Yorktown vs. W-L High School in Arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many years ago when we were house-hunting, a colleague of mine referred to Yorktown as "a snakepit of rich kids." OTOH, she was a nasty, bitter person who also wasn't particularly bright, so...

She sounds like one of the jealous priced out haters

Yup. Probably lives out in the boonies by Tuckahoe or somewhere like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many years ago when we were house-hunting, a colleague of mine referred to Yorktown as "a snakepit of rich kids." OTOH, she was a nasty, bitter person who also wasn't particularly bright, so...

She sounds like one of the jealous priced out haters

Yup. Probably lives out in the boonies by Tuckahoe or somewhere like that.

Boonies by Tuckahoe? Isn't that an area of $1.5 M new builds near EFC? Hardly the Boonies...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These threads are so predictable and depressing. And bragging about your neighborhood's 1M+ "median sales price" is so grotesque.
Why don't we try something different? How about complimenting each other's neighborhoods and schools? My kid will go to Yorktown, but I have no interest in tearing down W&L.

Way to lead by example!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many years ago when we were house-hunting, a colleague of mine referred to Yorktown as "a snakepit of rich kids." OTOH, she was a nasty, bitter person who also wasn't particularly bright, so...

She sounds like one of the jealous priced out haters

Yup. Probably lives out in the boonies by Tuckahoe or somewhere like that.

uh- Tuckahoe is zoned for Yorktown.

[Anonymous]

You guys ... Everyone knows that if you want your kids to stand out, you send them to Wakefield... DUH.

[Anonymous]

I just want my kid to be happy. We're zoned for Yorktown and he'll do fine there. He would also do fine at W&L. (He would likely not do fine at HBW, he needs more structure than that.) He wouldn't be in the top 10-20 students at either school, but I'd guess he'd be top 10-20% at both. I'm sure he could find friends and activities at either. Really, other than the whole IB thing, the schools are very similar.

Signed, a future YHS parent, who grew up going to McLean HS, thinking the Langley kids were SOOOO different and really? No they weren't. I just didn't know them and made assumptions, and you know what they say about people who assume...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want my kid to be happy. We're zoned for Yorktown and he'll do fine there. He would also do fine at W&L. (He would likely not do fine at HBW, he needs more structure than that.) He wouldn't be in the top 10-20 students at either school, but I'd guess he'd be top 10-20% at both. I'm sure he could find friends and activities at either. Really, other than the whole IB thing, the schools are very similar.

Signed, a future YHS parent, who grew up going to McLean HS, thinking the Langley kids were SOOOO different and really? No they weren't. I just didn't know them and made assumptions, and you know what they say about people who assume...

They live in north Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Bumping this thread because my 8th grader has been accepted to the IB program at Washington-Lee. We are zoned for Yorktown and have a child there. Our Yorktown kid is not real studious and is still making mostly A's with a few B's. Our 8th grader is a more ambitious student who likes learning, wants to be challenged, etc. so we thought the IB program would be good for him. But now I'm hearing from people who live in the W-L district how overcrowded it is, it's difficult to get the classes you want, and they say we should stay at Yorktown. Any current W-L parents who can comment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 8th grader has been accepted to the IB program at Washington-Lee. We are zoned for Yorktown and have a child there. Our Yorktown kid is not real studious and is still making mostly A's with a few B's. Our 8th grader is a more ambitious student who likes learning, wants to be challenged, etc. so we thought the IB program would be good for him. But now I'm hearing from people who live in the W-L district how overcrowded it is, it's difficult to get the classes you want, and they say we should stay at Yorktown. Any current W-L parents who can comment?

Before this year, did students wanting to transfer to W-L for pre-IB or IB have to meet minimum requirements, or is this something adopted more recently given the severe overcrowding at W-L?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 8th grader has been accepted to the IB program at Washington-Lee. We are zoned for Yorktown and have a child there. Our Yorktown kid is not real studious and is still making mostly A's with a few B's. Our 8th grader is a more ambitious student who likes learning, wants to be challenged, etc. so we thought the IB program would be good for him. But now I'm hearing from people who live in the W-L district how overcrowded it is, it's difficult to get the classes you want, and they say we should stay at Yorktown. Any current W-L parents who can comment?

Before this year, did students wanting to transfer to W-L for pre-IB or IB have to meet minimum requirements, or is this something adopted more recently given the severe overcrowding at W-L?

With the recent interior renovations (soon to happen at Wakefield and Yorktown) and three lunch periods (like at Yorktown) W-L does not feel as crowded at all now. The renovations have increased the building's capacity, and students can eat lunch anywhere on campus, just not the third and fourth floors. With Generals Flex scheduling, students have the option to leave school earlier, i.e. after lunch for example.

New AP and IB courses have been added as the school population has gone up. IB film will expand to a two-year course next year. Fine and performing arts course offerings have also expanded over the past few years. Instruction has not suffered, and there are in fact more opportunities.

[Anonymous]

There has always been minimum requirements/applications for transfers into W-L's IB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 8th grader has been accepted to the IB program at Washington-Lee. We are zoned for Yorktown and have a child there. Our Yorktown kid is not real studious and is still making mostly A's with a few B's. Our 8th grader is a more ambitious student who likes learning, wants to be challenged, etc. so we thought the IB program would be good for him. But now I'm hearing from people who live in the W-L district how overcrowded it is, it's difficult to get the classes you want, and they say we should stay at Yorktown. Any current W-L parents who can comment?

Before this year, did students wanting to transfer to W-L for pre-IB or IB have to meet minimum requirements, or is this something adopted more recently given the severe overcrowding at W-L?

With the recent interior renovations (soon to happen at Wakefield and Yorktown) and three lunch periods (like at Yorktown) W-L does not feel as crowded at all now. The renovations have increased the building's capacity, and students can eat lunch anywhere on campus, just not the third and fourth floors. With Generals Flex scheduling, students have the option to leave school earlier, i.e. after lunch for example.

New AP and IB courses have been added as the school population has gone up. IB film will expand to a two-year course next year. Fine and performing arts course offerings have also expanded over the past few years. Instruction has not suffered, and there are in fact more opportunities.

Thanks PP, that's very helpful!

[Anonymous]

They are not that different.

W-L is extremely crowded.

I have friends with kids at all three Arlington schools and we are all mostly content with our kid's educations. If I could choose, I would go to Falls Church because it is small.

We go on and on here about the differences, but it doesn't really matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There has always been minimum requirements/applications for transfers into W-L's IB program.

That's true. But the program had a million requirements and is really only appropriate for liberal artsy kids. Take a good look at what you htink your kid will take before signing up for IB.

[Anonymous]

Wakefield definitely has the nicest building of the three Arlington high schools. Yorktown is ugly and sprawling. W-L is better but the area around it is very congested and there are too many kids there anyway.