Private High Schools w/lots of math and science, small classes for bright, motivated ADHD boy?

[Anonymous]

DS is at Basis DC, and an honor student, but the big classes and long days are not a good fit. Would consider commonwealth, but it's too far. How would Maret Potomac and Field do? He's a good kid who excels in math and science and not an athlete.

[Anonymous]

Burke

[Anonymous]

Burke would be good, Field would be good. Potomac is emphasizing their sports a lot these days, so maybe he'd feel more out of it as somebody not as into sports? Maret is well-liked by their families but tough to get a spot because it is so small, sought after, and for 9th grade a lot of the "boy" sports are filled by athletic recruits (basketball and baseball).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Burke would be good, Field would be good. Potomac is emphasizing their sports a lot these days, so maybe he'd feel more out of it as somebody not as into sports? Maret is well-liked by their families but tough to get a spot because it is so small, sought after, and for 9th grade a lot of the "boy" sports are filled by athletic recruits (basketball and baseball).

Great-thanks-any other schools, especially co-ed ones with math and science emphasis, that would be good without big classes to distract him??

[Anonymous]

St. Anselm's (but boys). GDS or Sidwell but class sizes will be larger than Burke or Field.

Not sure Field would have enough science for him.

[Anonymous]

You could do Basis McLean, which will have much smaller classes than Basis DC -- and he could pick up where he left off with science since the curriculum is the same.

[Anonymous]

Does he need a lot of structure? Burke, Field, and GDS don't offer that.

If he needs more structure, look at Landon, St. John's Benilde Program, St. Andrew's and possibly Bullis.

We just went through this for our DC.

[Anonymous]

Bullis. Yes sports are big there but really just for the recruits. What would be a great match is your decription of your child - especially with the new STEM building

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is fine for non sporty boys, but the academic pressure in US is tough if a kid is used to excelling and then finds himself at the middle of the class. Also there is lots of homework, not rote stuff, but comped thoughtful assignments. Still the days are long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bullis. Yes sports are big there but really just for the recruits. What would be a great match is your decription of your child - especially with the new STEM building

Can you expand on this thought? I like the idea of Bullis for my anxious, ADHD boy also, but wouldn't want him to be a fish out of water since he's not into sports.

[Anonymous]

St Johns Benilde program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Anselm's (but boys). GDS or Sidwell but class sizes will be larger than Burke or Field.

Not sure Field would have enough science for him.

Field is a little light academically, and seems to be taking on more of the money set as students. Burke seems to take school more seriously, while also being an exceptionally warm and supportive place. GDS and Sidwell are great schools, obviously, but bigger places and you really should do visits to see if he would be comfortable at either one.

[Anonymous]

The Heights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Heights.

? Isn't that an all-boys conservative (Opus Dei) Catholic school?

[Anonymous]

OP - you said big classes and long days are part of the problem for your child. All the privates help on the small class size issue, but could be worse on long days. Sports, ECs and homework are so built into the fabric of most privat upper schools, that long days and crunching the evening for homework are the norm.