Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're talking about upper school all of the schools you've listed are very close to each other in terms of a commute from Vienna: gds, sidwell, St. Albans, wis and maret upper schools are all within a mile or so of each other, so there is no appreciable commute difference from Vienna unless you are commuting on through to work which might affect the equation.

Gotta disagree. While generically similar, at that time of morning you are talking an exponential impact to the commute in increments of 5 to 10 minutes jumps.

Look at Google maps. Most of these schools are less than a mile from each other. Gds is a little further at about 2 miles from the others. If youre coming from Vienna I don't think the difference btw sidwell and maret in terms of your commute will be exponentially different. The best thing to do would be to see if there's a critical mass of other Vienna folks at the school so you can carpool.

Anonymous wrote:What about Vienna to St. Albans/NCS?

We have close friends who live in Vienna and participate in a van pool (private van co hired by parents) that leaves from GF Safeway parking lot to NCS/STA each morning.

Anonymous wrote:If you're talking about upper school all of the schools you've listed are very close to each other in terms of a commute from Vienna: gds, sidwell, St. Albans, wis and maret upper schools are all within a mile or so of each other, so there is no appreciable commute difference from Vienna unless you are commuting on through to work which might affect the equation.

Gotta disagree. While generically similar, at that time of morning you are talking an exponential impact to the commute in increments of 5 to 10 minutes jumps.

If you're talking about upper school all of the schools you've listed are very close to each other in terms of a commute from Vienna: gds, sidwell, St. Albans, wis and maret upper schools are all within a mile or so of each other, so there is no appreciable commute difference from Vienna unless you are commuting on through to work which might affect the equation.

What about Vienna to St. Albans/NCS?

Anonymous wrote: GDS sends more kids to Harvard than any other school in DC

Their secret sauce is to take uber-gifted and talented kids and educate them well and develop a very strong sense of self-confidence. There is a strong affinity with Harvard.

GDS sends more kids to Harvard than any other school in DC

If Harvard is the goal then GDS has a pipeline. Sidwell will get you in to a top notch college but doesn't place at Harvard as much. Overall, Sidwell's placement is slightly better but GDS seems to have built a pipeline.

Potomac is a great academic school

Maret is over hyped.

Its not Sidwell or STA

I was the poster that said 40-45 etc. We are applying to 2 and maybe 3 of those schools. Are you high school? We will car pool with you. Applying to Potomac as well but everybody in No Va wants to go there. There are no other options in No Va other than Potomac as other schools are lower. I think Potomac is probably just a notch lower than GDS, Sidwell, Maret, and the Cathederal schools.

Plus, remember that you will want to go to games and other after school activities sometimes. Why not look at Potomac, which doesn't involve getting across the river? The only way I would think about Upper NW privates if I lived in Vienna is if I had to come into Washington every day, but for a job that involved pretty flexible commute times.

Are you near Nutley? Dulles Toll Road?

Anonymous wrote:GDS 40-45 minutes. Sidwell 45-50. Maret 50-55. Don't know WIS too well.

NP here: the time stated above is pretty accurate but I would add that's the "normal" commute time. With rain, I would add on another 20-30 min. Snow...forget about it! Just let your kid stay home for a day.

GDS 40-45 minutes. Sidwell 45-50. Maret 50-55. Don't know WIS too well.

Virginia Parents, Can someone provide a realistic estimate of how long it will take to get from Vienna to GDS, Maret, Sidwell, WIS?