What makes Potomac so great?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The social connections are phenomenal. My husband and I now attend great dinner parties with great people.

You use your kids for your own social climbing? I guess it is worth $50K. It says it all. It is not about education. But social climbing.

Are you part of the poors? You haven't figured out that it's not what you know, it's who you know.

I figured this out long ago, through my schooling, the many countries I have lived in, and my career. What kind of loser will try to get to know powerful people through their kid's school? And what powerful people do they expect to meet in Potomac, who are not available in many other communities?

You are obviously a troll. This is the independent schools forum. People aren't discussing Potomac the town in Maryland. They are discussing Potomac, the independent school in McLean, VA.

Yes, the school Potomac, what fancy people do you expect to meet here who are not available in other communities? The town in Mclean is even worse. Just a suburb.

All the top private schools have their celebrities. A lot of the rich and famous of tyson's and mclean go there.

Nobody rich/famous lives in Tyson's. That's one big office complex. And the rich/famous of McLean don't send their kids to Potomac.

Oh really? Where do they send them?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

I’m often critical of various aspects of the school, but their college admissions are incredible by any measure.

Yes, recent results look impressive, but I don’t think the school — especially the college counseling office - has much to do with the results.

I’m pp. Agreed.

Just couldn’t really justify the idea that the students aren’t matriculating to excellent schools at a very high rate.

I can't speak to whether the college counseling office drove Potomac's matriculation results (which quite frankly are incredible this year and have been for quite some time) but I'm going to give a nod to Potomac based on the full day workshop they host for parents (and for students) with with admissions officers from top schools from across the country to go through in small group sessions 3 common app case studies. This type of access and insight differentiates Potomac from your local public when applying to college if we are being totally honest...

Sidwell and GDS hosted an event that matches that exact description. It's not unique to Potomac.

Yes, but now you are comparing them to Potomac.

Potomac is basically Big 3 in McLean.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

I’m often critical of various aspects of the school, but their college admissions are incredible by any measure.

Yes, recent results look impressive, but I don’t think the school — especially the college counseling office - has much to do with the results.

I’m pp. Agreed.

Just couldn’t really justify the idea that the students aren’t matriculating to excellent schools at a very high rate.

I can't speak to whether the college counseling office drove Potomac's matriculation results (which quite frankly are incredible this year and have been for quite some time) but I'm going to give a nod to Potomac based on the full day workshop they host for parents (and for students) with with admissions officers from top schools from across the country to go through in small group sessions 3 common app case studies. This type of access and insight differentiates Potomac from your local public when applying to college if we are being totally honest...

Sidwell and GDS hosted an event that matches that exact description. It's not unique to Potomac.

Listen genius, I specifically said it differentiates Potomac from the local public school (which PP raised as a comparator) Tell me which public school in Virginia hosted this same session. GDS/Sidwell and Potomac all have equivalent college matriculation. And I would aruge their matriculation is better than publics on a per capita basis.

I'm LOLing. Sidwell and GDS have far better matriculation than Potomac. Sidwell is winning the rat race this year by a massive margin.

DP

Nope. Potomac is generally better than GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rich people in VA who don’t want cross a bridge to the good schools.

Every day for 12 years?
No thank you.
Potomac is right in the middle of a residential suburban neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

Small classes, good teachers, outside space, new facilities/athletic center, plenty of public speaking opportunities starting in early years,very strong debate team, strong robotics, high school STEM concentration program that does reseach with MIT, high school humanities concentration program, Theatre concentration program. Business concentration program with sponsorship from F500 CEOs (who also happen to be Potomac alumni/parents), strong athletics (many VA state titles). there. some examples for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the most important thing is the connections my child will make with high profile, wealthy, well- connected families of their friends. It is not what you know, but who you know.

Knowing is not enough. You gotta have something to offer as well to stay in the circle. Most people don't realize that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

There's nothing special about Potomac.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

Small classes, good teachers, outside space, new facilities/athletic center, plenty of public speaking opportunities starting in early years,very strong debate team, strong robotics, high school STEM concentration program that does reseach with MIT, high school humanities concentration program, Theatre concentration program. Business concentration program with sponsorship from F500 CEOs (who also happen to be Potomac alumni/parents), strong athletics (many VA state titles). there. some examples for you.

I would add that it has one of the best academic peer groups in northern Virginia. That sort of just goes along with being selective, I guess.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

There's nothing special about Potomac.

Keep telling yourself that.

[Anonymous]

What I have trouble figuring out is how many “haters” (for ANY school mentioned on DCUM) plan to have their DC apply and are trying to chase other applicants away vs how many chose a different school and feel insecure vs how many applied and are mad they were turned down.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone actually answer the question about what makes this school so special? Specific examples for your child .... not social gains ...

There's nothing special about Potomac.

Your kid must have not gotten in?


It’s a great school. Nice campus, nice facilities, super smart kids, some really really good teachers. The US economy teacher has a PhD and was a college professor. The debate team is nationally ranked. Lots of things going for it.

Similar student profiles as Sideell,Maret, GDS.

If you live in NoVa, yeah, crossing the bridge every day in massive traffic is not worth it. Sorry, I’m not spending 1 hr each way to drive my kids to Maret. That campus is tiny, facilities are old. GDS is to damn liberal. Also in the middle of Tenleytown. Not a real campus. No thanks. If you live in DC, it may not be worth it to cross into Va every day for transport (even if your kid has to sit on the bus for an hour), then send you kids to GDS or Maret…

I want my kids to be able to go to a good school, and have a campus around them that is safe and lots of green space as well.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I really dislike the heavy power lines that go through campus.

And I assume you are also a vaccine denier.

Not at all, it’s just the aesthetics, also, if there is some harm from power lines, those children are right under them. I also don’t like the neighborhood or the approach.

[Anonymous]

+1