Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy in 22202. Your husband can walk to work. It’s a quick drive into the city. If it’s only 4 years, pay for private school. Yes, those top-tier schools are expensive and hard to get into, but there are other options as well.

Arlington really isn’t convenient to good privates.

Oh please, I live in Arlington and one of my kids goes to NCS. It’s fine.

In fact, if she’s near a bridge, it’s probably an easier commute than from potomac and bethesda.

Anonymous wrote:Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t anyone apply to be in W-L’s IB program, regardless of their Arlington address? I don’t know what that would look like for a rising sophomore though. I think you may need to start as a freshman.

Agree about 22202 if you want to be close to Amazon and the city. You could walk to work. And even if you can’t do the IB program at W-L, you could definitely take APs at Wakefield.

The IB program is for 11th-12th grades so you might be able to apply for the transfer for pre-IB if coming in as a sophomore and there happened to be space (doubtful). However, there are specific requirements:

Have to have taken "intensified" (what other schools would call "honors") for the core classes in 9th-10th
Be in level 4 of a world language in 10th grade.
Have taken Geometry or greater in 9th grade (so would be in Alg 2 in 10th)
And, kids doing IB take the required US/VA Government class in 10th grade because there is no space for it in the 11th-12th schedule. So, if you transferred in and hadn't started that at whatever school you left I think you'd have to see if you could take it in summer school.

For W-L, it has an IB program but it also has a full slate of AP classes. If you live in-boundary for it you can either do the IB Diploma program or you can just take your choice of AP and IB classes (which is what my kids do). IB is pretty structured so we prefer the flexibility with electives by not doing that. I've heard good things about the computer and engineering teachers at W-L. Kids can also take classes at the career center and it has a lot more tech classes. Those classes, I believe, are not compatible with doing the IB program because they take more time.

I have a sophomore and senior at W-L and I've been happy with their experience there. They have a nice peer group of motivated kids, including those who've transferred in for the IB program. It's a big school and seems to have something for everyone.

You can see the class offerings here: https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/HS-PROGRAM-OF-STUDIES-2020-21-FINAL-1.pdf

And, this class size report will give you an idea of how many kids at each school take certain classes: https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Class-Size-Report-Final.pdf
For example - for AP Computer Science last year, Wakefield had 2 sections averaging 16 kids each. W-L had 2 sections, averaging 17 kids. Yorktown at 1 section with 29 kids. W-L also offers IB Computer Science HL, a 2-year sequence. There were 2 classes of 24 in part 1 and 3 classes or 12 in part 2.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. OP here. Central VA. My goal isn't UVA. I'd actually like my kid to get out Virginia for college. But they are really into technology. For the people saying Wakefield sucks, is that the AP classes too?

We live in 22202 and have a sophomore at Wakefield. There are strong AP/intensified classes and they also offer the AP Capstone. Our child is a high performing/motivated student and has found a solid group of peers there. The culture is "you do you" and not as focused on status or material items as you may find elsewhere. We are very happy there. We know multiple students from Wakefield who are ar UVA, William & Mary and strong out of state schools. If you are looking for a sense of community w/o a culture of "keeping up with the Joneses" definitely consider 22202. Walkable community, easy access to public transportation and downtown DC. Please ignore the Wakefield haters.

Thanks. OP here. Central VA. My goal isn't UVA. I'd actually like my kid to get out Virginia for college. But they are really into technology. For the people saying Wakefield sucks, is that the AP classes too?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to get into UVA as a strong student from Wakefield than a strong student from the other high schools.

Lot fewer UVA admits from Wakefield than from W-L and Yorktown so I guess you’re really saying Wakefield doesn’t have very many strong students.

Yep. I don’t disagree with you. So if you’re a strong student from Wakefield, there’s not much competition.

I live in 22202 and won’t choose Wakefield. We will either move or choose private, although I agree getting into UVA from Wakefield is probably easier as long as you’re a top student. Thank goodness there are other colleges out there 😉

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to get into UVA as a strong student from Wakefield than a strong student from the other high schools.

Lot fewer UVA admits from Wakefield than from W-L and Yorktown so I guess you’re really saying Wakefield doesn’t have very many strong students.

Where are you coming from, OP?

Whatever you do, don’t pick Wakefield. Learn from our mistake. The school is just as bad as the scores says it is. People will try and praise it but just don’t fall for it. We did. And we thought it would be fine and all that other crap people
claimed.

My kid barely learned anything even when school was in person because the kids are so disruptive and the teachers can’t do anything. And the intensified classes are a complete joke. I mean some of the assignments were about 6 grade level. There is a reason that most of the kids who graduate go to Nova - it’s because they need another 2 years of high school 😞

Much easier to get into UVA as a strong student from Wakefield than a strong student from the other high schools.

There’s also Arlington Tech, which is a new-ish HS program, OP.

Yes, WL draws kids from all over Arlington for the IB program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy in 22202. Your husband can walk to work. It’s a quick drive into the city. If it’s only 4 years, pay for private school. Yes, those top-tier schools are expensive and hard to get into, but there are other options as well.

Arlington really isn’t convenient to good privates.

Oh please, I live in Arlington and one of my kids goes to NCS. It’s fine.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t anyone apply to be in W-L’s IB program, regardless of their Arlington address? I don’t know what that would look like for a rising sophomore though. I think you may need to start as a freshman.

Agree about 22202 if you want to be close to Amazon and the city. You could walk to work. And even if you can’t do the IB program at W-L, you could definitely take APs at Wakefield.