Chantilly High or Langley?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can stretch to get into the Langley district, and you’ll find that it’s still a public school, just with more kids with more money to spend on clothes and drugs. Langley is no better academically than Fairfax, and does not have an academy program like Fairfax and Chantilly.

Will your kids be part of the social circle or feel left out because that is not a lot of money around Langley?

Actually- that’s right around the same as most kids. Probably more. Rich kids in great falls don’t go to Langley. A lot of people whose kids go to Langley bought their homes years ago when the houses cost a lot less - definitely <1 mil.

It’s a school for rich kids, even if some of the richer kids go to privates that, ironically, are more diverse than Langley. No scholarships to attend Langley and the local gatekeepers make sure no low or middle income areas go there.

[Anonymous]

A nice thing about Chantilly if you are moving is that the Western Co feeder patterns are a mess. So, RarMS, Carson and a Franklin all feed into Chantilly. And, it’s a large school. On the first day of school freshman year, half the class is a unknown to everyone. IME, there is a lot of shuffling and rearranging of Fred groups first semester. Some kid stay with their MS BFFs, but many kids find ES kids who went to different MS or a whole different group of kids.

Kids tend to make friends based on interests. Fine arts (esp. drama), robotics and sports are popular and create their own communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was going to say Chantilly until your post about your social status. Please stay away.

Pretty sure the OP is yet another troll, trying to stir up animosity among the Langley haters. It's beyond old.

I do think "TIA" at the end of a post like the OP here can sometimes be read as "have fun while I go get my popcorn" but in this case OP seemed legit. You never really know, so maybe err on the side of not insulting someone by calling them a troll.

OP here.
Sorry I didn’t want to create a stir and in noway demeaning the culture or any of these areas.
It was genuine attempt to understand the areas, but we are still split and will look at houses in both areas

And, thanks all for lot of good suggestions and providing insights.
I agree with the fact that we are getting more house for the money in Chantilly.

I guess my thought is this, when you retire, will you be glad that you gave up that extra $200,000 - $300,000 in retirement money potential for a house to attend Langley or McLean high school. I ask this as an adult who is looking at the cost of memory care for her parent and wondering if the amount that we are saving is enough. And we are already maxing out retirement funds as well as saving in other areas. And I know that the price difference is not a 1-1 exchange but my thought is that is money each month that could be saved in different places that will probably grow at a faster and more stable rate then home equity. And knowing that we will be less stressed if one of us loses a job with a smaller mortgage.

There are a lot of solid to great high schools in FCPS. If you focus on the quality of the education and not the wealth of the peer group you can probably find a happy medium. Networking works for some people but not all. And I am not certain the hanging with the kids of Langley establishes the type of network that you think that it might.

DP. I was following along with everything you were saying until your last sentence. Seriously? Was that dig really necessary? I'd wager you know next to nothing about "the kids of Langley" - who, btw, are mostly really great. Certainly, there is no high school that has perfect kids - including yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Any advice on which route we should take?

If DC are going to be boy-crazy (or be a hot guy) and make friends and intensely into things like cheer, Chantilly all the way! If DC want to marry someone who "comes from money" and want to delegate employees/start a business and don't care about having a good time at their reunion, Langley it is!

What an idiotic response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I would be so upset if my parents moved me a few miles down the road just before high school for these reasons. OP, does your oldest support this??

I would never live in an area where my kid’s sense of what is poor would be distorted. You are not poor! But your kid may start to think that as you go on beach vacations while others are going to Europe etc. and it seems like you are a social striver, so you will only make things worse. It might be fine if you didn’t already care about that kind of stuff. But you do.

+1. I can't think of anything worse for a teenager to move them as a rising high school student to an area like Great Falls where the houses are spread out, there's nothing to do, and most of the other kids already know each other and come from families with more money. Chantilly would be so much more normal.

What is there to do in Chantilly that isn't available to Great Falls residents?

[Anonymous]

As usual, parents who know absolutely nothing about the Langley community, feel free to chime in with ignorant and uniformed opinions of what they ASSume it must be like.

When I see a thread about say, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, etc. - basically any school that my kids don't attend - I don't post there. Why? Because I have no firsthand experience with any of those schools, so my opinion is irrelevant. So why do all of YOU have this compulsion to post about Langley when it's clear none of you know the first thing about the kids who go there or their families? It's really beyond strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As usual, parents who know absolutely nothing about the Langley community, feel free to chime in with ignorant and uniformed opinions of what they ASSume it must be like.

When I see a thread about say, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, etc. - basically any school that my kids don't attend - I don't post there. Why? Because I have no firsthand experience with any of those schools, so my opinion is irrelevant. So why do all of YOU have this compulsion to post about Langley when it's clear none of you know the first thing about the kids who go there or their families? It's really beyond strange.

