2025 rankings of best private schools in the DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis Independent McLean.

Yes, the names Sidwell Friends School, Georgetown Day School, and Bullis just reek class….

😙

Why are you dragging GDS and Sidwell into this nonsense (y’all can’t keep these schools’ names out of your mouths, huh)? You know that GDS and SFS sound perfectly fine. Anyone familiar with elite educational institutions recognize the very common use of the word “Friends” in a Quaker school’s name. The term “Day School” and “Country Day School” can be found in the names of some of the best schools in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I'm stunned at BASIS continuing to rocket up the ratings.

Next year #1!!!!

We're coming for you Sidwell! You're next.

BASIS was #2 last year, right? It's firmly been at the top for a while now, above all the old blue bloods, not rocketing anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis Independent McLean.

Yes, the names Sidwell Friends School, Georgetown Day School, and Bullis just reek class….

😙

Why are you dragging GDS and Sidwell into this nonsense (y’all can’t keep these schools’ names out of your mouths, huh)? You know that GDS and SFS sound perfectly fine. Anyone familiar with elite educational institutions recognize the very common use of the word “Friends” in a Quaker school’s name. The term “Day School” and “Country Day School” can be found in the names of some of the best schools in this country.

Agree both the PPs’ jabs about the names of schools were stupid.

But sorry, SFS and GDS are already in it with all the rest.

Can schools refuse to be included or participate in Niche or other rankings like some colleges and law schools are doing with USN&WR? Now that would be making a statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis Independent McLean.

Yes, the names Sidwell Friends School, Georgetown Day School, and Bullis just reek class….

😙

Actually they do.

BIM is where the TJ rejects are at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And, as always, buried at the bottom of their methodology page:

"Niche takes steps to ensure data integrity, but rankings may be inaccurate if Niche is supplied with inaccurate data from schools, data sources such as the US Department of Education or spam and automated 'bot' reviews."

That sounds like literally every other school ranking out there, including for colleges. Take these with a grain of salt and use it as a starting point to research the schools, nothing more.

US News isn’t much better, but at least their rankings aren’t based on data influenced by spam and bots.

You just pulled that out of your tinfoil hat. Do you work for Niche? Like I said, it’s another ranking which will be flawed like any other school rankings (hope nobody puts that much weight on these when really making decisions; it’s a fine starting point). But you’re making stuff up that’s extreme and fits your narrative.

Anyone who takes Niche rankings is an idiot.

It’s based on self-reporting from the school community reports, I.e. which school’s parents and students go on Niche to rate themselves superstars.

Essentially, it’s a masturbatory exercise.

Ha. My thoughts too.

[Anonymous]

To prove how silly, St. Anselm's is more academically rigorous than any of those on the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And, as always, buried at the bottom of their methodology page:

"Niche takes steps to ensure data integrity, but rankings may be inaccurate if Niche is supplied with inaccurate data from schools, data sources such as the US Department of Education or spam and automated 'bot' reviews."

That sounds like literally every other school ranking out there, including for colleges. Take these with a grain of salt and use it as a starting point to research the schools, nothing more.

US News isn’t much better, but at least their rankings aren’t based on data influenced by spam and bots.

You just pulled that out of your tinfoil hat. Do you work for Niche? Like I said, it’s another ranking which will be flawed like any other school rankings (hope nobody puts that much weight on these when really making decisions; it’s a fine starting point). But you’re making stuff up that’s extreme and fits your narrative.

Anyone who takes Niche rankings is an idiot.

It’s based on self-reporting from the school community reports, I.e. which school’s parents and students go on Niche to rate themselves superstars.

Essentially, it’s a masturbatory exercise.

I am sure that you have a lot of experience in that area but your statement is inaccurate here.

Niche's rankings are data driven and no other platform focuses more on ensuring that their stats are up to date, accurate, and complete.

Here is a detailed description of Niche's methodology:

https://www.niche.com/k12/rankings/methodology/

lol

Niche bases their rankings on things that do not access academics, scores, college placement, etc...

Their college rankings are a joke - basing best colleges on how many students receive pell grants etc....? That is wonderful but does not mean a college is a top college. There are other factors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rankings now out for best private schools in the DMV:

1. Sidwell
2. BIM
3. Madeira
4. GDS
5. EHS
6. Potomac
7. Holton
8. Georgetown Prep
9. NCS
10. WIS
11. Maret
12. STA

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

This is laughable. STA, NCS, GDS all had better college placements last year overall than the top 3 on this list. GDS had 6 alone go to Harvard. STA has many at Ivies and top 20 universities and NCS has about 2/3 of class of 2024 at top 25 Universities and/or liberal arts schools. Many at top liberal arts top 15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rankings now out for best private schools in the DMV:

1. Sidwell
2. BIM
3. Madeira
4. GDS
5. EHS
6. Potomac
7. Holton
8. Georgetown Prep
9. NCS
10. WIS
11. Maret
12. STA

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

Madeira and Episcopal are good schools and offer a nice option for boarding schools but they are not in top 5 schools in any way and have never been. I would say most alumns would agree with that statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To prove how silly, St. Anselm's is more academically rigorous than any of those on the list.

And now you are just as silly as all the rest of the parents who care about these rankings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rankings now out for best private schools in the DMV:

1. Sidwell
2. BIM
3. Madeira
4. GDS
5. EHS
6. Potomac
7. Holton
8. Georgetown Prep
9. NCS
10. WIS
11. Maret
12. STA

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

This is laughable. STA, NCS, GDS all had better college placements last year overall than the top 3 on this list. GDS had 6 alone go to Harvard. STA has many at Ivies and top 20 universities and NCS has about 2/3 of class of 2024 at top 25 Universities and/or liberal arts schools. Many at top liberal arts top 15.

I don’t believe that STA’s placement is that great. The only public matriculation data STA releases is an aggregate 3-4 year list (I see MoCo on that list, btw). STA students don’t operate a public IG account where students can post their college destinations (like every other top (and even lower and mid-tier) area private schools). People who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.

Btw, it’s a flat out lie that NCS had better 2024 college placements than all the other top ranked high schools. GDS did well in 2024, but its 2023 college placements were an absolute bust!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I'm stunned at BASIS continuing to rocket up the ratings.

Next year #1!!!!

We're coming for you Sidwell! You're next.

BASIS was #2 last year, right? It's firmly been at the top for a while now, above all the old blue bloods, not rocketing anywhere.

No, it was number 1 last year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard Episcopal High School ever mentioned on this board, I actually had to look it up. Same thing with some of these tiny schools in Virginia - Veritas, Pinnacle Academy, Ideaventions???

Episcopal is one of the oldest boarding schools in the commonwealth (if not the oldest). You've seriously never heard of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rankings now out for best private schools in the DMV:

1. Sidwell
2. BIM
3. Madeira
4. GDS
5. EHS
6. Potomac
7. Holton
8. Georgetown Prep
9. NCS
10. WIS
11. Maret
12. STA

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

This is laughable. STA, NCS, GDS all had better college placements last year overall than the top 3 on this list. GDS had 6 alone go to Harvard. STA has many at Ivies and top 20 universities and NCS has about 2/3 of class of 2024 at top 25 Universities and/or liberal arts schools. Many at top liberal arts top 15.

There is more to a school than outplacement.

[Anonymous]

How many Chinese students at Madeira?