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[quote=Anonymous]Let me suggest the below as a better definition for the Big 3 definition.   SAM2, any problems with the description below?   If not, can you replace the text above with this?

[i]What are the "Big X"? [/i]  When someone posts about the "Big X," he/she is usually referring to schools which are considered the "top tier".   People will debate at length how many schools are "Big X" schools (the "Big 3", the "Big 5," or the "Big 10.")   There really is no way to rank any of the schools definitively.   Some people only consider the schools based in the District of Columbia in their definition, others include schools in Maryland and Virginia.   Some only include schools that are K-12, while others include schools that only go from K-8.

In defining the "top tier", posters often point to outside publications that have tried to rank schools.   These include The Washington Examiner - http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/40314672.html  Worth Magazine http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/43718.page#295235 and the Wall St Journal http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-COLLEGE0711-sort.html

In addition, many posters will argue that certain public schools belong in the Big X discussion, particularly given that a school like Thomas Jefferson in Virginia has been ranked by US News and World Report as the #1 public high school in the nation http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2009/12/09/virginia-high-school-is-best-in-the-nation.html

The point that many posters usually make in these discussions is that the "best" school is really a subjective matter and the best fit for one family might not be the best fit for another.

It's probably a good idea to avoid all of these "Big ___" terms whenever you can, because they really gets some people upset and can quickly lead a discussion thread off-topic with debates about terminology and rankings. It's often best just to refer to specific schools by name, or to refer generically to "well-regarded schools" or something similar. If you search the DCUM archive, you can easily find a dozen threads with people fighting about these terms and their implications. [/quote]

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