I personally didn’t like those schools, in particular the facilities in one school and lack of school cafeteria in the second one. Also both schools teach DEI like it was 5 years ago.

Is it still true that GDS has no cafeteria and kids are on their own for lunch?
I know for a fact that sidwell has a great cafeteria kids have lunch included in tuition

Anonymous wrote:GDS: draws:

social justice (roots, philosophy)
top-notch education
critical thinking

Sidwell: draws:

Quaker background
top-notch education

To add:

GDS: more academic-ish teachers (from ivies) and more experimental pedagogy; very little structure; more artsy

Sidwell: more traditional pedagogy; more structure, esp organization; impenetrable wall around school

For both, many of the teachers never taught anywhere else or didn’t have too much experience going in. But the students at both are very hard working and could teach themselves and each other well. Can’t go wrong at either and the bumper stickers look good.

Can only speak to GDS. Kids at GDS really need to be self-driven and have to stay on top of their assignments because the school is less structured. They have a lot of independence. Kids that need more structure might be better off at Sidwell. On the plus side, GDS's model prepares kids very well for college. Sidwell is a bit more traditional. Lots of rumors about teachers who barely dole out As (though GDS has a few of those as well). Sidwell has a reputation for being more of a pressure cooker. GDS is very student-centered. It's intense, but also has a reputation for being more fun.

we like GDS bc it seems more friendly and happy. They try to mix joy with intense academics. That's the high school though. they both seem to have lovely elementary schools. I don't know much about Sidwell middle school but hard to imagine it does as little to prepare its kids for high school as is the case at GDS.

What makes them the “top”?

GDS is more fun, a happier place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vastly different philosophies and sports abilities. So what are you actually comparong?

Do you know what the word “vastly” means?

They are different, yes. They are not “vastly” different.

I beg to differ. No one’s recruiting for sports from Gds.

That is one small difference that in the end doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

It does to kids who have been working hard at their sport and want to be on teams with similar talent.

They are pretty similar really. You’d probably like one if you like the other, and if you get into both choose then. My 9th grader liked both but after shadow days preferred one. He’s happy where he is but I’m sure he also would have liked the other one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vastly different philosophies and sports abilities. So what are you actually comparong?

Do you know what the word “vastly” means?

They are different, yes. They are not “vastly” different.

I beg to differ. No one’s recruiting for sports from Gds.

That is one small difference that in the end doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vastly different philosophies and sports abilities. So what are you actually comparong?

Do you know what the word “vastly” means?

They are different, yes. They are not “vastly” different.

I beg to differ. No one’s recruiting for sports from Gds.

Anonymous wrote:Vastly different philosophies and sports abilities. So what are you actually comparong?

Do you know what the word “vastly” means?

They are different, yes. They are not “vastly” different.

GDS: draws:

social justice (roots, philosophy)
top-notch education
critical thinking

Sidwell: draws:

Quaker background
top-notch education

Vastly different philosophies and sports abilities. So what are you actually comparong?

These seem like the 2 very top private co-ed high schools in DC. What drives families and kids themselves to one versus the other, for high school?