Reply to WL IB or TJ or Private

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "WL IB or TJ or Private"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.[/quote]

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly. [/quote]

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students[/quote]
TJ will be 2200 students next year. TJ is amazing. But I doubt your kid can count on getting in. There just aren’t that many spots.  [/quote]

FWIW, I don’t think there’s a ton of overlap between families considering most rigorous local privates and TJ.  We are at Big3 and would not have sent child to TJ for the same reasons we elected not to send child to W&L IB.  And of course you sort of have to make up your mind on that front beforehand.

For my family, we see little not value in TJ and did not apply.  Size, distance, kind of kid, etc meant not a good fit.  I don’t believe in a kid knowing they are Stem or not at 15.  My kid is just really really smart and I wanted them to learn to think critically and write in addition to some basic math/science.  If they want to go deep into a subject that is the purpose of college/grad school.  [b]Furthermore, I think TJ draws a particular type of kid and parent, lots of these folks at local academic competitions drilling their kid on math facts[/b].  [/quote]

Exactly they should be spending weekends with the country club working on their backhand.

It’s not line private schools don’t have a type. [/quote]

No, they don't. If you knew anyone who attended or sent their kids to independent schools, you'd know this is just wrong. [/quote]

But the stereotypes you are promoting about TJ are perfectly fine??!![/quote]

Oh god.   All these schools have stereotypes — TJ, YHS, W&L (and yes the IB program), HB.   Private schools make their money on “fit” which is just a euphemism for stereotype.  Kids want to feel comfortable and to fit in.  Even in giant W&L and TJ, kids are looking for their “fit.”   That’s a huge function of HS.   Where is my stereotype?   Where do I fit?   I’m sure there are a million different kinds do successful kids at each of these places but they are allowed to have different “vibes” “fit” and, god forbid “stereotypes.”   Don’t be such a baby.  TJ “feels” different than Sidwell.  And that is OK.  We chose not TJ.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics