Reply to Would you move to Arlington or Mclean for SFH living?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]McLean if you’re in your 40s 
Arlington If you’re in your 20s-30s.

McLean has the better housing where a 1.5 million dollar home actually looks like a million dollar home. Arlington housing looks like you’re paying a million bucks for a shed. [/quote]

So, if you have younger kids, then Arlington, when you have older kids and you are older, then Mclean? I get a feeling that school situation in Mclean has an edge with more options, like AAP and better rated HSs.  [/quote]

There's no edge either way. It's all about what you want and your family's preference. Truly. There is no point in comparing Mclean vs Yorktown vs. W&L. They have their slight differences, but overall the vast majority of children are going to do well at any of them. They are all schools that vastly serve a highly educated, high income population. Mclean/Langley a little more so with a little more overt money in my opinion, but again - you are not going to see a wild difference in your child's outcomes because you chose mclean over yorktown or vice versa. It's just not going to happen. I know so many people that graduated from schools throughout fairfax, arlington, mclean, what have you - there is a range of success in all of them. None of it having to do with whether they were at Yorktown or Mclean. You need to pick the community that feels like the best fit for you and the lifestyle you want and the vibe you want to surround your family's daily life. If you have a child you truly feel is BEYOND gifted (I mean truly, not just smart like most kids in Arlington and Mclean) and really would be served by a pull out program than sure - go with Mclean. But AAP has it's issues too, that's for certain so again, nothing has an edge. If you're making the choice between arlington and mclean, it's likely your kids have the income/education to have a good shot at doing well in life - it's going to be more about parenting, support, love then choosing between those schools. [/quote]

This +1000. The school differences are negligible (academically) if you are fairly attentive parent with reasonably bright kids. The biggest difference will be your lifestyle and the culture of the schools.[/quote]

The “culture of the schools” is why the McLean schools are considered stronger and consistently ranked higher.  You don’t see the same number of National Merit Semifinalists at the Arlington schools, or equally strong Model UN, Scholastic Bowl, or student journalism programs.  There are also stronger foreign language options and specialized Academy programs in FCPS. 
[/quote]

Eh, so the kids are into dorky activities rather than sports (I was one of those kids, I see it as a disadvantage).  National Merit Semifinalists is all about SAT test prep, and the tiger moms (of all ethnicity) I'm sure are testing like made before freshman year.

It is a different culture, Arlington is way more laid back academically but still a decent education generally.  Current capacity issue is a real crisis, but hopefully wiser heads will prevail.[/quote]

If Arlington were more “laid back,” you would not see 119-page threads on DCUM with people yelling at each other over a fairly modest realignment of elementary school boundaries and assignments.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/849831.page

It’s not that APS is bad. But there is a certain complacency when it comes to academic rigor and opportunities that you don’t find in the stronger FCPS pyramids.[/quote]

Or, you find people who have achieved high academic success themselves and realize that sending their kids to APS vs. FCPS will not make a significant difference in outcomes. So they just decided to live in the area with amenities they prefer.

Aside from a handful of vocal parents in a few communities most parents ARE laid back. Please don’t tell me you make assumptions just based on what you read on DCUM. 
[/quote]

This.

OP I hope you are seeing from this thread what I said in the beginning - it's about preference and lifestyle. You'll notice the Arlington posters are saying they prefer Arlington because they like the amenities, walking to things, the neighborhood feel, and they feel the schools are good. You can see the trend of Mclean posters posting that they prefer Mclean because they wanted more elbow room, a bigger/nicer house, and they feel the schools are good.

Personally I don't strive for my kids to be in a school or community where academic success is the NUMBER ONE DRIVER of all things, as that's not what I want for my kids and not what I think brings fulfillment. But every family is different and if that is your number one driver - yes, Mclean/Langley will have more of that intense feel. And as an Arlingtonian I am fine saying maybe the rigor is higher (though I truly didn't notice that when dating someone at Mclean in high school years ago, but it sounds like some parents have experienced that so I'll take them at their word). That's not my number only goal for my kids/family so I'm really happy with the full range of things Arlington provides our family, including what I think are good schools that will prep my kids well.

Finally, please know that both these communities - both Arlington and Mclean - are far kinder than DCUM would lead you to believe. This place has a way of bringing out the snarky competitive nature and it's usually a few people that jump on every one of these threads and make it about test scores or how many white kids or whatever. Go see for yourself and pick the right fit for your family. Your kids will thrive in both if you provide them loving support and present parenting. [/quote]

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