Looking for feedback on the Potomac School

[Anonymous]

They do not take into account who you know. Everyone knows this who sends kids to the school. I actually respect this. This doesn’t mean not sending an extra recommendation from a coach or music teacher but that should go directly to coach of said sport or debate coach or something to music department. If they are interested, they can send to admissions. Potomac esp hs is pure meritocracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard as hell to get into

Not if you live in DC or MD.

It's a known fact that that is a huge boost for admissions. They are desperate to appear to be a DMV-focused school, as opposed to a NOVA-centric school, which they currently are, or at least are perceived as.

Not sure where you are getting that. You do know the school was founded in dc and was located in dc foe the first 40+ years? Ask the admissions dept, but the acceptance rates are actually almost identical from dc, md & va. There just happen to be a lot more va applicants as there’s nothing comparable in va. If they were as desperate as you claim, they’d have much higher acceptance rates from dc than elsewhere

That’s true. Potomac expanded and moved to McLean around the time schools were ordered to start integrating and all the other segregation academies started to open up.

Actually Potomac moved in the 40s bc the then headmistresses wanted more nature for the children to explore. They had the opportunity to buy a large dairy farm and since they were bursting at the seams in their Dupont location, they took the leap to McLean and were able to expand. If you’re visiting admissions, they have lots of great old photos on the walls in the flag circle building near the admissions office.
There are definitely some Potomac haters on here. I have several kids at the school, and all are having great experiences. We haven’t experienced any meanness or bullying. We have had the best experiences in IS and US, but LS was definitely a sweet, kind four years, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard as hell to get into

Not if you live in DC or MD.

It's a known fact that that is a huge boost for admissions. They are desperate to appear to be a DMV-focused school, as opposed to a NOVA-centric school, which they currently are, or at least are perceived as.

Not sure where you are getting that. You do know the school was founded in dc and was located in dc foe the first 40+ years? Ask the admissions dept, but the acceptance rates are actually almost identical from dc, md & va. There just happen to be a lot more va applicants as there’s nothing comparable in va. If they were as desperate as you claim, they’d have much higher acceptance rates from dc than elsewhere

That’s true. Potomac expanded and moved to McLean around the time schools were ordered to start integrating and all the other segregation academies started to open up.

Actually Potomac moved in the 40s bc the then headmistresses wanted more nature for the children to explore. They had the opportunity to buy a large dairy farm and since they were bursting at the seams in their Dupont location, they took the leap to McLean and were able to expand. If you’re visiting admissions, they have lots of great old photos on the walls in the flag circle building near the admissions office.
There are definitely some Potomac haters on here. I have several kids at the school, and all are having great experiences. We haven’t experienced any meanness or bullying. We have had the best experiences in IS and US, but LS was definitely a sweet, kind four years, too.

Agree with you, PP - we have also had a truly wonderful experience. US was tough but supportive. LS, MS, and IS were all about community, joy, fun, learning to self-advocate, and attaining great skills. No meanness or bullying - we have always felt that Potomac is, above all else, a kind community. There is no perfect school, but we are grateful for our experiences there.

[Anonymous]

Have kids in 2 divisions here. Great school. Academics are top notch, especially in upper school with exception of Math, which is being worked on. Admin team is great. Location and having school on 94 acres feels safe for the kids and gives them tons of space. Facilities are amazing. Spangles is better than many of the facilities my kid is looking at at colleges.

Hard to get in. Roughly 10-1 ratio. So even siblings don’t get in. It does get harder to get admitted at older grades as they start to take academic stars and some athletic recruits. If your kid is only average, it will be hard to stand out from some of these super bright kids. Connections help. Even if you get a letter from board member or big donor, it’s not always enough. Lots of nice families here. Some uber rich, many professional types like lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT people. You will find your people like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have kids in 2 divisions here. Great school. Academics are top notch, especially in upper school with exception of Math, which is being worked on. Admin team is great. Location and having school on 94 acres feels safe for the kids and gives them tons of space. Facilities are amazing. Spangles is better than many of the facilities my kid is looking at at colleges.

Hard to get in. Roughly 10-1 ratio. So even siblings don’t get in. It does get harder to get admitted at older grades as they start to take academic stars and some athletic recruits. If your kid is only average, it will be hard to stand out from some of these super bright kids. Connections help. Even if you get a letter from board member or big donor, it’s not always enough. Lots of nice families here. Some uber rich, many professional types like lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT people. You will find your people like you.

agree 100%

[Anonymous]

The campus is gorgeous but beyond it's a lot of smoke and mirrors. Admin is unresponsive. Teachers are tired. Just not worth the $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The campus is gorgeous but beyond it's a lot of smoke and mirrors. Admin is unresponsive. Teachers are tired. Just not worth the $$$.

What grade? Thats disappointing to hear.

[Anonymous]

Oh please it’s not true. It is a great school and impossible to get in. Each year more kids apply.

[Anonymous]

OP, search the forum for Potomac and you will get additional feedback. The math department in the upper school seems to have had problems for years and the administration has not responded to fix things. Ditto on grading and giving feedback to students (link included above). It’s a beautiful campus and our son applied for middle school a few years ago (waitlisted) and we’re on the fence about applying for the upper school. During the tour, none of the staff or the students gave off a warm, welcoming feeling. More of a “you’re lucky if we choose you” vibe.

[Anonymous]

its an amazing school. really expensive though.

[Anonymous]

Our child applied and is hoping to get in for 9th. Coming from a K-8. Is it impossible if you are not a sibling, athletic recruit, or academic prodigy? Our child is a strong student and well-rounded but not sure if a normal good student would stand out. For those with experience, what has the outplacement been like from your K-8 schools. Were only the tippy top students admitted or were there some surprises?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child applied and is hoping to get in for 9th. Coming from a K-8. Is it impossible if you are not a sibling, athletic recruit, or academic prodigy? Our child is a strong student and well-rounded but not sure if a normal good student would stand out. For those with experience, what has the outplacement been like from your K-8 schools. Were only the tippy top students admitted or were there some surprises?

Our k8’s unhooked tippy top, raked-in-all-the-honors 8th grade valedictorian was rejected. The only acceptance from DC’s class was a legacy donor (and from what I know of their level of donation to the k8, likely a substantial donor - or substantial prospect worth cultivating). The kid who got in was also an excellent student, I’d guess top 10 in the class, but not top 3.

Only one data point, take it as you will.

[Anonymous]

Our DD also applied for 9th. I've heard rumors that it's a pressure cooker (more so than other privates she applied to). Do those with kids in the US feel the workload, pressure is too high?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD also applied for 9th. I've heard rumors that it's a pressure cooker (more so than other privates she applied to). Do those with kids in the US feel the workload, pressure is too high?

My DC is not yet in the US, but I've heard from friends that 9th isn't too bad. 10th is supposedly the worst as far as the workload. While Potomac (like other top schools) is rigorous, the kids we know handle it well by balancing their courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child applied and is hoping to get in for 9th. Coming from a K-8. Is it impossible if you are not a sibling, athletic recruit, or academic prodigy? Our child is a strong student and well-rounded but not sure if a normal good student would stand out. For those with experience, what has the outplacement been like from your K-8 schools. Were only the tippy top students admitted or were there some surprises?

“Impossible” is a very strong word.

Potomac is a difficult admit every year for any grade.

There are many more 8th graders graduating from the set of K-8 schools than openings at the set of privates which offer 9th grade. So a 9th grade admit always will be tough.