How competitive is entry to top Baltimore privates?
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Anonymous
| We are debating among Park School, Bryn Mawr, Friends and RPCS. Which would you recommend and why? Which is the most academically rigorous? |
Anonymous
Most academically rigorous are Park and Bryn Mawr, Friends, then RPCS. Where you to depends on whether you want progressive or traditional curriculum, coed or single sex. Academic rigor isn’t the top criteria for every kid, some need a smaller and/or less stressful environment. |
Anonymous
I can only report my experience at Friends, where DS attended from K through HS. Friends has a very strong English curriculum and good English teachers; arts, music and drama are quite good, while science and math can be more rigorous. That said, a few students have taken college-level math classes (concurrently) at Hopkins and scored well. Friends has the best Russian language program in Maryland, as evidenced (for example) by the awards won in Olympiada of Spoken Russian and National Russian essay contests, as well as scholarships from the US. State Dept. DS took Russian from 6th grade on, and used this continuous pursuit to help him to stand out (albeit a little) in his college applications, as Russian is identified as a critical language in the US. He is studying a math-oriented major in college; I do hope that he will have time for Russian again. Friends does not offer any AP classes; all classes are taught at Honors level. I feared that the lack of APs might hurt his chances when applying to colleges, but this turned out not to be the case. Friends is the most politically progressive school in Baltimore. |
Anonymous
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Definitely think there is way more interest now that public schools are hybrid. I would say definitely more
People applying to private school |
Anonymous
It’s way easier to get into the best schools in Baltimore than a top school in DC! |
Anonymous
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Oh Ducks, look at you all fighting it out over Baltimore privates.
Don't forget "Horse Back High" aka Garrison Forest or Oldfields and lest we forget Maryvale Prep which features one of the strongest lacrosse to college pipelines on the East Coast. See you at the Spring Races! do come by and say hello. I'll be in the wrap skirt, green head band, Dean Sweater, with my clogs and of course I'll be obliterated. |
Anonymous
| What about St. Timothy's? |
Anonymous
I graduated from a Baltimore prep and have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. |
Anonymous
Absolutely👍👍👍 |
Anonymous
| It's 2024, does anyone have updated information on stanine scores for Baltimore area private schools post-pandemic? |
Anonymous
| Bryn Mawr is likely most rigorous, though a kid at friends or RPCS can of course also get a good education. RPCS got new middle school head a few years ago and I don’t know much about her. Under previous leadership, middle school was definitely a weak link IMO. Very little differentiation- and there is a WIDE range of abilities. They actually don’t do all that well with kids who are on either end of the “do well in school spectrum.” Lots of kids leave after middle school. Although again this may have changed, but I’d definitely ask. |
Anonymous
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Op’s child is likely a senior at one of these schools at this point.
FWIW, my opinion on rigor having two kids either recently through or still in upper school: Bryn Mawr, then Park, with RPCS and Friends being similar. |
Anonymous
| Does Gilman still make students on scholarship/financial aid clean the cafeteria? |
Anonymous
| Ha! Nice one PP. |