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[quote=Anonymous]I'm new(ish) to this board, and have found this Big 3 discussion a very peculiar obsession.  Statistically, how can there only, and always, by just 3 schools in the top tier?  It just doesn't make sense from every angle.  Even USN&W college rankings re-order every once in while. No institution's stature is immutable.  And from a savvy consumer's/parent's perspective, why should parents with kids at the top schools allow their schools to rest on an unshakable top tier taxonomy without the competitive urgency to remain innovative and demonstrate relative (and absolute) effectiveness for our kids every year?

I just went through my first admission round for my DS. I initially tried to define the "top" schools.  That requires some reported metrics relevant to my decision and DS (who is very bright, and within the competitive zone for all of DC privates).   I'm a thorough researcher about the smallest decision, so I carefully researched and evaluated the DC  area privates before applying.  Based on that, it seems fairly clear that, using academic challenge and intellectual horsepower of the student body generally as the key criteria, the top tier academic schools at the moment are Sidwell, Cathedral Schools, and GDS.  All around (balance of academic, sports and confidence building for stuends), top tier would consist of Maret, Potmac, Bullis, and Holton.  With respect to admissions, by far, Sidwell and Maret are the most difficult to gain entry.

To me, Big 3 has to be a logical fallacy. But it exists for a reason.  Was it created by PR/marketing firms of one or two schools?  Is it a tool given life by intellectually lazy parents looking to delegate their choice of schools for their DC to someone else's subjective judgment of the 3 must-apply-to-schools?  Perhaps, it's just a way to use certain (capable and lucky or with connected parents) DCs admissions' contest wins to buttress the egos of insecure / socially climbing parents at the expense of others.  Just very strange all the way around.[/quote]

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