Ranking privates academic rigor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got into some of the schools in the list; some we did not but we are trying to figure out the best fit for our DD, who has gotten straight As at our K-8 private (and is a little full of herself; I want her to be really challenged in high school so college is crushing).

In no particular order

Potomac
GDS
Sidwell
Holton Arms
Maret
Madeira
WIS

Any comments on how ready your kid is for college is helpful. We don’t want a prestige college, we want it to be challenging (we are not wealthy so DD is on her own after college so want her ready!)

They all can be a grind and crushing if you choose the tough tracks.

Focus in where they are different and if you want that for 4 years. You won’t want to apply out during upper school; many families and students may not like where they ended up but have to tough it out through college apps. Oh well. You learn more about the program talking to graduate families than on a salesy tour. Although keep your eyes and ears open for the flavor of the school and community and culture while on the tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d put WIS at the bottom. Holton-Arms has been declining over the last 5 years.

WIS has very strong college admissions. How many other schools have kids going to London school of economics and Oxford? They have sent several students in last several years to George institute technology and MIT. The IB program in high school is very rigorous. You have an outdated view of WIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Per your request, here is the definitive, objective, inarguable, uncontestable, and incontrovertible ranking (in order of most to least rigor):

Madeira
WIS
Potomoc
Maret
Holton Arms
GDS
Sidwell

Lol. This must be upper school only. Definitely not our experience in “rigor” in lower school or even most of middle school.

This is laughable. Madeira? Yeah, go ride your pony. WIS? Er, not even close. GDS is loosely goosey, maret hung up on social correctness, Potomac is spot on academic, Hilton Arms as well. Sidwell is closer to the top of the list. Where is NCS or St Alban’s ? Or St Anselm’s?

Not on the list. Did you learn reading comprehension or context clues at your rigorous private? The OP said she was looking at schools for her DD. Even if you didn’t read that part, notice that the list includes Madeira and Holton and that the rest of the schools are co-ed. So no St. Albans or Anselms as they are both irrelevant here. You might also notice that, save Sidwell, there are no religious schools on the list (and most see Quaker as distinct from Catholic or Episcopal schools).

Madeira is more than horses. It has a unique program which has been very well suited for our daughter. OP, you should take a look at it.

[Anonymous]

GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

That’s exactly what we heard. That it’s sink or swim on purpose so students Self Advocate. And that HS is set up like college. Little or no direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

Why aren’t the gds lower and middle school kids better prepared and ready academically for the GDS upper school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

That’s exactly what we heard. That it’s sink or swim on purpose so students Self Advocate. And that HS is set up like college. Little or no direction.

It must be easy to work there. Ignore the parents, only help the students who know they are struggling AND ask for help, focus on the loud superstars, and teach whatever topics you want under the class name.

This is the same school that was one of the last to go back in person, and only on a half time basis, in the whole DMV too. Hmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

That’s exactly what we heard. That it’s sink or swim on purpose so students Self Advocate. And that HS is set up like college. Little or no direction.

Same. GDS is great for self-driven kids; not so much for kids who need structure/scaffolding of any kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

That’s exactly what we heard. That it’s sink or swim on purpose so students Self Advocate. And that HS is set up like college. Little or no direction.

Same. GDS is great for self-driven kids; not so much for kids who need structure/scaffolding of any kind.

At all grades no structure?

It’s one thing in college when having already thought and chosen a school and major, quite another to narrow down the high school experience, and even more so if k-8 too.

Curious how they check for this self driven, self-structuring child at admit time for all the grades? Floundering around for $50k a year sounds like a real missed learning opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Hi, no need for me to comment on your motives in an anonymous forum but I think you are trying to save your daughter from your experience of feeling I’ll-prepared in college.

If that is the case, I would zero in on how advanced you can get in core subjects at any of these schools. So basically, you are looking for a place where your daughter can take very high-level main classes: multi-variable calculus, Literature or 4 years of same foreign language, and calculus-based physics. History and English are a little more qualitative but I would look for programs with requirements to write serious papers (20 page history paper from primary sources for example).

Simply having AP and honors designations can be misleading. You want her to avoid “fluffy” AP classes (like environmental science, stats, and psychology) and stick to rigor in core classes.

If she can get an A in linear calculus while juggling a huge history paper, calculus-based physics and advanced foreign language, rest assured, she will be able to handle college academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got into some of the schools in the list; some we did not but we are trying to figure out the best fit for our DD, who has gotten straight As at our K-8 private (and is a little full of herself; I want her to be really challenged in high school so college is crushing).

In no particular order

Potomac
GDS
Sidwell
Holton Arms
Maret
Madeira
WIS

Any comments on how ready your kid is for college is helpful. We don’t want a prestige college, we want it to be challenging (we are not wealthy so DD is on her own after college so want her ready!)

I know this isn't your ask, but if you're in MoCo, Fairfax, or Arlington, consider adding publics to the list. Some of them have great academic programs that are very challenging. You might also consider some boarding school to really challenge her before she gets to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d put WIS at the bottom. Holton-Arms has been declining over the last 5 years.

WIS has very strong college admissions. How many other schools have kids going to London school of economics and Oxford? They have sent several students in last several years to George institute technology and MIT. The IB program in high school is very rigorous. You have an outdated view of WIS.

Also, the WIS kids are doing it in at least two languages!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

This has been our experience. MS is mostly a joke academically. Comically easy for most kids. Little to no homework.

Then massive change in HS. 9th grade is tip of the iceberg. By 11th grade, most kids I know doing 4 hours minimum per night. Plus SAT prep plus extra curriculars or sports. And weekends are usually 8-10 hours of studying.

My kids have managed and thrived in it. But it’s college level (I went to T10 college). Concepts they study in 10th - 11th and 12th classes are college level or advanced college level

Success requires grinding on homework and lots of self advocacy w teachers. Going to all the extra help, emailing teachers, working it. Asking for help before a bad grade comes in.

I don’t know what the other private schools are like but GDS HS is serious

The MS needs a leadership change. It’s run badly. Zero prep for 9th grade and mostly seems disorganized

[Anonymous]

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS middle school is not hard... but OMG then High School. It's ridiculously hard. And I went to an equally prestigious boarding school and this is nuts. Our kids are getting their butts handed to them in HS. Particularly in the upper level classes, the teachers act like the kids are in college and have college level expectations, without the support. There is an arrogance on the part of the teachers and a sink or swim/ parents stay out of it attitude that can be infuriating. The school is not cut-throat exactly but the kids all feel the pressure.

This has been our experience. MS is mostly a joke academically. Comically easy for most kids. Little to no homework.

Then massive change in HS. 9th grade is tip of the iceberg. By 11th grade, most kids I know doing 4 hours minimum per night. Plus SAT prep plus extra curriculars or sports. And weekends are usually 8-10 hours of studying.

My kids have managed and thrived in it. But it’s college level (I went to T10 college). Concepts they study in 10th - 11th and 12th classes are college level or advanced college level

Success requires grinding on homework and lots of self advocacy w teachers. Going to all the extra help, emailing teachers, working it. Asking for help before a bad grade comes in.

I don’t know what the other private schools are like but GDS HS is serious

The MS needs a leadership change. It’s run badly. Zero prep for 9th grade and mostly seems disorganized

But, the way you described it sounds like you are expecting teachers to prepare middle schoolers (pre-teens with not fully developed brains) for college, since you describe high school as college. What happened to high school? So maybe the problem is actually the high school.