Yorktown HS vs Private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown parent here. My impression of the school is neutral but I don't see significant issues due to overcrowding in the near future. My kids really felt overcrowding in PE and at lunch in elementary school and gym, particularly at Williamsburg during the construction of Discovery.

I do find that kids at Yorktown are very conformist and don't want to seen as trying too hard (being a "try hard" is the ultimate social disgrace). My kids certainly do not receive much individual attention from their teachers. Also, you see the more intellectual kids going to Jefferson and the nerdier kids (I mean it in a good way as kids who are less conformist) transfer to W&L for IB.

I had looked into O'Connell but I did not see/feel much difference between the teaching and students there versus Yorktown.

I think this conformist thing is intensely common.

That's exactly what you'd expect to happen at a high-income school when you have an outflow of bright and/or quirky students to TJ, HB and W-L, and aren't getting an inflow of similar kids.

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown parent here. My impression of the school is neutral but I don't see significant issues due to overcrowding in the near future. My kids really felt overcrowding in PE and at lunch in elementary school and gym, particularly at Williamsburg during the construction of Discovery.

I do find that kids at Yorktown are very conformist and don't want to seen as trying too hard (being a "try hard" is the ultimate social disgrace). My kids certainly do not receive much individual attention from their teachers. Also, you see the more intellectual kids going to Jefferson and the nerdier kids (I mean it in a good way as kids who are less conformist) transfer to W&L for IB.

I had looked into O'Connell but I did not see/feel much difference between the teaching and students there versus Yorktown.

I think this conformist thing is intensely common.

That's exactly what you'd expect to happen at a high-income school when you have an outflow of bright and/or quirky students to TJ, HB and W-L, and aren't getting an inflow of similar kids.

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

LOL. You are the "try hard" (trying not to admit the obvious) here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown parent here. My impression of the school is neutral but I don't see significant issues due to overcrowding in the near future. My kids really felt overcrowding in PE and at lunch in elementary school and gym, particularly at Williamsburg during the construction of Discovery.

I do find that kids at Yorktown are very conformist and don't want to seen as trying too hard (being a "try hard" is the ultimate social disgrace). My kids certainly do not receive much individual attention from their teachers. Also, you see the more intellectual kids going to Jefferson and the nerdier kids (I mean it in a good way as kids who are less conformist) transfer to W&L for IB.

I had looked into O'Connell but I did not see/feel much difference between the teaching and students there versus Yorktown.

I think this conformist thing is intensely common.

That's exactly what you'd expect to happen at a high-income school when you have an outflow of bright and/or quirky students to TJ, HB and W-L, and aren't getting an inflow of similar kids.

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

LOL. You are the "try hard" (trying not to admit the obvious) here.

Oh honey, bless your heart. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown parent here. My impression of the school is neutral but I don't see significant issues due to overcrowding in the near future. My kids really felt overcrowding in PE and at lunch in elementary school and gym, particularly at Williamsburg during the construction of Discovery.

I do find that kids at Yorktown are very conformist and don't want to seen as trying too hard (being a "try hard" is the ultimate social disgrace). My kids certainly do not receive much individual attention from their teachers. Also, you see the more intellectual kids going to Jefferson and the nerdier kids (I mean it in a good way as kids who are less conformist) transfer to W&L for IB.

I had looked into O'Connell but I did not see/feel much difference between the teaching and students there versus Yorktown.

I think this conformist thing is intensely common.

That's exactly what you'd expect to happen at a high-income school when you have an outflow of bright and/or quirky students to TJ, HB and W-L, and aren't getting an inflow of similar kids.

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

LOL. You are the "try hard" (trying not to admit the obvious) here.

Oh honey, bless your heart. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself.

Between W-L, HB and TJ, there were about 300 student transfers out of Yorktown last year and fewer than 50 into YHS. There's definitely a "brain drain" there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

I wasn't including TJ in that assessment. Indeed I just looked up their destinatins. 40 or more with just a quick glance. Impressive indeed. It is nice that kids in APS are considered for TJ. My child isn't likely to make the cut, but I'm glad to have the possibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

The IB program at W-L is a lottery as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Again, there isn't a real outflow of kids from Yorktown to W-L (which has its own conformity issues, natch). Nor to TJ for that matter. And HB is by lottery so it's not like there's "oh and I'm bright and quirky so I'll go to HB instead" at play. You're just being silly.

The IB program at W-L is a lottery as well

Is it lottery if W-L is your home school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

I have a friend who's daughter went to TJHSST instead of Chantilly. Really wanted to go to Brown. Didn't get in, went to UVA instead. He's convinced that if she stayed at Chantilly, she would have gotten into Brown. This was 5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

Nope. They'll just work less and stand out less as well. Might as well go to O'Connell and enjoy the WCAC events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

Nope. They'll just work less and stand out less as well. Might as well go to O'Connell and enjoy the WCAC events.

Nope. I'm seeing it happen right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

Nope. They'll just work less and stand out less as well. Might as well go to O'Connell and enjoy the WCAC events.

Nope. I'm seeing it happen right now.

It's a fact that getting into UVA is harder coming out of TJ than if those kids had stayed at their local HS. The TJ parents complain about it every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

Nope. They'll just work less and stand out less as well. Might as well go to O'Connell and enjoy the WCAC events.

Nope. I'm seeing it happen right now.

It's a fact that getting into UVA is harder coming out of TJ than if those kids had stayed at their local HS. The TJ parents complain about it every year.

Suburban myth.

Fact is you are less likely to get into UVA if the culture of the school is to call out kids for trying too hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was heavily redacted, and some pertinent parts of this discussion were lost.
The op is wondering about catholic school, so it's less of an issue about Ivy acceptance.
However, if you are hell bent on an IVY, I would say northern va publics are not the best choice. I am not criticizing the quality of education. I do believe you can get a good public education here in almost any school, regardless of test scores, and over crowded lunch rooms.
The issue you will run into is area privates with large pools of legacies, and strong connections between school counselors and the admittance staff of top schools.
Your public HS guidance counselor is not likely as well connected and is responsible for too many kids.
The DC area has so many successful, well educated people.

To the contrary, NoVa publics are a good choice if you are aiming for an Ivy, but you need to attend TJHSST, not Yorktown or a parochial school (unless you're a top athlete).

Don't agree. If the kid is a high achiever, they will work less and stand out more at Yorktown than at TJHSST.

Nope. They'll just work less and stand out less as well. Might as well go to O'Connell and enjoy the WCAC events.

Nope. I'm seeing it happen right now.

It's a fact that getting into UVA is harder coming out of TJ than if those kids had stayed at their local HS. The TJ parents complain about it every year.

Suburban myth.

Fact is you are less likely to get into UVA if the culture of the school is to call out kids for trying too hard.

Isn't this where I hear all of that "try hard" jargon? Being called a "try hard" is the ultimate insult, no? I thought that had to do with personal style. I didn't realize this was a reference to academics.

[Anonymous]

I can see paying the money for private if you want a religious (e.g., Catholic) education for your DC, but otherwise it doesn't make economic sense and in no way guarantees better college matriculation. Yorktown is very strong, and offers more AP classes than any private in the entire DC area, so for a motivated student, Yorktown doesn't take a backseat to anyone.