Sidwell - why don't many families in nw dc apply to sidwell, even though it is one of the top 2?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, you got it PP. I actually think you've described people like me very well. While Sidwell might fit my politics, I think it's too liberal an environment for my young kids. (Plus, lower school is really inconvenient, wherever in the 'burbs it's located).

Sidwell's lower school is in Bethesda, just a bit over the D.C. line. Hardly, sniff, the 'burbs.

True not too far into the burbs. BUT I live in the DC, have a smaller house than if I was in the burbs and this was a deliberate choice to have a short commute and more family time. Sending DD to Sidwell would have wiped out all those advantages, even if my work colleagues cannot believe we chose Beauvoir over Sidwell. Sidwell was probably a better match for our family, including DH and I, but made less of a difference to DD who is thriving at Beauvoir. I find some of the culture, for want of a better word, at Beauvoir more than a little nauseating but I am not the one at school there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, you got it PP. I actually think you've described people like me very well. While Sidwell might fit my politics, I think it's too liberal an environment for my young kids. (Plus, lower school is really inconvenient, wherever in the 'burbs it's located).

Sidwell's lower school is in Bethesda, just a bit over the D.C. line. Hardly, sniff, the 'burbs.

True not too far into the burbs. BUT I live in the DC, have a smaller house than if I was in the burbs and this was a deliberate choice to have a short commute and more family time. Sending DD to Sidwell would have wiped out all those advantages, even if my work colleagues cannot believe we chose Beauvoir over Sidwell. Sidwell was probably a better match for our family, including DH and I, but made less of a difference to DD who is thriving at Beauvoir. I find some of the culture, for want of a better word, at Beauvoir more than a little nauseating but I am not the one at school there.

This is also the reason why we decided against Sidwell. From Dupont circle, the morning commute to Sidwell lower school would take 30 minutes door to door, and 30 minutes back to downtown where I work (if not more because of the rush hour traffic). Pick up in the afternoon would be about the same. I don't want to spend 2 hours a day in the car, when I could be spending that time doing other far, more constructive things.

[Anonymous]

If you're coming from NWDC, it's perhaps useful to note that Sidwell's lower school is only about 2-3 blocks from the Bethesda Metro station. If I were coming from NWDC, that's definitely how I'd plan to do school commutes.

[Anonymous]

They also have a bus to lower school from the upper school campus near the Cathedral

[Anonymous]

I think it is wishful thinking to say that NW DC families don't apply to Sidwell. Many do -- some get in -- some don't.

[Anonymous]

And maybe some just don't think it is a fit for their kids. It does not seem like Sidwell suffers from a shortage of applications if they are getting 8-10 for every spot so it appears that plenty of people from NW and elsewhere are applying to the school.

[Anonymous]

We looked at dozens of schools several years ago, and we are now happy at one the Big 3 not Sidwell. We frankly were turned off by Sidwell's entire approach to admission for Ks. Most of the other schools did a better job of projecting a nurturing and warm environment. Sidwell is obviously a great school, however, and is a terrific place for some kids. The folks on this thread seem to confuse what their political views are and who they want to meet with what type of education their child needs. The two are NOT related to each other.

[Anonymous]

A lot of parents that I know in NW DC had good local schools so sent their kids there and then went to Sidwell for Middle School. A few went at pre-K or K, but more went at Middle School. It's quite a savings, if you add it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While most of my NW neighbors are liberal, there is a part of them that seeks and old school, stodgy, and yes conservative education. Call them hypocrites, limousine liberals, or WASP wannabes. Thus, the popularity of Beauvoir, St. Pats, NPS and the like.

It is hilarious that some parent or staffer from NPS or St. Patrick's is actually mention those 2 schools in the same breath as Beauvoir. Sidwell has plenty of old money WASPS. More jews of course b/c of aversion to mandatory chapel if you go on STA. I graduated Sidwell--my brother from STA. The second tier schools are just that. second tier. Stop these fake posts where people lump them with top tier schools and pretend they're something their not. I guess it makes it easier to sleep at night instead of facing the fact that your'e wasting 30gs at some middling school just so you don't have to be near a few jews, latinos and blacks *sigh*.

OH. MY. GOD.

[Anonymous]

Obviously, the quoted post above is from a fake. I doubt that Sidwell would have a graduate with such terrible grammar and poor spelling--not to mention the decidedly "un-Quaker" snotty attitude.

[Anonymous]

well said, 18:59!

also, from what i've heard, the teachers in lower school st sidwell are very nurturing and caring.

[Anonymous]

... that'd be ... at sidwell ...

[Anonymous]

Hi, all -- A few comments from a parent with teaching/coaching experience at several schools of relevance to this thread.

Right now, Sidwell is an admission boom cycle -- this was true even before the Obamas (my guess is that it's bumped numbers up) -- and I wonder (but don't know) if the "Chelsea Factor" first pushed it into what is right now its own category as far as raw numbers of applications go. Some families are deterred by the tough chances of admission at the pre-K level and choose not to apply, but at least for now their overall application numbers (this includes admissions for other grades) are proportionately the highest in the area.

Sidwell is over 125 years old, so in terms of historical place alone I think it can fairly lay claim to being the pre-eminent co-ed private school in Washington D.C. GDS and Maret School are both excellent alternatives as well, of course. Within the city itself, NCS and St. Albans are terrific choices, but the two limiting factors in terms of their admissions are single-sex and the religious affiliation (many, many secular or non-Episcopal families go to the Cathedral Schools but I believe some families do choose not to send their children there given the religious affiliation).

Athletically, and this is just my two cents (or maybe five cents, given the length of the post), the principle of the bell curve will mean that on average, single-sex schools can (and should, based on the numbers) do better against their co-ed opponents because they have more students. Consider Visitation, with 400 girls, as against Sidwell, with say 240 girls. Consider also that Visitation is a 9-12 school and can measure athletic ability tlin admissions more easily than schools with pre-K or 4th great admissions. The same would be true for STA or Landon against Sidwell -- they have more boys. Sidwell has individual teams that can and do beat IAC opponents (the nationally ranked soccer team; the great wrestling program; sometimes sports like basketball or cross-country), but the numbers dictate that overall the boys schools in the IAC (Landon, STA, GTown Prep) have an advantage. Nevetheless, Sidwell, as well as other co-ed schools in the area, do send many players on to compete at the collegiate level. And my guess is that when they build their beautiful new sports facility (yes I'm jealous) they will get more applications from the ahletic kids that may have been looking to STA or Landon on the boys side and Visitation or NCS on the girls' side. But I expect Sidwell will still retain its core identity as a place of academic excellence, not total athletic domination (think harvard, not the University of California).

The great thing for us DC parents is that there are so many good choices with talented, dedicated teachers -- most of my friends are very happy with their childrens' experience at all the varied schools in our area.

[Anonymous]

Easy answer to original question is WHY when NW has lots of great public and private schools. Who want to drive to Bethesda every morning and then have to drive back through all that traffic???? YUCK. I got turned off when we drove on a Saturday to the playdate. I couldn't imagine doing it during the week. We choose to go to a school that is easy for us. I wouldn't have a problem driving to the middle school but Bethesda is just a pain.

[Anonymous]

I don't view Sidwell as in the top 2 for elementary school. There are much stronger programs available at schools that focus on early childhood education. On the back end, I don't view Sidwell as in the top 2 in terms of exmissions (not that that's the only factor). According to prepreview, Sidwell is not nationally ranked in terms of placement at the ivy league schools, Stanford and MIT. There are other high schools in the area that are ranked.