House/FCPS location complex situation

[Anonymous]

This is not a serious thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a serious thread.

The Lake Braddock mom has decided OP is her kindred spirit, so the thread must be kept alive for a few more days so she can keep telling OP how Lake Braddock, Robinson, and West Springfield are Goldilocks territory, where the porridge is neither too hot (too rich, like Langley, Mclean, and Oakton) or too cold (too poor, like Hayfield, Edison, and Lewis).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a serious thread.

No dog in this fight but it’s one of the better threads. Seems someone has a genuine concern and I saw some helpful advice, Of course a handful will come and piss on all threads but that’s DCUM for you. I’ve learned that if I want civil conversations I can go to Reddit or Bogleheads. Snark and meanness are the middle names of some posters here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not a serious thread.

No dog in this fight but it’s one of the better threads. Seems someone has a genuine concern and I saw some helpful advice, Of course a handful will come and piss on all threads but that’s DCUM for you. I’ve learned that if I want civil conversations I can go to Reddit or Bogleheads. Snark and meanness are the middle names of some posters here.

LOL. The thread is a complete joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it sounds like you might be happiest with a pyramid like Lake Braddock, West Springfield, or Woodson. All are AP high schools. All three are solidly MC to UMC, and well-regarded. West Springfield and Lake Braddock in particular have a higher percentage of military families and see more transition in the student population (so may be a bit more welcoming for new kids transitioning in).

There’s no doubt that McLean, Oakton and Langley are good schools, but they do skew wealthy and college admissions may be a bit more competitive. They are generally considered the most “prestigious” because the neighborhoods feeding them are the most consistently expensive. Kids may feel more pressure there to wear designer clothes, take fancy vacations, etc.

Chantilly is also more middle of the road but—right or wrong—it does have a reputation as being higher pressure (possibly due to its higher percentage of Asian students). Ten to fifteen years ago, Woodson had a similar reputation, but it seems to have gotten less intense in recent years. There is a popular synagogue in the Woodson neighborhood that may be a plus if your family is Jewish.

I agree with this poster mainly. But it seems to me that OP may not be comfortable with these solid middle class and perhaps slightly high FARMS schools. She seems more the private school kind. That’s why her spouse sensibly suggested the other schools. Also maybe from an investment perspective as well.

No house near the schools you suggested will appreciate much. The only reason I would pick these if my child was not AAP oriented then he may have a better chance at state college admissions unlike the top tier ones as you mentioned.

Lake Braddock has one of the bigger AAP programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you have any more thoughts please don’t hold back - am not a troll. Usually make sound decisions but it’s been a crazy few months with family passing, pressing/ongoing older child health situation, move etc so a bit frazzled and out of my element wrt this situation.

Most people here have had time and lots of input from family/friends to make such a big decision. I feel that if had time to research here more, maybe the answer would come to me but that’s also crazy I know.

Also first time DH and I are not in agreement about something imp. DH’s short list is Langley/Mclean/Oakton.
I don’t have a shortlist yet but don’t feel that’s quite right for us (preppy, intense, drugs). Maybe leaning towards Chantilly but don’t know if West Springfield or Lake Braddock are better. Also, are the number of houses being listed typical for the area in summer? I expected more.

Appreciate the clarification that there is no possibility of transferring to a better school other than with a move. That’s not going to happen in a week and a half. So we will need to decide asap what to do for the immediate future.

You just keep repeating the same crap even when people make a sincere effort to disabuse you of the incorrect stereotypes. Please stay away from Langley, Mclean, and Oakton - they are doing fine and quite honestly you're exhausting.

+100
Absurd stereotyping.

Sock puppet much?

OP doesn’t know any better - to stereotype. She has stated she is repeating opinions of family and friends and is confused. Who wouldn’t be?! Aren’t we a bit much (extra as my teen daughter would say) here on DCUM. I have never across an adult forum with such nasty posts. It don’t know if it’s 1 in 5 people here or if it’s the same few people who have nothing better to do.

I am not surprised at all at these differing opinions either. Anyone who has spent any time on DCUM shouldn’t be and isn’t.

