Which prestigious private high schools

[Anonymous]

Actually, one of the reasons we didn't choose WIS was that it felt a bit pretentious in a different way: pressure to be a nonconformist or different somehow. I got the idea that those of us who are boring Americans with vanilla jobs and vanilla clothes and traditional tastes would not be welcomed.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, its annoying when anyone trades in any stereotypes about any of these schools.

I'm the mom with a child at a "big three" and at McLean. I don't think I'm pretentious because my child goes to one or the other. I don't understand this need to put down the choices other parents make. Great, you are happy with the school you chose for your child. No need to act as if your choice is any superior to mine.

[Anonymous]

I would also suggest looking at "Big 3" or other schools with language immersion programs. In our global society, we cannot expect to be able to conduct business, execute foreign policy etc without an innate knowledge of other cultures and languages.

This is something I hope my children get from their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would also suggest looking at "Big 3" or other schools with language immersion programs. In our global society, we cannot expect to be able to conduct business, execute foreign policy etc without an innate knowledge of other cultures and languages.

This is something I hope my children get from their school.

I used to agree. But isn't WIS really the only game in town right now? And does it not remain to be seen whether language immersion could actually take away from English skills and eventually overall academic achievement (i.e., test scores).

[Anonymous]

"I used to agree. But isn't WIS really the only game in town right now? And does it not remain to be seen whether language immersion could actually take away from English skills and eventually overall academic achievement (i.e., test scores)."


On the contrary. Multilingualism has ENORMOUS cognitive benefits and the earlier one learns a second/third/fourth language, the better (see www.cal.org or www.nnell.org for latest research about early language learning - including the myths such as the one posted above). I am a WIS parent and my child just completed Kindergarten, speaks, reads, and writes beautifully in two languages, and has an awareness of the world and other cultures like I never knew existed when I was a child. And for the previous poster who thought vanilla Americans wouldn't feel welcome, there are more and more families with two American parents at WIS and they fit in just fine. In fact, WIS's admission goal is 1/3 non-American families, 1/3 mixed families (one American parent, one non-American parent) and 1/3 all-American families.

But WIS isn't the only game in town as DC, Montgomery, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties all have immersion schools that are available via lottery to out of boundary students. DC's Oyster is one of the best elementary school around and Fairfax is dedicated to transforming as many schools as possible to an immersion model due to the benefits bilingualism brings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I used to agree. But isn't WIS really the only game in town right now? And does it not remain to be seen whether language immersion could actually take away from English skills and eventually overall academic achievement (i.e., test scores)."


On the contrary. Multilingualism has ENORMOUS cognitive benefits and the earlier one learns a second/third/fourth language, the better (see www.cal.org or www.nnell.org for latest research about early language learning - including the myths such as the one posted above). I am a WIS parent and my child just completed Kindergarten, speaks, reads, and writes beautifully in two languages, and has an awareness of the world and other cultures like I never knew existed when I was a child. And for the previous poster who thought vanilla Americans wouldn't feel welcome, there are more and more families with two American parents at WIS and they fit in just fine. In fact, WIS's admission goal is 1/3 non-American families, 1/3 mixed families (one American parent, one non-American parent) and 1/3 all-American families.

But WIS isn't the only game in town as DC, Montgomery, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties all have immersion schools that are available via lottery to out of boundary students. DC's Oyster is one of the best elementary school around and Fairfax is dedicated to transforming as many schools as possible to an immersion model due to the benefits bilingualism brings.

And there's a new Chinese immersion charter--Yu Ying--which looks great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: In fact, WIS's admission goal is 1/3 non-American families, 1/3 mixed families (one American parent, one non-American parent) and 1/3 all-American families.

Sounds very much like the any school in Rockville/Gaithersburgh.

I am going to do my best to get my kid into the Kindergarten Spanish immersion programme.
Being an immigrant kid myself, I can testify to the theory behind language immersion. I just wish this would have been more thoroughly researched when I was young. It has been quite an eye opener to see it in theory.

One thing puzzles me, why go to WIS for multiculturalism, when with the same money you can have it yourself by just traveling a lot.
Several public schools offer the IB program, inlcuding the middle years and the primary years program, so why pay for it.

