Anonymous wrote:It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

I’m often critical of various aspects of the school, but their college admissions are incredible by any measure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that people assume Potomac's campus is a big plus. For my kids, the campus alone was a turn-off. It appeals to people who like homogenous suburban living, with a country club on the side. If you prefer a more vibrant urban setting, it won't be your cup of tea at all.

And where does that vibrant urban setting private school exist in NOVA? Or in DC for that matter?
Unless you think Cleveland Park is a vibrant urban setting.

Certainly more so than the hollows of McLean.

Gonzaga and SAAS are two that come to mind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that people assume Potomac's campus is a big plus. For my kids, the campus alone was a turn-off. It appeals to people who like homogenous suburban living, with a country club on the side. If you prefer a more vibrant urban setting, it won't be your cup of tea at all.

And where does that vibrant urban setting private school exist in NOVA? Or in DC for that matter?
Unless you think Cleveland Park is a vibrant urban setting.

That’s what they think

Anonymous wrote:Is it because it is hard to get into since it is only k-12 in the McLean area?

What makes you think that Potomac is great?

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that people assume Potomac's campus is a big plus. For my kids, the campus alone was a turn-off. It appeals to people who like homogenous suburban living, with a country club on the side. If you prefer a more vibrant urban setting, it won't be your cup of tea at all.

And where does that vibrant urban setting private school exist in NOVA? Or in DC for that matter?
Unless you think Cleveland Park is a vibrant urban setting.

Anonymous wrote:It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

Not per capita.

Their confusing mission, now low HS standards, and high faculty turn over?

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that people assume Potomac's campus is a big plus. For my kids, the campus alone was a turn-off. It appeals to people who like homogenous suburban living, with a country club on the side. If you prefer a more vibrant urban setting, it won't be your cup of tea at all.

Agreed.
My friend and I are looking at some of the same schools, and this is one distinction we found. One of us prefers the space of schools with expansive campuses. The other can appreciate the space and facilities, but there's something that doesn't quite feel right about it. Funny enough, one of us lives in a very suburban area and the other is in the city. All that said, the campus isn’t enough of a reason to not apply. It just knocks the school(s) down to a #2 or #3 spot and we're going to take what we get.

I think it's interesting that people assume Potomac's campus is a big plus. For my kids, the campus alone was a turn-off. It appeals to people who like homogenous suburban living, with a country club on the side. If you prefer a more vibrant urban setting, it won't be your cup of tea at all.

Anonymous wrote:It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

Have not looked closely at other, but we're zoned for Yorktown and percentage of kids going to top schools is significantly better from Potomac ...

It used to have superior college admissions to local public, but now the public schools are outpacing them admission wise. McLean Langley and Yorktown have more Ivy admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the most important thing is the connections my child will make with high profile, wealthy, well- connected families of their friends. It is not what you know, but who you know.

I hope this is a joke but this is how most of the people at Potomac think except they’re also trying to use their children to social climb.

Says someone without a child there and absolutely zero knowledge of "how most of the people at Potomac think."

The social connections are phenomenal. My husband and I now attend great dinner parties with great people.

I'm not sold it's worth it in the elementary years -- but having visited and having many friends with kids at other privates (e.g. sidwell, gds, beauvoir), they're all very similar, certainly no better, and potomac has the advantage of a better campus than many. my kids seem to have way more public speaking opportunities, there is way more flexibility in curriculum and more attention to differentiation than our very good local public, way less time spent on standardized testing, a bit more time outside. my kids also seem to have more fun -- part of this is curricular (teachers can allow kids to engage longer on something they're enjoying, can have an extra recess without jumping through any hoops, have more materials/resources for fun projects), and part of this is the environment (less emphasis on always being in line, sitting still, not talking in the hall etc). I imagine all of this stuff is the same at other good privates.

that said, my kids were having quite a good experience at our local public with teachers, friends, etc. and they would have had a good experience through elementary had we stayed. my own anxiety about middle and high school probably led me to apply earlier than I should have for private.

Anonymous wrote:Nothing, babe.

+1. Including the number of DCUM posters who must send their children there because they are a vocal group claiming how superior their school is.