sheridan vs. lowell honest feedback on parent communities?
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Anonymous
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We are choosing between Sheridan and Lowell and both schools seem quite wonderful over all. Lowell has nicer facilities and some more amenities, definitely a stronger athletics program and perhaps a stronger arts program overall with the dance studio/black box theater, etc. (would be interested to hear to hear if my impression that its art program is stronger is true). BUT we are drawn to Sheridan's close-knit, family and community feel and what seems like a more social-justice oriented, politically progressive family community. They both seem about the same in terms of diversity (though it's of course hard to tell particularly in terms of diversity above and beyond race/ethnicity). My impression from visits is that the Lowell community seems like it might be a bit wealthier and (dare I say it) snobbier or more competitive than the Sheridan community - but I would love feedback on whether that is true or not (I don't want to generalize based on a few parent interactions!).
I have a solid handle on the other pros and cons (Lowell smaller class sizes, Sheridan mountain campus, Sheridan 1 class per grade can be a pro or con depending on your kid, facilities, etc.) and I feel confident that both schools do well at academics and outplacements to HS. At this point it really comes down to questions of commute and community so any insights on the later appreciated - we do feel we can't really go wrong either way as they are both fantastic schools, but some frank feedback from parents who are not on the board/hand-picked by the admissions committees to give us glowing reviews would be really appreciated as we get down t the wire on decision time  . We know these folks are going to be our community as well - birthday parties, sleepovers, vacations, school trips and all - so this factor is important to us.
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Anonymous
| We applied to both as well and I had the opposite feel of the parent communities...I felt Lowell's community was more down to earth and approachable and diverse and Sheridan's was less so. |
Anonymous
| I have had three kids at Lowell (2 there now). I also know plenty of Sheridan families. There is absolutely no way one would describe the families at Lowell as either richer or snobbier. It tends to be a very very warm group and close knit (depending some on class, etc). I have always assumed Sheridan would have much more wealth because of its location. Lowell draws heavily from close in MD as well as DC. As for arts at Lowell, it is all great including the dance program. Gl with your choice. |
Anonymous
| It varies from class to class at both schools...same for the kids in each class. (From someone who had kids at both) |
Anonymous
| I had two kids go all the way through Lowell and agree with PPs that I cannot see anyone saying that Lowell families are either more well off or less politically progressive than Sheridan families. We found Lowell to have a substantial amount of economic diversity (as best as one can tell obviously) and I agree with PP that part of that is the location in that it is very accessible to students living EOP and in parts of Maryland. My sense has always been that Sheridan draws more heavily from NW DC. The art and dance programs at Lowell are all great (my high schooler still misses her Lowell art teacher!). You really can't go wrong at either place but if what you are looking for is a laid back, non-competitive, progressive, diverse parent community you should not be worried about choosing Lowell because you will definitely find that. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for the responses - I appreciate the insights and am glad to know my impression was wrong. It does seem like it depends class by class (no pun intended) at each school. *sigh* maybe we'll just do rock, paper, scissors, this decision is HARD. |
Anonymous
| OP, pick which one is going to be easiest to get to. Seriously. |
Anonymous
AGREED! The Lowell carpool line can be heinous. At least at Sheridan you can park and walk in. |
Anonymous
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Trust me, commute is DEFINITELY on the pro/con list!
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Anonymous
| If you do end up going with Lowell (or as part of your considerations) the bus from NW DC is great to use. The stop near Connecticut and Tilden is the last stop in the morning and first in the afternoon and cuts out the need to deal with either the drive or the carpool pick up line. |
Anonymous
| OP here: The bus is an amazing service, but it costs 2K extra and what with tuition already a stretch we don't unfortunately have that kind of extra cash. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP. We faced the same choice. Congratulations on choosing two wonderful progressive schools. You definitely have a good sense of the pros and cons of each. The parent communities are similar, and as a PP pointed out, can vary a bit by grade.
We went with Sheridan over Lowell. We felt like it was a good fit from the moment we walked in the door. We have friends who did the opposite. Really, trust your gut here. Our child's class is full of really nice kids and families. There are mostly two working parent families, and a great diversity in the kinds of families represented (two mom or dad, single parent, multi-racial, adopted etc.) People are friendly and welcoming. I love that we all know one another's kids and will see them grow together. I didn't realize until our child began school there the extent to which it is truly a kind community. The older kids really watch out for the younger ones. They form great relationships across grades. I hope this helps. Best of luck! |
Anonymous
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I'm a Sheridan parent who drives past Lowell 2x a day to work. Agree with others that commute should be weighed heavily if relevant (i.e., do you live on Oregon Ave., then NBD. Or do you live in Takoma Park or in Cabin John? )
Also, think carefully about the -admitted- parents you've met in each class-to-be. Are they your peeps? If your kid is 5, then you're not really concerned with the friendly 7th grade parents you met on the open house tour. The feel of the school to you will be heavily affected by the actual parents in your kid's grade. And, fruit tends not to fall far from the tree. The parent community of Sheridan is warm and friendly on the whole; the parents in my older child's grade are/were decidedly not. Not surprisingly, their kids were also unpleasant. OTOH, our younger kid's grade has fantastic parents and their kids are great, too |
Anonymous
Sheridan has branched out considerably in recent years and has become much more diverse geographically and economically so that's not really a differentiator between the two schools. As other PPs have said, convenience should be a big factor. Another is after-school programming if you think you might use it at all. I can't speak to Lowell's, but Sheridan's after care is excellent and it can be hard to convince your child to go home at the end of the day, even when it's 6pm. And, because Sheridan doesn't do carpool pickup -- you meet your child on the playground -- you get to know a lot of parents and other kids just from your time at the end of the day. This is is true whether you are picking up at school dismissal or 5pm or 6pm -- there's usually a group of parents standing around that you wind up getting to know because you see them all the time. You have two great choices -- good luck! |
Anonymous
| Very useful thread! Thanks! |