But why waste the immigrant experience by staying in your 'bubble' and not exploring the culture through schools intended for the locals. Isn't that the reason behind exchange students, au-pairs etc

[Anonymous]

On the contrary. Multilingualism has ENORMOUS cognitive benefits and the earlier one learns a second/third/fourth language, the better (see www.cal.org or www.nnell.org for latest research about early language learning - including the myths such as the one posted above). I am a WIS parent and my child just completed Kindergarten, speaks, reads, and writes beautifully in two languages, and has an awareness of the world and other cultures like I never knew existed when I was a child. And for the previous poster who thought vanilla Americans wouldn't feel welcome, there are more and more families with two American parents at WIS and they fit in just fine. In fact, WIS's admission goal is 1/3 non-American families, 1/3 mixed families (one American parent, one non-American parent) and 1/3 all-American families.


I fully agree with this poster's comments about the amazing cognitive advantages of multilingualism at an early age, without ever impairing English language competencies or depth in other disciplines. Likewise, I totally endorse his/her enthusiastic comments about the WIS experience. Excellent school from all points of view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the contrary. Multilingualism has ENORMOUS cognitive benefits and the earlier one learns a second/third/fourth language, the better (see www.cal.org or www.nnell.org for latest research about early language learning - including the myths such as the one posted above). I am a WIS parent and my child just completed Kindergarten, speaks, reads, and writes beautifully in two languages, and has an awareness of the world and other cultures like I never knew existed when I was a child. And for the previous poster who thought vanilla Americans wouldn't feel welcome, there are more and more families with two American parents at WIS and they fit in just fine. In fact, WIS's admission goal is 1/3 non-American families, 1/3 mixed families (one American parent, one non-American parent) and 1/3 all-American families.

I fully agree with this poster's comments about the amazing cognitive advantages of multilingualism at an early age, without ever impairing English language competencies or depth in other disciplines. Likewise, I totally endorse his/her enthusiastic comments about the WIS experience. Excellent school from all points of view.

At least for WIS, the SAT numbers and top tier college placements don't place it in the top tier of DC privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

At least for WIS, the SAT numbers and top tier college placements don't place it in the top tier of DC privates.

Many WIS graduates choose to study outside the US, which means that, when you look at college placements for the US only, you don't get the total picture. But in any case, even by looking at the college results for the US, WIS should be placed at a very high level. Regarding SATs, same story. Students who are already sure they will go to college overseas, do not obsess too much over SAT scores because standards for admissions beyond the US are based upon other variables (not necessarily less demanding, mind you). Hence the averages you may have come across for WIS SATs cannot be compared to those of other schools. Furthermore, the value of the IB awarded by WIS is recognized as extremely high in the college admission process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At least for WIS, the SAT numbers and top tier college placements don't place it in the top tier of DC privates.

Many WIS graduates choose to study outside the US, which means that, when you look at college placements for the US only, you don't get the total picture. But in any case, even by looking at the college results for the US, WIS should be placed at a very high level.

Yes, and, related to this, one should also take into consideration that many international families at WIS are not the traditional "legacies", which means that they do not have easier access to supposedly top colleges, contrary to what may happen at other top but more traditional DC private schools where a higher percentage of students come from Ivy League alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, one of the reasons we didn't choose WIS was that it felt a bit pretentious in a different way: pressure to be a nonconformist or different somehow. I got the idea that those of us who are boring Americans with vanilla jobs and vanilla clothes and traditional tastes would not be welcomed.

We definitely got the sense that we were viewed as boring, maybe even Ugly Americans. They definitely want some obvious international angle from the families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:will be essentially off limits if I don't make the decision now apply to a feeder preschool for my 3 YO?

I know the chances are never zero, but I am stressed about whether I really need to worry about this now. We live in Potomac and really want to send my DS to a local preschool, and maybe local elementary school/Catholic school, but need to understand what options I am giving up by doing that.

Thanks

It really depends on what kind of Catholic school you need for later on. Most all girls catholic schools will take from Blessed Sacrament and Holy Trinity. Last time I checked you only need to take the HSPT test for Georgetown Visitation. Now, if you are talking about GDS or Sidwell, get there as soon as you can and anyway you can. They have limited openings.

[Anonymous]

FYI: WIS's Spanish program has mainly children with Spanish speaking parents. It's tough for students learning Spanish as a second language. Not impossible, but challenging.

[Anonymous]

If you have your heart set on Maret, Sidwell, GDS for high school, you'd do better trying your darndest to get in at the K level.

This is not what I understand. K is the hardest year because of connected, legacy and sibling applicants. These schools expand a minimum of THREE TIMES after K!