New to the private school discussion - nova family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Arlington, too. Kids started in public but moved to Potomac in lower elementary (now in upper school). We did not consider schools in DC because we both work in VA and it just didn't seem reasonable to not only get the kids to school in DC (and then us to offices, back in the day) but also be able to get to school for events, meetings, and volunteering. I value proximity to school for many reasons -- wish we lived even closer so kids could walk and their friends could be at our house more easily. You wind up being at your kids' school more often than you think you will be (in a good way) and longer trips can get old. Also, while schools like to have some geographic "diversity" the reality is that many families do choose close schools, so many of your kids' friends might live reasonably close to school. That's true for our kids friends and I appreciate that we don't have to make huge trips (or cross any bridges) to get to most of their houses/events.

Potomac requires (most) kids to take buses, no matter where you live. They have quite a few free shuttle stops in the close-in (to McLean) area (usually in shopping center parking lots and the like) OR you can pay for the neighborhood bus service. We've always done the free version (because tuition is bad enough).

Finally, Langley is a great place to start. Everyone I know who sent kids there have been very happy with the education, teachers, families, and culture.

Have heard great things about Langley as well. Are there several families at Potomac from Arlington? Did you do a lot of prep for admission? Reading the threads here it sounds like it’s very difficult to get in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish there were just 1-2 more options reasonable from Arlington/McLean/FC for HS.

Potomac, Flint Hill, DJO and Madeira are the only reasonable commutes IMO.

The new paul VI is too far out to be an option. Same for Saint Paul the Great. It’s a shame too - both have the best facilities in the area IMO.

Stone Ridge and Holton are a much better commute from Arlington than Flint Hill. I don’t know personally about the other schools in DC or MD but the commutes from Arlington are done regularly by families here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking through the forums and past posts as I try to get a general idea of the private school landscape for our Northern Virginia family. We’re in Arlington and thought the kids would go to public schools because ‘the schools were great’. At some point in time we learned that the high schools were not as great and we might want to consider private for that. We made ourselves to the idea that we would apply private for middle school or high school. And then the last two years happened and now we’re wondering if we should consider private sooner since it sounds like admissions have gotten much more competitive. I’m trying to come up to speed on this earlier than I expected.

My questions:
a) I kept reading about going to school close to where you live. Obviously there is Potomac. What are other options in this area? Madeira is all girls so that’s not an option for one of our kids. Langley sounds great, but I’m weary about doing the application again in HS especially for my kid who is not super social - seems rough to pull them out of public, then Langley, then somewhere else for HS but maybe people do It and it’s fine. We like where we live and moving for a school seems daunting
b) Are there set “entry years” when more spots open up usually or does it vary at all schools? Does it make more sense to apply for K (missed that boat), 6th, or 9th grade?
c) We’re Catholic but I hadn’t really considered Catholic schools - I’m not sure why. I think maybe I inadvertently ranked schools in my head as public, then Catholic and then independents like Potomac and if we’re gonna pull them out of public then try to go all the way. But I’m open to suggestions if there are exceptional ones to consider. Is it common that catholic school families would apply / get into Potomac type schools for HS?

We want solid academics with less emphasis on devices and more emphasis on textbooks. Child loves learning and is not an athlete. We’re big on social Justice values (I feel a little guilty about potentially going private) and educating the whole child / inculcating values. And we’re minorities so a bit concerned about that as well, though I’ve mostly come to terms that private schools will not have the level of diversity I would prefer in an ideal world.

All suggestions welcome but please be kind to this newbie

Entry years are the years to apply to private for better odds. For Potomac (since you mentioned that school) that is K, 4th, 7th and 9th. NOT 6th. They do add a handful at 6th (but like 4) but 7th is the real entry year (and 4th). So try for an entry year otherwise odds are slim. Tons of Arlington kids at Potomac. The school is like 60% NVA with McLean, Arlington, Falls Church and Vienna making up the bulk. If you are Catholic, you might want to look at Bishop O'Connell in Arlington. It's close and less expensive/easier to get into than Potomac (but its only high school). If your kids are already in 4-5th I would not bother with Langley since it only goes to 8th...if they are younger (i.e. 2nd or 3rd) that could be a nice optoin that would cover you for 5 years. St John's is also a Catholic school in McLean (right on Arlington border) that could be an option before high school. good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish there were just 1-2 more options reasonable from Arlington/McLean/FC for HS.

Potomac, Flint Hill, DJO and Madeira are the only reasonable commutes IMO.

The new paul VI is too far out to be an option. Same for Saint Paul the Great. It’s a shame too - both have the best facilities in the area IMO.

Stone Ridge and Holton are a much better commute from Arlington than Flint Hill. I don’t know personally about the other schools in DC or MD but the commutes from Arlington are done regularly by families here.

ah no… have you traveled over the 495 bridge lately in the afternoon? it’s standstill traffic horrible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Arlington, too. Kids started in public but moved to Potomac in lower elementary (now in upper school). We did not consider schools in DC because we both work in VA and it just didn't seem reasonable to not only get the kids to school in DC (and then us to offices, back in the day) but also be able to get to school for events, meetings, and volunteering. I value proximity to school for many reasons -- wish we lived even closer so kids could walk and their friends could be at our house more easily. You wind up being at your kids' school more often than you think you will be (in a good way) and longer trips can get old. Also, while schools like to have some geographic "diversity" the reality is that many families do choose close schools, so many of your kids' friends might live reasonably close to school. That's true for our kids friends and I appreciate that we don't have to make huge trips (or cross any bridges) to get to most of their houses/events.

Potomac requires (most) kids to take buses, no matter where you live. They have quite a few free shuttle stops in the close-in (to McLean) area (usually in shopping center parking lots and the like) OR you can pay for the neighborhood bus service. We've always done the free version (because tuition is bad enough).

Finally, Langley is a great place to start. Everyone I know who sent kids there have been very happy with the education, teachers, families, and culture.

many families from Arlington. in fact the administration noted that beginning in 2020 applications from langley families began a steep increase (pre pandemic)

Have heard great things about Langley as well. Are there several families at Potomac from Arlington? Did you do a lot of prep for admission? Reading the threads here it sounds like it’s very difficult to get in