Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to the middle school experience at the Catholic schools? Like for APS elementary students who move to STM, St. Ann or St. Agnes for middle, with the intention of going back to APS for high school? Agree with another commenter that MS is the weak link in the APS chain, especially for bright kids coming from the few challenging elementaries.

If you’re not Catholic and only intend to do Catholic school for 6th-8th grade, I don’t think you’ll be impressed. The community and the faith development make the middle school special. The relationships with the younger students, being a school leader (which is hard when you didn’t grown up with the traditions and wouldn’t know how special it is to lead stations of the cross during lent, for example) are what make those years great. The academics are good but let’s be honest, having the same teacher for science all 3 years isn’t ideal and that’s what you get at those schools. The facilities aren’t as nice as APS middle schools. I adore our years at St Agnes but if someone dropped in for 6th grade and didn’t intend to stay in the 2-3 schools most kids go to for high school, I don’t think you’d be as enchanted.

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Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position for DS in middle school and did not find any DC privates that worked logistically for transportation. We ended up sending him to SSSAS and he has loved it. There is a pretty good bus system, which is crucial for us due to work schedules. It's not Sidwell but completely fine academically and not a pressure cooker. The only big drawback is that most of his friends are in Alexandria so we spend much of our weekends driving there and back.

Both YHS and W&L are very comparable (and likely much better) academically than SSSAS. For math and science specifically, you are losing a lot with SSSAS over YHS or W&L; the AP offerings alone are not comparable. SSSAS had very few fast tracked math kids, like none. The facilities at both public schools are also, amazingly, much nicer than at SSSAS. I was a little shocked when I went there how dated it was. I do know kids who went there but it was usually a need—they weren’t “succeeding” at the north Arlington elementary or needed individual attention for some reason or another. It’s definitely a useful place to get out of ACPS, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t draw a ton from Arlington for these reasons. Not to say you shouldn’t look at it, but kids who transfer back in find APS more challenging which is a little scary.

The problem is not the high schools. The problem is the middle school system in APS. It is a weak link, both socially and academically. Private school is absolutely worth avoiding many of the APS middle schools.

And once you get to private you see the massive difference and end up staying there for HS.

That's just confirmation bias since you're paying tuition. The reality is the faculty and course offerings are superior at the publics. You don't even need teaching credentials to teach in private schools.

I disagree with the statement. We have 2 students in high school: one in APS and one in private. Our student in APS is academically successful because of how hard they work, but the opportunities afforded to them is not even close to what our other child is getting in the private school from a college prep, internship, Executive functioning standpoint. And when I say executive functioning, it’s not as if my children have a lack but the private schools do a really get job at preparing them for organization, planning, being self starters, having relationships with teachers, etc..

Can anyone speak to the middle school experience at the Catholic schools? Like for APS elementary students who move to STM, St. Ann or St. Agnes for middle, with the intention of going back to APS for high school? Agree with another commenter that MS is the weak link in the APS chain, especially for bright kids coming from the few challenging elementaries.

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Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position for DS in middle school and did not find any DC privates that worked logistically for transportation. We ended up sending him to SSSAS and he has loved it. There is a pretty good bus system, which is crucial for us due to work schedules. It's not Sidwell but completely fine academically and not a pressure cooker. The only big drawback is that most of his friends are in Alexandria so we spend much of our weekends driving there and back.

Both YHS and W&L are very comparable (and likely much better) academically than SSSAS. For math and science specifically, you are losing a lot with SSSAS over YHS or W&L; the AP offerings alone are not comparable. SSSAS had very few fast tracked math kids, like none. The facilities at both public schools are also, amazingly, much nicer than at SSSAS. I was a little shocked when I went there how dated it was. I do know kids who went there but it was usually a need—they weren’t “succeeding” at the north Arlington elementary or needed individual attention for some reason or another. It’s definitely a useful place to get out of ACPS, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t draw a ton from Arlington for these reasons. Not to say you shouldn’t look at it, but kids who transfer back in find APS more challenging which is a little scary.

The problem is not the high schools. The problem is the middle school system in APS. It is a weak link, both socially and academically. Private school is absolutely worth avoiding many of the APS middle schools.

And once you get to private you see the massive difference and end up staying there for HS.

That's just confirmation bias since you're paying tuition. The reality is the faculty and course offerings are superior at the publics. You don't even need teaching credentials to teach in private schools.

False. Stick to the public school forums.

It’s certainly true for some of the weaker privates. I don’t know specifically for SSSAS since we didn’t consider it and don’t know anyone there.

We do have experience with APS and top privates for MS and HS.

Anonymous wrote:I think the above poster is wrong. My child is in AP Calc BC as a junior at Sssas. And tons of AP offerings.
But ultimately it doesn’t matter because the top colleges take very very few AP credits

The point of AP *before senior year* is that a good score (3,4,5) can help college admissions chances.

