What are the big 3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years ago: Sidwell, StA, NCS

2000s: Sidwell, StA, NCS, GDS, Maret

DC has changed dramatically in the last 30 years, so what may have been true when we were growing up no longer is the case.

This is just false. GDS and Maret, while lovely schools are still a tier below Sidwell, STA, and NCS.

Just try to get a child into Maret. Easier to get in Cathedral or Sidwell.

Whatever. The son of very good friends just got in for 7th. He is a terrific boy but he does have some learning issues for which he receives support. My sense about Maret is that while it can be difficult to get into in the early years bc of space, once the grades open up, things become much easier.

[Anonymous]

NCS also has some girls with ADHD, and the school is supportive of the families and yes I know this firsthand.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is not particularly supportive learning differences.

[Anonymous]

Very few get into Maret. Virtually everyone gets into Bullis. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell, StA, Holton.
Look at the National Merit Semifinalists and college admissions and you'll see that Holton does far better than NCS.

[Anonymous]

And the fight goes on and on and on........

[Anonymous]

Potomac great school

[Anonymous]

09:39 Please post your evidence. We both know that is simply not true. Holton is a great school but Big 3. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac great school

Congratulations on deciding on Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Except for the high voltage power lines running through the Potomac campus to the CIA. I would worry about long-term health effects. No thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is not particularly supportive learning differences.

Perhaps that's why it is such a great school. Same standards for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, StA, Holton.
Look at the National Merit Semifinalists and college admissions and you'll see that Holton does far better than NCS.

I was interested in this -- and figured it was verifiable -- so I checked out the assertion that Holton "does far better than NCS" in NMSF and college admissions.

The assertion does not seem to hold water. It looks like Holton is close to, but not equal to NCS, in both those categories. I think the gap has closed, but Holton still looks like it is slightly behind (and no shame there, the schools in DC don't have to compete for students with strong public schools in their jurisdiction).

Here's a link to the "sticky" on applying to private schools which, in turn, has links to documents with NMSF and college matriculation comparisons.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/99066.page

For National Merit Semifinalists, over the past three years NCS had 7.38% compared to 4.15% for Holton. Over the past five years NCS had 8.07% to Holton 6.97%. Over the past 10 years NCS had 9.26% to 8.07% to Holton.

On college matriculations, I looked at the website matriculationstats.org and clicked on the heading for "Day Schools Outside of NYC." It was last updated in 2011, so maybe lots has changed since then, but NCS beat Holton on all of their metrics:
1. Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT/Stanford: NCS 12.3% to Holton 6.8%
2. Ivy League Schools: NCS 22.1% to Holton 10.2%
3. "Top Schools" (defined as top 25 National Universities and top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges in US News & World Report rankings): NCS 57.2% to 45% for Holton
4. "Strong Schools" (top 50 National Universities and top 30 Liberal Arts colleges): NCS 78.2% and Holton 63%

[Anonymous]

This is what I would have expected. I wonder if those stats are similar for STA and Landon. Thanks for doing the research PP.

[Anonymous]

STA fairs better and Landon a little below Holton Arms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:STA fairs better and Landon a little below Holton Arms.

Do you have facts to back this up?