BCC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - Single Mom here, not rich by DC-standards, but educated etc. Between WW and BCC, I am assuming we would feel more "at home" at BCC? Can anyone share if they have similar experiences? Thanks!

This would really depend on who "we" are.

As I mentioned, I am a single Mom with a kid; we are humans, educated, well-traveled etc., just not wealthy by DC standards. So, I am looking for an alternative for Whitman, and it seems that BCC has wider diversity.

Lots of other schools have even more diversity than BCC. Or is your choice just between BCC and whitman?

Yes, these two are my preference, due to closeness to work, maybe WJ....

WJ rocks. Certainly consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - Single Mom here, not rich by DC-standards, but educated etc. Between WW and BCC, I am assuming we would feel more "at home" at BCC? Can anyone share if they have similar experiences? Thanks!

This would really depend on who "we" are.

As I mentioned, I am a single Mom with a kid; we are humans, educated, well-traveled etc., just not wealthy by DC standards. So, I am looking for an alternative for Whitman, and it seems that BCC has wider diversity.

Lots of other schools have even more diversity than BCC. Or is your choice just between BCC and whitman?

Yes, these two are my preference, due to closeness to work, maybe WJ....

WJ rocks. Certainly consider.

Thanks will do - just not so sure how good the MSs are that feed into WJ. I thought Tilden is overcrowded...North Bethesda seems to be good...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - Single Mom here, not rich by DC-standards, but educated etc. Between WW and BCC, I am assuming we would feel more "at home" at BCC? Can anyone share if they have similar experiences? Thanks!

This would really depend on who "we" are.

As I mentioned, I am a single Mom with a kid; we are humans, educated, well-traveled etc., just not wealthy by DC standards. So, I am looking for an alternative for Whitman, and it seems that BCC has wider diversity.

Lots of other schools have even more diversity than BCC. Or is your choice just between BCC and whitman?

Yes, these two are my preference, due to closeness to work, maybe WJ....

WJ rocks. Certainly consider.

Thanks will do - just not so sure how good the MSs are that feed into WJ. I thought Tilden is overcrowded...North Bethesda seems to be good...

Tilden and North Bethesda are both large middle schools (1100 students each), but neither is overcrowded, nor are they projected to be.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP24_Chapter4Johnson.pdf

[Anonymous]

If Jackson Reed is on one end and WW on the other, BCC is somewhere in the middle.

It is more urban feeling suburban school, and its diversity is not just racial but socioeconomic. Just visit it and you will see.

The vibe between WW and BCC is quite different.

I've heard some really and stories of mean girl bullying at WW. Because all the kids went to the same MS my impression is there are some very established cliques.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Jackson Reed is on one end and WW on the other, BCC is somewhere in the middle.

It is more urban feeling suburban school, and its diversity is not just racial but socioeconomic. Just visit it and you will see.

The vibe between WW and BCC is quite different.

I've heard some really and stories of mean girl bullying at WW. Because all the kids went to the same MS my impression is there are some very established cliques.

Thanks above is useful info. And that is what I am looking for: socio-economic diversity. I do not want to be the "poor family" at WW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids at Whitman and am friends with several BCC families. All the kids I know at both schools are great and have strong friend groups. All seem happy in their schools, although the stress about academics/college seems to set in as early as sophomore year.

My sense is that both schools are pretty similar, in general, in that they’re both large public high schools with a lot to offer. A bunch of high-achieving students in both places.

BCC has 2 feeder middle schools, while Whitman has one. So it might be easier socially for a transfer student at BCC b/c there may be more mixing of friend groups in 9th grade.

One of the biggest difference for academics is that BCC has an IB track, and Whitman doesn’t. Whitman has an engineering track and recently launched a “social justice” track.

Whitman’ s school paper, The Black and White, is excellent. (I’m not saying BCC’s isn’t, I just don’t know.). Whitman is also known for having a top-notch drama program.

One challenge at Whitman is that a lot of extra curriculars are super competitive. If your kids are not playing club sports or in high level music or drama programs, my sense is that it will be very hard for them to participate in the formal school program.

But it’s a big school with lots of fun activities (like drum line, bocce, Whitman shorts) that seem easier to join.

The Whitman principal is great. There is a fair bit of drug use and drinking among students, and he’s open and direct about that. There also was recently some antisemitic graffiti on the school’s entry sign, and I think he handled that situation beautifully.

The location of BCC is great, with downtown Bethesda and the metro both in easy walking distance.

Good luck! I think you have good choices either way.

Most schools have very competitive sports, it's not a Whitman thing. the Tatler is a great newspaper at B-CC. Whitman is not very diverse, I went there long ago and it hasn't changed. The diversity comes from embassy kids. Whitman has had some high profile things of late so i question the leadership and what the parents of certain groups really care about seeing they knew about one of the incidents.

You kid will be successful at any of the schools if they want to be. There are other great schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Open lunch, students can leave school grounds if they choose. See website for more on programs offered.