A lot

What about homework load?

My impression overall is that grading is slightly easier at GDS, but in both places kids with straight As would be very few and far between. No class rank or calculated GPAs at either place, clearly for colleges, there is a longstanding relationship between the schools and the colleges, the colleges understand how tough grading is at these schools, and are comparing these kids to other kids at top local privates, not to grades and weighted GPAs at public schools.

I'm pretty sure that "B" or less is the average grade at any school. There are plenty of kids above a 3.0 and plenty below it. Same as anywhere.

GDS doesn't do class ranking either.

Right. The GPA thing and class rank, I think, are rooted in Quaker tradition. I do find it frustrating that they don't label courses AP or honors. I guess there is a sense at Sidwell that it is so academically strong that every course is an AP course and an honors course. The work at Sidwell is tough and I would say that the average grades are really a B. While GDS may not have as nice a campus or athletic facilities, it does have an extremely strong arts tradition. It also has a national recognized debate team.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. These comments are so helpful. Thank you. I have heard that Sidwell's grading system is tougher than GDS's. Do you think this is true?

Also, I heard something about Sidwell not calculating GPA and/or class rank. Don't colleges want this info?

Tia

I don't know about GDS's grading, but at Sidwell, in upper school, the average grade is a B. In certain classes higher (they don't grade on a curve in accelerated science, for example, so the kids who self-select for the harder course end up with B+ as the average grade), in some classes lower. My Sidwell DC, with a lot of friends at GDS, thinks GDS has a broader spectrum of learners but that the work is comparable.

Sidwell hasn't done class rank since the early 80's. They don't do GPA either, but accelerated courses (in math and science) are listed that way on the transcript, so colleges can do the calculation themselves.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. These comments are so helpful. Thank you. I have heard that Sidwell's grading system is tougher than GDS's. Do you think this is true?

Also, I heard something about Sidwell not calculating GPA and/or class rank. Don't colleges want this info?

Tia

Sidwell hasn't done class rank for years (at least 35 based on personal experience). Many independent schools don't do class rank and it doesn't seem to be an issue for colleges. Not sure about the GPA thing but most selective colleges have their own approach to calculating GPA and dealing with normalizing for honors/AP level classes (this doesn't really apply to Sidwell since they don't do weighted GPAs).

i have experiences with both schools too. Sidwell is more structured and traditional. Compared to GDS, it would seem formal. Also, it feels like a much bigger school. The campus at Sidwell is a real campus, whereas GDS...well, its really just a single building. Sidwell serves lunch and has a cafeteria, GDS has the Safeway. Sidwell's athletic facilities are far superior to GDS with a baseball, soccer, football and lacrosse fields. GDS is far superior in the arts. If your kid needs structure, I would lean toward Sidwell. If they are more arty, I would go to GDS.

Wow. These comments are so helpful. Thank you. I have heard that Sidwell's grading system is tougher than GDS's. Do you think this is true?

Also, I heard something about Sidwell not calculating GPA and/or class rank. Don't colleges want this info?

Tia

Can't go wrong either way. With GDS, the upper school campus was chosen so as to be within walking distance to the metro (Tenleytown). GDS seems "crunchier," and Sidwell more establishment, but academics at both are outstanding. I disagree with PP about sciences, I actually think that GDS' math and science programs are marginally stronger than Sidwell, as well as their English/writing--but then again, both are outstanding. Sidwell athletics, however, are overall stronger than GDS.

Sidwell has a much stronger reputation nationally. But from the standpoint churning out great students, I think both schools are on equal footing. You really can't go wrong -- just ask your DC to make the final decision.

I agree with many of the points the PP made. A couple of things though (I have a DC in upper school at Sidwell): the library is always open until 6, and activities/practices/games frequently run later than that, so kids are on campus even later. Especially with basketball in the winter, kids hang out on campus until game time. With the new athletic center, they also have access to the gym for pick-up sports after school, not just formal practices. And, there are AP courses labeled as such in Art, Language, and Math (but it's true, many kids take AP tests in history, science, and English as well).

Best thing to do is, as the PP said, have your child visit both schools again, and try to talk to families with current 8th-graders.

There are several recent or current families with kids in both high schools-ask the admissions office perhaps to speak to them-but we are one so can offer some information. They are more similar than different, compared to other local schools, and overall are both really great high schools, so would leave it completely up to your DC, based on how each school feels on visiting again, and perhaps also hearing about the character of the particular class now in 8th grade at each school, in relatively small schools this is a major factor and may help decide.
Both schools academically challenging, a full range of courses in all academic subjects. At Sidwell only allowed 5 academic subjects without special permission, no courses called "APs" although many if not all kids do end up taking 4-7 AP exams by the end of high school. GDS allows more leeway with taking up to 6 academics and does label classes "AP". Languages seem stronger at GDS, possibly sciences at Sidwell. GDS has the "forum", which really seems to create/allow a very strong sense of community centered on the campus, and kids, whether engaged directly in an extracurricular activity or not, stay at school often working or socializing until mid evening. The campus and library are open every weekday evening. Sidwell shuts up completely at 5pm, there is nothing like the forum, which means more of the community seems to be centered around teams, parties, outside of school activities. Visual arts/drama much stronger and more valued at GDS, choral music great at Sidwell. Athletics overall stronger at Sidwell, but GDS has some fine coaches and teams, so really depends on whether important to your child and which specific sport. Now that all the construction is done, both have nice new athletic centers. Sidwell is more formal, and there doesn't seem to be the closeness between students and administrators that there is at GDS, but there are many strong relationships with individual teachers at Sidwell. The weekly Quaker meeting and Quaker underpinnings of Sidwell have been very positive for my child. Both of my children have been extremely happy socially and academically at both schools. REally can't go wrong either way.

Does anybody have experience with both? How do they compare? Tia