McLean School

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if McLean is having an identity crisis or not, but we certainly did not find Cathy an inviting face for the school. It is a lot of money to pay to a school to not feel welcomed - not a choice we would make. But we know people who have had kids at McLean and they have done well there. I think McLean needs to take a look at revamping their leadership in admissions, for starters. We found other schools (Commonwealth Academy, Siena, etc.) to be much more welcoming, open and transparent in their interactions with us. It was quite a stark contrast with McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know if McLean is having an identity crisis or not, but we certainly did not find Cathy an inviting face for the school. It is a lot of money to pay to a school to not feel welcomed - not a choice we would make. But we know people who have had kids at McLean and they have done well there. I think McLean needs to take a look at revamping their leadership in admissions, for starters. We found other schools (Commonwealth Academy, Siena, etc.) to be much more welcoming, open and transparent in their interactions with us. It was quite a stark contrast with McLean.

Never judge a school by their admissions office. Your main interaction with admissions is only during admissions and literally never again. This goes for all grades including college.

[Anonymous]

Our DS with autism and ADHD was denied admissions even though throughout the application process, it seemed like he would be admitted. He has no behavior issues and is very social and engaging in all activities. His biggest issues are poor executive function, slow processing, and language delays. We thought with the small classroom environment, the McLean school would be perfect for him. We did not apply for financial aid so I don't think that was the issue. Is it even worthwhile to apply again next year or should we try somewhere else?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t unless your child’s issues have improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS with autism and ADHD was denied admissions even though throughout the application process, it seemed like he would be admitted. He has no behavior issues and is very social and engaging in all activities. His biggest issues are poor executive function, slow processing, and language delays. We thought with the small classroom environment, the McLean school would be perfect for him. We did not apply for financial aid so I don't think that was the issue. Is it even worthwhile to apply again next year or should we try somewhere else?

I would talk openly with their Admissions office. People here don't know, and even you don't know exactly why he was rejected. IF they won't speak with you openly, they are the wrong school anyway. And broadly that would be disappointing in any school if they don't care enough abut families and kids applying to their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS with autism and ADHD was denied admissions even though throughout the application process, it seemed like he would be admitted. He has no behavior issues and is very social and engaging in all activities. His biggest issues are poor executive function, slow processing, and language delays. We thought with the small classroom environment, the McLean school would be perfect for him. We did not apply for financial aid so I don't think that was the issue. Is it even worthwhile to apply again next year or should we try somewhere else?

Newton School

[Anonymous]

McLean was cold and felt like a factory to us. We were very surprised by this because we have friends sho have kids there who really like it and swear their kids have thrived there. Our kid did not like it - ranked it below the current public school and the two other privates being considered. We did not like the admissions experience or interactions with the director. I disagree with the above poster about not judging the school - at least in part - by the tone set by admissions. The admissions leader is who the school leadership is putting out there front and center as thle face of the school. It matters.

[Anonymous]

Mclean advertises as ADHD friendly and I thought the kids that are not approved had more issues with learning disabilities or are in the spectrum but I don't think that is the case. My kid attends a regular private school and is tested to perform above grade level academically and no issues on behavior. He can be a little hyper but is control with medication and is a great kid. He loves going there in their summer camp, which is great program. We've applied last year and he wasn't accepted in their regular school year. We were misled and no explanation was given. They did not even responded to our phone calls or emails. We wanted to know whether we should apply next year. I think is Cathy Patterson, the director of Admissions. She controls who is approved based on the grade vacancies. Kindergarten is usually open but third or fourth grade, they have more applications and is harder to get in. Academically they operate a bit below grade level. I am glad that my kid is not going there during regular program, he likes learning.

[Anonymous]

We had the same negative experience with the Admissions Director at Mclean. I've been through the independent school admissions process multiple times and had never had a negative, cold or unwelcoming experience until I got to Mclean. My DC was accepted for MS, but I actually had strong reservations about NOT enrolling. In the end, we decided to give it a try.

There were a few glitches in the beginning (comm gaps, last minute invites to parents for events, no buddy family assigned as promised, calendar mixups), but things steadliy went down hill from there...uneven enforcement of rules, punitive approach to mild behavior issues, MS principle ineffective in role, found out that my DC was not getting the required accommodations in ANY classes, the course work seemed to be too lightweight.

Most of DC teachers were good though, but I had a hard time getting past the fact that the accommodations had not been put in place...and that there was little to no accountability for it. Also...2-3 teachers that DC really bonded with left after our first year there, then during our 2nd year, despite telling us that it was done, the school failed to submit forms that we needed for an evaluation for our child. This caused a significant delay in an appointment we had been waiting a long time for. Again...no real accountability.

The last straw was when we were told in Nov that our DC was doing great in x subject, but DC ended up doing dismally on an outside test in x subject. We got an email over the winter break informing us that teacher of x subject would not be returning for the 2nd half of the school year. This was very disruptive to us and our DC, but by that point, we were already looking to leave.

I know that no school is perfect, but for the amount of money Mclean charges, they needed to deliver more than what we got. In many ways....I felt like it was a money grab. I remember very little being included with the tuition...everything they offered was ala carte and itemized...enrollment fee, student registration fee, payment plan fee, activity fee, PTA fee, transportation fee....the list was endless.

