Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News flash...all of the DC prep schools are second and in some regards third tier prep schools....there are no Horace Manns, no Exeters and no Riverdale Country days....the only reason Sidwell is mentioned up here so much is because the presidents kids go there...and it's still not one of the best in the country and once he is out of office there will be some other school that's considered the big 3.......Potomic is a fine school and I think it's better then the others anyway

With all due respect to the president but Sidwell was a great school prior to the Obamas and will be a great school afterwards. Sidwell remains a sought after school because of it's superior approach to teaching and, surprise surprise, its stellar international reputation. While I agree that Sidwell is probably not on par with Horace Mann or Exeter, that does not minimize the quality of its program.

Horace Mann the DC public school?

OP -- We accepted Potomac.

Anonymous wrote:News flash...all of the DC prep schools are second and in some regards third tier prep schools....there are no Horace Manns, no Exeters and no Riverdale Country days....the only reason Sidwell is mentioned up here so much is because the presidents kids go there...and it's still not one of the best in the country and once he is out of office there will be some other school that's considered the big 3.......Potomic is a fine school and I think it's better then the others anyway

Not accurate. Sidwell and STA (and maybe NCS) are on par with the top schools nationally. In one teeny little example STA was just named smartest boarding school students by Business Insider. All three get national recognition regularly.

Anonymous wrote:Bullis is to Maryland as Potomac is to Virginia

Flint Hill student right there! You just gave yourself away, buddy.

NO! you are suppose to let this thread die!

^ funny!

Bullis is to Maryland as Potomac is to Virginia

Deadline to pick a school is about 48 - 72 hours away.....CAN WE PLEASE PUT THIS THREAD TO REST?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, you are still woefully ignorant.

As are you. But I'm not paying 35k a year for "Churchill."

Mostly because you can't get in.

No. Who would "apply" so that they could given permission to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a public school that they can get for free? Potomac has nothing to offer that we couldn't get in FCPS or MCPS.

NP here- Simply not true. Sounds like you have never actually set foot at Potomac or the MCPS schools we are in. We have experience with both. The differences are significant.

Another NP with experience at both Potomac and FCPS. They are worlds apart.

OP, while I believe Potomac is on par with the "big 3" in the academic measures many have mentioned already, it comes down to where your child and your family fit best. For many, attending Harvard isn't the goal of a K-12 education. We want our kids to grow into kind, responsible adults who love learning. I want them to choose colleges that are right for them, not the one that looks best as a bumper sticker on my car. Potomac (both the institution and most of the other parents) seemed to foster those values, and that was why we chose it over two "big 3" schools for our children.

Anonymous wrote:We also know families that are very happy with Potomac and stayed until graduation. They have mentioned that there is a significant turnover in Upper School as many kids will go to boarding school in line with their family traditions. I don't believe that is so true at the big 3s at least not the one our kid attends.

Yes, that sounds just like a public HS to me. So many leaving for boarding school.

I also think people's assessment of great schools is skewed - if you mean coveted by rich people & a reputation, sure. But the actually quality of the education? I do not believe that these fancy boarding schools are offering anything far superior to other schools...other than access to the rich & fancy people, & I'm not sure that degree of snobbery is anything but a drawback.

Sidwell is definitely on par with Horace Mann and other day schools around the country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, you are still woefully ignorant.

As are you. But I'm not paying 35k a year for "Churchill."

Mostly because you can't get in.

No. Who would "apply" so that they could given permission to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a public school that they can get for free? Potomac has nothing to offer that we couldn't get in FCPS or MCPS.

NP here- Simply not true. Sounds like you have never actually set foot at Potomac or the MCPS schools we are in. We have experience with both. The differences are significant.

Anonymous wrote:News flash...all of the DC prep schools are second and in some regards third tier prep schools....there are no Horace Manns, no Exeters and no Riverdale Country days....the only reason Sidwell is mentioned up here so much is because the presidents kids go there...and it's still not one of the best in the country and once he is out of office there will be some other school that's considered the big 3.......Potomic is a fine school and I think it's better then the others anyway

With all due respect to the president but Sidwell was a great school prior to the Obamas and will be a great school afterwards. Sidwell remains a sought after school because of it's superior approach to teaching and, surprise surprise, its stellar international reputation. While I agree that Sidwell is probably not on par with Horace Mann or Exeter, that does not minimize the quality of its program.

News flash...all of the DC prep schools are second and in some regards third tier prep schools....there are no Horace Manns, no Exeters and no Riverdale Country days....the only reason Sidwell is mentioned up here so much is because the presidents kids go there...and it's still not one of the best in the country and once he is out of office there will be some other school that's considered the big 3.......Potomic is a fine school and I think it's better then the others anyway