George mason high school

Anonymous
What is the culture like at this school? I think i heard it is very sports oriented? It would also be mostly rich white kids, right? is it cliquey? High pressure? I feel like the education piece is good but not sure of anything else.
Anonymous
You're talking about George Mason High School (soon to be renamed) in Falls Church City right? Just making sure because it is really not very sports-oriented or a bunch of rich white kids....

First, it's important to know that it's a really small school. Each graduating class has about 150-170 kids. FCC is not a feeder system so theoretically, the same 150 kids in your kindergarten grade are the same 150 kids you graduate with (obviously people move in and out, but you get my point). This has upside and downside, of course.

It is very easy for kids to make sports teams. There are some that are pretty competitive, like basketball I think, but if your kid plays a sport, the chances of him or her making a HS team are quite good. The school doesn't seem super focused on sports, because I've been to basketball and football games, and it's not like the entire student body is out cheering the team on. I've been kind of surprised at the low student turnout for sports to be honest.

Upside of being in a small school system is that you really do get to know the teachers, administrators, school board members, PTA leadership, etc. Your kids know the other kids and their teachers. It has a very small town feel. The down side is that if your kid doesn't find their crew early it can be hard. We don't have as many offerings as some of the bigger schools in Arlington or Fairfax County.

Regarding "rich" and "white" - yes, FCC is an upper income place. IMO, people move here and pay more for smaller houses and less land (compared to, say, McLean or Annandale) because they like the idea of the small school system. Parents here are not unlike parents all over Northern Virginia but I think they tend to be even more socially-conscious, highly educated, and extremely involved in the schools. There are more and more condos and apartments and the percentage of kids living in a condo or apartment has increased every year. There is racial diversity, and that increases as you go down in age (for example my elementary school kid's classes are typically 2/3 white, whereas my high schooler's elementary classes were probably more like 80% white). The non-white students are a big mix of southeast Asian, east Asian, middle Eastern, Hispanic, and Black. FCC also attracts a ton of state department and foreign service people who move in and out of the city, so there is that.

FCC is an IB school, so definitely make sure you know what that is before moving in for the schools. As far as it being high pressure, I don't think it is any more so than other schools in the area. My high schooler is not a super high achiever, and he certainly hasn't felt the pressure by his peers to do better (maybe I wish he did??!??)

The high school has a new building as of this year which is really beautiful. They're tearing down the old one and so that'll be a mess but in another year or 18 months it will be great.

Maybe my high schooler is an anomaly, but the high schoolers here seem pretty innocent compared to stories I hear from friends with high schoolers. While I am sure there is drinking and vaping and drugs, I really don't think it's very common. The kids like to walk around FCC on weekends or evenings, play basketball, and go to one another's houses. It seems much tamer compared to my high school experience in the 90s!

Hope that helps a little.
Anonymous
Thanks for your perspective. Very helpful!
Anonymous
George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings


I don’t live in FCC but pretty sure people who choose this are choosing access and community over the “best” academics.

Personally, I have found nothing prettier than my neighborhood in MoCo, but after sending my kids to public here, I have serious buyers remorse and wish someone would have told us about FCC.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You're talking about George Mason High School (soon to be renamed) in Falls Church City right? Just making sure because it is really not very sports-oriented or a bunch of rich white kids....

First, it's important to know that it's a really small school. Each graduating class has about 150-170 kids. FCC is not a feeder system so theoretically, the same 150 kids in your kindergarten grade are the same 150 kids you graduate with (obviously people move in and out, but you get my point). This has upside and downside, of course.

It is very easy for kids to make sports teams. There are some that are pretty competitive, like basketball I think, but if your kid plays a sport, the chances of him or her making a HS team are quite good. The school doesn't seem super focused on sports, because I've been to basketball and football games, and it's not like the entire student body is out cheering the team on. I've been kind of surprised at the low student turnout for sports to be honest.

Upside of being in a small school system is that you really do get to know the teachers, administrators, school board members, PTA leadership, etc. Your kids know the other kids and their teachers. It has a very small town feel. The down side is that if your kid doesn't find their crew early it can be hard. We don't have as many offerings as some of the bigger schools in Arlington or Fairfax County.

Regarding "rich" and "white" - yes, FCC is an upper income place. IMO, people move here and pay more for smaller houses and less land (compared to, say, McLean or Annandale) because they like the idea of the small school system. Parents here are not unlike parents all over Northern Virginia but I think they tend to be even more socially-conscious, highly educated, and extremely involved in the schools. There are more and more condos and apartments and the percentage of kids living in a condo or apartment has increased every year. There is racial diversity, and that increases as you go down in age (for example my elementary school kid's classes are typically 2/3 white, whereas my high schooler's elementary classes were probably more like 80% white). The non-white students are a big mix of southeast Asian, east Asian, middle Eastern, Hispanic, and Black. FCC also attracts a ton of state department and foreign service people who move in and out of the city, so there is that.

