Reply to Happiness at Sidwell...

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Happiness at Sidwell..."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As a recent grad of Sidwell, I'm hoping that I can offer a different perspective than some of the parents on this thread. Sidwell has a reputation of being a "pressure cooker" for a reason, and because of that, it was by no means a pleasant experience for me. Even as someone who came out "successful" (got in unhooked at a top tier Ivy), I was not happy at Sidwell.

However, this unhappiness did not stem from the administration so much as the competitive and toxic environment fostered by the parents and students. The school work was tough, especially if you took the most rigorous courses offered, but it was by no means unmanageable. Rather, it was the incessant talk of college applications that fostered an unwelcoming and excessively stressful environment. Even kids whose parents did not pressure them into attending top schools ended up extremely stressed out, simply because their fellow peers placed such an emphasis on that fact.

If you want your child to come out with a great education, send them to Sidwell. Otherwise, I would recommend sending them to another Big 3. [/quote]

Thank you. I’m a PP parent from above getting pushback for saying a kid can have a successful academic career at Sidwell (and even say they’d choose it again) but the kid would never describe it as a happy place. (They wouldn’t say it’s intolerable or devoid of any good either) [/quote]

I think some PPs were pushing back because you fail to acknowledge that there are students at Sidwell who excel academically AND are also happy there. Just because your child wouldn’t describe Sidwell as a happy place doesn’t mean other students feel the same way.

Anecdotally, the students I happen to know who are [b]happiest at Sidwell joined in 9th grade.[/b] I think when you start in 9th grade, both the school and the student are able to make a better (best fit) match. It’s hard to know who you’ll end up being in high school when you join any school in PK or K. Especially if that school is academically rigorous. [/quote]

And the ones we know do not fit that category - but both can be true.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics