TJ, Sidwell or Langley HS?

[Anonymous]

I graduated from Langley HS. My wife graduated from TJ. My brother in-law graduated from Sidwell. All of us are doing OK. All of us live in Langley district.

Rising 8th grader who just finished geometry in the summer. He wants to go to TJ, if accepted. He is prepping for both the SSAT and TJ. My wife and her parents do not want him to go to TJ because they don't want him to burn out. They want him to go Sidwell and will foot the entire bill for both Sidwell and college of his choice. My brother in-law thinks Sidwell is a waste of money and that TJ is a better school and it is free. He thinks that the money can be put to better use. I think Langley HS is just as good as Sidwell and TJ and that my son can walk to school, three blocks away.

I asked my son and he said that his first choice is TJ. If he does not get accepted into TJ, he doesn't have care about Sidwell or Langley. He can go to either one.

How do you go about convincing the in-law that staying @Langley HS is a good idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated from Langley HS. My wife graduated from TJ. My brother in-law graduated from Sidwell. All of us are doing OK. All of us live in Langley district.

Rising 8th grader who just finished geometry in the summer. He wants to go to TJ, if accepted. He is prepping for both the SSAT and TJ. My wife and her parents do not want him to go to TJ because they don't want him to burn out. They want him to go Sidwell and will foot the entire bill for both Sidwell and college of his choice. My brother in-law thinks Sidwell is a waste of money and that TJ is a better school and it is free. He thinks that the money can be put to better use. I think Langley HS is just as good as Sidwell and TJ and that my son can walk to school, three blocks away.

I asked my son and he said that his first choice is TJ. If he does not get accepted into TJ, he doesn't have care about Sidwell or Langley. He can go to either one.

How do you go about convincing the in-law that staying @Langley HS is a good idea?

It sounds like they’ve already had a lot of exposure to a Langley HS grad and are not impressed. You are facing an uphill battle.

[Anonymous]

What your son wants makes sense. TJ is a better school with a smarter student body than Sidwell (although your kid will make some amazing social connections at Sidwell that could open doors). So have him take the test, and if he doesn't make it, then Langley is a fine option.

[Anonymous]

Your son sounds like a mature young man who knows what he wants, congrats. Let him make the decisions (it sounds like he wants to go to TJ) as long as they are well thought-out.

[Anonymous]

TJ, Sidwell and Langley in that order.

[Anonymous]

Wow. If the parents are willing to foot the bill for Sidwell and college, let him go to Sidwell.

TJ is not for everyone. I've heard that the culture of cheating that exists there, just so kids can keep their heads above water, is pervasive and discouraging for kids who go there. I know two students who have left because of this.

[Anonymous]

He should only go to TJ if his main academic interest is STEM - math, computers or science. If he's interested in the social sciences, English or art then he should go to Sidwell. TJ teaches STEM better, but Sidwell teaches writing, history and art better. And Sidwell is just as rigorous academically as TJ so he's just as likely to burn out there.
- parent of a TJ kid and a Big 3 DC private kid

[Anonymous]

Does your son write better than you do? If not, TJ. If so, try for Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. If the parents are willing to foot the bill for Sidwell and college, let him go to Sidwell.

TJ is not for everyone. I've heard that the culture of cheating that exists there, just so kids can keep their heads above water, is pervasive and discouraging for kids who go there. I know two students who have left because of this.

Cheating is pervasive at many FCPS high schools, not just TJ (I know that it's prevalent at Langley, Madison and McLean). And my guess is that it's prevalent at most high schools with helicopter parents.

[Anonymous]

Maybe try moving to gain some experience outside of nova. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. If the parents are willing to foot the bill for Sidwell and college, let him go to Sidwell.

TJ is not for everyone. I've heard that the culture of cheating that exists there, just so kids can keep their heads above water, is pervasive and discouraging for kids who go there. I know two students who have left because of this.

Cheating is pervasive at many FCPS high schools, not just TJ (I know that it's prevalent at Langley, Madison and McLean). And my guess is that it's prevalent at most high schools with helicopter parents.

How would you know this? Doubt you have had kids at all four schools or really know what goes on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. If the parents are willing to foot the bill for Sidwell and college, let him go to Sidwell.

TJ is not for everyone. I've heard that the culture of cheating that exists there, just so kids can keep their heads above water, is pervasive and discouraging for kids who go there. I know two students who have left because of this.

Cheating is pervasive at many FCPS high schools, not just TJ (I know that it's prevalent at Langley, Madison and McLean). And my guess is that it's prevalent at most high schools with helicopter parents.

How would you know this? Doubt you have had kids at all four schools or really know what goes on there.

I’ve had kids at two of them and they have friends at other high schools and kids talk. We’re also a member of a church where I am in contact with a lot of teens and they talk about this and how heavily it weighs on them.

In addition, I have friends who are teachers and they’ve also told me there’s nothing they can do about it. Administration is scared of the repercussions of their actions. Ask any high school teacher at one of the “top” high schools in the county and they’ll tell you the same.

[Anonymous]

Here’s an idea: grow a pair and make decisions for your own kids while leaving your mommy and daddy in laws out of it. If you’re all “doing ok” as you say, you don’t need their help.

[Anonymous]

All these schools are good schools. Let your kid apply to TJ and sidwell first. If he get accept, go to TJ since that’s his first choice. He can always transfer back to Langley or maybe sidwell if he change his mind during freshman year. Schools are so different, and your kid will know if he like/survive TJ or nor after couple months there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. If the parents are willing to foot the bill for Sidwell and college, let him go to Sidwell.

TJ is not for everyone. I've heard that the culture of cheating that exists there, just so kids can keep their heads above water, is pervasive and discouraging for kids who go there. I know two students who have left because of this.

Cheating is pervasive at many FCPS high schools, not just TJ (I know that it's prevalent at Langley, Madison and McLean). And my guess is that it's prevalent at most high schools with helicopter parents.

How would you know this? Doubt you have had kids at all four schools or really know what goes on there.

I’ve had kids at two of them and they have friends at other high schools and kids talk. We’re also a member of a church where I am in contact with a lot of teens and they talk about this and how heavily it weighs on them.

In addition, I have friends who are teachers and they’ve also told me there’s nothing they can do about it. Administration is scared of the repercussions of their actions. Ask any high school teacher at one of the “top” high schools in the county and they’ll tell you the same.

No, actually they won’t.