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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is the Visi experience for students coming from public? DD is very interested in applying next year however we aren’t sure how tough it will be for her to establish friendships with girls who have known each other for some time. Would love to hear toward experiences coming from a similar situation.[/quote]

My DD did not come from public but came from a small private where she was the only one in her graduating class to attend Visi. It did take her awhile to find her footing socially, although she did hit the ground running academically almost immediately. The general population at Visi is, how do I say this, well coiffed, fashionable, country club(ish) and socially savvy. My DD is more of a cute nerd so these girls weren’t really her scene. Most girls here are very smart but there are some who are not and do struggle, eventually leave, etc.

My DD did eventually settle into a lovely group of girls around mid-Spring and is now, really happy at the school. But the first couple of months I was a little worried about whether she would adjust. Many of the girls come from the same feeder schools, so to outsiders it may   seem like those girls are in the “in” crowd because they seem more confident and “cliqued up” off right from the start. 9th grade year, there is also HEAVY pressure to secure a date for Gonzaga’s homecoming and to be invited to a pre and/or post party and all of these photos are plastered all over social media. Some of this culture is perpetuated by the parents but the school does little to manage this type of thing. The school hosts a Gonzaga/Visi picnic early in the Fall and the goal is to get a homecoming invitation at that time or as a result of the event. Yes - LOTS of unnecessary pressure and feeling left out if you don’t manage to secure a date. There is really so much drama surrounding all of this which is so unfortunate for a girls school which should be empowering its students to feel confident and that their value is not attached to whether they get a homecoming date or not.

Also know going in that Visi is not lenient when it comes to test taking/scoring, etc. Your grade is your grade and don’t whine about it. You also are NOT allowed to keep your already scored tests. So for example if you plan to use your old tests to study for the mid terms or finals - you can’t. They go over them in class and the teacher takes them back. Visi has lots of strict, inflexible rules. Not a problem for my kid (who loves rules and the rigid structure) but just know this going in.

I hope my comment doesn’t get buried because these are things I would have liked to know in advance. I will say I would NOT have picked this school if I knew all of this in advance because it was a rough learning curve for her and us. However she is 100% happy and always talks about wanting her own daughter to go here. And I am happy for her. [/quote]

I echo this all-could have written it myself. [/quote]

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