the schooling itself. Weird.