Parent of a HS senior there. Its been great for us since middle school. Our child needed the supports and is also more advanced academically. Its a little small socially so making sure our kid is involved in social circles outside of school is importnat to us.

Anonymous wrote:I know a boy who goes there and he has mentioned that there is slim pickings as far as girls go.

Unfortunately it is, but for my child, it’s fine as she likes the girls in her grade. She dealt with a very large, mean girl type group at her old school and prefers the smaller group of girls at McLean. That said, it won’t work for everybody, but it most definitely does for us.

I know a boy who goes there and he has mentioned that there is slim pickings as far as girls go.

My child is still in middle school, but we plan on continuing at McLean for high school. The transformation in my child has been incredible. She went from never doing homework, never speaking up in class and struggling to stay afloat, to participating in discussions, coming home and doing all her work, and telling me about her day. I think the biggest struggle for my child was that she had to mask at her old school to fit in and felt that she couldn’t fully be themself. At McLean, she has blossomed and become confident in who she is.

I also think how they teach plays a big part as well. At her old school she was struggling to understand what was being taught, but McLean is able to teach her in a way that she can actually absorb and process the information. I also like that they don’t necessarily see things like ADHD and the dyslexia family as disabilities, but rather just a different way of understanding…which is exactly what it is.

Anonymous wrote:Great high school experience for my son (graduated, now in college). Struggled with some ADHD and executive functioning. He was an athlete, participated in a variety of clubs, and was kind of a big fish in a small pond. Gave him just hte right amount of supports but also helped him develop great self advoacty skills. Not sure about chatgpt and AI but I know the school just hosted a program on it, so I assume they've got precautions. And, that teachers are using AI for good and kids are still learning to write. Oh that was a strong program too - separate english and literature classes.

Thanks!

Great high school experience for my son (graduated, now in college). Struggled with some ADHD and executive functioning. He was an athlete, participated in a variety of clubs, and was kind of a big fish in a small pond. Gave him just hte right amount of supports but also helped him develop great self advoacty skills. Not sure about chatgpt and AI but I know the school just hosted a program on it, so I assume they've got precautions. And, that teachers are using AI for good and kids are still learning to write. Oh that was a strong program too - separate english and literature classes.

Thanks, I appreciate the replies!

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny that there is a McLean school in Potomac, and a Potomac school in McLean.

+1

It worked well for our child. ADHD, Asperger’s (I know, I know). It was heads and shoulders above the other options for this cohort. My kid is thriving and will graduate from a VA public university next year. They have maintained a close friend from McLean Upper School. We liked having a “real”-feeling school with sports. By contrast, a place like Commonwealth felt institutional and a place like Field lacked supports.

Many of the students still need a supportive college experience. McLean is pretty good at steering kids in the right direction. They are prepared for the right college, but that’s not necessarily a top 50 school (which is fine).

Within the school, there will be kids who rise above and also kids who can’t hack it at college. But if your child needs the support that McLean provides, it can be a transformative experience.

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny that there is a McLean school in Potomac, and a Potomac school in McLean.

This has tickled me for 35 years.

It’s funny that there is a McLean school in Potomac, and a Potomac school in McLean.

Thanks.

I would recommend also posting on the “special needs and disabilities” forum as they might know a lot about the school.

How has your teens experience there for high school been? Does the school prepare well for college? How is the social aspect? Anything you wish you had known earlier? Does the school have guardrails to make sure students actually do the work instead of using ChatGPT?