Washington International School's college matriculation rivals STA/NCS... why no attention?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody cares about that school

Sorry that your kid was rejected.

1. We never even thought of that school, let alone applied.

2. Everyone gets into that school

3. Have you seen the facilities? LOL.

Interesting that someone who never even thought of that schools knows so well what the facilities look like. And yes, I have seen them and they compared well to other privates in the area, though their playground in the lower school could certainly be nicer. Their upper campus is beautiful.
It is outright wrong that everyone gets in. I know several full pay families, including with siblings attending, whose kids were rejected. One of those families had both their twins accepted to Beauvoir. The school looks for fit and the reality is that not every kid/family can handle the language immersion aspect.

WIS’ Upper School library is an absolute joke. I honestly thought our tour guide was kidding when she showed us the “library.” The theater and athletic facilities are also subpar. Overall, the campus is meh.

Sure, a very nice public library is practically across the street, so why would the school bother to recreate something the students can already access very easily from campus? Instead, the money was spent on amazing science labs, a design tech studio, etc.

If I’m paying $57,000+ per year, my children’s school library better be nice and on campus. A public library, down a steep hill and two blocks away is unacceptable. GDS, the Cathedral schools, and Sidwell all have access to a public library on Wisconsin Avenue, within a short distance from their campuses. However, none of those schools are trying to pass off a single room (that’s not even full of books), as a library.

WIS’ science labs do not make up for the rest of its mediocre campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody cares about that school

Sorry that your kid was rejected.

1. We never even thought of that school, let alone applied.

2. Everyone gets into that school

3. Have you seen the facilities? LOL.

Interesting that someone who never even thought of that schools knows so well what the facilities look like. And yes, I have seen them and they compared well to other privates in the area, though their playground in the lower school could certainly be nicer. Their upper campus is beautiful.
It is outright wrong that everyone gets in. I know several full pay families, including with siblings attending, whose kids were rejected. One of those families had both their twins accepted to Beauvoir. The school looks for fit and the reality is that not every kid/family can handle the language immersion aspect.

WIS’ Upper School library is an absolute joke. I honestly thought our tour guide was kidding when she showed us the “library.” The theater and athletic facilities are also subpar. Overall, the campus is meh.

Sure, a very nice public library is practically across the street, so why would the school bother to recreate something the students can already access very easily from campus? Instead, the money was spent on amazing science labs, a design tech studio, etc.

If I’m paying $57,000+ per year, my children’s school library better be nice and on campus. A public library, down a steep hill and two blocks away is unacceptable. GDS, the Cathedral schools, and Sidwell all have access to a public library on Wisconsin Avenue, within a short distance from their campuses. However, none of those schools are trying to pass off a single room (that’s not even full of books), as a library.

WIS’ science labs do not make up for the rest of its mediocre campus.

To be honest, I only recall using my high school's library a handful of times and that was before people really accepted online sources beyond online newspapers... everything is digital now adays and while I love a good physical book, I haven't really used a library since elementary school. The WIS elementary school library is fully stocked so I don't understand what the point of overly investing in storing physical books that will likely never be touched...

[Anonymous]

I think wis is an excellent program but they can only afford 1 teacher per class in 2nd and up and I found that unacceptable for the price. It’s not like the classes are tiny either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think wis is an excellent program but they can only afford 1 teacher per class in 2nd and up and I found that unacceptable for the price. It’s not like the classes are tiny either

Their support teachers just look different then what you are used to. They pull kids who struggle for 1:1 support to catch them up to their peers as quickly as possible. Just because there is only 1 teacher in the room, doesn't mean there is 1 teacher supporting the class and I'm not sure why another human body would need to stand there when students who need additional support are being given it in a private and direct setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think wis is an excellent program but they can only afford 1 teacher per class in 2nd and up and I found that unacceptable for the price. It’s not like the classes are tiny either

Their support teachers just look different then what you are used to. They pull kids who struggle for 1:1 support to catch them up to their peers as quickly as possible. Just because there is only 1 teacher in the room, doesn't mean there is 1 teacher supporting the class and I'm not sure why another human body would need to stand there when students who need additional support are being given it in a private and direct setting.

They have lots of staff at the primary school with the job of providing push in & pull out interventions to students that need them. It's done on a student-by-student basis, rather than per class. That allows them to allocate special education resources where they would be most useful. Also keep in mind their SAL/FAL program effectively adds an extra teacher to the Spanish & French days for grades 2 and up, it's just a lot less visible because children who need the support receive it outside the classroom until they catch up. The net result averages more than 2 teachers per class, but done in a highly targeted way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

HI- there is no rival or competition

Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

Since 39% of students received grades of 6 or 7, that accounts for 24 out of 62 students. If the remaining students received grades of 5 or below, subtracting 24 from 62 leaves 38 students. For the 2025 cohort, it is notable that some WIS students did not receive their IB diploma or pass the required assessments. The majority of the group scored 5 or below, indicating that high achievement was limited. Only one student attained a grade of 7, which aligns with the school's historical trends. In recent, WIS has shifted from publishing raw student performance data to a more generalized reporting approach. These outcomes are important for prospective parents evaluating WIS, as they reflect the school's academic profile and transparency practices.
Reference- Middle & Upper | Overview | WIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