I'm glad we left and my DC continues to thrive at a different school, but I wish I would have followed my intuition. Our very first meeting with Ms. Patterson left me feeling like this was not the right school for our child and I was right. Ms. Pattersons behavior was indicative of the culture of the school. The admissions office is the first point of contact for prospective families, so that experience absolutely should be a positive one....it doesn't matter if I'll never see that team again...what matters is that the school gives off a poor first impression (at least to some families) and that doesn't serve anyone well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know if McLean is having an identity crisis or not, but we certainly did not find Cathy an inviting face for the school. It is a lot of money to pay to a school to not feel welcomed - not a choice we would make. But we know people who have had kids at McLean and they have done well there. I think McLean needs to take a look at revamping their leadership in admissions, for starters. We found other schools (Commonwealth Academy, Siena, etc.) to be much more welcoming, open and transparent in their interactions with us. It was quite a stark contrast with McLean.

Sorry you had that experience. We thought Cathy P was wonderful. She is honest and doesn't BS. It was a match for one of our kids, but not the other. I am glad she didn't have us waste time. She was warm and open and we would rather someone just be upfront rather than lead us on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS with autism and ADHD was denied admissions even though throughout the application process, it seemed like he would be admitted. He has no behavior issues and is very social and engaging in all activities. His biggest issues are poor executive function, slow processing, and language delays. We thought with the small classroom environment, the McLean school would be perfect for him. We did not apply for financial aid so I don't think that was the issue. Is it even worthwhile to apply again next year or should we try somewhere else?

It may just be there were a lot of applicants for very few slots. You may want to ask what years are the hardest to get in. If you thought it was a good match, may be worth trying again. We've known people who applied a few times before getting in and it was a good match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS with autism and ADHD was denied admissions even though throughout the application process, it seemed like he would be admitted. He has no behavior issues and is very social and engaging in all activities. His biggest issues are poor executive function, slow processing, and language delays. We thought with the small classroom environment, the McLean school would be perfect for him. We did not apply for financial aid so I don't think that was the issue. Is it even worthwhile to apply again next year or should we try somewhere else?

It may just be there were a lot of applicants for very few slots. You may want to ask what years are the hardest to get in. If you thought it was a good match, may be worth trying again. We've known people who applied a few times before getting in and it was a good match.

Sure but why would you freeze out a family and not provide any feedback, even if that were the case? Even more so if the child just isn’t a good fit. Pretty heartless IMO.

[Anonymous]

Agree with above poster. Other schools were very up front with feedback and transparent from the beginning about whether our child was a potential good fit. McLean was not. It seems like they just wanted to get as many applicants as possible to collect that fee and create a buzz regarding exclusivity. The Admissions Director was NOT friendly or transparent and certainly did not suggest we apply again. In fact, she made it sound like our child, who has only a slight learning issue and is not below grade level on anything, was far too academically challenged for the school. It was shocking. Trust your gut. I knew it was not right from the first time I visited the admissions office butt because it came recommended, we pursued it. The HOS might want to look at how other admissions offices create a welcoming and honest environment and do some retraining if he is so committed to the current staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had the same negative experience with the Admissions Director at Mclean. I've been through the independent school admissions process multiple times and had never had a negative, cold or unwelcoming experience until I got to Mclean. My DC was accepted for MS, but I actually had strong reservations about NOT enrolling. In the end, we decided to give it a try.

There were a few glitches in the beginning (comm gaps, last minute invites to parents for events, no buddy family assigned as promised, calendar mixups), but things steadliy went down hill from there...uneven enforcement of rules, punitive approach to mild behavior issues, MS principle ineffective in role, found out that my DC was not getting the required accommodations in ANY classes, the course work seemed to be too lightweight.

Most of DC teachers were good though, but I had a hard time getting past the fact that the accommodations had not been put in place...and that there was little to no accountability for it. Also...2-3 teachers that DC really bonded with left after our first year there, then during our 2nd year, despite telling us that it was done, the school failed to submit forms that we needed for an evaluation for our child. This caused a significant delay in an appointment we had been waiting a long time for. Again...no real accountability.

The last straw was when we were told in Nov that our DC was doing great in x subject, but DC ended up doing dismally on an outside test in x subject.

+1
IME, it's like their whole business model is to make your child feel like they are doing well and achieving when they are not. It may be a helpful model if your child has anxiety or low self-esteem though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had the same negative experience with the Admissions Director at Mclean. I've been through the independent school admissions process multiple times and had never had a negative, cold or unwelcoming experience until I got to Mclean. My DC was accepted for MS, but I actually had strong reservations about NOT enrolling. In the end, we decided to give it a try.

There were a few glitches in the beginning (comm gaps, last minute invites to parents for events, no buddy family assigned as promised, calendar mixups), but things steadliy went down hill from there...uneven enforcement of rules, punitive approach to mild behavior issues, MS principle ineffective in role, found out that my DC was not getting the required accommodations in ANY classes, the course work seemed to be too lightweight.

Most of DC teachers were good though, but I had a hard time getting past the fact that the accommodations had not been put in place...and that there was little to no accountability for it. Also...2-3 teachers that DC really bonded with left after our first year there, then during our 2nd year, despite telling us that it was done, the school failed to submit forms that we needed for an evaluation for our child. This caused a significant delay in an appointment we had been waiting a long time for. Again...no real accountability.

The last straw was when we were told in Nov that our DC was doing great in x subject, but DC ended up doing dismally on an outside test in x subject.

+1
IME, it's like their whole business model is to make your child feel like they are doing well and achieving when they are not. It may be a helpful model if your child has anxiety or low self-esteem though.

We left McLean a few years ago, but had the same experience. It was a shock to discover that our child, who was in the highest writing group at McLean, was well, well below grade level in public school.