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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Parent at SSSAS here.  It's solid.  It's prob not as rigorous as NCS, Sidwell, Potomac, et al.  O mean, if you're looking to get your kid a top level academic education like doing 12th grade work and 3 hours of homework in 10th grade? Nope, SSSAS isn't it.  Some people want their kids to function as an adult at 15 doing 3-4 hours of homework daily.  SSSAS just is not a school that's pushing hours of work and only academics.  But it does offer challenges and pretty much gives options to kids who really excel academically.  The difference is that not all kids need to be that profile like you do at other top tier Pvt schools.  Socially it's more oriented to balance weighing sports and community service heavily.  The teachers really care about the kids not just academically but helping them succeed.

Is it worth the big cost v the other big probates that are tangibly academically rigorous? It depends on what your kid is like and your overall goal and intention for school is.  Most at SSSAS like us value a more holistic approach - desire for a competitive college but not at expense of only academic success.

It's not a perfect school at all.  I'd say we were happiest in LS and US less in MS but for location, academics, community, social aspects, culture, teachers - the overall option - it's worked out for us. [/quote]

Why were you less happy in MS? Other than that MS is often hard for kids?

I’ve heard the tests are out of control in MS. Not because it’s too much work but because they only focus on memorizing information. [/quote]
PP here. 
They aren't out of control at all.  If anything, I find HS to be more on pointe for rigor in the traditional sense - I find MS to be not very hard.  And it aligns with what you should see I think, as a parent - HS is when it counts and the kids are older and should be more responsible to do more academically.  DD is getting straight As now at 1/2 way mark of trimester and let me just say she's smart and doesn't do much lol!  That's not to say the work is nothing because my other kid did not do as well as her and did do more work it seems lol

My point is the workload is totally manageable.  My prob is more with admin as they recently changed leadership.  It's not bad it's just that of the 3 campuses, it's my least favorite.  MS is a hard time anyway though..

I am much happier with US admin and the MS teachers are stronger on the whole, in my eyes, in science and math v English.

One thing I like about SSSAS curriculum is a focus on public speaking, they are supportive for learning disabilities and very into community service. It's a well rounded program with plenty of religion as a class v specific religion ie Catholic school protocols.

US is block scheduling allowing for plenty of opportunity to organize and time to get work done.  I mean the roadmap is there - if the kids follow through - they do well.  From that perspective it's not a pressure cooker as I feel a lot of other top privates aspire to be.  I don't need my kid going to Harvard to prove they are smart - I need them to be successful and happy at their career to have a healthy life.

I also like that 7th graders experience finals to prep for HS life.  Honestly it's a good fit for a kid who wants a balance of social/academics.  We had a friend of my older kid who left SSSSAS for TJ (the uber TJ in VA) only to return because it was a better balance is what the mom told me. I know other parents who struggled over leaving after MS for schools that seemed "better" but stayed because their kids insisted as they were so happy at SSSAS.[/quote]

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