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so called "top 3/4" vs others
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Anonymous
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I actually visited Sidwell and Maret before and decided not to apply for both - not becasue we are not confident about our kid (she got 99% in the test) but becasue I didn't like their attitude and I didn't feel that they are really sincere to parents/applicants. I also compared their academics with others and I actually didn;t feel Sidwell or Maret are particularly better than others we jhave visited. I felt that one of the reason that parents became crazy about such so called "top" schools was becasue they have K 12 program. other than that I won;t agree that sidwell is really a top school (both are of course GOOD school, but just not TOP).
so, for those got rejected from sidwell please don;t feel upset, particularly if you look at their alumni and think about if they really can secure your child a bright future after sidwell I don;t think it is worthy of you to be desperate ... agree? |
Anonymous
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For the Washington Metro area, I am not sure what you would consider TOP schools if Maret and Sidwell are "only" good schools.
To be sure, there are fantastic schools across the board in this region, and Maret/Sidwell are not the end all be all, but what would you consider to be the top schools in the area? I would agree that one of the strong points of GDS, Sidwell and Maret is the fact that once in, families do not have to go through the admissions process again until college. That does have strong appeal. |
Anonymous
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I agree. My child is too young to apply to either, so my response is not influenced by a rejection.
From what I have heard, the academics at many of the schools in DC are very good and as good as Sidwell, etc.. I think it might be more accurate to say the 3 that are the most sought after/most popular or whatever than top 3. |
nonny
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Perhaps the test will be once St Patrick's, which is never mention on these posts as a top 3 school, starts to be labeled as one once it has a high school (next 5 or so years). Beauvoir is sometimes labeled as one due to the strong preference the students are given at NCS and St Alban's (80% get in). I do actually think the label "top 3" is directly related to the college exmissions process and will never be applied to any school without grades 8-12 on these boards. At least IMHO Sidwell's lower school, graded alone, would definietly not be a top school based on its own academics. I do not know enough about Maret to comment but I do think GDS' lower school is very good, although not the right one for my child(ren). Should be interesting to watch what happens at St Patrick's. (I have heard that they took only 9 new familes for PK this year so it may already be starting as people find out about the proposed high school). The upper-school factor is a big plus to a lot of people because even if your child is interested in switching schools, they have a slot regardless.
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Anonymous
| We visited a number of schools (looking at pre-k) including Sidwell, Beauvoir, St Pats, and WIS, and have friends at all of them. I would absolutely put St. Patrick's in the same league as the "top 3" (though we did not look at Maret). It was our second choice after Beauvoir. |
nonny
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| To PP, where did your child get in/decide to go. |
Anonymous
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to Nonny:
I am curious about how one rates the academics, for example, at Sidwell's lower school? Unless you are at the school and see there teachers and students in action, how can there be any quantitative analysis of what makes a PK-4 program "better" than another? Is there something about the teaching approach which is distinct from the other schools? Is there something that kids are learning at other schools that they are not getting at Sidwell? |
Anonymous
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Nonny...as an additional note (22:08 poster here), you mention St. Patricks only took 9 new families this year. I think that is a horrible precedent to not ensure "new blood" into the school community.
All of these schools could fill their entire early grades with priority children, but many make sure that there are new families each year in each grade, even if that means that priority children have to wait 1-4 years, if not indefinitely. |
Anonymous
| 21:56 here - Beauvoir. |
nonny
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The 9 new families for PK (not including N or K or other grades) was a RUMOR I said I heard - a RUMOR. I was told it was a bad year for applicants all around. I agree that would be too bad for new families but once one has a child in a school that parent often sings a different tune when applying child 2, 3, etc.... The questions about preference for new families or current ones has great arguments on both sides. So, say, if a school has 18 spots open for PK and gives 9 to sibs and 9 to new families, what do you think of that? That would be what the rumor would be basically suggesting. Isn't it more disturbing the types of people the rumor is suggesting got in ONLY? It should be.
As for judging N-4 schools, I base it on observations of skills, both social and academic abilities, in kids I know; comments from many, many parents at the schools that I know; and personal observations of the children in these schools. Did I get to everyone's question? |
nonny
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| Oh, I forgot, did the Beauvoir child (CONGRATS!) also get accepted elsewhere? At St Patrick's? Was this for PK? |
Anonymous
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re: Acceptances and new blood...yes, if there are 18 spots, then there should be at least 9 new families and others for priority children, even if that means some siblings start later at the institution.
re: Academics at lower grades, so this is basically anecdotal evidence on your part, nothing quantitative? Seems like quite an indictment and sweeping statement about Sidwell on your part? |
nonny
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to PP - May I ask, do you currently have a child in one of these schools? How many children do you have? Just wondering based on your strong position on deferring/rejecting sibs. I dont actually agree or disagree, I think a balance is necessary but how to balance it is tough.
Actually, its not just anecdotal but it certainly is subjective. Frankly, we were so underwhelmed by Sidwell's lower school as opposed to many others that we did not apply there. I think its a chaotic mess. I just dont get the whole Siodwell lower school fervor on these boards. |
Anonymous
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I couldn't disagree with you more. I thought the teachers at Sidwell were amazing. If I could send my child only to the lower school I would be on cloud nine. I would love to have Rich Lodish as a principal. I figure it's just as well that we didn't get in to Sidwell because Lodish has been around forever and with our luck he would end up retiring just when we start. I thought he was an amazing inspiring man.
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Anonymous
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PP, Just wondering what you found so intruiging about Rich Lodish at Sidwell...
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