Potomac School

[Anonymous]

This is not accurate. Bus is free for all their group shuttle stops. You only pay for bus if you go door to school.

[Anonymous]

So much incorrect info on this thread. Potomac is definitely the equal of the top Washington privates. (Sidwell, STA/NCS, etc...). I have kids at both the "big 3" and at Potomac and the work loads, rigor, expectations, course offerings and college admissions are very similar. The Big 3 has more snob appeal for a certain kind of new Washingtonian but there has always been a contingent of Washingtonians who send kids to Potomac, especially daughters. None of the other NOVA private schools are nearly as selective nor rigorous. And most DC families that send kids to Potomac never even consider any other VA private day schools. Similarly, Holton is the one Maryland private that is the academic equal of the top DC schools and competes on equal footing with those schools both for admissions and for college acceptances. Anyone who says differently either has a bone to pick or doesn't have the facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not accurate. Bus is free for all their group shuttle stops. You only pay for bus if you go door to school.

According to their website, shuttle bus system for 11 drop off locations (8 in McLean, 2 in DC, and 1 in MD) are free. The other "over 23 routes" covering larger areas including Largo, Silver Spring, Alexandria, Reston/Herndon, etc are fee based.

[Anonymous]

wow - this board is crazy. I didn't get through page 1 before I realized it's full of opinions from a bunch of know-it-all egomaniacs. Not everyone posting, but you can definitely see the crazy throughout. It would work better if people realize these are just opinions and shoe everyone a little respect. Picking a school is a very personal decision and nothing beats research. Good luck, everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:We looked at Potomac during elementary/middle school for our Arlington Public schools kids. Both did a shadow day and found that the level of the curriculum was behind what they were doing in public school.

We also found this to be the case.

Public school notoriously move kids faster in math levels, but not deeper. Trust me, Potomac School curriculum is much more rigorous than Arlington Public Schools. It is a pressure cooker with very high expectations for performance.

I know kids who went to Potomac from APS - most of them weren't top of the class students. But their parents were loaded.

Potomac School has higher average college entrance exam scores than any non magnet public school.

Yeah the whole Arlington public schools thing is a joke made by parents who can’t afford Arlington houses but live their “for the schools”. No. APS is not “better” than Potomac. Just silly.

Silly like not knowing the difference between there and their? Or some other kind of silly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at Potomac during elementary/middle school for our Arlington Public schools kids. Both did a shadow day and found that the level of the curriculum was behind what they were doing in public school.

We also found this to be the case.

Pretty simple. Wealthier kids who go too private at K tend to have had nannies et al until K, whereas many families in public school do pre-K, which means at those early ages public school kids usually read sooner and do math , so there is a substantial catch up phase to get everyone on the same track. But Potomac and pretty much all school it all evens out around 3-4th grades and then you see the shift to more rigor.

This is absolutely true. We sent our 3 kids to Potomac after a pre-school that had them reading at three. Took a lot of patience to wait the couple of years while other kids caught up but it did indeed even out around 4th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much incorrect info on this thread. Potomac is definitely the equal of the top Washington privates. (Sidwell, STA/NCS, etc...). I have kids at both the "big 3" and at Potomac and the work loads, rigor, expectations, course offerings and college admissions are very similar. The Big 3 has more snob appeal for a certain kind of new Washingtonian but there has always been a contingent of Washingtonians who send kids to Potomac, especially daughters. None of the other NOVA private schools are nearly as selective nor rigorous. And most DC families that send kids to Potomac never even consider any other VA private day schools. Similarly, Holton is the one Maryland private that is the academic equal of the top DC schools and competes on equal footing with those schools both for admissions and for college acceptances. Anyone who says differently either has a bone to pick or doesn't have the facts.

What do you mean by “always”? They haven’t “always” even had a high school, much less one worth considering until pretty recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac School compares favorably to the top 3 DC privates in every way.

There are some that opt to leave Potomac for boarding schools mainly for high school.

