Oakton HS v/ Woodson HS / Chantilly HS

[Anonymous]

Oakdon/Woodson/Chantilly have the same problem as Langley/Mclean HS. It is nothing new. That's what you get from public schools.

-From a parent of Mclean HS kids.

[Anonymous]

Well, if this counts for anything, I sold my house in PWC just so I could get my very bright son into the FCPS. I specifically aimed for Chantilly HS because it was on of the few areas I could afford. I'm happy with my decision. I know Chantilly HS will be light years better than the best PWC high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not quite sure about the PPs who are all talking about Oakton HS being so completely rich and snobby. I live in one of the large townhome communities that border that HS (there are MANY such communities) and none of us are rich. And there's a lot of us. So this seems like a stereotype with little factual backing. While there are probably few very low-income students who attend OHS (though some), I doubt the student population is as monolithically rich as some people are purporting it to be.

We used to live in one of the townhouses near Oakton HS. $600k town house, BTW. My kids were looked down on at Oakton ES as “the poors”— with 2 parents doing professional jobs. Oakton is not monolithicly rich, but a lot of social capital (for parents and kids) is based on the size of your house, the type of car your drive, and your “stuff”. It wasn’t so bad for DS, but for DD, we found that the Queen Bees and Wanna Bes crap started early, and was somewhat parent driven, with some parents pushing their kids to have “the right” friends— the top 1% and not the top 5%.

PP here. That's interesting (and a little disturbing). Do you think it was different because you were at OES? We are zoned for OHS, but in the Mosby Woods elementary zone, which I understand to be much more economically and ethnically diverse. From what I've seen so far, i doesn't appear that the parents there are into as much status crap as what you describe. Since OHS includes kids from there, as well as from the other, richer, areas like those zoned to OES, I would think that the high school experience might differ and be a bit more inclusive... Then again, maybe not.

[Anonymous]

Oakton has always fed from many middle schools and so tends to be less cliquey.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids who have graduated from Oakton, and one who is a rising sophomore.

It's not perfect, but what schools are? It's large, and sometimes making sports teams is difficult, but for kids who push themselves, there is no question you get prepared academically for college. Also, it is quite diverse - in every way. Your child will not see anything in college that she did not see at Oakton. For better or for worse.

Our kids are all attending (or did attend) selective private colleges out of state. We took them far and wide in their college search process. FWIW, never once did an admissions officer or a coach question the quality of the school. The school (as I suspect many of the upper tier FCPS high schools are) is a known quantity to college admissions folks, and once you provide them with the school profile, that's generally the end of the discussion.

We have no regrets about moving into the Oakton pyramid, or for sending our kids there. When we look to sell our house in ten years, the Oakton pyramid will be a top selling point.