Are the "Big 3" still relevant?
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Anonymous
| With so many excellent school choices in the metro DC area, are the rankings still relevant? It seems they only divide the private school community (parents, schools, pupils, etc.), and fail to truly do jusice to the independent school system in the area. |
Anonymous
| When did that moniker come into common use? Can anyone comment on a time before that term? Is it all a creation of the dcummies? |
Anonymous
| It was never relevant (and I went to one of them). No one outside of this forum refers to schools that way. There is no official or unofficial ranking of private schools. |
Anonymous
| It is only relevant to brand worshippers. |
Anonymous
|
I don't understand the question, OP.
Are you asking whether or not it makes sense to rank schools? I think it does. Just because there are many good options does not mean they are all equal. Of course, each individual's ranking criteria might be different .... Are you asking whether the term "Big 3" is still useful? I suppose that's a matter of personal preference. I dislike the baggage the term carries, but I still find it very useful for school discussions. It's succinct, and if you write "Big 3", most people know exactly what you're talking about. If a more useful term comes along, I'll be happy to use it instead. Derivative terms like "Big 5" or "Big 10" annoy me for a variety of reasons, and do not seem very useful. |
Anonymous
| what are the Big Three? (I'm new to town) |
Anonymous
Refers to three competitive schools that are often discussed. Sidwell/GDS/Beauvoir at the lower grades, and Sidwell/GDS/NCS+Albans at the upper grades. |
Anonymous
GDS? |
SAM2
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Georgetown Day School. Check out the two FAQs at the top of the independent school page. Lots of discussion there on these topics. |
Anonymous
LOL, I'm well aware of GDS. I wouldn't have guessed that it was in the same "league" as NCS-STA and Sidwell. |
Anonymous
| READ THROUGH THE 13-PAGE STICKY ON THIS TOPIC |
Anonymous
|
GDS high school is most definitely in the same "league" as Sidwell and the Cathedral schools, just look at the relative percentages of National Merit Semifinalists at each school over the past 5 years, and at college acceptances. Maret is the other school that is academically quite similar, many years with similar college acceptances. Holton also very close. Many great academic choices, really depends on what sort of kid/family and the specific "class", in such small schools the abilities and mood of a graduating class can be really different from year to year.
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Anonymous
| So ... Big 5 or 6 (depending on whether you lump NCS and StA together)? |
Anonymous
| STICKY STICKY STICKY STICKY STICKY |
Anonymous
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/99579.page |