Based solely on academics, rank the top 5 private high schools in DC/VA/MD

[Anonymous]

Flint Hill
Wakefield
Paul VI
Hill
Brownie Academy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

Agree. Someone would really need to explain to me why my child's education needs a brand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which lower school is best for instilling critical thinking skills while also teaching solid foundational skills?

SFS (don’t like their new picture math methods tho), PDS, Potomac, Maret lower schools have solid instruction and materials.

Can you please explain the math thing?

[Anonymous]

Are you asking which schools have the best combination of high-quality teachers and students who are both high IQ and hard working? Or are you asking which schools have the highest resources, high quality teachers, and students from backgrounds that provided them with connections, things like tutors, driven and competitive families, many outside experiences that make them appear well rounded, and of course intelligence but maybe not always tippy top?

I guess it's hard to see why people think a school like St. Albans has the best academics other than they think these highly privileged kids are more intelligent than others, more hard working, and the teaching quality and curriculum is the 'best'? Or are they the best because it is the most desired school for more than academic reasons (prestige, admittance to colleges that also favor connections) with a reputation for being hard? But a school is desired for reasons well beyond academics, and its pool of applicants is so small compared to a community at large. What makes these kids the best and the brightest? Intelligence? Wealth and opportunity?

It just seems like a very hard question to answer.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. When you peel away perception of prestige, then I think you have to go to how hard/challenging is the curriculum and how well do they teach it? And look at this not in terms of honors track but regular classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

Well, Maret is neither.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP. When you peel away perception of prestige, then I think you have to go to how hard/challenging is the curriculum and how well do they teach it? And look at this not in terms of honors track but regular classes.

This. So much this.

We erroneously assumed so much based on the schools reputation, which was driven by college apps and SAT scores, only to find out there was dismal teaching and materials in the other divisions.

Now I realize Op is asking for high school feedback. The top public high schools and top private upper schools do not mess around here. you’ll truly be fine anywhere so pick based on budget, preferred sport or coach, desired club or EC, and size of grade. dC has small 120-140 pp per grade in private to 250 at SJC to 500-900 per grade in the large country public HSs. They are all well resourced. K-8 I wish we went public for all our children. And then either stayed or made a change to a targeted program based on the student needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

Agree. Someone would really need to explain to me why my child's education needs a brand.

“Brand” is shorthand for what distinguishes one school from another. Maret is similar to many other coed schools found throughout this country—nothing special. It’s not single gender with a focus on the unique needs of boys or girls. It’s not Quaker, Episcopalian, Catholic, etc and promoting those particular religious values. It doesn’t have a clearly defined social justice focus, with the history to back it up. It’s not even foreign language/international/humanities/arts/stem focused with unique programs that support that curriculum.

It’s just a basic private school that offers nothing special. I want more for my children…and my money. But to each his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which lower school is best for instilling critical thinking skills while also teaching solid foundational skills?

SFS (don’t like their new picture math methods tho), PDS, Potomac, Maret lower schools have solid instruction and materials.

Can you please explain the math thing?

Ask the progressive schools what math curriculum they use, for how long, and why the change. And who led the change.
Then ask how it’s going and how do they measure its efficacy. Ask them their academic goals and how they measure achievement, if at all.
Do not accept fuzzy cliches as an answer to How do kids master math and demonstrate mastery. It’s not fuzzy.

Then decide if that’s what you want for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

Agree. Someone would really need to explain to me why my child's education needs a brand.

“Brand” is shorthand for what distinguishes one school from another. Maret is similar to many other coed schools found throughout this country—nothing special. It’s not single gender with a focus on the unique needs of boys or girls. It’s not Quaker, Episcopalian, Catholic, etc and promoting those particular religious values. It doesn’t have a clearly defined social justice focus, with the history to back it up. It’s not even foreign language/international/humanities/arts/stem focused with unique programs that support that curriculum.

It’s just a basic private school that offers nothing special. I want more for my children…and my money. But to each his own.

So it doesn’t spend as much time on all that political agenda nonsense each week? It’s a normal prep school in Washington DC!?!?!!

[Anonymous]

These are my favorite topics. It's always the most informed, high character people that respond with reasoned assertions backed by good quality evidence.

[Anonymous]

Don’t you mean “who respond”

Not that you provided any high quality specific examples supporting any claim about any schools’ academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which lower school is best for instilling critical thinking skills while also teaching solid foundational skills?

SFS (don’t like their new picture math methods tho), PDS, Potomac, Maret lower schools have solid instruction and materials.

Can you please explain the math thing?

Ask the progressive schools what math curriculum they use, for how long, and why the change. And who led the change.
Then ask how it’s going and how do they measure its efficacy. Ask them their academic goals and how they measure achievement, if at all.
Do not accept fuzzy cliches as an answer to How do kids master math and demonstrate mastery. It’s not fuzzy.

Then decide if that’s what you want for your kids.

If you're entering before middle school, ask what high school track the average student entering at ES ends up on. Lots of the kids on the higher tracks are entering at MS or HS, often from publics which push acceleration harder in math than independents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WIS offers the hardest high school diploma anyone can obtain. The dual IB diploma. And the school has kids in top colleges in the US and around the world.

So I would definitely have them in the top five.

This.

WiS is a global brand. Others, day GDS for example, have zero recognition outside the DC elite bubble.

There is no way anyone can name a top 5 independent school. You can try to use college matriculation as a measure but honestly, we know that’s not very helpful. Also, WIS college matriculation looks no different than Maret, Gonzaga, or Prep for that matter.

In the world of DCUM the top schools will always be the most popular/elite schools.

Which will always be
NCS/STA
Sidwell
GDS
Maret
Holton

Maret does NOT belong in this group. It is a step below all of the schools listed above. There is nothing that distinguishes Maret from any other regular independent school found in random cities across the country. It’s a perfectly acceptable, yet very basic independent school.

No GDS is the one to go. There is a lot of hype for the school that is not backed up. It does not belong on the list. I really do not understand the hype around it.

Holton, Maret, NCS, STA, Sidwell

+1. Not dog in the fight but we found Maret a lot more compelling for various reasons but primarily a well-rounded offering. GDS athletics leaves a lot to be desired. I know this topic is just for academics. Buy many very smart kids want to be at a well rounded school which is why many of those student turn away from GDS and towards Sidwell and Maret.

Please stay on topic. The question was about academics and Maret is not up to GDS’ level.

Hi GDS booster -- neither Maret nor GDS are up to the level of topv5 in the city.

So sorry.

So I’m a GDS booster because I’m stating facts? Maret has no brand. It’s just a regular everyday private school. All of the top DC privates have rigorous academics and clearly defined brands.

I will say that Maret has improved its reputation in recent years. A generation ago, it was known as the private for not so smart students. The school you attended if you were counseled out of the Cathedral Schools/Sidwell/GDS. Perhaps in another generation, Burke will be where Maret is now.

I’ll take a real school over a branded fun house any day.

Well, Maret is neither.

The GDS booster seems obsessed with Maret.

Not very good for GDS brand IMO, smells of inferiority complex....compared to Maret!!