Please Choose Private For the Right Reasons

[Anonymous]

Yeah it’s nice not to have any MAGA at sidwell but there are other reasons to like it and go there

[Anonymous]

What’s up with these types of posts lately?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like to think that any parent who has kids at sidwell writes better than this.

Yes and doesn’t have time to post all this

Yet…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s up with these types of posts lately?

It happens every year during acceptances and right after.

[Anonymous]

???

We’re sending our kids to catholic school for a variety of reasons, including the fact that mcps has dramatically declined.

From what I’ve heard from alums as well as current families, Sidwell and GDS are both overrated.

PS - Nobody from upper MoCo is schlepping their kids downtown for high school unless there’s a very compelling reason (e.g., athletic scholarship at a sporty school that will likely lead to NIL money and a free ride at a good college).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Lol, didn't think this would turn into such a thing.

Just thinking back to a conversation at an AAU game this past weekend where some parents were going on about "needing" to get out of public for SJC or GC. It just felt so reactive.

If you’re already in a solid cluster (Whitman, Wootton, etc), the academics are fine. Why pay $45k for a uniform and a stricter schedule? Honestly, those campuses... they’re fine, but they aren't exactly inspiring. You’re trading actual diversity for a bubble that doesn't even offer the kind of intellectual freedom you get at the Big Three / big five / whatever you wanna call it.

If you aren't looking for the actual mission—the Quaker values, the intentionality, the out-of-the-box thinking—then what are you actually buying? It just seems like a huge premium for a more filtered version of suburban life. Anyway, just what I was thinking. And to the person saying you don’t go to the Sidwell for the intentionally , yeah you do…

Hello OP, would you be willing to spend time at some of these schools - beyond sitting on a bench at some game and eavesdropping on random parents -- to talk to kids, parents and faculty at schols beyond GDS and Sidwell before making these sweeping judgements?? Like "Why pay $45k for a uniform and a stricter schedule? Honestly, those campuses... they’re fine, but they aren't exactly inspiring. You’re trading actual diversity for a bubble that doesn't even offer the kind of intellectual freedom you get at the Big Three / big five / whatever you wanna call it." -- there is a lot more to all of these places than a uniform and strict schedule. Moreover, every kid and family fits in different places.

Honestly, our experience as liberal non Catholics at a local Catholic school is that A) we are not the only non-Catholic family or liberal family. B) the economic, racial and religious diversity at our school is much greater than in our neighborhood, our previous public school, and the big 3s we were accepted at C) our kid has plenty of space to roam and run around a large campus, even if the bathrooms were last renovated in the 1960s - he needs that space and movement more than fancy renovations D) above all, our kid comes home (literally) singing, laughing and talking about what they learned all day. E) we have also with amazing people who went to some of these schools, along with public ones, and they are incredibly talented. They did not need a big 3 to shine in their college and professional careers.

All to say, public might be the right choice for some, parochial for others, big 3 for others, and lesser known secular privates for other families. Making these decisons has to do with fit, and the overall experience we want for our kids day in and day out.

We all get that big 3 kids and kids who excel in other places can have similar outcomes. We're not stupid for choosing something other than private/big 3.

[Anonymous]

Threads like this really underscore which parents didn’t actually attend private schools themselves…and certainly didn’t attend a dc metro area school.

Those of us who attended area catholic schools and grew up surrounded by friends and family at area privates have a completely different world view from the OP and those of her ilk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:???

We’re sending our kids to catholic school for a variety of reasons, including the fact that mcps has dramatically declined.

From what I’ve heard from alums as well as current families, Sidwell and GDS are both overrated.

PS - Nobody from upper MoCo is schlepping their kids downtown for high school unless there’s a very compelling reason (e.g., athletic scholarship at a sporty school that will likely lead to NIL money and a free ride at a good college).

We can all agree that OP is insane but let’s not go crazy and call Sidwell overrated. College stats say otherwise. If you live in Rockville / Gaithersburg / Olney even and you get into Sidwell and another school in your area, you are doing your kids a big disservice by not going to Sidwell because it’s “ overrated”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:???

We’re sending our kids to catholic school for a variety of reasons, including the fact that mcps has dramatically declined.

From what I’ve heard from alums as well as current families, Sidwell and GDS are both overrated.

PS - Nobody from upper MoCo is schlepping their kids downtown for high school unless there’s a very compelling reason (e.g., athletic scholarship at a sporty school that will likely lead to NIL money and a free ride at a good college).

We can all agree that OP is insane but let’s not go crazy and call Sidwell overrated. College stats say otherwise. If you live in Rockville / Gaithersburg / Olney even and you get into Sidwell and another school in your area, you are doing your kids a big disservice by not going to Sidwell because it’s “ overrated”.

Eh, it’s mostly transplants who put Sidwell on a pedestal. Locals who attended area privates know what Sidwell is really like: a mix of Rich kids who aren’t academically inclined (and tend to have access to a lot of drugs and alcohol) and socially awkward but bright kids from decent families. It’s fine. It’s actually a lot like most other area privates. But it’s not anything to obsess over.

