Potomac and Holton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg, Holton is above Potomac academically. A whole tier above.

+1
Potomac is a good school, but it's not comparable with Holton for a ton of reasons and one of them is more about the network. The DC schools and the Maryland schools near the border including Holton are part of the same social and professional universe. Many families might have one kid at Sidwell, STA, GDS and another at Holton or Landon or St. Andrew's, etc. Many parents all work together and if they do country clubs they are in the same ones. The kids go to the same dance classes, play on the same sports teams. There are some wealthy businesspeople at all private schools but at the DC and Maryland schools there are also a lot of people in high level politics, diplomacy and media. Potomac has a lot of wealth but it's more filled with gov. contractor types in IT and that type of thing and it's less intellectual in a lot of ways and their social and professional universes don't overlap in the same way. Part of it is location and being in Virginia but it's also just the type of families the school attracts.

This is one of the dumbest, most obnoxious posts I’ve ever read on this board. Which is saying a lot, given the sheer volume of dumb, obnoxious things people say here.

Touched a nerve? IMO this is not necessarily a reason to pick another school over Potomac but it's just more information so that OP understands the schools and their backgrounds. DD is at another private in Va, applying this fall, and all of our neighbors who have kids Potomac are contractors or made their money recently in tech. The good part about this is you may see fewer lobbyists than at the DC or Maryland privates. Kidding. One of my best friends is a lobbyist and a great person.

No, you did not touch a nerve. I could give zero craps about how anyone perceives the intellect/power/politics of the parents at either school.

The overall topic of your post is what I found dumb. That anyone even considers this when choosing a school for their children is pathetic and obscene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg, Holton is above Potomac academically. A whole tier above.

+1
Potomac is a good school, but it's not comparable with Holton for a ton of reasons and one of them is more about the network. The DC schools and the Maryland schools near the border including Holton are part of the same social and professional universe. Many families might have one kid at Sidwell, STA, GDS and another at Holton or Landon or St. Andrew's, etc. Many parents all work together and if they do country clubs they are in the same ones. The kids go to the same dance classes, play on the same sports teams. There are some wealthy businesspeople at all private schools but at the DC and Maryland schools there are also a lot of people in high level politics, diplomacy and media. Potomac has a lot of wealth but it's more filled with gov. contractor types in IT and that type of thing and it's less intellectual in a lot of ways and their social and professional universes don't overlap in the same way. Part of it is location and being in Virginia but it's also just the type of families the school attracts.

This is one of the dumbest, most obnoxious posts I’ve ever read on this board. Which is saying a lot, given the sheer volume of dumb, obnoxious things people say here.

Touched a nerve? IMO this is not necessarily a reason to pick another school over Potomac but it's just more information so that OP understands the schools and their backgrounds. DD is at another private in Va, applying this fall, and all of our neighbors who have kids Potomac are contractors or made their money recently in tech. The good part about this is you may see fewer lobbyists than at the DC or Maryland privates. Kidding. One of my best friends is a lobbyist and a great person.

No, you did not touch a nerve. I could give zero craps about how anyone perceives the intellect/power/politics of the parents at either school.

The overall topic of your post is what I found dumb. That anyone even considers this when choosing a school for their children is pathetic and obscene.

You really need to stop being so insecure PP. Potomac is a terrific school and no one is putting it down by saying this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg, Holton is above Potomac academically. A whole tier above.

+1
Potomac is a good school, but it's not comparable with Holton for a ton of reasons and one of them is more about the network. The DC schools and the Maryland schools near the border including Holton are part of the same social and professional universe. Many families might have one kid at Sidwell, STA, GDS and another at Holton or Landon or St. Andrew's, etc. Many parents all work together and if they do country clubs they are in the same ones. The kids go to the same dance classes, play on the same sports teams. There are some wealthy businesspeople at all private schools but at the DC and Maryland schools there are also a lot of people in high level politics, diplomacy and media. Potomac has a lot of wealth but it's more filled with gov. contractor types in IT and that type of thing and it's less intellectual in a lot of ways and their social and professional universes don't overlap in the same way. Part of it is location and being in Virginia but it's also just the type of families the school attracts.

This is a ridiculous post PP. As a family with kids at Potomac and a top dc private, I’ll say there are more old school connections and money at Potomac. Remember it’s been around since 1904 and used to be in dc. There are many multi generation alum families there. It also seems to be the school for the tech money.
I still think this is a stupid reply - go to the school for the education and how it prepares you for college. Potomac will help find the best fit for each student. Don’t pick a school based on the connections of families at the school. If your main goal is to go to an ivy, stick with public. If your goal is to come out of school with a deep understanding of material, a love for learning, great public speaking and interpersonal skills, then do private.
I can’t personally speak to how Potomac compares to Holton bc my children did not want single sex. I’d suggest applying broadly bc admissions at all of these schools has been tough the last few years. For potomac, 6th grade is an entry year, but the last two years many alum and sibling applicants have not gotten in. I’d apply broadly before your daughter gets her heart too set on any one place.
To the PPs who have said Potomac parents and kids are mean, that has not been our experience. It’s been very warm and welcoming, both to my very outgoing and athletic child, as well as to my bookish STEM child.
Good luck in your search. Go in with an open mind and don’t get too wedded to any one school. The majority of kids are very happy wherever they end up.

We see kids from private going to Ivy, can you elaborate on what you mean about sticking to public for Ivy? Is it because these private schools don’t prepare kids well for Ivy admission? So the private kids who get into Ivies only get in because of hooks (sports, legacy, URM)?

