My daughters attended both Holton and Westland. What does your daughter want?

Neither one is perfect. The atmosphere at Holton is definitely snobbier than at Westland but there will be kids at Westland that you won't want around your kid. The academics? Well, in general, the reading and writing is stronger at Holton but the MCPS math curriculum is stronger. (MCPS wins hands down on foreign language. Holton wins hands down in the arts. I think the rest are a wash.) You are more likely to find a lazy teacher at Westland; you are more likely to find a lousy, inexperienced teacher at Holton.

Anonymous wrote:At Westland she'll get a great education if she is a ferocious advocate for herself, learns well in classes with 30 plus students and has teacher's that have no time for her. If she wants to play a sport has she been on travel teams since she was five? In high school the competition is fierce and there are very slots on sports teams for regular people. I know because I have one in private and one in public. Publics are great if your kid is totally a self starter.

Really? My shy, easily overwhelmed kid has done great at Westland! I'm always amazed how accessible the teachers are, how well they know him, how willing they are to talk with him before or afterschool. When I've raised a concern with anyone, from the teacher to the counselor to the principal, they've always been willing to take time to find a solution and implement it quickly.

I agree that the sports situation is sad, but there are lots of afterschool clubs and arts programs that are open to everyone. I can't really justify paying $30K for tuition to avoid driving him to practice for a non-school sport.

Op, don't do it if you can't afford it. My ds is at a private school in MD and we ask ourselves every day what we got into. That said, IF you have extra money, I would do it. Holton is one of the best middle schools in the area. The solid academcis take average kids and show them what they can achieve. I went to Pyle and Whitman. In those days, it was not uncommon to see kids depart the poorly run middle schools and attend privates like Holton. They would reappear at Whitman being able to write better than any of us and they had discipline. The difference is that Holton will work with your child, Westland will not are what she does. WRT the mena girl thing, she will find at least one friend, which may not be any different in public school.

Anonymous wrote:I am willing to bet there are more wealthy people at Westland than Holton

You are probably right!

why should the op take another look at a school that, by her own admission, she cannot afford?!?

I concur with 16:23. Holton is a diverse place which every girl finds their place! What does your daughter want? I would encourage you to visit both schools for a second time before making a decision.

A 6th grader will probably have a preference which school may be the best fit for her.

I am willing to bet there are more wealthy people at Westland than Holton

You have answered your own question. You say that the tuition will make it basically impossible for you to save money (for retirement). Why would you jeopardize your financial future to send your DD to a school that you also have reservations about (privilege, etc.) when there is a good public option?

Anonymous wrote:At Westland she'll get a great education if she is a ferocious advocate for herself, learns well in classes with 30 plus students and has teacher's that have no time for her. If she wants to play a sport has she been on travel teams since she was five? In high school the competition is fierce and there are very slots on sports teams for regular people. I know because I have one in private and one in public. Publics are great if your kid is totally a self starter.

Holton is extremely competitive about its sports. I'm sure their varsity teams are as hard to get on to as BCC. Something like lacrosse (which I have seen in action because my DDs school plays them) is probably more competitive than BCC.

That being said I agree about public schools generally - I also have one in each. Although we have found that the public school teachers are very focused on working with individual kids when they ask. Based on what the OP described her DD is more like my private school kid than my public school kid.

Anonymous wrote:You have answered your own question several times.

Westland is the place for your daughter. At Holton she will be in a privliged and snobby crowd. They won't be her peers. At Westland she will get a great education.

Umm, not true -- Holton is a great school - far from "privliged and snobby crowd" Our daughters are there, and we are not wealthy, we have financial aid package for both -- and have no regrets. OP have you DD come to the school again, spend a day there.

Anonymous wrote:At Westland she'll get a great education if she is a ferocious advocate for herself, learns well in classes with 30 plus students and has teacher's that have no time for her. If she wants to play a sport has she been on travel teams since she was five? In high school the competition is fierce and there are very slots on sports teams for regular people. I know because I have one in private and one in public. Publics are great if your kid is totally a self starter.

This. My daughter is a self starter and she did well at Westland, but I know that Westland is not a place for my other child.
Why did you apply at Holton when you have all these issues with privilage, etc.

My daughter will be heading to Westland next year and I have my own concerns about it (purely logistical/specific to our family, nothing like your situation). I have canvassed lots of parents whose kids are there now and I hear uniformly great reviews -- the kids love their school, the education is great, the administration is great, etc. etc. I have not spoken to one person who doesn't love it.

I think people who come from the perspective of privates may never like the public school model. (And this is a valid perspective, just not mine.) But we also considered private schools a couple of years ago and DD was admitted to three different schools. Ultimately we decided against privates for the reasons you stated.

At Westland she'll get a great education if she is a ferocious advocate for herself, learns well in classes with 30 plus students and has teacher's that have no time for her. If she wants to play a sport has she been on travel teams since she was five? In high school the competition is fierce and there are very slots on sports teams for regular people. I know because I have one in private and one in public. Publics are great if your kid is totally a self starter.

You have answered your own question several times.

Westland is the place for your daughter. At Holton she will be in a privliged and snobby crowd. They won't be her peers. At Westland she will get a great education.

Our daughter was accepted to 6th grade at Holton. Rather than feel ecstatic, I feel anxious about sending her. My husband and I are usually in sync about big life decisions, but the prospect of sending our daughter to an independent school hasn't been one of them. My husband grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Shady Side Academy (on a scholarship), which he loved and credits with giving him great advantages that he wouldn't have otherwise had. I grew up in the Northeast and had a great experience in public schools. We both attended comparable colleges and graduate school.

While I have no doubt that Holton would provide our daughter with an exceptional education, I worry about:

1. Cost -- tuition would take most of our annual savings, and I worry about retirement
2. Environment of privilege -- I worry that being exposed to girls from wealthier families will increase her sense of entitlement/expectations (I think my husband has more of this than I do, based on our different school experiences)
3. Next year's 6th grade class at Holton -- a Holton parent described this year's 5th grade class as "extremely intense and competitive." My daughter is more on the mellow side, and this doesn't sound like a great fit.
4. Public alternative -- while I have concerns about Westland (particularly the large size and lack of individualized instruction and attention), I've heard that the academics are strong

Our daughter isn't a genious (frankly, we weren't expecting she'd be accepted at Holton), though she can do well when she applies herself. Her real gifts are her social and emotional intelligence -- she has a great heart, is extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, is a natural facilitator in groups, is able to articulate astute observations about herself and others, and brings a great sense of humor to her experiences (including an ability to laugh at herself and situations that don't go well). She also has a strong interest in music and singing.

I'd like her to be engaged and stimulated intellectually and also grow and develop in a supportive community. AND I don't want to work until I'm 85!

Thoughts?