APS: Washington Liberty will be minimum 2700 students by 2025

[Anonymous]

Notwithstanding all the defensive drama from the Wakefield crowd, it’s pretty well accepted in N Arlington that WL ends up picking off the more intense students from the YHS district. More motivated seems like a fine phrase to me. Either intrinsically Or extrinsically. I am sure the same is true for Wakefield. But not all those kids are driven my crazy parents. Honestly, APS doesn’t really have many of those parents period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Notwithstanding all the defensive drama from the Wakefield crowd, it’s pretty well accepted in N Arlington that WL ends up picking off the more intense students from the YHS district. More motivated seems like a fine phrase to me. Either intrinsically Or extrinsically. I am sure the same is true for Wakefield. But not all those kids are driven my crazy parents. Honestly, APS doesn’t really have many of those parents period.

Each school averages an identical acceptance rate at UVA consistently over the past five years. Indeed the numbers are almost identical.

Each school has about the same acceptance rate at USNWR Top Ten consistently over the past five years.

Now, these are dumb metrics for picking the right school for your son/daughter. BUT, no one reading this board should be under the misimpression that PP has a clue what they are talking about. They do not.

[Anonymous]

Eh. There’s definitely a difference among the types of kids getting into uva from those three high schools. Even if the numbers are equivalent. Your commitment to the Arlington mantra of equity is admirable. But, It will depend a lot of your kids’ profile whether they get in from Wakefield or WL. I’ll leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notwithstanding all the defensive drama from the Wakefield crowd, it’s pretty well accepted in N Arlington that WL ends up picking off the more intense students from the YHS district. More motivated seems like a fine phrase to me. Either intrinsically Or extrinsically. I am sure the same is true for Wakefield. But not all those kids are driven my crazy parents. Honestly, APS doesn’t really have many of those parents period.

No one will argue that you probably have better odds of getting into uva from Wakefield. Less competition, for one thing.


Each school averages an identical acceptance rate at UVA consistently over the past five years. Indeed the numbers are almost identical.

Each school has about the same acceptance rate at USNWR Top Ten consistently over the past five years.

Now, these are dumb metrics for picking the right school for your son/daughter. BUT, no one reading this board should be under the misimpression that PP has a clue what they are talking about. They do not.

[Anonymous]

No one will drive that you have better odds of getting into uva from Wakefield. Less competition, for one thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one will drive that you have better odds of getting into uva from Wakefield. Less competition, for one thing.

PP here. The UVA/Top Ten numbers are W&L and Yorktown. To rebut the statement that that the smart Yorktown students are departing in droves for W&L. See bolded statement. Perhaps that was a typo and you did not mean YHS?

Totally agree that Wakefield is different for the socioeconomic reasons already discussed. Their UVA/other numbers reflect this. But, totally agree that for some kids big fish/small pond works great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh. There’s definitely a difference among the types of kids getting into uva from those three high schools. Even if the numbers are equivalent. Your commitment to the Arlington mantra of equity is admirable. But, It will depend a lot of your kids’ profile whether they get in from Wakefield or WL. I’ll leave it at that.

That's because the profile of Yorktown students are all the same; so profile doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at homes in WL and Yorktown and came across an article in ArlNow they added 600 seats to WL to bump the capacity to 2700, but Yorktown is capped at 2100 because of something with its lot coverage?

When they added those 600 seats, did they add another cafeteria, and build more field space? I have no idea how common space would be reallocated but I guess they did it last year and it seems to be working well? Any current parents want to share how it is at a nearly 3000 student school?

The new academic building that opened last year has spacious, state-of-the-art common spaces on each floor with plenty of natural light. The largest is on the first level and can be used for larger gatherings. These spaces have moveable furniture for any number of activities. There are also fitness and weight rooms in the new building.

The auditorium and gym (opened about 15 years ago) are the largest of the APS high schools. They were designed based on old specs created for the former W-L building (now demolished) that originally housed about 3000 plus students.

Students can spend lunch period throughout the campus (except on the football field), and both the new and old buildings have outdoor terraces with furniture. Seniors have open campus privileges and can leave campus for lunch. Some walk to fast food options in nearby Ballston, others drive to grab food, some walk home and back.

Regarding field space, early talks have begun to renovate the W-L baseball field. The high school’s fields (all owned by the school system) extend to Quincy Park next to the public library. There are also practice fields, a softball field, and stadium with field and track directly adjacent to the school.

