Is it really as simple as "just go private for middle + high school"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi,
I live in a part of DC with decent elementary schools but bad middle and high schools. Something I hear casually said among the other parents at our elementary school is that they might "just go private" for middle or high school.

Is it really that straightforward? Are there just tons of private schools with openings in 6th grade? I think my fear is that we count on that and then end up not getting in anywhere. And what kind of criteria do they use to admit kids? Is it based on the kid's academic / extracurricular performance? Do siblings get in automatically?

I guess I just need a complete primer on privates. Thank you for any info and for taking pity on a total novice.

This is such a prole tell. Do y’all REALLY think there’s no difference between private school lifers and transfer kids who only go from 7-12th or 9-12th? Of course you don’t. You’re trying to rationalize being a cheapskate.

Mine did just this and got in to a top private high school - the most competitive school that any of her peers got into. So, yes definitely possible. Stop using scare tactics to get people to follow your warped decision making.

[Anonymous]

It may be difficult to get in due to the fact that DCPS curriculum is very low. Not trying to take a shot at DCPS but if your child is struggling with the curriculum I’d expect them to also struggle at a private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did not send our kids to private school because we did not feel that STEM education was rigorous enough for our high achieving kids. Of course, magnet public schools in those days were highly competitive and difficult to get into. Couple that with our race, we knew that we would be discriminated for admissions. So, we decided to buy or rent an apartment in a good school pyramid. Thankfully, kids got into magnet schools and got superb STEM and Humanities education from 4th grade to 12th.

Interesting. Well I’m glad your kids were able to avoid the discrimination in the pyramid which it didn’t exist.

How’d you happen to find yourself in this private/independent school forum?

These insecure public school trolls refresh this forum all day, every day. But they’re TOTALLY confident in their shitty public school. lol

As a private school parent, it reeks of insecurity when you constantly put down ALL of the public schools the way you do. A confident, self-assured parent wouldn't do this. You are giving off striver/new money vibes. It's really off putting and desperate.

[Anonymous]

NP here but I get what the other person’s sentiment was. Instead of answering questions posters ask for in this forum, so many public parents weigh in and say private isn’t necessarily etc. but this forum is getting advice on private school and often gets derailed by super competitive public parents that need to defend their choice for public when it’s not really the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids transferred from DCPS to Big3 schools (two different ones) in 9th grade. One graduated in the top 10 kids in their class and is now at a top 10 university and the second is on target to do so.

It's definitely possible to do this. We are nobody special and our kids are smart but not genius or prodigy level or anything like that. We didn't do any supplementation throughout elementary or middle school (we're really not tiger parents at all--we left for private because our inboundary high school is really lacking.)

The first semester of 9th grade was a major step up but we watched their grades very carefully and had tutors ready to go. After that they were on their own and just took off. They fit in super well socially. That was not an issue at all. The left (or are leaving) with life-long friendships.

Our story is not everyone's story but there are plenty of families like us out there.

If you really are at Sidwell, STA-NCS or GDS, then no, there are not actually “plenty” of kids like yours. At all.

I have direct parent experience in the past few years at Sidwell and know that GDS is the same from my close parent friends: it’s hard as hell to be one of the 38 admitted Sidwell 9th graders and harder still to be the top handful of kids.

I think you must be at STA, since you have knowledge of individual ranking of students (which Sidwell and GDS. do not do). That admission class is even smaller than the other big3, and you’re doing a disservice to OP and their ilk to tell them there are “plenty” of families who get multiple kids admitted to HS in any of these 3-4 schools.

STA does not rank either but the top 15 or so seniors are inducted into the Cum Laude Society.

[Anonymous]

OP, in case you do come back and check this, I say, enjoy your Hill home and school. You can afford private, so yes, you will have some options. Of course admission isn't guaranteed, but if you cast a wide net, you can get a spot somewhere. You will have to commute from the Hill. That's the downside. But, you could also be one of the "lucky" families that gets a spot at one of the Latin charter schools and then you can enjoy your Hill home and extra savings indefinitely.

Either overthink it and move now, or just relax and be confident it will work out (with some compromises).

[Anonymous]

With that HHI you could move to a different neighborhood as a backup plan if private school admissions don’t work out.

[Anonymous]

I know many kids who went to DCPS and then switched to private for high school. It isn’t that hard if you have a bright kid with good grades.
If you are willing to look beyond GDS, Sidwell, NCS/St. Albans, and I believe you should, then you will be fine. You can also apply to School without Walls for HS.

The top private high schools are strong but they also have downsides. I know several kids who did not enjoy their experience at these schools. Some parents think it is still worth it for the prestige but I would prefer having a happy kid

[Anonymous]

If you don't want religious and you don't want Big 3 but you want to stay in DC I would look at Washington International School. They offer spots to kids with no prior language experience at 6th (Spanish and French). We have friends whose kids moved to WIS at middle (from another private but not a Big3) and they have reported a pretty chill culture with a nicely diverse family base (lots of foreign and dual citizen families as you'd expect). Their kids are fluent in French so went into the Dual Language option but that's not the only track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know many kids who went to DCPS and then switched to private for high school. It isn’t that hard if you have a bright kid with good grades.
If you are willing to look beyond GDS, Sidwell, NCS/St. Albans, and I believe you should, then you will be fine. You can also apply to School without Walls for HS.

The top private high schools are strong but they also have downsides. I know several kids who did not enjoy their experience at these schools. Some parents think it is still worth it for the prestige but I would prefer having a happy kid

Coming from dcps they may also require your kid to repeat 8th, especially if they’re born after April.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you should apply broadly for 6th and as backup use some of the top k-8s. Parents at those have the same fears you do and begin applying out earlier, so you will definitely find openings for 6th-8th there and will then have the advantage of applying from a private w/ their exmissions team helping you for 9th. That said, 9th is incredibly hard to get into a good school. My kids are at a k-12 that adds about 10 spots in 6th

this

[Anonymous]

NP with HHI $250k. Other than vastly different HHI from OP - but fully recognizing our privilege at this HHI regardless - we feel similarly about our neighborhood DCPS elementary, with concerns about middle and high school. What is a good game plan if we stay past 3rd grade? Play lottery for 5th and 6th, and apply out to privates in 6th? For those who did that, do we need to do test prep for middle school admissions? Genuine questions here, as we do not know anyone at the private schools.

We want as few disruptions for our kids as possible, so hopefully making only one switch for MS and then HS if needed.

[Anonymous]

My DD got shut out of DC privates at grades 5 & 6. Don't count on it if you aren't wealthy with big jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD got shut out of DC privates at grades 5 & 6. Don't count on it if you aren't wealthy with big jobs.

Anyone who is banking on moving from public to private for 6th or 9th needs to read these boards at the time admissions decisions are made. Tons of families are shut out every year. There’s simply not enough spaces.

[Anonymous]

I think if you apply broadly, you will get in somewhere. Don't just apply to the "Big 3" or "Big 5."