GDS - exceeded already high expectations and the expanded campus seems like it will be amazing.

Plus those fancy facilities do not get you into top colleges. You just end up paying more tuition for the same college result.

Anonymous wrote:Tidy and functional is different than shiny and new. Some new stuck me as sterile. Some of the shine was strangely formal and unnecessary, like a hotel lobby. Older facilities could use updates, sure, but what's the trade-off? Tuition pays for teachers/program, but only with the help of additional annual fund $. Schools rely on separate capital campaigns to pay for facility upgrades. Schools prioritize different things based on donor-base priorities. Then schools with previously outdated sports/theater/student center facilities are later criticized for spending too much on the new sports/theater/student center facilities. Same with colleges -- we all complain about how much things cost yet we still want and the bells and whistles.

PS -- Teenagers are messy and intentionally allowed to be more independent. I found that messiness to be more on display than I had expected at most of the high schools we visited.

+1000, focus on the academic rigor and keep tuition increases to a minimum. High schools do not need college facilities.

I thought Browne’s campus was maintained. Nice bright classroom and nice gym with windows.

SSSFS was ok.

Bullis and Good Counsel have very nice campuses.

Holy Cross looked ancient. No curb appeal.

This is a nice thread to start.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell lower school was not impressive for the amount that they charge. I felt like GDS was a close second. The facilities appeared dated and not as well kept as others. St. Andrew's, W.I.S., and W.E.S. were positively surprising.

Meaning the facilities at St. Andrew’s, WIS and WES were well maintained? Having been to two of the schools, I assume that’s what you mean.

Yep, the facilities were maintained very well. W.E.S. is even looking at expanding their current space.

Tidy and functional is different than shiny and new. Some new stuck me as sterile. Some of the shine was strangely formal and unnecessary, like a hotel lobby. Older facilities could use updates, sure, but what's the trade-off? Tuition pays for teachers/program, but only with the help of additional annual fund $. Schools rely on separate capital campaigns to pay for facility upgrades. Schools prioritize different things based on donor-base priorities. Then schools with previously outdated sports/theater/student center facilities are later criticized for spending too much on the new sports/theater/student center facilities. Same with colleges -- we all complain about how much things cost yet we still want and the bells and whistles.

PS -- Teenagers are messy and intentionally allowed to be more independent. I found that messiness to be more on display than I had expected at most of the high schools we visited.

Browne needed cosmetic repair

Madeira was not what I was expecting. Felt like Little House on the Prairie. Bullis facilities and grounds are very nice. Wasn't expecting to like the school but I did.

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell lower school was not impressive for the amount that they charge. I felt like GDS was a close second. The facilities appeared dated and not as well kept as others. St. Andrew's, W.I.S., and W.E.S. were positively surprising.

Meaning the facilities at St. Andrew’s, WIS and WES were well maintained? Having been to two of the schools, I assume that’s what you mean.

Sidwell lower school was not impressive for the amount that they charge. I felt like GDS was a close second. The facilities appeared dated and not as well kept as others. St. Andrew's, W.I.S., and W.E.S. were positively surprising.

Montessori - forget which one but one on Old Georgetown Road. They told us to sit in a chair and observe and not interact with the kids. Teachers were cold, uncaring and not attentive to the kids. They walked around the classroom strangely and some of the kids were walking around wild, not engaged.

St Jane (or what ever it is called) - very formal and cold. None fo the kids seemed happy. The woman we met with was cold, not friendly and got angry when I asked the demographics of the kids.

Avalon School - only a few kids in the grade, very disorganized, waiting for a tour and the front desk woman handed out ibprohpen to several kids like it was candy, kids seemed academically behind (very nice kids), headmaster was very much into his views and only his views and was clear it he'd take any child but would make the child justify their views and turn everything into a debate (i.e. bullying child into his views).

Holy Cross (K-8) - Surprised how much we liked it but after the other experiences very turned off by a religious school. Staff were very warm and welcoming, had no issue with different viewpoints, kids friendly and seemed happy.

(I'm surprised at the posts on the facilities being old. These schools have been around for years so its not surprising but for the price they charge they should be well maintained).

Maret. For a school that has that much money, the place looks like they don't care about how it looks. Even their theater, which most schools keep looking nice, was a pit. There was a blind on the wall that was ripped and there were bins of cables and other mess just sitting around the place. There were bookcases in the hallway with no shelves on them in the Upper School. Not even sure why they were there.

All of their publications make the place look so nice. It really isn't that way at all.

I thought Visitation was nice, but there was a section attached to the main building that were were not impressed with. Really weird. Almost like it was an afterthought. Not enough to change my opinion of the school, but made we wonder what was going on there.

Holy Cross was a lot older looking than I thought it would be. Definitely could use an update.

Both schools were mostly cosmetic issues with the facilities. I thought the teachers at both were lovely.

Stone Ridge middle school...very dated building...tiny classrooms. Felt claustrophobic.

Schools around here are very good at PR, but I wonder what schools let you down when you actually saw them in person. Also, what schools pleasantly surprised you?