Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are very different schools. Either would be good for a “bright” boy, so you’re going to have to figure out the best fit on your own. As a pp said, start with co-ed vs single-sex, it’s a blatant differentiator.

Can we once and for all put a rest to the redundant term “very different,” especially when describing two $50,000 a year private schools located a mile apart in leafy NW DC?

They are not “very different.” They may be somewhat different, but they are more alike than people who want to sing the praises of the plethora of schools in this area want to concede. OP don’t be an idiot. They are both full of “bright boys,” another meaningless term.

Within the context of the pricey DC-area private school bubble, they are very different. We’re in a forum to discuss DC public schools. The base layer of similarity in that context is a given.

Anonymous wrote:Which school for a bright boy? We care about diversity

I mean, this should be somewhat easy because one is coed and one is all male. Which is your son looking for?

We have a daughter at Sidwell and two boys at STA.

Both schools are high pressure and extremely rigorous but STA has a more supportive, tight-knit vibe. The boys compete but the ethos is to acknowledge and appreciate each others’ strengths. Teachers are generally warmer and more engaged. This is a godsend during the high school years because the supportive environment helps mitigate the extreme demands kids face.

Sidwell has the extreme pressure but without as much supportive bonds. Students are competitive with one another. There are pockets of kids who support each other and are good friends. However, there’s more free form anxiety. Teachers are less warm. It’s up to students to find them if they need help.

I know my STA boys have been told countless times by teachers,”Come see me and we can talk about that some more” or something to that effect. Teachers invite you to engage with them. At Sidwell the teachers seem more distant and you have to be more entrepreneurial about getting help.

Sidwell has an edge in the sciences. STA has the edge in sports with the notable exception of basketball.

For a boy, I think STA is better. Our daughter chose Sidwell over NCS because Sidwell is less of a pressure cooker than NCS. She’s still in touch with Beauvoir friends who went to NCS, and she is happy that she did not go there.

Agree the main difference is single sex vs. coed. Otherwise, they are like blades of grass. Up close, to ants, the blades of grass are different, but those differences are tiny to anything larger. To people in the small world of DC privates, these schools are different but to anyone else anywhere else, they aren’t.

STA is way more diverse than most outsiders realize.

Also, STA gets a few Sidwell transfers every now and again.

Both great schools.

Honestly, the odds of getting into both are fairly low. Tour them both, apply wherever you feel your child will be a good fit, and hope you get into one of your first 3 choices.

Anonymous wrote:Why is that? I agree the schools don’t mix. Sidwell, GDS and Maret seem to mix, but not STA

STA mixes with single sex schools more. Same with single sex girls schools. They all tend to mix more.

Why is that? I agree the schools don’t mix. Sidwell, GDS and Maret seem to mix, but not STA

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are very different schools. Either would be good for a “bright” boy, so you’re going to have to figure out the best fit on your own. As a pp said, start with co-ed vs single-sex, it’s a blatant differentiator.

Can we once and for all put a rest to the redundant term “very different,” especially when describing two $50,000 a year private schools located a mile apart in leafy NW DC?

They are not “very different.” They may be somewhat different, but they are more alike than people who want to sing the praises of the plethora of schools in this area want to concede. OP don’t be an idiot. They are both full of “bright boys,” another meaningless term.

NP. They are different though. Even socially the kids at STA and Sidwell do not mix at all socially. Single sex schools tend to know each their and mix at parties more. My kids are at one of these schools and these schools do not mix socially and do not know each other. Different social worlds, communities etc…

Anonymous wrote:They are very different schools. Either would be good for a “bright” boy, so you’re going to have to figure out the best fit on your own. As a pp said, start with co-ed vs single-sex, it’s a blatant differentiator.

Can we once and for all put a rest to the redundant term “very different,” especially when describing two $50,000 a year private schools located a mile apart in leafy NW DC?

They are not “very different.” They may be somewhat different, but they are more alike than people who want to sing the praises of the plethora of schools in this area want to concede. OP don’t be an idiot. They are both full of “bright boys,” another meaningless term.

If you care about diversity, Sidwell is the only one of those two to consider.

They are very different schools. Either would be good for a “bright” boy, so you’re going to have to figure out the best fit on your own. As a pp said, start with co-ed vs single-sex, it’s a blatant differentiator.

Anonymous wrote:Which school for a bright boy? We care about diversity

You can’t be serious. You know that “a bright boy” will be challenged academically at both schools. Tour the schools and then decide which one is a better fit.

Co-Ed versus Single-Sex is a bigger consideration in this comparison,

Which school for a bright boy? We care about diversity