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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools.  I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3.  Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience.  Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.[/quote]

Were you influenced by talking to current families or more from the characterizations of pressure cookers on this board? [/quote]

Both.  This board makes the top schools sound incredibly joyless but current parents also freely admit that the academics are very intense.  I have an academically strong child but I can't help but wonder if they would have a more enjoyable experience at a school like Bullis or SSSAS as opposed to GDS/Sidwell/St. Albans, etc. - particularly since I don't think the college outcomes from any of these schools for unconnected children are measurably different.  Too late at this point but I think I would have done things a little differently.  This is for a 9th grader.  [/quote]

Depends on the kid.  I attended one of these schools and I have a kid at another of them.  The experience at Bullis and SSSAS vs. GDS/Sidwell is remarkably different.  St. Albans is a bit in the middle and, of course, single sex which makes a difference.  I agree that the outcomes are not different, particularly for the top 10 to 20 percent of students at either assuming no connections (and, it is not a good assumption that the Bullis/SSSAS kids are less connected that GDS/Sidwell/Albans).  If you have an athletic hook, for many sports, your kid would be better at SSSAS or Bullis (lacrosse, football, track as just a few examples).  The key is to find the right fit for your child and put him in an environment where he will thrive.

As I also have a rising 9th grader, I'll answer the original question as well.  For my senior, I would not have bet on her ending up where she did, but we all fell in love and it worked out great for her.  For the younger, we cast a much narrower net and she has been pretty consistent in her top choice (which was not on the older one's list and would have been a terrible fit).  I've come around to that one being my favorite as well but the second choice would be just as fine for me.    [/quote]

I have kids at both STA and Sidwell and I would say the rigor is the same.  They both ask a lot of high schoolers.  STA is not a step down in intensity in our experience (in fact, some years I would say it is more intense--depending on the teachers my kids got for the same subjects in each school). [/quote]

I am now conflicted about STA. It seemed so perfect for my son and he absolutely loved his visit. We do not want him at an intense school like Sidwell. He would be miserable. He felt that student intensity immediately during the online session and refused to apply. I guess we read the STA vibe wrong! Probably worrying over nothing since chances of admissions are so low, but this is a bummer.[/quote]

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