there is no RIVAL
Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

Since 39% of students received grades of 6 or 7, that accounts for 24 out of 62 students. If the remaining students received grades of 5 or below, subtracting 24 from 62 leaves 38 students. For the 2025 cohort, it is notable that some WIS students did not receive their IB diploma or pass the required assessments. The majority of the group scored 5 or below, indicating that high achievement was limited. Only one student attained a grade of 7, which aligns with the school's historical trends. In recent, WIS has shifted from publishing raw student performance data to a more generalized reporting approach. These outcomes are important for prospective parents evaluating WIS, as they reflect the school's academic profile and transparency practices.
Reference- Middle & Upper | Overview | WIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

there is no RIVAL
Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

We're talking about college admissions here, not IB scores. (And, at any rate, the dual language IB is really very difficult. Students at most other area schools are not on a dual language IB track. So you're comparing apples & bananas, as the saying goes.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

there is no RIVAL
Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

We're talking about college admissions here, not IB scores. (And, at any rate, the dual language IB is really very difficult. Students at most other area schools are not on a dual language IB track. So you're comparing apples & bananas, as the saying goes.)

Are you saying low IB scores get WIS students into top colleges due to race or family connections? Does a low score actually equal a top-college acceptance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

there is no RIVAL
Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

We're talking about college admissions here, not IB scores. (And, at any rate, the dual language IB is really very difficult. Students at most other area schools are not on a dual language IB track. So you're comparing apples & bananas, as the saying goes.)

Are you saying low IB scores get WIS students into top colleges due to race or family connections? Does a low score actually equal a top-college acceptance?

what a racism comment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never see WIS discussed but it appears to be just as competent at sending kids to the Ivies as STA/NCS, Sidwell, and GDS. So why do we pretend it doesn't exist?

there is no RIVAL
Based on the data provided, 39% of WIS students achieved grades of 6 or 7. If there were 62 students in total, this means approximately 24 students (62 x 0.39 = 24.18) received these top scores. This is less than 50% of the class for 2025 who received a high grade.

We're talking about college admissions here, not IB scores. (And, at any rate, the dual language IB is really very difficult. Students at most other area schools are not on a dual language IB track. So you're comparing apples & bananas, as the saying goes.)

If we’re talking about college admissions, WIS’ results are not noteworthy (especially in comparison to the schools the OP mentioned). Out of approximately 65 seniors, only 3 are going to Ivies (less than 5% of the grade). Congratulations to WIS’ c/o 2026 though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think wis is an excellent program but they can only afford 1 teacher per class in 2nd and up and I found that unacceptable for the price. It’s not like the classes are tiny either

Their support teachers just look different then what you are used to. They pull kids who struggle for 1:1 support to catch them up to their peers as quickly as possible. Just because there is only 1 teacher in the room, doesn't mean there is 1 teacher supporting the class and I'm not sure why another human body would need to stand there when students who need additional support are being given it in a private and direct setting.

They have lots of staff at the primary school with the job of providing push in & pull out interventions to students that need them. It's done on a student-by-student basis, rather than per class. That allows them to allocate special education resources where they would be most useful. Also keep in mind their SAL/FAL program effectively adds an extra teacher to the Spanish & French days for grades 2 and up, it's just a lot less visible because children who need the support receive it outside the classroom until they catch up. The net result averages more than 2 teachers per class, but done in a highly targeted way.

PS school at WIS was a NIAGHTMARE- 50% of students leave before 5 grade

[Anonymous]

The support teacher line is BS. Your kid may never need the extra pullouts or supports, and regardless those are separate from what an ext re classroom teacher or dedicated assistant who knows the class can provide.

It absolutely makes a difference to have an extra body in the class to divide up the kids, differentiate, offer special attention and cover for lead teacher absences. That’s why they have them in K and 1. Most 45K schools have all of the above through elementary.

It’s a financial thing. WIS does not have anything close to the budget, donors and reserves of, say, BVR. WIS is still excellent but the staffing is similar to top-level publics in areas where PTA can fund staff.

I personally don’t care much about facilities, but in-classroom teacher ratios are non-negotiable at this price.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why or how you have any idea about STA because they don’t post outplacement on instagram or otherwise so your comparison is based on nothing unless you have direct information from STA college office.

I don’t believe WIS and STA/NCS, Sidwell and GDS are generally in the same grouping as WIS. This doesn’t mean that WIS is not just as good academically, it just means I don’t think the people looking at one set of schools would also be looking at WIS. I feel this way about GDS and STA I don’t think many consider these schools comparable GDS and Sidwell are more similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think wis is an excellent program but they can only afford 1 teacher per class in 2nd and up and I found that unacceptable for the price. It’s not like the classes are tiny either

Their support teachers just look different then what you are used to. They pull kids who struggle for 1:1 support to catch them up to their peers as quickly as possible. Just because there is only 1 teacher in the room, doesn't mean there is 1 teacher supporting the class and I'm not sure why another human body would need to stand there when students who need additional support are being given it in a private and direct setting.

They have lots of staff at the primary school with the job of providing push in & pull out interventions to students that need them. It's done on a student-by-student basis, rather than per class. That allows them to allocate special education resources where they would be most useful. Also keep in mind their SAL/FAL program effectively adds an extra teacher to the Spanish & French days for grades 2 and up, it's just a lot less visible because children who need the support receive it outside the classroom until they catch up. The net result averages more than 2 teachers per class, but done in a highly targeted way.

PS school at WIS was a NIAGHTMARE- 50% of students leave before 5 grade

What a weird comment. DC is a WIS middle schooler who has been there since kindergarten. Only 1 of DC's 10 close friends has left in that time, and the parents of the child who left told me the exit was necessary for financial reasons, not because it was actually best for the child.