There is plenty of on campus parking for students who drive, a rarity in close-in Northern Va. A new student lot with additional spaces opened by the brand new W-L academic building.

The swimming pool is large enough to accommodate the growing student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one will drive that you have better odds of getting into uva from Wakefield. Less competition, for one thing.

PP here. The UVA/Top Ten numbers are W&L and Yorktown. To rebut the statement that that the smart Yorktown students are departing in droves for W&L. See bolded statement. Perhaps that was a typo and you did not mean YHS?

Totally agree that Wakefield is different for the socioeconomic reasons already discussed. Their UVA/other numbers reflect this. But, totally agree that for some kids big fish/small pond works great.

The condescension is overpowering and sickening.

Significant differences between WHS and the others for sure. But different does not equate to inferior.

WL and YHS parents, you made your choices and you wouldn't trade them for the world and would move or go private rather than send your kids to Wakefield. Fine. Please just stop looking down on WHS and judging - the school, the kids, the quality of education. You aren't here. We have equally outstanding teachers and comparable (not identical) AP offerings. We have some crappy teachers, too. We have an excellent and effective counseling department and a community of good people with an array of interesting and fascinating stories.

Best thing about small pond WHS? Kids can get a high quality education (or "fine" or "adequate" from WL and YHS perspectives ) without the exhausting snottiness, arrogance, and pressure-cooker, socially-competitive environment of WL and YHS. Would it be nice to win a football game once in a while? Yeah. But an education is more critical in life than state championships - and education is why I send my kids to school. Our kids know they may not win or always get a "superior" rating; but they enjoy participating and working together and trying. Fewer awards and titles doesn't diminish their school pride or spirit and makes the victories and wins all the more meaningful to them.

Worst thing about small pond WHS? Having to learn to ignore the condescension and attitudes of superiority from the rest of the County. Been dealing with that all the way through since elementary school ("Where do your kids go?....Oh." Conversation stops ) Correction: been dealing with such reactions and attitudes since moving to Arlington - "where do you live?.. Oh." If conversation continues, "All the way down there?" or a patronizing "that's nice." That's the real Arlington Way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

Nonsense. You can see where the athletes sign. It’s not MIT. I know these kids are they are equally distributed. To say the smart ones are going to W&L is a bunch of utter BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

Nonsense. You can see where the athletes sign. It’s not MIT. I know these kids are they are equally distributed. To say the smart ones are going to W&L is a bunch of utter BS.

Smart ones are going private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

Nonsense. You can see where the athletes sign. It’s not MIT. I know these kids are they are equally distributed. To say the smart ones are going to W&L is a bunch of utter BS.

Smart ones are going private.

I do t have the info in front of me but I thought there were several athletic recruits to ivies and top 25 schools at YHS. Maybe I’m wrong. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think athletic recruits are the standard. But there are more from YHS than the other schools. And at better schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

Nonsense. You can see where the athletes sign. It’s not MIT. I know these kids are they are equally distributed. To say the smart ones are going to W&L is a bunch of utter BS.

Smart ones are going private.

I do t have the info in front of me but I thought there were several athletic recruits to ivies and top 25 schools at YHS. Maybe I’m wrong. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think athletic recruits are the standard. But there are more from YHS than the other schools. And at better schools.

The PP cited MIT because 2023 athletic recruits from W&L — not YHS — are going to MIT & Georgetown. These kids, I am sure, are hella qualified and probably smarter than other admits. But, bottom line: your argument that athletic recruits are what is making up the admits to “smart” schools from YHS is dumb and wrong. Just like your argument that all the smart YHS kids are going to W&L.

My point is, and always has been, the two schools BOTH have some very bright, very motivate me kids. And this argument is so fun because these kids make up a tiny portion of the class.

I think what you really want to say is: Yorktown is whiter than W&L and somehow that makes is intrinsically worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh. Most families zoned to Yorktown would agree the top kids from middle school end up disproportionately at WL. Not all of course. Some of Yorktown’s success in college apps is academic and some is (far more than WL) athletics. Look at signing day details for YHS. Athletic recruits to top schools. The 3 high schools have very different flavors.

Yorktown is among the top sports schools in the state and has been for a while now. W-L also has championship teams at all levels and is competitive but Yorktown is always in the top 5 high schools in the entire state and the expectations are consistently high. That makes joining a team harder at Yorktown than at most all other schools. The competition is admittedly intense. But there are plenty of no cut sports as well. One popular no cut sport, crew (rowing), has been strong at all three Arlington high schools.