[Anonymous]

Are you in Virginia? Because Holton is more widely known in NW DC. People have barely heard of Potomac and most don't even know where it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg, Holton is above Potomac academically. A whole tier above.

+1
Potomac is a good school, but it's not comparable with Holton for a ton of reasons and one of them is more about the network. The DC schools and the Maryland schools near the border including Holton are part of the same social and professional universe. Many families might have one kid at Sidwell, STA, GDS and another at Holton or Landon or St. Andrew's, etc. Many parents all work together and if they do country clubs they are in the same ones. The kids go to the same dance classes, play on the same sports teams. There are some wealthy businesspeople at all private schools but at the DC and Maryland schools there are also a lot of people in high level politics, diplomacy and media. Potomac has a lot of wealth but it's more filled with gov. contractor types in IT and that type of thing and it's less intellectual in a lot of ways and their social and professional universes don't overlap in the same way. Part of it is location and being in Virginia but it's also just the type of families the school attracts.

This is a ridiculous post PP. As a family with kids at Potomac and a top dc private, I’ll say there are more old school connections and money at Potomac. Remember it’s been around since 1904 and used to be in dc. There are many multi generation alum families there. It also seems to be the school for the tech money.
I still think this is a stupid reply - go to the school for the education and how it prepares you for college. Potomac will help find the best fit for each student. Don’t pick a school based on the connections of families at the school. If your main goal is to go to an ivy, stick with public. If your goal is to come out of school with a deep understanding of material, a love for learning, great public speaking and interpersonal skills, then do private.
I can’t personally speak to how Potomac compares to Holton bc my children did not want single sex. I’d suggest applying broadly bc admissions at all of these schools has been tough the last few years. For potomac, 6th grade is an entry year, but the last two years many alum and sibling applicants have not gotten in. I’d apply broadly before your daughter gets her heart too set on any one place.
To the PPs who have said Potomac parents and kids are mean, that has not been our experience. It’s been very warm and welcoming, both to my very outgoing and athletic child, as well as to my bookish STEM child.
Good luck in your search. Go in with an open mind and don’t get too wedded to any one school. The majority of kids are very happy wherever they end up.

We see kids from private going to Ivy, can you elaborate on what you mean about sticking to public for Ivy? Is it because these private schools don’t prepare kids well for Ivy admission? So the private kids who get into Ivies only get in because of hooks (sports, legacy, URM)?

I think that coming from private you are more likely to be competing with large donors like at Sidwell the past few years a number of kids who went to HPY that we know had extremely wealthy parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you in Virginia? Because Holton is more widely known in NW DC. People have barely heard of Potomac and most don't even know where it is.

What?!? If your kid plays a sport then they have heard of Potomac. If they have ever been to McLean, then they know of Potomac. Potomac has been around forever and if you are at all aware of the independent DMV schools, you have heard of Potomac.

[Anonymous]

What is this old money of which you speak? Commercial real estate? Second generation inherited wealth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you in Virginia? Because Holton is more widely known in NW DC. People have barely heard of Potomac and most don't even know where it is.

What?!? If your kid plays a sport then they have heard of Potomac. If they have ever been to McLean, then they know of Potomac. Potomac has been around forever and if you are at all aware of the independent DMV schools, you have heard of Potomac.

DP. It's not on the radar for most families we know, but it could be because DCs are in elementary. It's probably more well known for MS and HS when they are in the same independent school sports leagues. Even then many of the older kids we know go to STA, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Maret but no one to Potomac. More than once I heard people mix up Potomac and McLean School. You really must be in Virginia if you think it's a big deal.

[Anonymous]

However, it seems Potomac is more widely known or sought after. Honestly asking to understand, is this because of stronger academics or otherwise

As someone who grew up going to internationally-known private schools followed by an Ivy and a top-10 grad program, I’d never heard of Potomac until I moved to Virginia. I still don’t know anyone who went there. I’ve met a handful of Holton people through the years, but IME outside of the DC area Sidwell and STA have the most name-brand recognition. (Sacred Heart schools are of course quite well-known, but for whatever reason not a lot of people outside of DC seem to know that Stone Ridge is part of that network)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:However, it seems Potomac is more widely known or sought after. Honestly asking to understand, is this because of stronger academics or otherwise

Potomac is coed and Holton is not. It's not that deep.

[Anonymous]

I have lived in Montgomery County my entire life. I have also taught in private, independent schools for 20 years. I had never heard of Potomac until 5 years ago when a school I was teaching/coaching at was in the same conference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, it seems Potomac is more widely known or sought after. Honestly asking to understand, is this because of stronger academics or otherwise

Potomac is coed and Holton is not. It's not that deep.

No it's because you're in the little bubble of McLean Virginia. No one outside that little bubble thinks about it.

[Anonymous]

100% and Va has so few options. If you don’t want to go over a river, increases the demand a ton.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, it seems Potomac is more widely known or sought after. Honestly asking to understand, is this because of stronger academics or otherwise

Potomac is coed and Holton is not. It's not that deep.

No it's because you're in the little bubble of McLean Virginia. No one outside that little bubble thinks about it.

[Anonymous]

You all need to get out of your country club, Washington DC law, wonky bubbles. There are Potomac graduates in all corners of the world, with many varying levels of success. It is not less a strong network to have coming out of high school then Holton. In fact, I would say it's probably stronger than Holton. The Holton famililes I know are mostly builder, real estate types, honestly. Not very intellectual. Now, compared to the Sidwell and St. Albans networks, that is a different story.

[Anonymous]

Potomac has 50% more students than Holton. Of course its network will be larger.