I think the above poster is wrong. My child is in AP Calc BC as a junior at Sssas. And tons of AP offerings.
But ultimately it doesn’t matter because the top colleges take very very few AP credits

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Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position for DS in middle school and did not find any DC privates that worked logistically for transportation. We ended up sending him to SSSAS and he has loved it. There is a pretty good bus system, which is crucial for us due to work schedules. It's not Sidwell but completely fine academically and not a pressure cooker. The only big drawback is that most of his friends are in Alexandria so we spend much of our weekends driving there and back.

Both YHS and W&L are very comparable (and likely much better) academically than SSSAS. For math and science specifically, you are losing a lot with SSSAS over YHS or W&L; the AP offerings alone are not comparable. SSSAS had very few fast tracked math kids, like none. The facilities at both public schools are also, amazingly, much nicer than at SSSAS. I was a little shocked when I went there how dated it was. I do know kids who went there but it was usually a need—they weren’t “succeeding” at the north Arlington elementary or needed individual attention for some reason or another. It’s definitely a useful place to get out of ACPS, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t draw a ton from Arlington for these reasons. Not to say you shouldn’t look at it, but kids who transfer back in find APS more challenging which is a little scary.

Why the focus on APs? SSSAS has enough. No need for more. Colleges don't even want more. And they do not want more fast tracked kids.

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Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position for DS in middle school and did not find any DC privates that worked logistically for transportation. We ended up sending him to SSSAS and he has loved it. There is a pretty good bus system, which is crucial for us due to work schedules. It's not Sidwell but completely fine academically and not a pressure cooker. The only big drawback is that most of his friends are in Alexandria so we spend much of our weekends driving there and back.

Both YHS and W&L are very comparable (and likely much better) academically than SSSAS. For math and science specifically, you are losing a lot with SSSAS over YHS or W&L; the AP offerings alone are not comparable. SSSAS had very few fast tracked math kids, like none. The facilities at both public schools are also, amazingly, much nicer than at SSSAS. I was a little shocked when I went there how dated it was. I do know kids who went there but it was usually a need—they weren’t “succeeding” at the north Arlington elementary or needed individual attention for some reason or another. It’s definitely a useful place to get out of ACPS, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t draw a ton from Arlington for these reasons. Not to say you shouldn’t look at it, but kids who transfer back in find APS more challenging which is a little scary.

The problem is not the high schools. The problem is the middle school system in APS. It is a weak link, both socially and academically. Private school is absolutely worth avoiding many of the APS middle schools.

And once you get to private you see the massive difference and end up staying there for HS.

That's just confirmation bias since you're paying tuition. The reality is the faculty and course offerings are superior at the publics. You don't even need teaching credentials to teach in private schools.

False. Stick to the public school forums.

Anonymous wrote:Definitely would do SSSAS middle or high school over APS. Sorry- we did both APS and SSSAS - and SSSAS is the clear winner both academically, socially and community-wise. Our last one is still there and thriving. Would never go back to APS- the crowding and the teaching to the test- UGH!

It depends on the kid. We know families who left SSSAS for APS. And we know lots of kids who were “struggling” at APS who went to SSSAS. Look, I’d send my kid who needed extra attention who wasn’t Uber successful at APS ES to SSSAS. And they might blossom there. However, I would not (and did not) send my super bright academically oriented kids there over YHS, W&L, TJ, or Big3. Unfortunately, Arlington is filled with the latter and most of us make the same calculus so you aren’t getting APS’ best and brightest. I do think you are getting some of those kids from ACPS, however.

We moved our son to BASIS for high school from APS. It was entirely his choice. He attended a shadow day his 8th grade year and chose it over other private schools. I was nervous after reading all the weird posts on DCUM, but he's been really happy. The teachers are the absolute best part about BASIS. I can't speak to the ES and MS experience there, but his high school math and science teachers have all been there since the school opened. He loves the small class size after coming from APS, and the vibe is definitely more like a small liberal arts college than a HS. The last few graduating classes have been small (~25 students), but the 9th, 10th, and 11th grade classes are around 50 students each this year. The HS has been growing now that they have a few graduating classes under their belt and some outstanding college admissions. (In last year's class of 25, they had students matriculate to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Duke, Rice, and several UC schools-- the BIM '24 seniors have an Insta page, so you can check this out yourself.)

I understand why some posters on here view BASIS as an AP factory. However, the kids at this school are smart and independent, and most are craving the academic challenge. If your kid isn't self-motivated and naturally intellectually curious, they would probably not be happy at BASIS. The teachers hold the students to an academic standard that you would expect in college, so there are no easy As. If your kid is willing to put in the work though, they will be well prepared for college. In particular, we have seen tremendous improvement in our son's writing since moving over from APS. He finally has teachers who are marking up his grammar errors, which is one aspect of APS that drove me crazy.

