Reply to Georgetown Prep vs. Sidwell

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[quote=Anonymous]I am probably outing my kids because I am a grandparent with two grandsons currently enrolled at both schools, so I think my perception may be unique.

First of all the schools are not polar opposites although it may appear so on paper.  Bother are private, have small classses, and have many wealthy students.  But both have scholarship students as well (my boys).

The academic at Prep are not a joke.  They ar not as difficult as Sidwell, and Prep caters to kids with a wider range of abilities, but at the top end the academics are just fine.  If your child goes there and takes a rigorous schedule he will be well prepared for college.  The language teaching may be better than Sidwell. I like the two year Larin requirement because it teaches kids how to learn a foreign language.  MY GS is now translating Cicero. I do  not consider this a joke.  His math and science courses are on par with a W school.

Secondly, we are not Catholics nor are we Quakers, but my other GS has been made a member of the Quaker Life committee at Sidwell and it has helped him grow as an individual with a conscious, and help wied with stress control. He has represented the school at national Quaker conferences and I would not be surprised or unhappy if he ends up joining a Quaker community as an adult.  Sidwells academic are without par, and there  are opportunities for a FA recipient  to do mazing things like travel abroad with FA assistance, sing with professional opera singers, meet Ambassadors for lunch, and I could go on and on.

As to the parents and kids at both schools they are very warm and welcoming to non Cahtolics at Prep  ( I do have to admit it helps if your son is a good athlete), and both boys feel very much connected and accepted at their schools.

Although academics as Sidwell are superior, there is rampant grade deflation, and the kids work like dogs to keep up -- even the very brightest.  There is a lot of self imposed pressure, and kids need to be able to advocate for themselves with their teachers. It would not work well for a shy or soft-spoken anxious kid no matter how bright.  Also the sports teams are mediocre at best, which may or may not matter to you.  The good news if your kid wants to ply he can probably make any team at the school.

If you kid loves team sports like my other GS, then Prep is a dream school.  The facilities are gorgeous. You get the equivalent of private training in the weigh rooms, the film room is lovely, and the coaches are great people.  What I like is that they support multi-sport athletes which si healthier for teenagers who can suffer from over training if the do one sport all year round.

Lastly, yes there are rich people at both schools and at every private school in metro DC. So what.  Kids do not compare or ridicule and in high school kids are popular because of their own personalities. Parents status doesn't mean much day to day at either school.  There are mnay many non Catholics at Prep and like my GS they seem percetly at home.  What I like about the school is that the boys seem relaxed and happy, while at Sidwell the academic pressure is just too much for some kids.  My GS thrives there, but he he gets about 5-6 hours of sleep per night he has so much homework.

So as usual, it comes down to what is the best fit for your son.  Visit and go with your gut.  Many of the nay-sayers on thsi borad have never set foot on either campus and there are very few who know both schools well, so I would ignore those who adamantly say one school is terrible and the other great, or that Catholic education is terrible and that Sidwell is fake Quaker.  How would they know?

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