Potomac School is plenty academically rigorous at all levels, but particularly in the upper school.

Easy with the inferiority complex, chief. "We're just as good as Potomac" said no Big 3 School ever.

There's a reason that Potomac compares themselves to the Big Dogs. That's a one-way street, slugger.

Potomac is an above-average VA local private. Like Episcopal or SSSA. It's not a national powerhouse like Sidwell or STA/NCS. So simmer down, slim.

You're good enough, you're smart enough, and gosh darn it wealthy families in McMansions (uh, I mean McLean) like you.

Interesting that you say that. I’m not a Potomac family but I’m curious about the school. If you Google them, they are listed in every national publication rankings as one of the top college prep schools in the country, along with others listed here like Sidwell, NCS, St. Albans and Maret. So unless all of those publications are wrong, they seem to be right up there with the rest. The other VA schools you listed don’t show up on those national lists.

[Anonymous]

And Potomac doesn’t have parents who try to anonymously call outplacement office to trash fellow students so they can’t get in college. Remember that Slim?

[Anonymous]

The fragility of the egos of the posters on this thread is amazing. I don't have a DC in SFS, GDS, the Cathedral Schools, or Potomac, for the record. Didn't even have them on my target list, even though DC is a very strong student. I am aware of too many parents like the ones here to expose them or me to this toxicity. Your DC can get a terrific education at any of these schools. They can also have a terrific education at any number of other schools locally. These ideas of which is the most exclusive and which feeds into which Iveys or whatever is counterproductive to the point of high school education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: We sent our 3 kids to Potomac after a pre-school that had them reading at three.

Which preschool ?

Our almost 3 yo DC is eager and ready to learn to read. Knows letters, numbers, and phonics already. Taught self a few words already. We are looking for a preschool which will let DC learn at own pace, instead of artificially being held back.

Thanks !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: We sent our 3 kids to Potomac after a pre-school that had them reading at three.

Which preschool ?

Our almost 3 yo DC is eager and ready to learn to read. Knows letters, numbers, and phonics already. Taught self a few words already. We are looking for a preschool which will let DC learn at own pace, instead of artificially being held back.

Thanks !

Pick a Montessori preschool if you want to advance academics. But there is always a trade-off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at Potomac during elementary/middle school for our Arlington Public schools kids. Both did a shadow day and found that the level of the curriculum was behind what they were doing in public school.

Oh please. Stay on the public school forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac School compares favorably to the top 3 DC privates in every way.

There are some that opt to leave Potomac for boarding schools mainly for high school.

Potomac School is plenty academically rigorous at all levels, but particularly in the upper school.

Easy with the inferiority complex, chief. "We're just as good as Potomac" said no Big 3 School ever.

There's a reason that Potomac compares themselves to the Big Dogs. That's a one-way street, slugger.

Potomac is an above-average VA local private. Like Episcopal or SSSA. It's not a national powerhouse like Sidwell or STA/NCS. So simmer down, slim.

You're good enough, you're smart enough, and gosh darn it wealthy families in McMansions (uh, I mean McLean) like you.

LOL.

This is all so true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much incorrect info on this thread. Potomac is definitely the equal of the top Washington privates. (Sidwell, STA/NCS, etc...). I have kids at both the "big 3" and at Potomac and the work loads, rigor, expectations, course offerings and college admissions are very similar. The Big 3 has more snob appeal for a certain kind of new Washingtonian but there has always been a contingent of Washingtonians who send kids to Potomac, especially daughters. None of the other NOVA private schools are nearly as selective nor rigorous. And most DC families that send kids to Potomac never even consider any other VA private day schools. Similarly, Holton is the one Maryland private that is the academic equal of the top DC schools and competes on equal footing with those schools both for admissions and for college acceptances. Anyone who says differently either has a bone to pick or doesn't have the facts.

This is the last school I would send my daughter to. Rough experience for mine. Girls in her class were brutal to many in the grade. No consequences for repeated bad behavior at that school.