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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thanks, this is really helpful. We are looking at private, but haven't made a final decision yet. DH doesn't have any experience with private school, whereas I do (though it was only for HS). These insights help frame our thinking! [/quote]

thumb up for private school over public school

My son who just recently graduated from college could have attended public Langley HS.  Instead his mother sent him to Sidwell and it was the best thing we did for him.  Private school taught him critical thinking which is something they taught in public school.  My daughter didn't get accepted into Sidwell so she attended Langley HS and don't get me wrong, Langley HS is a good school but it is NOT Sidwell.  She was a good student at Langley HS but she is really struggling at UVA.

my 2c[/quote]

OP here. I totally agree. I went to public for ES and MS, and then Andover for HS. It completely changed me (for the better!). In my MS--despite its being a strong public school--it wasn't "cool" to enjoy learning. I got made fun of for answering questions. The kids just wanted to get A's so they could go to a good college and make a ton of money.

At Andover, everyone is a nerd and has their own passion. It was awesome. I learned how to think critically on a level I think my local HS would not have provided. I learned how to cope with a ton of academic pressure. I learned that, even though I was at the top of my class in MS, I would never be the smartest kid in any of my classes at Andover. I had friends who tested out of BC calculus their freshman year. They ended up doing an independent math seminar. I had a friend who invented a new geometry theorem. I had a friend whose curation work at one of Andover's museums won her a Rhodes scholarship. These kids were just on a different level, and it was a very humbling experience.

Anyway, long story short -- I think a strong private HS can be an incredible experience. In some ways, it can almost ruin college for a kid because you basically end up going to the rough equivalent of a liberal arts college for high school (that's a different story altogether, and speaks to the importance of picking the right college for a kid who has had such a robust HS experience). I just don't have exposure to lower school privates, so it's helpful to hear other people's experiences. [/quote]

Thanks for sharing your perspective.  What school would you consider sending your kids to in the DMV?  I ask because while I didn't go to Andover, I went to Boarding school in England and had an awesome experience.  Unfortunately, I don't think we can afford boarding school for our son and he has a brother that is 2 1/2 years younger than him and I really can't see splitting them up.[/quote]

We’re still very early in the learning process, so I’m not sure. We’re in MoCo. What would you recommend? It would be for lower school.[/quote]

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