GDSS vs Sidwell

[Anonymous]

Stumped. Help.

[Anonymous]

Very few people have experience with both, other than during the admissions process. If you have specific questions, you might get answers from parents at one or the other, but it's doubtful anybody can run it down for you.

[Anonymous]

Why do few people have experience with both?

[Anonymous]

Hmmmmm, for one, you're looking for either a family with multiple kids that send their children to BOTH Sidwell and GDSS.

~or~

you're looking for a kid that went to one of the school then transferred to the other.

What are the odds you'll find someone like that?

[Anonymous]

You really can't go wrong with these choices. I am a GDS alum with a kid there now, but have lots of friends who graduated from Sidwell and send their kids there now. I love the community at GDS. I love the excitement my child has about school. I love my kid's friends and those friends' parents. I love the values the school imparts on the kids with the added benefit that they learn so much every day. I can virtually guarantee you the same things are true of Sidwell.

You don't say what grade you are looking at, but one thing I'll say in GDS's favor is that the middle school (and high school) have been better at helping all types of kids thrive - not just the super academic stars.

But these are both truly wonderful schools - congratulations on having this choice!

[Anonymous]

Go visit the schools. One of the significant differences is that GDS is about to go through a major construction project. Sidwell has completed its major building phase. The disruption during the Sidwell construction was really significant so I assume that it will be distracting for GDS students as well.
I think Sidwell is generally a stronger institution and if you are thinking about college admissions, Sidwell is hitting it out of the park. This year 10 kids are already accetped to Yale, 8 kids in Penn, several into Brown and a couple of kids in to Harvard. (These are early admits, final acceptances may increase.) I think last year five kids got into Stanford last year. Obviously teaching is fantastic and Sidwell's facilities will be still be better even after the gds project is completed.

[Anonymous]

We have direct experience with both schools, with one child at each for HS. Based on personal preference of the two kids, and the social climate of the two specific classes being joined, and specific extracurricular interests. Both were extremely happy and received great educations at their respective schools. Academics were basically identical in terms of range of classes, academic strengths of their peers at the two schools. College admissions results, number of NMSFs also almost identical. Both schools full of liberal and generally very affluent families. Degree of ethnic diversity at the two schools also pretty similar. So really this should be up to your kid and where he/she feels more comfortable, many kids admitted to both schools for MS or HS, because by then based on real predictive testing and grades, so not a surprise that many kids/families making this decision. In our experience goes both ways and we and the decision for both of ours, and they each made the right decision for their specific personality and interests. So have your kid shadow again and let him/her decide. The feel of the schools are a bit different and the strengths/things that drive you nuts about the places are different, but on balance there was nothing that would make us now say that we would have picked one over the other if we were going through the process again.

[Anonymous]

Are you talking prek or high school? Makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

11:05 nails it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Highschool.

[Anonymous]

A little turned off at GDS Admit breakfast today that 2 kids on the student panel disparaged Sidwell. I would think that the Admissions team would remind the kids to not mention specific schools by name, or at least if you do, not to do so in an attempt to portray them in a negative light.

[Anonymous]

PP; GDS is in the shadow of Sidwell. Kind of like Philly v. NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP; GDS is in the shadow of Sidwell. Kind of like Philly v. NYC.

Signed: a Sidwell HS student

[Anonymous]

It's just bad form to bad mouth another school in that kind of a setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A little turned off at GDS Admit breakfast today that 2 kids on the student panel disparaged Sidwell. I would think that the Admissions team would remind the kids to not mention specific schools by name, or at least if you do, not to do so in an attempt to portray them in a negative light.

There was no disparaging. There was a mention of a quaker school to mild laughter. Elephant in the room type of thing. The question was one that asked the kids to reflect on why they chose gds and not other schools.

It was completely appopriate and respectful.