FCC is an IB school, so definitely make sure you know what that is before moving in for the schools. As far as it being high pressure, I don't think it is any more so than other schools in the area. My high schooler is not a super high achiever, and he certainly hasn't felt the pressure by his peers to do better (maybe I wish he did??!??)

The high school has a new building as of this year which is really beautiful. They're tearing down the old one and so that'll be a mess but in another year or 18 months it will be great.

Maybe my high schooler is an anomaly, but the high schoolers here seem pretty innocent compared to stories I hear from friends with high schoolers. While I am sure there is drinking and vaping and drugs, I really don't think it's very common. The kids like to walk around FCC on weekends or evenings, play basketball, and go to one another's houses. It seems much tamer compared to my high school experience in the 90s!

Hope that helps a little.


I live in FCC and my kids go to elementary school and I totally agree with all of this from my vantage point and what I have heard about HS here.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings


George Mason's ranking on the various media rankings varies from year to year. It is often in the top ten and sometimes in the top five depending on the year and the source. Best Schools in DC Area considered by expats lists GM among a few other publics (Arlington schools mostly) and a bunch of top privates. https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/international/usa/washington-dc/best-schools

This article from 2017 explains why GM dropped from 4th to 13th on USNews rankings. https://patch.com/virginia/fallschurch/george-mason-falls-u-s-news-top-high-school-rankings

So while you might be able to "do better" for what it costs to buy a house in FCC it would not be with the advantages of a small, responsive school system that did arguably much better during distance learning as a direct result of being so small. There are also many other advantages of living and learning in FCC that appealed to my familly, but I recognize that some others would not have the same priorities. Many prefer larger schools, like high schools with three or four thousand students vs less than a thousand.



Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You're talking about George Mason High School (soon to be renamed) in Falls Church City right? Just making sure because it is really not very sports-oriented or a bunch of rich white kids....

First, it's important to know that it's a really small school. Each graduating class has about 150-170 kids. FCC is not a feeder system so theoretically, the same 150 kids in your kindergarten grade are the same 150 kids you graduate with (obviously people move in and out, but you get my point). This has upside and downside, of course.

It is very easy for kids to make sports teams. There are some that are pretty competitive, like basketball I think, but if your kid plays a sport, the chances of him or her making a HS team are quite good. The school doesn't seem super focused on sports, because I've been to basketball and football games, and it's not like the entire student body is out cheering the team on. I've been kind of surprised at the low student turnout for sports to be honest.

Upside of being in a small school system is that you really do get to know the teachers, administrators, school board members, PTA leadership, etc. Your kids know the other kids and their teachers. It has a very small town feel. The down side is that if your kid doesn't find their crew early it can be hard. We don't have as many offerings as some of the bigger schools in Arlington or Fairfax County.

Regarding "rich" and "white" - yes, FCC is an upper income place. IMO, people move here and pay more for smaller houses and less land (compared to, say, McLean or Annandale) because they like the idea of the small school system. Parents here are not unlike parents all over Northern Virginia but I think they tend to be even more socially-conscious, highly educated, and extremely involved in the schools. There are more and more condos and apartments and the percentage of kids living in a condo or apartment has increased every year. There is racial diversity, and that increases as you go down in age (for example my elementary school kid's classes are typically 2/3 white, whereas my high schooler's elementary classes were probably more like 80% white). The non-white students are a big mix of southeast Asian, east Asian, middle Eastern, Hispanic, and Black. FCC also attracts a ton of state department and foreign service people who move in and out of the city, so there is that.

FCC is an IB school, so definitely make sure you know what that is before moving in for the schools. As far as it being high pressure, I don't think it is any more so than other schools in the area. My high schooler is not a super high achiever, and he certainly hasn't felt the pressure by his peers to do better (maybe I wish he did??!??)

The high school has a new building as of this year which is really beautiful. They're tearing down the old one and so that'll be a mess but in another year or 18 months it will be great.

Maybe my high schooler is an anomaly, but the high schoolers here seem pretty innocent compared to stories I hear from friends with high schoolers. While I am sure there is drinking and vaping and drugs, I really don't think it's very common. The kids like to walk around FCC on weekends or evenings, play basketball, and go to one another's houses. It seems much tamer compared to my high school experience in the 90s!

Hope that helps a little.


Are you just suggesting house lots tend to be bigger in McLean and Annandale than in FCC? The average house in McLean costs about $250K more than one in FCC, and the average house in FCC costs about $300K more than one in Annandale.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You're talking about George Mason High School (soon to be renamed) in Falls Church City right? Just making sure because it is really not very sports-oriented or a bunch of rich white kids....

First, it's important to know that it's a really small school. Each graduating class has about 150-170 kids. FCC is not a feeder system so theoretically, the same 150 kids in your kindergarten grade are the same 150 kids you graduate with (obviously people move in and out, but you get my point). This has upside and downside, of course.

It is very easy for kids to make sports teams. There are some that are pretty competitive, like basketball I think, but if your kid plays a sport, the chances of him or her making a HS team are quite good. The school doesn't seem super focused on sports, because I've been to basketball and football games, and it's not like the entire student body is out cheering the team on. I've been kind of surprised at the low student turnout for sports to be honest.

