If you want your children to have lives, don't send them to St. Albans, or Sidwell!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. We are thinking about applying to STA for our son for 6th or 7th grade. He is currently in 4th grade in MOCO public schools. We live in Potomac and it would be a trek into the city. Does anyone have insight on whether my son would be the only kid living far out in "the burbs"? In particular, it would be great to know if any of the boys that are currently in Form C live in Bethesda/Potomac.

We are concerned that he will be completely isolated from his classmates if they all live in DC. This would be true for any of the DC privates, I imagine. We are not as interested in Bullis, St. Andrews or even Landon - even though they are much more convenient.

What school is your DS in currently? Are any of his friends applying to STA?

[Anonymous]

We are in Churchill cluster. As far as I know, none of his friends are applying out for private school, but I have not really brought it up for discussion either.

[Anonymous]

plenty of burb boys at STA with bethesda heavily represented, but also boys from potomac, rockville, and silver spring too. Also suburban VA boys mainly from McLean, Arlington and even Alexandria and Great Falls. There are also some boys who come from even further out, typically with parents who work in DC though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP's choice of title for his/her post strongly suggests that an academically demanding school such as St. Albans or Sidwell would not be a good fit for her son or her family. These two schools are highly selective in admissions, but self-selection plays a big factor there in who applies and who matriculates.

It's not that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you "want your children to have lives." Rather, it's that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you actually believe that an academically rigorous curriculum precludes "having lives."

After the 1st week @ STA, our son said "he wanted his life back". He finished his freshman year (did well), transferred to coed school (did poorly), got in trouble etc... In his case he did not want to put the effort in that STA demands - we allowed the transfer out - maybe a mistake, but now several years later - he is an excellent student with the grades to certify it - but not from a brand name school that STA would have provided access to. His mother has worried the entire time, but his dad was a knuckle head too - different kids mature at different rates - if your kid is not ready to commit to the work, STA will be a frustrating experience -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The OP's choice of title for his/her post strongly suggests that an academically demanding school such as St. Albans or Sidwell would not be a good fit for her son or her family. These two schools are highly selective in admissions, but self-selection plays a big factor there in who applies and who matriculates.

It's not that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you "want your children to have lives." Rather, it's that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you actually believe that an academically rigorous curriculum precludes "having lives."

After the 1st week @ STA, our son said "he wanted his life back". He finished his freshman year (did well), transferred to coed school (did poorly), got in trouble etc... In his case he did not want to put the effort in that STA demands - we allowed the transfer out - maybe a mistake, but now several years later - he is an excellent student with the grades to certify it - but not from a brand name school that STA would have provided access to. His mother has worried the entire time, but his dad was a knuckle head too - different kids mature at different rates - if your kid is not ready to commit to the work, STA will be a frustrating experience -

Actually, my son transferred from STA to Georgetown Prep because he didn't think STA was challenging enough.

[Anonymous]

The idea that GP is more academically rigorous than STA is absurd on the face of it. While not all STA boys fit this description, STA has multiple extremely bright boys with very high IQs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that GP is more academically rigorous than STA is absurd on the face of it. While not all STA boys fit this description, STA has multiple extremely bright boys with very high IQs.

Ignore that poster - he/she posts all over the place about how Prep is better than StA.

[Anonymous]

If you want your children to learn to dress properly, don't send them to GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that GP is more academically rigorous than STA is absurd on the face of it. While not all STA boys fit this description, STA has multiple extremely bright boys with very high IQs.

Ignore that poster - he/she posts all over the place about how Prep is better than StA.

And ignore this response. Another one who lives in her fantasy world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that GP is more academically rigorous than STA is absurd on the face of it. While not all STA boys fit this description, STA has multiple extremely bright boys with very high IQs.

Ignore that poster - he/she posts all over the place about how Prep is better than StA.

While that poster was very childish with their comment, likewise don't be so dismissive. It is foolish for anyone to discredit the academic strength of St. Albans. However, there is a large part of the population who does view that Georgetown Prep (and other schools) are superior to St. Albans on balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The OP's choice of title for his/her post strongly suggests that an academically demanding school such as St. Albans or Sidwell would not be a good fit for her son or her family. These two schools are highly selective in admissions, but self-selection plays a big factor there in who applies and who matriculates.

It's not that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you "want your children to have lives." Rather, it's that you should avoid St. Albans and Sidwell if you actually believe that an academically rigorous curriculum precludes "having lives."

After the 1st week @ STA, our son said "he wanted his life back". He finished his freshman year (did well), transferred to coed school (did poorly), got in trouble etc... In his case he did not want to put the effort in that STA demands - we allowed the transfer out - maybe a mistake, but now several years later - he is an excellent student with the grades to certify it - but not from a brand name school that STA would have provided access to. His mother has worried the entire time, but his dad was a knuckle head too - different kids mature at different rates - if your kid is not ready to commit to the work, STA will be a frustrating experience -

Actually, my son transferred from STA to Georgetown Prep because he didn't think STA was challenging enough.

The idea of transferring from STA to Georgetown Prep certainly could happen (and some new 9th grade applicants certainly do pick Prep over STA if admitted to both places, although generally athletics is the rationale that is given), but there have been no "transfers" to Prep from STA 8th or 9th grade in recent memory (5 years or more). Provocatively worded "Prep vs. St. Albans" posts have shown up relatively frequently this year, and this latest entry does appear to be a fake post. This may be a student or just someone looking to raise a ruckus -- ignoring is the best policy. They are two great schools, that are relatively distinctive, and there's no need to take potshots at either one.

[Anonymous]

I haven't bothered to read through all the ridiculous responses to this thread, so maybe someone else has said this too. I'm a Sidwell alum, and I certainly had a life.

[Anonymous]

This is an eminently ridiculous thread.

[Anonymous]

Kids and young adults will face lots of types of people during their lifetime. They'll get teased, they'll be bullied and always the odd one out during those awkward years. I don't think it matters where they go: kids can be mean and stuck up where ever they are. My daughter attends a school where the majority are low income Latinos, and she still comes home accusing other girls of being bitchy. The good thing is that your son found a place where he feels he belongs, and can excel, where your family can support him properly. There's no need to trash this poster because she has an opinion. Some of these comments sound like the same stuff that's coming out of their kids mouths. Maybe these other moms should hear this complaint as a way to teach their kids on how to be more sensitive to others. This is a great lesson to teach, versus something to bash.

[Anonymous]

Hey Prep Mom Booster -- go take your bias views somewhere else. Yet again she is claiming her view is majority view. Just keep thinking Prep is by far and away the best boys school and take your shots at STA. Whatever.

Normal people reading this thread -- my sons do indeed have lives, and many friends at Sidwell too. neither school is perfect for everyone as there are indeed kids who cannot handle the academic rigor. Then you go to Prep, just kidding ha ha ha.