Anonymous wrote:I started at an ivy in 1995 and a kid from gds was there .. I was surprised because no one from my circle had even considered it. She was very "alternative" but I guess had to be smart. So I'd say mid to late 90s.

The market thing is more amusing. It is where rich kids went after getting rejected/kicked out of good schools. Last chance place.

While Ivy may once have been the exception, it became more common.

GDS is sort of the Skadden Arps of DC private schools. It was a scrappy upstart with its own philosophy among more “white shoe” private schools. Through outsmarting and outworking the others, and through its progressively recognized reputation for attracting talent and achieving success, GDS is now firmly at the pinnacle of privates.

Great HoS, good locations for DMV homes, well-rounded curriculum, enthusiastic teachers, down to earth vibe, something for everyone at the US— wide span of interests and college/career goals.

More demand here, due to brilliant and diverse economy, public schools that got worse with NCLB and Common Core, and increasing barbell demographics of highly educated vs uneducated undocumenteds’ kids. Some of the sanctuary counties here only have time and resources to fight the eSOL and FARMs fires, not challenge top students beyond their small magnet programs.

Anonymous wrote:I grew up here in the 80s and 90s and I agree. GDS was nbd. It had no reputation at all. It wasn’t on people’s radar.

Which "people"?

50 years ago, China was a communist backwater. Today it is the second largest economy in the world, on the heels of the US. What is your point? That people don't work to change things?

In the 80s and early 90s GDS was the school where liberal, Jewish intellectuals sent their kids. WASPY types never considered it because of that. Slowly I think folks started to realize that the kids were getting a great education there and what had been a mostly Jewish school (albeit very reform/progressive) started to change demographically. Also GDS had a reputation for being integrated early on and DC was a VERY segregated city so that probably held its reputation down in certain circles

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y'all sound jealous.

Jealous of what? I don’t have kids in private. This title popped up in recent topics and caught my eye because I grew up here and I agree. What would I be jealous of? Just stating a fact. GDS was a meh school in the 80s and 90s. You sound defensive.

I should add, I doubt my kids could get in now and I couldn’t afford it anyway. Does that make you feel better?

Anonymous wrote:Y'all sound jealous.

Jealous of what? I don’t have kids in private. This title popped up in recent topics and caught my eye because I grew up here and I agree. What would I be jealous of? Just stating a fact. GDS was a meh school in the 80s and 90s. You sound defensive.

Y'all sound jealous.

I grew up here in the 80s and 90s and I agree. GDS was nbd. It had no reputation at all. It wasn’t on people’s radar.

When the Obamas visited it.

I started at an ivy in 1995 and a kid from gds was there .. I was surprised because no one from my circle had even considered it. She was very "alternative" but I guess had to be smart. So I'd say mid to late 90s.

The market thing is more amusing. It is where rich kids went after getting rejected/kicked out of good schools. Last chance place.

Anonymous wrote:Maret was a last resort school, and

Bullis wasn't even a laughable options.

[b]

I think, as the public schools continued to deteriorate in the 1990's (DCPS and DC in general hit a nadir during the crack epidemic and latter Barry years) and testing and overcrowding overtook the MoCo schools in the late 1990's and early 2000's, there is a huge influx of new demand that made "the top" schools even harder to get into and it trickled "down" to GDS and Maret and as those became more in demand, it tickled "down" to Burke, Field, St Andrews, WIS etc.

Yes, Bullis was the "all boys school for kids in trouble" or the "13th year" for kids going (honorably!!!) into the service academy(s) - West Point and Annapolis...

Maret was a last resort school, and Bullis wasn't even a laughable options.

I think, as the public schools continued to deteriorate in the 1990's (DCPS and DC in general hit a nadir during the crack epidemic and latter Barry years) and testing and overcrowding overtook the MoCo schools in the late 1990's and early 2000's, there is a huge influx of new demand that made "the top" schools even harder to get into and it trickled "down" to GDS and Maret and as those became more in demand, it tickled "down" to Burke, Field, St Andrews, WIS etc.

I grew up here in the 80s and it was considered a school where kids went that didn't "get in" - things have changed - what happened and when?