Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering Burke, Field, SAES and SSFS for our rising 7th grader. Is there any marked difference between these schools?

Field and Burke are very similar and seem equal in my mind. Many Field families we met seems to have that feel of “exclusive wealth” to them, if that make sense. Burke seems more low key in ways that resonate better with our family. My kid loved both schools, but we went with Burke on overall feel and actual proximity more than anything.

I don’t know anything about the others.

We are looking into both Burke and Field, but I don't see how the two schools are similar. Why are there so many posts grouping the two schools together?

Both are in DC, smaller, secular, less sports-focused, block scheduling, lots of wealthy families.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering Burke, Field, SAES and SSFS for our rising 7th grader. Is there any marked difference between these schools?

Field and Burke are very similar and seem equal in my mind. Many Field families we met seems to have that feel of “exclusive wealth” to them, if that make sense. Burke seems more low key in ways that resonate better with our family. My kid loved both schools, but we went with Burke on overall feel and actual proximity more than anything.

I don’t know anything about the others.

We are looking into both Burke and Field, but I don't see how the two schools are similar. Why are there so many posts grouping the two schools together?

If you are looking for a progressive, independent 6-12, college-prep HS school in DC, outside of the "big 3," Field and Burke will both be high on the list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering Burke, Field, SAES and SSFS for our rising 7th grader. Is there any marked difference between these schools?

Field and Burke are very similar and seem equal in my mind. Many Field families we met seems to have that feel of “exclusive wealth” to them, if that make sense. Burke seems more low key in ways that resonate better with our family. My kid loved both schools, but we went with Burke on overall feel and actual proximity more than anything.

I don’t know anything about the others.

We are looking into both Burke and Field, but I don't see how the two schools are similar. Why are there so many posts grouping the two schools together?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are very, very far away from middle school but from what I read on these forums, Burke sounds like one of the places that I would want to consider for our child. But we are in Arlington, and the idea of getting over the bridge to get them there daily seems nuts. Are there peope from Northern VA that go there? I almost feel like if we liked it we would eventually want to move closer. This is all pie in the sky as again we are far from that step, and admissions are competitive and everything else.

We live in Alexandria on the border with South Arlington. It’s a commitment but doable and worth it if the school feels like the right fit (which for our child it really is). We use the morning bus service, which has stops in Arlington and Georgetown. Coming home we do a combo of picking up (Burka’s school building stays open until 6 pm) and having kid take Metro home.

Thanks for sharing. What do you do for weekend hanging out with friends? School projects? How does all that end up working out - just driving in a bunch?

Anonymous wrote:Do they take 10th graders?

Yes, if there are openings they will accept new students in 10th grade.

Anonymous wrote:We are very, very far away from middle school but from what I read on these forums, Burke sounds like one of the places that I would want to consider for our child. But we are in Arlington, and the idea of getting over the bridge to get them there daily seems nuts. Are there peope from Northern VA that go there? I almost feel like if we liked it we would eventually want to move closer. This is all pie in the sky as again we are far from that step, and admissions are competitive and everything else.

We live in Alexandria on the border with South Arlington. It’s a commitment but doable and worth it if the school feels like the right fit (which for our child it really is). We use the morning bus service, which has stops in Arlington and Georgetown. Coming home we do a combo of picking up (Burka’s school building stays open until 6 pm) and having kid take Metro home.

Anonymous wrote:We didn't choose Burke for all the reasons mentioned: it treats the kids as too special, too coddled, too much focus on SEL - not enough on academics, and in our opinion, not enough real world, not enough grit

Not enough real world and grit? Many of the students at Burke lived through a school shooting last year. These are some strong and brave kids!

We looked at these four schools (plus some others) last fall. Kid will be applying for 9th this coming year. We kept Burke and SAES on the list. We were really impressed with the teachers at Burke. (Didn’t get to meet any at SAES but really liked the mission and the focus of the school.)

Anonymous wrote:We are considering Burke, Field, SAES and SSFS for our rising 7th grader. Is there any marked difference between these schools?

Field and Burke are very similar and seem equal in my mind. Many Field families we met seems to have that feel of “exclusive wealth” to them, if that make sense. Burke seems more low key in ways that resonate better with our family. My kid loved both schools, but we went with Burke on overall feel and actual proximity more than anything.

I don’t know anything about the others.

We are considering Burke, Field, SAES and SSFS for our rising 7th grader. Is there any marked difference between these schools?

My kid will be there this Fall and he's SO excited. I am, too. It came down to Burke vs Field and we went with Burke because it "felt" more like our kid. And it was his top choice, so that helped!

We know a few kids already in the middle school, as well as their families. One kid is super artsy. Another is all about sports. Another doesn't have any particular focus; they're just enjoying being a kid. Between what the school shows & tells prospective families and what we've heard from those we know, Burke really seems like they do great job balancing academics, the arts, and sports in addition to all the SEL stuff.

We didn't choose Burke for all the reasons mentioned: it treats the kids as too special, too coddled, too much focus on SEL - not enough on academics, and in our opinion, not enough real world, not enough grit

Do they take 10th graders?

We are very, very far away from middle school but from what I read on these forums, Burke sounds like one of the places that I would want to consider for our child. But we are in Arlington, and the idea of getting over the bridge to get them there daily seems nuts. Are there peope from Northern VA that go there? I almost feel like if we liked it we would eventually want to move closer. This is all pie in the sky as again we are far from that step, and admissions are competitive and everything else.

Legacy is still a hook