Why do you assume other posters have no first-hand knowledge of Langley residents or students? What’s “really beyond strange” is how you seem to think only your rose-colored opinion matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I’m not sure how you narrowed down to those two schools. 1.3 for Langley will be a little tricky. We are in the Mclean area and a few nice houses have sold in that price range recently but it’s a bit of a needle in a haystack.

On the other hand I wouldn’t really want to live in Chantilly, I just don’t live the vibe there leaving aside the school. I feel like for 1.3 you’d have pretty good options in the Woodson, Madison or Oakton districts. I prefer those areas and I think there’s be plenty of smart kids and education oriented families.

Do you know which neighborhoods in McLean pyramid around 1.3?
My kids are in 1st and 3rd grade and looking for better school district.

I think you just need to keep an eye out for what comes on the market in Mclean 22101 and Falls Church feeding into Mclean schools. It’s not so much a particular neighborhood to watch although one to keep an eye on is the Nantucket/Marlborough neighborhood in Falls Church. Several nice contemporary style homes just sold in that price range off of Westmoreland in 22101. Some people in 22101 have done nice thoughtful renovations of smaller/older homes that may sell in that price range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As usual, parents who know absolutely nothing about the Langley community, feel free to chime in with ignorant and uniformed opinions of what they ASSume it must be like.

When I see a thread about say, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, etc. - basically any school that my kids don't attend - I don't post there. Why? Because I have no firsthand experience with any of those schools, so my opinion is irrelevant. So why do all of YOU have this compulsion to post about Langley when it's clear none of you know the first thing about the kids who go there or their families? It's really beyond strange.

Actually most people who post on DCUM have no idea what goes on in Western Fairfax either or what the character and quality of the student population is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually most people who post on DCUM have no idea what goes on in Western Fairfax either or what the character and quality of the student population is.

#facts

[Anonymous]

I’m sure both schools are fine. But I would be livid if my parents moved me at this age just for kicks and not for a job in a different city etc. Seems pretty immature, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I would be so upset if my parents moved me a few miles down the road just before high school for these reasons. OP, does your oldest support this??

I would never live in an area where my kid’s sense of what is poor would be distorted. You are not poor! But your kid may start to think that as you go on beach vacations while others are going to Europe etc. and it seems like you are a social striver, so you will only make things worse. It might be fine if you didn’t already care about that kind of stuff. But you do.

+1. I can't think of anything worse for a teenager to move them as a rising high school student to an area like Great Falls where the houses are spread out, there's nothing to do, and most of the other kids already know each other and come from families with more money. Chantilly would be so much more normal.

What is there to do in Chantilly that isn't available to Great Falls residents?

Everything but horses and car shows? Malls, movies, less 193 fatalities, sleepovers, hotties, Rachel Carson TJHSST prep, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sure both schools are fine. But I would be livid if my parents moved me at this age just for kicks and not for a job in a different city etc. Seems pretty immature, OP.

Parents get to decide what's best for their kids and OP said they were dissatisfied with the ES in the Fairfax pyramid.

Both Chantilly and Langley are good schools. Although moving to Langley as a 9th grader could be disruptive. We know people whose kids coming out of Longfellow MS are getting redistricted to Langley and who are moving so they can stay in the McLean HS pyramid with other kids from Longfellow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual, parents who know absolutely nothing about the Langley community, feel free to chime in with ignorant and uniformed opinions of what they ASSume it must be like.

When I see a thread about say, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, etc. - basically any school that my kids don't attend - I don't post there. Why? Because I have no firsthand experience with any of those schools, so my opinion is irrelevant. So why do all of YOU have this compulsion to post about Langley when it's clear none of you know the first thing about the kids who go there or their families? It's really beyond strange.

Why do you assume other posters have no first-hand knowledge of Langley residents or students? What’s “really beyond strange” is how you seem to think only your rose-colored opinion matters.

DP. It’s beyond obvious many (most) of these posters have no clue about the Langley area (grocery stores?!), families, or kids. I mean, if you’re going to troll, at least know the facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual, parents who know absolutely nothing about the Langley community, feel free to chime in with ignorant and uniformed opinions of what they ASSume it must be like.

When I see a thread about say, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, etc. - basically any school that my kids don't attend - I don't post there. Why? Because I have no firsthand experience with any of those schools, so my opinion is irrelevant. So why do all of YOU have this compulsion to post about Langley when it's clear none of you know the first thing about the kids who go there or their families? It's really beyond strange.

Actually most people who post on DCUM have no idea what goes on in Western Fairfax either or what the character and quality of the student population is.

PP here - and I agree. Which is why I never chime in about schools I know nothing about.