Wooton or QO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've spoken to several Wootton parents and they've said what's already been said here. These aren't myths perpetuated by real estate agents.
They said if your kid is all academic, not really into music/art, and enjoys a pressure cooker environment, he'll be fine. If you seek more of a balance, go to QO. They said there are drugs readily available with kids having disposable income and little consequence. Honestly these two families wanted out. I think one had a super high achiever but a second kid who was not and really struggled with the Wootton culture.

Personally my kid wouldn't fit in there. And I'm against giving kids whatever they want ($$$) just because grades are good. I think that's a recipe for disaster. See: underage drinking parties and drugs.

Drugs are readily available at any school. We are in RM cluster and, accordingly to my kids, it's not hard to find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've spoken to several Wootton parents and they've said what's already been said here. These aren't myths perpetuated by real estate agents.
They said if your kid is all academic, not really into music/art, and enjoys a pressure cooker environment, he'll be fine. If you seek more of a balance, go to QO. They said there are drugs readily available with kids having disposable income and little consequence. Honestly these two families wanted out. I think one had a super high achiever but a second kid who was not and really struggled with the Wootton culture.

Personally my kid wouldn't fit in there. And I'm against giving kids whatever they want ($$$) just because grades are good. I think that's a recipe for disaster. See: underage drinking parties and drugs.

Drugs are readily available at any school. We are in RM cluster and, accordingly to my kids, it's not hard to find.

True... but I think they are more readily available at wealthier schools, at least the rx kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've spoken to several Wootton parents and they've said what's already been said here. These aren't myths perpetuated by real estate agents.
They said if your kid is all academic, not really into music/art, and enjoys a pressure cooker environment, he'll be fine. If you seek more of a balance, go to QO. They said there are drugs readily available with kids having disposable income and little consequence. Honestly these two families wanted out. I think one had a super high achiever but a second kid who was not and really struggled with the Wootton culture.

Personally my kid wouldn't fit in there. And I'm against giving kids whatever they want ($$$) just because grades are good. I think that's a recipe for disaster. See: underage drinking parties and drugs.

Drugs are readily available at any school. We are in RM cluster and, accordingly to my kids, it's not hard to find.

True... but I think they are more readily available at wealthier schools, at least the rx kind.

I'd be hesitant to speculate.

[Anonymous]

My problem with Wootton is college admission is not that great. Several top (HYPS, MIT) admits each year, at most.

[Anonymous]

I went to Wootton in the 80's. There were drugs then (not my crowd but we all knew about it). It's funny, back then we didn't see Wootton as the pressure cooker it's described as today. Back then Whitman was the pressure cooker. It was extremely competitive. RM was not the school you wanted to send your kids then either. Now things are different.

[Anonymous]

Asians don't find Wootton a pressure cooker. They actually like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asians don't find Wootton a pressure cooker. They actually like it.

Because everybody with roots in Asia is alike, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Asians don't find Wootton a pressure cooker. They actually like it.

Because everybody with roots in Asia is alike, of course.

Absolutely!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've spoken to several Wootton parents and they've said what's already been said here. These aren't myths perpetuated by real estate agents.
They said if your kid is all academic, not really into music/art, and enjoys a pressure cooker environment, he'll be fine. If you seek more of a balance, go to QO. They said there are drugs readily available with kids having disposable income and little consequence. Honestly these two families wanted out. I think one had a super high achiever but a second kid who was not and really struggled with the Wootton culture.

Personally my kid wouldn't fit in there. And I'm against giving kids whatever they want ($$$) just because grades are good. I think that's a recipe for disaster. See: underage drinking parties and drugs.

Drugs are readily available at any school. We are in RM cluster and, accordingly to my kids, it's not hard to find.

True... but I think they are more readily available at wealthier schools, at least the rx kind.

I'd be hesitant to speculate.

I wouldn't. Problems in the wealthy schools are swept under the rug. Sure, all HS have problems. Low SES schools have their own set of problems, and the wealthier ones, too, have their own set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn't. Problems in the wealthy schools are swept under the rug. Sure, all HS have problems. Low SES schools have their own set of problems, and the wealthier ones, too, have their own set.

Or, more accurately (in my opinion), wealthy people have the resources to keep many (but not all) of their children's problems from having major public consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, trying to get this back on track. Whatever cluster you choose, pay CLOSE attention to the elementary school. Don't make a judgment only based on the high school when your kid isn't even in K yet. In our experience, the quality of the elementary schools in the Wootton cluster varies widely. We stupidly assumed that if we bought in that area, the schools would be comparable. We were wrong, and we now send DC to private. We would have been much better off buying a cheaper house in a less "desirable" school cluster and making the same private school decision.

You may also want to pay close attention to the MS. I think this must be where it starts with this cluster. I am actually not in either one, but have had the pleasure of encountering a group of Frost "athletes" and their mothers over the past year and cannot believe the level of competitiveness--and not in a good way--a few of them have introduced. Talk about toxic. I realize it's a generalization, but something to consider if, in fact, this hyper-competitiveness is happening at Wooton, Frost may be where it's starting. Why not look that the WJ cluster?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn't. Problems in the wealthy schools are swept under the rug. Sure, all HS have problems. Low SES schools have their own set of problems, and the wealthier ones, too, have their own set.

Or, more accurately (in my opinion), wealthy people have the resources to keep many (but not all) of their children's problems from having major public consequences.

That's how life works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn't. Problems in the wealthy schools are swept under the rug. Sure, all HS have problems. Low SES schools have their own set of problems, and the wealthier ones, too, have their own set.

Or, more accurately (in my opinion), wealthy people have the resources to keep many (but not all) of their children's problems from having major public consequences.

That's how life works.

like the affluenza kid. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn't. Problems in the wealthy schools are swept under the rug. Sure, all HS have problems. Low SES schools have their own set of problems, and the wealthier ones, too, have their own set.

Or, more accurately (in my opinion), wealthy people have the resources to keep many (but not all) of their children's problems from having major public consequences.

That's how life works.

like the affluenza kid. No thanks.

I think you are exaggerating but that's okay. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is a laid back family with high achieving kids to do?

Go to QO and create a strong schedule or do a signature program.

Wootton is not a better environment for high achievers, it is toxic.

You high achieving child will be just as high achieving at QO but a little bit kinder and well rounded.

Wootton parents won't admit how toxic the school is because their house value will suffer.

QO seems like a healthier environment. The academic differences between Wooton and QO pale compared the difference between magnets like RMIB or Blair STEM.