Big 3 Schools and Celebrities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The backstory is that when President Obama was first elected, the Obamas' first choice for their daughters was Georgetown Day. But the Secret Service vetoed their choice because they felt that egress and other security issues at the Macarthur Bdvd campus were not ideal. So they settled on Sidwell, where the USSS felt more comfortable because Chelsea Clinton had gone there. GDS' new campus on Wisconsin Ave is being planned with security considerations in mind so that the school will be very competitive if a future president or vice president wants to send children there.

At least, that's what some GDS boosters like to tell themselves. I'm pretty confident that if the Obamas had really wanted their children to attend GDS, the security concerns could have been resolved.

But just imagine how dreadful the traffic jams from the crosstown motorcade to Macarthur would have been every morning...Thank God they went to Sidwell...

[Anonymous]

What's GDS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But just imagine how dreadful the traffic jams from the crosstown motorcade to Macarthur would have been every morning...Thank God they went to Sidwell...

As an aside, I commute near the Sidwell lower school, so I used to pass the SUVs taking Sasha to school on a pretty regular basis. IIRC, it was just two black SUVs moving down the street. No lights, no police motorcycles, and no drama. Occasionally they'd flash their lights to avoid getting stuck at a yellow light. Other than that, you'd hardly notice them. I doubt there would have been any traffic jams or problem at all if the family had chosen a different school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's GDS?

One of the Big 3 independent schools known for superior academics, the arts and an enviable college placement record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But just imagine how dreadful the traffic jams from the crosstown motorcade to Macarthur would have been every morning...Thank God they went to Sidwell...

As an aside, I commute near the Sidwell lower school, so I used to pass the SUVs taking Sasha to school on a pretty regular basis. IIRC, it was just two black SUVs moving down the street. No lights, no police motorcycles, and no drama. Occasionally they'd flash their lights to avoid getting stuck at a yellow light. Other than that, you'd hardly notice them. I doubt there would have been any traffic jams or problem at all if the family had chosen a different school.

The girls do not really have motorcades. When the president visits the school, that's a different matter.

[Anonymous]

One of the Big 3 independent schools known for superior academics, the arts and an enviable college placement record.

It's one of the little three: Maret, GDS & Field

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the Big 3 independent schools known for superior academics, the arts and an enviable college placement record.

It's one of the little three: Maret, GDS & Field

Oh. not fair. GDS is way bigger than Maret or Field...a true little 3 would include either Burke or WIS instead.

[Anonymous]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. The title of this thread makes me laugh so hard.

There are NO "celebrities" in DC. There are politicians, sure, and wealthy hotel owners, but celebrities? No darling you really need to catch a flight 3000 miles West to find those. (or go up to NYC!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so mad at my self for following this thread over two pages. I have lost brain cells that I will never get back.

+1

Ditto

Make that four of us.

[Anonymous]

The original poster made the claim that children of Washington celebrity parents are given admissions preference. A Big 3 School may consider the fact that your parent is a Washington celebrity in their admissions decision, but only if you are academically qualified for the school.

And yes, Washington is no different than other city in which the hedge fund manager or trader who earns hundreds of millions a year, is someone very few people know of, or care about. The difference is that the hedge fund manager wants it that way, whereas the type of person

[Anonymous]

thought to be a celebrity in Washington, believes that everyone knows who they are, and wants to be widely known and admired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the Big 3 independent schools known for superior academics, the arts and an enviable college placement record.

It's one of the little three: Maret, GDS & Field

Field is so far below the other two.

[Anonymous]

Growing up here, there was Sidwell, NCS and STA. Maret and GDS came in next probably. Then Field, Burke, etc.

But with Field's campus on Foxhall. It is emerging as a strong rival to GDS and Maret. The only issue that separates Field from GDS and Maret is that it is not k-12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Growing up here, there was Sidwell, NCS and STA. Maret and GDS came in next probably. Then Field, Burke, etc.

But with Field's campus on Foxhall. It is emerging as a strong rival to GDS and Maret. The only issue that separates Field from GDS and Maret is that it is not k-12.

Maybe this depends on when you grew up, but in the 90s when I was in HS, there was Sidwell, StA/NCS and GDS. Maret (at the time) was significantly less competitive and was a great school for kids who weren't academic superstars. Field and Burke were (again at the time) for kids with learning differences or other issues.

[Anonymous]

If it was Sidwell NCS/STA and GDS when you grew up. Why has GDS fallen since then?