Anonymous wrote:Not Visi but currently having this experience at another private school. As someone who has volunteered for admissions offices for years, I’m over the fake song-and-dance during admissions season and feel gross for being a part of it. Honestly, so much (all?) of what schools and even current families tell you is what they wished was true, and not what’s really going on. I feel incredibly cynical about it and now that my child is old enough to apply out, I’m wary of almost every pitch we hear.

The reality is that even in the biggest, richest cities, only 2-3 schools per city have the resources to really offer everything and at a high caliber. Everything else is going to be broadly mediocre with a few standout parts.

I grew up in public schools and really wanted more for my kid. I think private schools that aren’t truly elite are a waste and I’d rather have a well-funded public school from the 80s and the experienced faculty that used to come with that.

NP: Amen!!! We started a new private (not Visi) this year and both DC and I feel outright deceived. They are selling the heck out of these schools these days and the extent of fluff and BS is indeed, bordering on fraud (as another PP said). The saddest part is not only that resulting disappointment but the aftermath, having to consider transfers while managing a growing distrust. Current parents often pile on the misrepresentation; it’s become very disheartening for us.

Anonymous wrote:
"I am so surprised to hear this review."

You are to be admired for your loyalty to the school. The instructor you reference is probably of good will and presumably took admirable actions during the pandemic. However, your response is an assembly of opinions and suggestions that do not address the central issues of program quality and misrepresentation.

+1. That post makes no sense.

Does Madeira have a good arts program? We are considering it for HS as we live nearby.

"I am so surprised to hear this review."

You are to be admired for your loyalty to the school. The instructor you reference is probably of good will and presumably took admirable actions during the pandemic. However, your response is an assembly of opinions and suggestions that do not address the central issues of program quality and misrepresentation.

Anonymous wrote:What’s the gold standard local private high school for performing arts? Sidwell?

It would be interesting if visi girls could do something at Duke Ellington a block away. But I’m guessing the gulf is too big

Kids who go to Duke Ellington earned their spots at Duke Ellington. Why should they set aside roles for Visi kids?

DC actually has great opportunities outside of school. Many people who have a passion for ballet, singing, or acting pursue those, and skip HS plays altogether. Those that choose to thrive on their school stage SHOULD be given the best roles, instead of passing them off to people who dabble. It is HS-and a competitive one at that.

I am so surprised to hear this review.

In recent years, Visi worked so very hard to keep their performing arts (drama) program up and running during Covid and it was very much dancing backwards in heels.

I found the director to be creative and hard-working and supportive of the young women who signed up for one kind of HS experience when life gave them another. They fully cast one show, and then decided it was kind of problematic and did it allllll over again. They found a musical that showcased the gifts of some strong performers already enrolled and used their resources and assets to keep the cohort small during a pandemic to stage SISTER ACT. They recruited a handful of local male actors (not from Gonzaga, per se) and staged a gorgeous performance. The director was supportive of the mission of the school while supporting some young women who would not have had a theatre credit on their resume if they had attended a different school because it was an uphill battle.

I will say, as the parent of a guest actor that when I asked for advice on how to guide my child into a performing arts college program, that man got back to me in an hour and had many creative and supportive ideas.

I am sorry your experience was different, and your grapes were sour.

I think it is crummy for you to malign an educator on a forum like this. Theatre, like sports, often requires private training at higher levels. If anyone pretends to show up for audition "cold" they are faking it. That's a Disney channel dream sequence.

Get a coach. Go to camp. Ask your kid for details and if they don't tell you, they don't care.

+1 for Visi arts.

XO, mom of kid who used a Visi production to get into a top 10 theatre program.

Anonymous wrote:OP here with my final comment. I am not the least bit critical of the earnest efforts made by the children who participate in the Visi program. They are doing their finest with what is actually offered at Visi.

I only warn others considering the school if performing arts is important to their daughter. As the wizened commenters accurately implied, I was a chump for having believed the misrepresentations and should have protected my daughter from these people.

