Anonymous wrote:Potomac's robotics team is very competitive and very good - not community league.

Their SERC is tiny and has restricted head count, but is very good. Other science options there also are solid. SERC needs to be larger.

Potomac's math is quirky. It works better for some students than others. Other threads cover their math in specific terms. Search for those threads.

Thanks for the info. 2 questions - is SERC very challenging to get into? Is it based on test scores or an application?

In what way is math quirky?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are much better off at Public. Either the MCPS magnet or Whitman/BCC. We have one at GDS and one in public for this very reason. You will never get the opportunities /education in any privates in this area. Having a robotics team does not mean much. It is what the robotics team is doing and what classes support your kids interests.

OP here. Thanks for the info. We are in Arlington, but I did wonder if the publics may be better. Most of our friends have younger kids so I don’t have much first hand knowledge and appreciate any advice/info.

Look into "Arlington Tech" which is an option HS within APS. It is a STEM focused HS, and is not an old-style vocational type HS.

I am not saying it is either better or worse than some other school, private or public, merely that it is worth looking into in some depth.

I thought Arlington Tech was vocational. So are they trying to have their own TJ/Blair option?

Anonymous wrote:Basis is also competitive

Laugh.

Basis is also competitive

Potomac's robotics team is very competitive and very good - not community league.

Their SERC is tiny and has restricted head count, but is very good. Other science options there also are solid. SERC needs to be larger.

Potomac's math is quirky. It works better for some students than others. Other threads cover their math in specific terms. Search for those threads.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are much better off at Public. Either the MCPS magnet or Whitman/BCC. We have one at GDS and one in public for this very reason. You will never get the opportunities /education in any privates in this area. Having a robotics team does not mean much. It is what the robotics team is doing and what classes support your kids interests.

OP here. Thanks for the info. We are in Arlington, but I did wonder if the publics may be better. Most of our friends have younger kids so I don’t have much first hand knowledge and appreciate any advice/info.

Look into "Arlington Tech" which is an option HS within APS. It is a STEM focused HS, and is not an old-style vocational type HS.

I am not saying it is either better or worse than some other school, private or public, merely that it is worth looking into in some depth.

My DC is at Potomac, but not yet old enough for IS or HS Robotics teams. I have heard good things about both science and robotics. I would ask admissions very specific questions, and whether you could speak with a family from the robotics team.

Just my two cents: I wouldn't pick a school based on the quality of one specific club or team. Who knows what a kid will be interested in doing a couple years from now. I've seen kids pick schools because the basketball team is amazing or the musical looked super professional, and then not be able to make a team or get cast ... because everyone else picked the school for that reason too. Robotics teams, as far as I know, don't generally cut people But maybe you won't get along with the other team members, maybe the really great advisor retires, who knows. I'd focus on finding a great academic and culture/community fit and go from there.

Anonymous wrote:You are much better off at Public. Either the MCPS magnet or Whitman/BCC. We have one at GDS and one in public for this very reason. You will never get the opportunities /education in any privates in this area. Having a robotics team does not mean much. It is what the robotics team is doing and what classes support your kids interests.

OP here. Thanks for the info. We are in Arlington, but I did wonder if the publics may be better. Most of our friends have younger kids so I don’t have much first hand knowledge and appreciate any advice/info.

case in point: GDS has a HS robotics team, but it's not particularly good, so he's chosen to participate in a community based team instead. There are lots of opportunities to participate on the HS team, if that's of interest -- his friends are enjoying their time on the team, even if they don't win.

You are much better off at Public. Either the MCPS magnet or Whitman/BCC. We have one at GDS and one in public for this very reason. You will never get the opportunities /education in any privates in this area. Having a robotics team does not mean much. It is what the robotics team is doing and what classes support your kids interests.

Flint Hill has a very strong robotics team.

You didn’t ask, but I’ll give you a third school. Field. My kids have not been into science and robotics, but Field has broken ground on its new innovation center, which is to house the engineering, robotics and art programs. Plus all the science classrooms were just redone to the nines. So there’s clearly a lot going on here in those disciplines.

My DS is at GDS and also into science and robotics. He's really liked the science instruction (he's liked the physical science better than life science, but that might say more about him than the school). GDS has a HS robotics team, but it's not particularly good, so he's chosen to participate in a community based team instead. There are lots of opportunities to participate on the HS team, if that's of interest -- his friends are enjoying their time on the team, even if they don't win.

My son is interested in these 2 schools and also very into science and robotics. Can any speak to these programs in the middle and upper school and how happy you/your child has been with them?