Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 17:37     Subject: Most famous DC Private
Anonymous wrote:It's DeMatha or Gonzaga. More people know sports than academics.


Most people know neither. The only reason you know or care that those schools produce good athletes is because they are local schools. Lots of places have a local school or two that is known for some sports program or another, and can tell you "oh such and such athlete went there." But you or I would never recognize the name of the school because it's in Dallas or Denver or Atlanta or something.

People know Sidwell because it made the news a lot as the place that Chelsea Clinton and the Obama girls went. It has nothing to do with academics. It has to do with fame. People care about where very famous people go.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 17:34     Subject: Re:Most famous DC Private
Anonymous wrote:It's Sidwell and nothing else. Maybe some of the schools with big football feeders are famous among sports fans who pay attention to stuff like where NFL players went to high school. But your average person has heard of Sidwell because presidents' kids go there and that's it.

People don't remember the name of the schools involved in the Kavanaugh hearings, just that the people involved went to some hoity private Catholic schools.

If you ranked all private schools in the country in terms of fame, Sidwell might crack the top 10 (might) and no other DC school would rank. It would mostly be schools like Harvard-Westlake, Phillips Exeter, Choate, Exeter, Spence -- places they've heard of because famous people send their kids there or people write books about them or lots of well known politicians, writers and celebrities attended. This is not the case with any DC school except Sidwell.


I meant to write Andover instead of Exeter twice. Also agree with PP that people might recognize DeMatha for basketball but as with Gonzaga or Good Counsel, most people are not aware enough of where professional athletes attended high school to recognize the names. The only reason we even know that some pro athletes attended these schools is because those athletes are "local." If we were from Indiana, we wouldn't know they went there and would not care.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 17:32     Subject: Re:Most famous DC Private
It's Sidwell and nothing else. Maybe some of the schools with big football feeders are famous among sports fans who pay attention to stuff like where NFL players went to high school. But your average person has heard of Sidwell because presidents' kids go there and that's it.

People don't remember the name of the schools involved in the Kavanaugh hearings, just that the people involved went to some hoity private Catholic schools.

If you ranked all private schools in the country in terms of fame, Sidwell might crack the top 10 (might) and no other DC school would rank. It would mostly be schools like Harvard-Westlake, Phillips Exeter, Choate, Exeter, Spence -- places they've heard of because famous people send their kids there or people write books about them or lots of well known politicians, writers and celebrities attended. This is not the case with any DC school except Sidwell.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 17:27     Subject: Most famous DC Private
DeMatha is probably the most well known school because of the lengthy basketball history. Then Gonzaga especially with Caleb Williams recently in the news a lot. Sidwell probably third because of the Clintons and the Obamas. I doubt many people could name any other school. Even St. Albans has a low profile outside a select set of people. No one has heard of GDS or Maret.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 17:25     Subject: Most famous DC Private
Anonymous wrote:None. DC is still considered a " cow town" by most of the country.


You’re a rube, posting on DCUM from some sad, dead end suburb.

Meanwhile, Washington DC is a World Capital City, and one of the most influential cities in the world.

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-influential-cities-in-the-world-2018-5?amp
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 16:38     Subject: Most famous DC Private
It's DeMatha or Gonzaga. More people know sports than academics.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 16:15     Subject: Most famous DC Private
Anonymous wrote:None. DC is still considered a " cow town" by most of the country.


Why a cow town?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 16:11     Subject: Most famous DC Private
I knew Madeira because of the headmistress.....
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 15:02     Subject: Most famous DC Private
Sidwell just because it's where the president's kids usually go
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 15:00     Subject: Most famous DC Private
My private school circle in the midwest had only heard of St. Albans. Sidwell after Chelsea Clinton.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 14:54     Subject: Re:Most famous DC Private
Ridiculous question. Even in NYC, some of the "most famous" private schools are Horace Mann, Trinity, Spence, Collegiate, Brearley... who do you think knows those? Not many people.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 14:52     Subject: Most famous DC Private
In the South, NY/Conn., and Texas: Episcopal
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 14:50     Subject: Most famous DC Private
Anonymous wrote:In terms of national profile, it's probably either Gonzaga and DeMatha...maybe Sidwell.


PP here and I agree. I forgot to add Dematha. Nationally known is Sidwell, Gonzaga, Dematha, and I'd add St John's. All mainly due to sports.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 14:11     Subject: Most famous DC Private
In terms of national profile, it's probably either Gonzaga and DeMatha...maybe Sidwell.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2024 13:39     Subject: Re:Most famous DC Private
No way is Prep on the list even for DC famous.

Sidwell
STA
NCS
GDS
Maret
Gonzaga
St Johns

If we're talking just about fame and not rankings.