Reply to If you are the parent of a Big 3 lifer

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Parent of a "lifer" and a student who went to a K-8 then joined the lifer for 9-12.

Both schools gave our kids what they needed when they needed it.  The one that started at a K-8 benefitted from that, the one that started at a big 3/5 has done extremely well, toured and applied out for  9th but ultimately decided to stay and has had a great experience.  I think knowing that they made a conscious decision to stay after truly evaluating an option (and getting admitted) made a real difference.

First and foremost, make the decision for the child you are applying for at the time you are applying, not for who you think (or hope) they will be later.  IF the K-12 is a good fit for your rising Kindergartner, then consider if the progression through 12th grade fits with what you currently value/hope for your student, recognizing this may change, your student may change,  and the school may change.

As others have said, commit to re-evaluating the choice for each child every few years.

[b]Finally, if your hope is to keep siblings together and to have students stay for long term, really consider and ask about how different types of students do at the school -- sporty, shy, outgoing, those who thrive on challenge, those who prefer a more supportive environment.  Some schools are big enough and flexible enough for many different types of kids to thrive.[/b] [/quote]

Thoughts on which Big 5(ish) K-12 schools in DC fit this description? Any schools that absolutely don’t?[/quote]

Look, if you are talking about traditional Big3/Big5, you aren’t talking about any school that is “big enough” or “flexible enough” for “many different types of kids.”   They are a grind and specifically they are good for academically very motivated kids.  That’s it.

If you want any of those other things like big or flexible or more accommodating, look at bigger schools or less academically rigorous.  I’m not saying there aren’t a bunch of truly very smart kids at the following places, just that you have a little more balance: Landon/HA, Gonzaga, etc.   There are a lot of really good private and public options in DC.  But don’t kid yourself that STA/NCS, Sidwell, GDS, etc are any of the those things.  [/quote]

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