Moving HS student to DC area. Need school advice.

Anonymous
Daughter attended Catholic k-8 and is currently 9th grader at a top private HS in the south. We would be moving over the summer and outside the application deadline dates. We are open to all types of schools (public, private and parochial) but do want a school with a good reputation and college placement. Would prefer AP program.
Anonymous
Will you be in DC, MD, or VA? What is your budget?
Anonymous
DC is a big area with terrible traffic. Need more info on where you'll be living and working.
Anonymous
Husband's job in DC. (Tenley area). Would prefer 30 minute or less commute. Home...no more than $850k but don't need a large space. Would do a town home.
Anonymous
The so called top private schools in DC are about $40,000 per year, if that matters to you. I do think that they occasionally accept students from out of town at the last minute. I'm sure the Catholic schools do the same thing. I think the Catholic schools are a bit easier to get in to.
Anonymous
I was looking for a quick list. For example, if someone were moving here, I could rattle off the top 3-4 private schools, 3 public HSs and 1-2 better Catholic HSs. There are always nuances...a particular magnet program at an otherwise average HS...but trying to get a quick start.
Anonymous
Try Visitation in Georgetown. Wonderful, Catholic, all girls school.
Anonymous
For public high schools: Whitman, Churchill, Walter Johnson and below them Wooten and Bethesda Chevy Chase (BCC). Those are the schools for the towns of Bethesda, Checy Chase, potomac and some parts of Rockville and Kensington.
Anonymous
Funny. We know a family whose daughter attended that school and has done quite well. However, I think an all-girls Catholic school would be my daughter's very last choice. But we can't rule it out!
Anonymous
Top privates are National Cathedral School (NCS), Sidwell Friends and Georgetown Day.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Funny. We know a family whose daughter attended that school and has done quite well. However, I think an all-girls Catholic school would be my daughter's very last choice. But we can't rule it out!


The other Catolics are Holy Cross, Holy Child and St John's. St. john's is co-Ed, and none of the three are known for their academics. Stone Ridge is also Catholic, with smarter girls, but also no co-Ed.
Anonymous
And all three are close to Tenleytown. But housing there will be expensive. You may be able to find a semi-detached in the North Cleveland Park area. Wilson HS is the local public there, which is fine too.
Anonymous
What would be the top 3 VA public HSs?
Anonymous
Our daughter's current school would be comparable to NCS, Sidwell and Georgetown. She got in...but it wasn't easy. Do not believe we would get into these DC privates but would like to provide an option that is going to give her somewhat of a similar experience and/or options for college.
Anonymous
OP, nearly all privates in this area offer AP. The actual type and number of courses offered will vary of course, but this is also true of the publics. WJ in MoCo has a robust offering of APs, but also has an application only program that includes extra support for AP students. This has never made sense to me. Why accept only top 8th grade students to a program that provides extra help for AP? Top students at other schools are earning 4s and 5s without this scaffolding. But I digress. The point is that you can find a good college prep program for your DD almost anywhere in this area. So think about what other factors matter to you. Sounds like you don't want single sex. Scratch Visi and Stone Ridge. Is your DD athletic? Does she want to run for student government or participate in a robotics club? Are you always going to drive her or would she ever take public transportation to school?
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