Like every school, just because a select few make it into top schools doesn’t mean anything when it comes to your kid. Those same kids would make it into the same top schools had they attended any area school.

Anyway, a lot of us pick certain schools for very specific reasons or religious reasons. And I promise you that most of us couldn’t care less about that Big 3 label Dcumlandia throes around. Again, you transplants are really entertaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:???

We’re sending our kids to catholic school for a variety of reasons, including the fact that mcps has dramatically declined.

From what I’ve heard from alums as well as current families, Sidwell and GDS are both overrated.

PS - Nobody from upper MoCo is schlepping their kids downtown for high school unless there’s a very compelling reason (e.g., athletic scholarship at a sporty school that will likely lead to NIL money and a free ride at a good college).

We can all agree that OP is insane but let’s not go crazy and call Sidwell overrated. College stats say otherwise. If you live in Rockville / Gaithersburg / Olney even and you get into Sidwell and another school in your area, you are doing your kids a big disservice by not going to Sidwell because it’s “ overrated”.

Eh, it’s mostly transplants who put Sidwell on a pedestal. Locals who attended area privates know what Sidwell is really like: a mix of Rich kids who aren’t academically inclined (and tend to have access to a lot of drugs and alcohol) and socially awkward but bright kids from decent families. It’s fine. It’s actually a lot like most other area privates. But it’s not anything to obsess over.

Like every school, just because a select few make it into top schools doesn’t mean anything when it comes to your kid. Those same kids would make it into the same top schools had they attended any area school.

Anyway, a lot of us pick certain schools for very specific reasons or religious reasons. And I promise you that most of us couldn’t care less about that Big 3 label Dcumlandia throes around. Again, you transplants are really entertaining.

Lots of legacy parents at sidwell and non transplants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to think that any parent who has kids at sidwell writes better than this.

Ehhhhhhh there are definitely Sidwell moms who are also trophy wives... sooooo yeaaaaa...

[Anonymous]

Sidwell does not embody Quaker values. Full stop.

Simplicity. Humility. Recognizing God in all human beings.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

DC was admitted but we couldn’t nope our way out of there fast enough

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like to think that any parent who has kids at sidwell writes better than this.

Ehhhhhhh there are definitely Sidwell moms who are also trophy wives... sooooo yeaaaaa...

This thread has brought out some ugly things that a lot of people assume would not happen in the DC area, mainly admiring MAGA talking points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:???

We’re sending our kids to catholic school for a variety of reasons, including the fact that mcps has dramatically declined.

From what I’ve heard from alums as well as current families, Sidwell and GDS are both overrated.

PS - Nobody from upper MoCo is schlepping their kids downtown for high school unless there’s a very compelling reason (e.g., athletic scholarship at a sporty school that will likely lead to NIL money and a free ride at a good college).

We can all agree that OP is insane but let’s not go crazy and call Sidwell overrated. College stats say otherwise. If you live in Rockville / Gaithersburg / Olney even and you get into Sidwell and another school in your area, you are doing your kids a big disservice by not going to Sidwell because it’s “ overrated”.

Eh, it’s mostly transplants who put Sidwell on a pedestal. Locals who attended area privates know what Sidwell is really like: a mix of Rich kids who aren’t academically inclined (and tend to have access to a lot of drugs and alcohol) and socially awkward but bright kids from decent families. It’s fine. It’s actually a lot like most other area privates. But it’s not anything to obsess over.

Like every school, just because a select few make it into top schools doesn’t mean anything when it comes to your kid. Those same kids would make it into the same top schools had they attended any area school.

Anyway, a lot of us pick certain schools for very specific reasons or religious reasons. And I promise you that most of us couldn’t care less about that Big 3 label Dcumlandia throes around. Again, you transplants are really entertaining.

Lots of legacy parents at sidwell and non transplants

Of course.

But legacy families don’t refer to Sidwell as Big 3…it’s just their school.

ICYMI: local families with generational affluence don’t strive since they were born “arrived.” They also don’t make a big deal about country clubs or material possessions. They don’t worry about what they wear or fitting in…that’s what others need to fret over.

PS - You people should go dig up the 2021 Atlantic article about why elite schools are really, really bad for your kids. Sidwell is mentioned. Hint: ensconcing your kid in a privileged bubble while pretending to embrace diversity and social justice values is a real mind fu$&.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like to think that any parent who has kids at sidwell writes better than this.

Ehhhhhhh there are definitely Sidwell moms who are also trophy wives... sooooo yeaaaaa...

This thread has brought out some ugly things that a lot of people assume would not happen in the DC area, mainly admiring MAGA talking points.

Really?! Pretentious hidden political agendas while virtue signaling to the masses is exactly the sort of thing people from outside the city generally assume happens here...at least in my experience with people who hear I'm from DC, but have never really engaged with a DC native before...