The downside to BASIS is the lack of a sports program, which does probably deter some HS students from going to BASIS. Many of the HS kids are athletic, and pursue sports like swimming, fencing, golf, and travel sports outside of school. But if your kid is looking forward to going to Friday night football games, then BASIS will be a disappointment. It is not a traditional high school social scene. There are clubs and activities after school, but they are more academic than athletic. The BASIS debate, science olympiad, and quiz bowl programs are especially strong and have advanced teams to the national level.

One additional note, since you asked specifically about Arlington. We drive our son to school, but he takes the metro home. BASIS is walkable to the new McLean station near Capitol One, so if you are near the orange line, it is easy to get home in the afternoon. My son says that a few other HS kids take the silver line in the opposite direction, so he usually has someone to walk with if he wants.

Definitely would do SSSAS middle or high school over APS. Sorry- we did both APS and SSSAS - and SSSAS is the clear winner both academically, socially and community-wise. Our last one is still there and thriving. Would never go back to APS- the crowding and the teaching to the test- UGH!

For the poster who noted outdated buildings at SSSAS- they just finished a massive renovation of the Upper School this summer FYI.

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Anonymous wrote:Our son has been at Basis for 3 years and we are very happy with the school. The HOS has been here since before we started and we really like him, not sure what the beef is all about from one of the PP. The teachers have been really great and they really teach to the students’ specific needs in terms of advanced learning. I can honestly say we haven’t had a single teacher yet that we felt badly about. Our only gripe is the physical footprint of the school is fairly small for about 700 students. The school started with way less students, and have grown a lot without expanding its facilities. They also don’t have a full sports field but our son does sports outside of school anyway.

BIM was supposed to expand to occupy the entire building that they lease there, not just the half they outfitted for a school (it was an office building before). Many, many promises were made and broken about that space: it would be built out once enrollment reached 500-600, all kinds of fantastic facilities would be built there like a real-size theater and gym, etc.

But lots of money has been lost just getting the school out of the red. The current owners don't seem interested in dropping in the big bucks that realizing the original promise would take, not on top of the rest.

FWIW, the only way to know the current enrollment would be to take last spring's yearbook and actually count the students. The school never publishes a figure.

Seems like you’re not a recent family or affiliate there. Any current family can see the full directory with student names by grade. There are 694 students as of today. When we called the school 3 years ago before enrolling, we had no problem getting that information either from the school. There really isn’t this alleged mysterious veil around the school. You just have to ask.

Ditto on the school needing to stick to their commitment on expanding the physical facilities (don’t know what’s going there as we have no idea what the commitments or management communications are beyond 3 years ago). But just clarifying, there is a gym and a theatre (they host plays all the time)…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position for DS in middle school and did not find any DC privates that worked logistically for transportation. We ended up sending him to SSSAS and he has loved it. There is a pretty good bus system, which is crucial for us due to work schedules. It's not Sidwell but completely fine academically and not a pressure cooker. The only big drawback is that most of his friends are in Alexandria so we spend much of our weekends driving there and back.

Both YHS and W&L are very comparable (and likely much better) academically than SSSAS. For math and science specifically, you are losing a lot with SSSAS over YHS or W&L; the AP offerings alone are not comparable. SSSAS had very few fast tracked math kids, like none. The facilities at both public schools are also, amazingly, much nicer than at SSSAS. I was a little shocked when I went there how dated it was. I do know kids who went there but it was usually a need—they weren’t “succeeding” at the north Arlington elementary or needed individual attention for some reason or another. It’s definitely a useful place to get out of ACPS, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t draw a ton from Arlington for these reasons. Not to say you shouldn’t look at it, but kids who transfer back in find APS more challenging which is a little scary.

The problem is not the high schools. The problem is the middle school system in APS. It is a weak link, both socially and academically. Private school is absolutely worth avoiding many of the APS middle schools.

And once you get to private you see the massive difference and end up staying there for HS.

That's just confirmation bias since you're paying tuition. The reality is the faculty and course offerings are superior at the publics. You don't even need teaching credentials to teach in private schools.

Anonymous wrote:Our son has been at Basis for 3 years and we are very happy with the school. The HOS has been here since before we started and we really like him, not sure what the beef is all about from one of the PP. The teachers have been really great and they really teach to the students’ specific needs in terms of advanced learning. I can honestly say we haven’t had a single teacher yet that we felt badly about. Our only gripe is the physical footprint of the school is fairly small for about 700 students. The school started with way less students, and have grown a lot without expanding its facilities. They also don’t have a full sports field but our son does sports outside of school anyway.

BIM was supposed to expand to occupy the entire building that they lease there, not just the half they outfitted for a school (it was an office building before). Many, many promises were made and broken about that space: it would be built out once enrollment reached 500-600, all kinds of fantastic facilities would be built there like a real-size theater and gym, etc.

But lots of money has been lost just getting the school out of the red. The current owners don't seem interested in dropping in the big bucks that realizing the original promise would take, not on top of the rest.

FWIW, the only way to know the current enrollment would be to take last spring's yearbook and actually count the students. The school never publishes a figure.