Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 21:04     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Seriously, people, why do you do this???


I’ll bite, as the OP. My DC is a rising senior who has the “highest rigor” at their school. Every college and college counselor says high school rigor is the top thing that AOs look at, above everything including the countless threads on honors and ECs. I want to understand what how my DC’s rigor will be rated when applying to a few elite colleges that are reaches. So, no need to vomit. It’s just a question to try and understand an important feature AOs are assessing.


And knowing this will allow you to do what, exactly?
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 21:01     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Anonymous wrote:Seriously, people, why do you do this???


I’ll bite, as the OP. My DC is a rising senior who has the “highest rigor” at their school. Every college and college counselor says high school rigor is the top thing that AOs look at, above everything including the countless threads on honors and ECs. I want to understand what how my DC’s rigor will be rated when applying to a few elite colleges that are reaches. So, no need to vomit. It’s just a question to try and understand an important feature AOs are assessing.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:56     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
No where had more rigor than the Blair magnet, nowhere.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:46     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Seriously, people, why do you do this???
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:44     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Why posts make me want to hurl the most vomit? Posts that ask which school has the most rigor.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:39     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Blair, TJ, RM magnet, and really any strong public where the kids are taking over a dozen core APs or IB equivalent or higher like MV and Linear. The kid taking Physics C, AP Spanish Lit, MV, AP Lit, AP Bio, and AP Euro is out working even the Sidwell kids.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:13     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
Holton is the most rigorous that I have seen
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 20:09     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
I would not trust any 4.0 out of private schools given the obvious disincentive to alienate paying customers. Which makes their abandonment of AP tests and courses all the more suspect. And I say this as the parent of a kid who unfortunately preferred to stay in a private vs going to TJ.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 19:57     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
I’ll throw Visitation in the mix. Not often mentioned in this context but they’re still old-school with grade deflation, lots of work outside of class, very high standards to get As. Sometimes ridiculously so, to be honest.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 19:54     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
What I mean is a 4.0 from Sidwell Friends, for example, likely impresses more than a 4.0 from Sandy Spring Friends. No disrespect to SSFS - just using the two Friends schools as an example. Considering there are so many good schools in this area, which schools impress college AOs more - assuming kids are taking the hardest classes/maximum rigor there.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 19:54     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
It's not going to be a private school. It's going to be a subset of kids at several affluent publics with highly motivated kids and/or a magnet. TJ, the Ws, etc...
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 19:03     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
“Highest rigor” is a term that is used in the context of one high school.

What you want to know is what school has the heaviest workload?
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 18:49     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
I've had kids at several of these schools (and others). Among the area privates, my experience is that the most rigorous (for US) are Sidwell, WIS, and NCS.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 18:42     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
LCPS
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2026 18:39     Subject: Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
It seems like many posts speak about how their DC has the highest rigor. Still, I would assume the definition of highest rigor is different based on both what schools offer and how challenging those classes really are. What schools in the DMV would be in the top echelon of highest rigor, assuming a kid takes the hardest classes there? TJ? Sidwell/NCS/STA/GDS? Others?