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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My dear,

I'll let you in on a little secret. It doesn't matter where you send your kid to school, as long as the school is generally academically rigorous (public or private). The "culture" matters little, because education begins at home and YOU, the parents, must instill YOUR values and expectations. Don't let school mission statements convince you that they confer a special kind of magic and have access to a higher plane of moral principles. They don't. They're a business. They generally conduct good business and provide satisfactory instruction, with some exceptions. That's all.

Here's the part you DO have to watch out for, as long as the academic rigor is there: MONEY. Unless you're very wealthy, such that you wouldn't even notice the outlay, are you sure you want to spend that much on K-12 and not invest the money in the stock market, or spend it on something else instead? There's retirement and college in your future. Money invested while you put your kid in a reputable public could open horizons for later. Right now, in-state uni is 40K and out-of-state or private uni is 60-100K a year, total cost of attendance. There are home downpayments and grad schools to consider. There are a lot of things you can do to build generational wealth in your family, and paying for education has its place, but isn't the only pathway. There are many other things you can do to smooth the way for your descendants. Leveraging your money at the right time is important.

There is no academic difference between a highly-regarded public and a top private. Usually in this area, the publics are better at STEM and the private are better at writing, that's all. The best publics are in southwest Moco (Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda). The top privates for boys are St Albans, Sidwell, and some others.

I have teenage and young adult children, and live in Bethesda, where half the families send their kids to well-regarded privates, St Albans included, and half the families send their kids to the local publics (also well-regarded). All the kids are nice kids. All their parents are well-off. There is no difference in college admissions.

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This virtue signalling is irrelevant to the question. OP is already at Beauvoir and asking about the culture of the upper schools. OP: There ARE noticeable differences in culture across DC upper schools, you will pick up on the subtleties that matter to your family by touring and exploring each when the time is right (NOT in pre-K!) [/quote]

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