I for one, thank you for posting because we are looking at the school for our 7th grader in two years and one of our requirements is a strong performing arts program (she is a big theatre kid!) so she’d be devastated if she got in and enrolled and found there was just a shell of a program.

I think OP is justified in her disappointment. If her kid was specifically looking for performing arts opportunities and Visi oversold those opportunities and that sss the difference between her daughter attending Visi or somewhere else, then yes I would be pissed off too. And not all schools lie about their offerings - I’ve attended many fairs and open houses where the school will quite plainly say what they can and cannot offer or do. So for the representative from the school to have outright misrepresented the offerings and opportunities is a huge deal.

No one is saying people attend Visi for the arts - no one does. But if you are a very academic student and the performing arts is the one thing you want to do at school as a creative outlet and it is barely or non-existent, then OP has the right to be upset.

OP here with my final comment. I am not the least bit critical of the earnest efforts made by the children who participate in the Visi program. They are doing their finest with what is actually offered at Visi.

I only warn others considering the school if performing arts is important to their daughter. As the wizened commenters accurately implied, I was a chump for having believed the misrepresentations and should have protected my daughter from these people.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Our family does not prioritize performing arts first in our daughter's upbringing, and we were not seeking the spectacular facilities, instruction and performance opportunities available at the larger public schools. We are more concerned about academics and other things.

The disappointment is that our daughter was looking for reasonable opportunities to perform and was expressly and very specifically lied to (in my presence). What was delivered is so barren and deficient as to border on fraud. This is not the doing of talented students who discovered the misrepresentations, found opportunities elsewhere yet remain at the school for unrelated reasons.

School management appears to knowingly over-represent the program. That is the fundamental cause of our daughter's disappointment. Being lied to.

What happened to awful, painful, embarrassing? Don’t back off now. Not when there’s another chance to rip into your DD’s schoolmates!

What’s the gold standard local private high school for performing arts? Sidwell?

It would be interesting if visi girls could do something at Duke Ellington a block away. But I’m guessing the gulf is too big

OP here. Our family does not prioritize performing arts first in our daughter's upbringing, and we were not seeking the spectacular facilities, instruction and performance opportunities available at the larger public schools. We are more concerned about academics and other things.

The disappointment is that our daughter was looking for reasonable opportunities to perform and was expressly and very specifically lied to (in my presence). What was delivered is so barren and deficient as to border on fraud. This is not the doing of talented students who discovered the misrepresentations, found opportunities elsewhere yet remain at the school for unrelated reasons.

School management appears to knowingly over-represent the program. That is the fundamental cause of our daughter's disappointment. Being lied to.

Visi has never been known for its arts programs. You should have asked alums and current students. Perhaps you should have applied to Burke. Also, SR has better arts but still not great. Among girls schools, Holton has pretty good theater.

When looking at schools who sing the praises of their visual and performing arts departments, take a look at the schedules and staffing. Is one person teaching a wide range of grades? Are the classes scattered in a manner that is inconsistent? Are the offerings solely extra curricular?

This will tell you where the school actually places value. It is incredibly difficult to have a fantastic arts program without consistency in the schedule and staffing. In order to build skills and refine performances students need to do this more than twice a week which is what most schools end up offering at some levels.

In a smaller private school it will be very hard to gain the number of students required for ensembles— likely why middle school students were added to a high school show.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Criticizing a specific production where specific kids spent a lot of time and effort to do their best and build a community and have fun together is actually mean.

I am beginning to believe the Visi rep. The bad one.

People criticize high school sports teams.

Not OK with that either. Are you? They are kids.

Wow. Visi really is full of mean snobs. Fortunately, the perf arts community at my kids’ school is not. I can only hope your DDs stay as far from the other girls as they can so as not to be so terribly embarrassed. And so those girls don’t have to put up with your attitude.

Anonymous wrote:Criticizing a specific production where specific kids spent a lot of time and effort to do their best and build a community and have fun together is actually mean.

I am beginning to believe the Visi rep. The bad one.

People criticize high school sports teams.