Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

TJ will be 2200 students next year. TJ is amazing. But I doubt your kid can count on getting in. There just aren’t that many spots.

FWIW, I don’t think there’s a ton of overlap between families considering most rigorous local privates and TJ. We are at Big3 and would not have sent child to TJ for the same reasons we elected not to send child to W&L IB. And of course you sort of have to make up your mind on that front beforehand.

For my family, we see little not value in TJ and did not apply. Size, distance, kind of kid, etc meant not a good fit. I don’t believe in a kid knowing they are Stem or not at 15. My kid is just really really smart and I wanted them to learn to think critically and write in addition to some basic math/science. If they want to go deep into a subject that is the purpose of college/grad school. Furthermore, I think TJ draws a particular type of kid and parent, lots of these folks at local academic competitions drilling their kid on math facts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

APS designed W-L HS for 2700 students max (no exceptions) and said boundaries would be adjusted when there are enrollment fluctuations. That’s how they sold it to the School Board and the surrounding community with support from the then W-L PTA and the then feeder school families (Swanson, Taylor, Long Branch, etc.). School boards of course come and go and priorities change, but APS has committed itself to changing boundaries when needed and future boundary changes for all grade levels are likely planned—hence the revised boundary policy.

What binds them to hold that no exceptions policy? Without a 4th high school enrollment can still rise and we have these full schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

TJ will be 2200 students next year. TJ is amazing. But I doubt your kid can count on getting in. There just aren’t that many spots.

Anonymous wrote:How many Arlington residents does TJ take?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

APS designed W-L HS for 2700 students max (no exceptions) and said boundaries would be adjusted when there are enrollment fluctuations. That’s how they sold it to the School Board and the surrounding community with support from the then W-L PTA and the then feeder school families (Swanson, Taylor, Long Branch, etc.). School boards of course come and go and priorities change, but APS has committed itself to changing boundaries when needed and future boundary changes for all grade levels are likely planned—hence the revised boundary policy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in the commute. The drive to/from the top private (or the distance from home if it’s a boarding school), the bus commute to TJ, or the walk to WL, etc.

Do you know of families with kids at any of the schools you are considering? Reach out to them as well.

Really hard to evaluate reality. Walking in cold and hot humid weather for 2 mile walk zones is pretty grim. Driving is terrible since it’s a HUGE school on a tiny lot surrounded by busy roads - it not be much faster than driving to DC and back.

It’s not a tiny lot. It’s actually a big site, but Quincy Street does back up in the afternoons when school lets out. It’s not much better at Wakefield and Yorktown with the limited parking lot exits and narrow streets. There’s no way that driving to Upper NW D.C. is quicker with the traffic over chain bridge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suggest having DC attend the "shadow day" and your family attend ALL "prospective student/parent" events at the private. If they have not yet offered a shadow day at the private, then ask Admissions Office if a Spring shadow day is possible soon for your DC.

I think this is more about which school will be the "best fit" for your DC. Either should have tolerable academics. Get as much information about both options, talk it over with DC, and choose the school which is the best fit for DC.

Privates generally have smaller class sizes which helps many kids. Most privates have few behavior problems (not zero, just fewer) simply because they can "counsel out" the behavior problem students. Privates like the one you describe generally will differentiate academics, but also generally do not have a "remedial" track (instead, students are "counseled out" from a private school if they can't keep up with the main track). Homework loads at a good private on the rigorous track will be several hours every night. While many local privates talk up STEM, as that is stylish right now, the truth is that many of the local private school graduates are more Arts & Letters oriented and end up taking a pre-Law undergraduate degree or get a business-oriented undergraduate degree. If going private, do NOT leave the course placement to chance. If there are "placement tests" then make sure DC studies a bit before taking those (the other new students also will be prepping). Actively engage with the private school about which specific classes DC will take AND at which level (regular, Honors, AP, or whatever). Privates are smaller, so often (not always) it is easier to be on a Varsity sports team, although playing time will vary with how good DC really is compared with others on the team.