I'm the +100 poster, above - and you stupidly and falsely accused me of sock puppeting. Yet here you are calling out others for their "nasty" posts. Maybe it's YOU who has nothing better to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you have any more thoughts please don’t hold back - am not a troll. Usually make sound decisions but it’s been a crazy few months with family passing, pressing/ongoing older child health situation, move etc so a bit frazzled and out of my element wrt this situation.

Most people here have had time and lots of input from family/friends to make such a big decision. I feel that if had time to research here more, maybe the answer would come to me but that’s also crazy I know.

Also first time DH and I are not in agreement about something imp. DH’s short list is Langley/Mclean/Oakton.
I don’t have a shortlist yet but don’t feel that’s quite right for us (preppy, intense, drugs). Maybe leaning towards Chantilly but don’t know if West Springfield or Lake Braddock are better. Also, are the number of houses being listed typical for the area in summer? I expected more.

Appreciate the clarification that there is no possibility of transferring to a better school other than with a move. That’s not going to happen in a week and a half. So we will need to decide asap what to do for the immediate future.

You just keep repeating the same crap even when people make a sincere effort to disabuse you of the incorrect stereotypes. Please stay away from Langley, Mclean, and Oakton - they are doing fine and quite honestly you're exhausting.

+100
Absurd stereotyping.

Sock puppet much?

OP doesn’t know any better - to stereotype. She has stated she is repeating opinions of family and friends and is confused. Who wouldn’t be?! Aren’t we a bit much (extra as my teen daughter would say) here on DCUM. I have never across an adult forum with such nasty posts. It don’t know if it’s 1 in 5 people here or if it’s the same few people who have nothing better to do.

I am not surprised at all at these differing opinions either. Anyone who has spent any time on DCUM shouldn’t be and isn’t.

This was not sock puppeting. Feel free to check with the moderator of this forum.

OP is either a troll or just looking for people to reaffirm her own preferences, which differ from those of her spouse. She came back days later and basically repeated her original post, which sent a message that others just wasting their time by treating her inquiry as one made in good faith.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you have any more thoughts please don’t hold back - am not a troll. Usually make sound decisions but it’s been a crazy few months with family passing, pressing/ongoing older child health situation, move etc so a bit frazzled and out of my element wrt this situation.

Most people here have had time and lots of input from family/friends to make such a big decision. I feel that if had time to research here more, maybe the answer would come to me but that’s also crazy I know.

Also first time DH and I are not in agreement about something imp. DH’s short list is Langley/Mclean/Oakton.
I don’t have a shortlist yet but don’t feel that’s quite right for us (preppy, intense, drugs). Maybe leaning towards Chantilly but don’t know if West Springfield or Lake Braddock are better. Also, are the number of houses being listed typical for the area in summer? I expected more.

Appreciate the clarification that there is no possibility of transferring to a better school other than with a move. That’s not going to happen in a week and a half. So we will need to decide asap what to do for the immediate future.

What is your housing budget? Langley/Mclean/Oakton are great choices if you can afford to live in those areas. I honestly think you’re overthinking this.

I get it, dh and I had a hard time agreeing when we moved to this area. Our main issue was on the home. We were fortunate to have an amazing realtor who understood both our perspectives and found the right solution. On schools, we ended up going the Catholic school route, which I originally was not interested in but changed my mind before we moved here.

Assuming you have the budget for it, those schools are great. Lake Braddock/ Robinson/ WS will be more middle class and are fine choices as well, but if you can afford a $2m house, you’ll be with your people at the other ones.

They’re all good schools but Fairfax Station and Clifton have some $2m homes too. Not all of the kids at Lake Braddock or Robinson live in them but it’s not as if none of the kids do. But if you’re someone who needs to be with “your people” like PP, I guess you wouldn’t want to interact with the regular middle class people at those schools.

Pp here. Hate to break it to you, but I’m one of those “regular middle class people” living in Fairfax. Not sure why you’re assuming otherwise.

We couldn’t afford Langley/Mclean/Oakton, but I know they’re good schools.