Upside of being in a small school system is that you really do get to know the teachers, administrators, school board members, PTA leadership, etc. Your kids know the other kids and their teachers. It has a very small town feel. The down side is that if your kid doesn't find their crew early it can be hard. We don't have as many offerings as some of the bigger schools in Arlington or Fairfax County.

Regarding "rich" and "white" - yes, FCC is an upper income place. IMO, people move here and pay more for smaller houses and less land (compared to, say, McLean or Annandale) because they like the idea of the small school system. Parents here are not unlike parents all over Northern Virginia but I think they tend to be even more socially-conscious, highly educated, and extremely involved in the schools. There are more and more condos and apartments and the percentage of kids living in a condo or apartment has increased every year. There is racial diversity, and that increases as you go down in age (for example my elementary school kid's classes are typically 2/3 white, whereas my high schooler's elementary classes were probably more like 80% white). The non-white students are a big mix of southeast Asian, east Asian, middle Eastern, Hispanic, and Black. FCC also attracts a ton of state department and foreign service people who move in and out of the city, so there is that.

FCC is an IB school, so definitely make sure you know what that is before moving in for the schools. As far as it being high pressure, I don't think it is any more so than other schools in the area. My high schooler is not a super high achiever, and he certainly hasn't felt the pressure by his peers to do better (maybe I wish he did??!??)

The high school has a new building as of this year which is really beautiful. They're tearing down the old one and so that'll be a mess but in another year or 18 months it will be great.

Maybe my high schooler is an anomaly, but the high schoolers here seem pretty innocent compared to stories I hear from friends with high schoolers. While I am sure there is drinking and vaping and drugs, I really don't think it's very common. The kids like to walk around FCC on weekends or evenings, play basketball, and go to one another's houses. It seems much tamer compared to my high school experience in the 90s!

Hope that helps a little.


Are you just suggesting house lots tend to be bigger in McLean and Annandale than in FCC? The average house in McLean costs about $250K more than one in FCC, and the average house in FCC costs about $300K more than one in Annandale.


Well, I guess what I'm suggesting is that if you have a certain budget -- let's say you are going to spend $1.2m -- I think what you get in Falls Church is a smaller lot and smaller house than in some other nearby jurisdictions. At least, that was true when I last bought ten years ago.

Overall point is that I think people who choose to live here do so very deliberately for the small schools.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings


This is BS. George Mason, Mclean, Yorktown are all virtually the same types of kids and do equally as well.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings


I don’t live in FCC but pretty sure people who choose this are choosing access and community over the “best” academics.

Personally, I have found nothing prettier than my neighborhood in MoCo, but after sending my kids to public here, I have serious buyers remorse and wish someone would have told us about FCC.


Can you expand? We are tossing up between Bethesda, McLean and FCC.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the #16 high school in the state per the latest US News rankings. For what it costs to buy in Falls Church City now, you can do better.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings


I don’t live in FCC but pretty sure people who choose this are choosing access and community over the “best” academics.

Personally, I have found nothing prettier than my neighborhood in MoCo, but after sending my kids to public here, I have serious buyers remorse and wish someone would have told us about FCC.


Can you expand? We are tossing up between Bethesda, McLean and FCC.


This seems to be a veiled criticism of the Bethesda schools, so you would probably find out more on the Maryland schools forum.
Anonymous
I moved out of McLean Fairfax County and into FCC about 6 years ago. Mostly because of the IB curriculum and BS with snow days. FCC took far fewer snow days.

In the past 6 years my child's best friend moved out of FCCPS and back into Falls Church Fairfax County. The friend went from being in pull out classes in FCC for needing additional support to immediately labeled as gifted in FCPS. Nothing changed academically, it's just that the standards of the two school districts are very different.

We're back in school 5 days a week and have been for a while. Every step of the way during the pandemic our school district was able to make changes quicker. Mostly because its a much smaller school district. My child has had only 15-21 kids in classes. This year is the highest ever at 24. That's far below FCCPS classs sizes too (the exception being title I schools).

As for being rich and white...my child is about to go into middle school. At least 50% of the class is mixed race. They may identify as one race or the other I don't know. The Great Schools stats don't align with what I see racially. We live in a neighborhood with Federal employees, state department employees, military, teachers, retirees and others. There are some rich people in FCC but the are average folks too! There certainly aren't rich folks like the ones in Great Falls or North Arlington. Not sure why we get such a bad rap for it.
Anonymous
PP doesn’t have a child at the high school. This is true for the elementary school but classes will be larger at the high school. I agree with the part she wrote about diversity. It doesn’t seem to be full of rich white kids. I can’t compare with other are high schools because we don’t have experience with any, but research the grading before you move here. They have been switching over to Standards Based Grading, which is not your traditional grading scale for some classes. This means lots of reassessments and retakes but you don’t really know how students are doing until the end. It can be frustrating if you want to keep on top of grades.
Anonymous
We my kids are in elementary in FCCPS and I agree about the demographics and 2256 PP is also describing my neighbors.
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