Publics need to educate everyone, so they just don't have as much flexibility in handling behavior problems. Similarly, publics unavoidably have much larger typical class sizes. Because public schools are so much larger, one usually has to be a much better athlete to make the Varsity team for a particular sport. I am not sure what is typical nightly homework load at WL on the top track. Someone here might know.

Are sports, unlike many DC area private schools, public schools do not recruit. So neighborhood kids can play on competitive sports like Basketball from the freshman teams through varsity. Of course there are limited spots on competitive sports teams so talent is a huge factor. But there are many other varsity sports at a large public high school with no cuts. At W-L, among the no cut sports options there’s rifle team, crew (rowing), ultimate frisbee, track and cross country, swim/dive, wrestling, football, tennis etc. The competitive ice hockey team is a club (not varsity) sport and another option. Ice hockey is a growing sport in this region but not yet sanctioned by the Virginia High School League. APS has been pretty good about expanding sports options to all interested students.

W-L has traditionally had the highest homework load of the three Arlington high schools. Post covid that may have changed a little, but the AP and IB students are typically busy most nights with homework and extracurriculars. A current parent might know about the hours per night.

Yorktown made a huge effort about a decade ago to reduce and/or eliminate homework. So for a homework-lite option, Yorktown might be the better choice? Wakefield is overcrowded and I don’t believe is accepting neighborhood transfers.

As an aside, the new W-L addition “the annex” is stunning, both inside and outside. It must be an inspiring place to learn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

APS designed W-L HS for 2700 students max (no exceptions) and said boundaries would be adjusted when there are enrollment fluctuations. That’s how they sold it to the School Board and the surrounding community with support from the then W-L PTA and the then feeder school families (Swanson, Taylor, Long Branch, etc.). School boards of course come and go and priorities change, but APS has committed itself to changing boundaries when needed and future boundary changes for all grade levels are likely planned—hence the revised boundary policy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think first you rule out TJ if he's not interested in STEM, then your decision is between W-L and private. I can give you the W-L side of the debate.

Firstly, if your kids are in the top 50% of students, they will have access to impressive IB, AP and DE classes and mostly impressive teachers. The general education classes are sometimes remedial, which was a surprise. Both my kids have made connections with many of their teachers and have a number to choose from when requesting college letters of recommendation or recommendations for summer jobs. They have participated in the music and athletic programs and made lots of friends.

There is a group of kids who are troublemakers, but they tend not to lash out at kids outside their groups. The administrators are enforcing rules more this year and handing out suspensions and detentions. My kids say they are able to work around these groups with little effort.

In terms of college counseling, WL will keep your kid on track with deadlines and give them access to almost daily visits by college reps. They tend to give more assistance to the kids without means to get their applications done, not one on one counseling. So if you need that, hire someone. We haven't needed it.

My kids tell me regularly how lucky they feel to go to W-L, and I'm sure not everyone has the same positive experience but thought I'd share.

XL WL best days are behind it. They are adding another 400 students to the school over the next 3 years. Maybe IB will be insulated from the expanse, but it will just be too big to manage properly.

2020 WL Enrollment 2100
2024 WL Enrollment 2500

So will it stop at 2700 or 2900?

TJ is 1900 students

Anonymous wrote:One thing to keep in mind about IB is it doesn’t start until junior year so that small program vibe isn’t the case for the first two years of high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in the commute. The drive to/from the top private (or the distance from home if it’s a boarding school), the bus commute to TJ, or the walk to WL, etc.

Do you know of families with kids at any of the schools you are considering? Reach out to them as well.

Really hard to evaluate reality. Walking in cold and hot humid weather for 2 mile walk zones is pretty grim. Driving is terrible since it’s a HUGE school on a tiny lot surrounded by busy roads - it not be much faster than driving to DC and back.

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in the commute. The drive to/from the top private (or the distance from home if it’s a boarding school), the bus commute to TJ, or the walk to WL, etc.

Do you know of families with kids at any of the schools you are considering? Reach out to them as well.