Apples and oranges. Walls doesn't cram four years of high school academics/AP prep into three like BASIS does. Walls offers some language courses past AP and lets first year students who can handle AP languages take then, while BASIS doesn't. Walls teaches more humanities APs than BASIS. Walls does more to arrange for kids to pursue after-school internships around town. Walls doesn't let students accelerate in STEM like BASIS does. Etc. etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!

Are you kidding? We aren’t aware of any.

I'm a different poster and also know of BASIS kids who have struggled at Walls.

BASIS kids are not all at the very top of their respective years. Let's not try to pretend that Walls is a cakewalk.

Both BASIS and Walls can be good enough options for high school.

BS. Don't believe this for one second.

Sure, both schools are good but 9th grade at Walls is a joke and there are plenty of 4.0 GPA+ students there from subpar schools who were accepted under the Walls admissions system, who do struggle. Anyone with a 4.0 from BASIS is not going to struggle academically at Walls. In fact, the real struggle is that BASIS students at Walls are generally bored for the first couple of years repeating material that they have already learned.

Everyone we know who went from BASIS to Walls says that the curriculum is less rigorous and repeats a lot of what the kid already learned at BASIS but the student body is overall good and there are more extracurriculars.

Anonymous wrote:



Walls will have a better 12th grade cohort (but that gap varies by year) as Basis kids left by 12th grade will be the lifers from 5th grade......Walls admissions quality watered down over the years but still get a sampling of higher performing middle school kids

Less time intensive academics at Walls allows kids to spend more time on ECs & Walls has more selective school legacies...and better rep among AOs........leading to better college admission outcomes than Basis (but not stellar in general admissions outcomes)......

Does Walls really have better admissions outcomes? They seem pretty even to me, but it varies year to year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!

Are you kidding? We aren’t aware of any.

I'm a different poster and also know of BASIS kids who have struggled at Walls.

BASIS kids are not all at the very top of their respective years. Let's not try to pretend that Walls is a cakewalk.

Both BASIS and Walls can be good enough options for high school.

But (leaving aside whether some former BASIS kids struggle) Walls IS a cakewalk - at least in 9th and 10th grades. I have yet to see one post asserting otherwise (that in their view, Walls has challenging academics in 9th and 10th grade . . . . someone above noted Walls is challenging in 11th . . . . because you can take dual enrollment classes at GW. Hmmm).

Here, I'll assert it! Walls is not a cakewalk in 9th and 10th grades. Kids write a freshman paper and have sophomore speech, nothing like either to be found at BASIS. Kids can take pre-calc freshman year. kids can opt for classes at various colleges.

For all you know, these former BASIS families would be saying the same thing about 9th, maybe 10th, at BASIS because the homework supposedly becomes much more manageable in high school.

And you really seem to be overlooking how truly bizarre 12th grade is at BASIS. The vast majority of seniors are not doing anything academic for the last trimester and all seniors lose a class to college counseling. There is no way that colleges look at that and go 'what great rigor that student showed senior year'

Anonymous wrote:I have personal experience with Both Basis and Walls...here is the lowdown:

Neither school is great......better option if you can pay or move, if not live with the choice

Basis is run on a shoestring due to Az. parent company siphoning off $$$$, and thus winds up with young, inexperienced, underpaid teachers who are prone to leave for higher paying jobs, Walls has less of this problem and does get some benefit of DCPS bloated budgets

Basis curriculum, while average in terms of area high schools, is more advanced than Walls, esp. in 9th and 10th grades. Walls kids can take some classes in 11th and 12th at GW to partially make up....

Both schools have a lack of facilities.....

Both school have atrocious staff, i.e. do not care about doing their job well or are incapable of doing it well

Walls will have a better 12th grade cohort (but that gap varies by year) as Basis kids left by 12th grade will be the lifers from 5th grade......Walls admissions quality watered down over the years but still get a sampling of higher performing middle school kids

Less time intensive academics at Walls allows kids to spend more time on ECs & Walls has more selective school legacies...and better rep among AOs........leading to better college admission outcomes than Basis (but not stellar in general admissions outcomes)......

Basis has an odd 12th grade schedule.....not clear if that hurts Basis kids in admissions

These kinds of comparisons are really helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!

Are you kidding? We aren’t aware of any.

I'm a different poster and also know of BASIS kids who have struggled at Walls.

BASIS kids are not all at the very top of their respective years. Let's not try to pretend that Walls is a cakewalk.

Both BASIS and Walls can be good enough options for high school.

But (leaving aside whether some former BASIS kids struggle) Walls IS a cakewalk - at least in 9th and 10th grades. I have yet to see one post asserting otherwise (that in their view, Walls has challenging academics in 9th and 10th grade . . . . someone above noted Walls is challenging in 11th . . . . because you can take dual enrollment classes at GW. Hmmm).

I have personal experience with Both Basis and Walls...here is the lowdown:

Neither school is great......better option if you can pay or move, if not live with the choice

Basis is run on a shoestring due to Az. parent company siphoning off $$$$, and thus winds up with young, inexperienced, underpaid teachers who are prone to leave for higher paying jobs, Walls has less of this problem and does get some benefit of DCPS bloated budgets

Basis curriculum, while average in terms of area high schools, is more advanced than Walls, esp. in 9th and 10th grades. Walls kids can take some classes in 11th and 12th at GW to partially make up....

Both schools have a lack of facilities.....

Both school have atrocious staff, i.e. do not care about doing their job well or are incapable of doing it well

Walls will have a better 12th grade cohort (but that gap varies by year) as Basis kids left by 12th grade will be the lifers from 5th grade......Walls admissions quality watered down over the years but still get a sampling of higher performing middle school kids

Less time intensive academics at Walls allows kids to spend more time on ECs & Walls has more selective school legacies...and better rep among AOs........leading to better college admission outcomes than Basis (but not stellar in general admissions outcomes)......

Basis has an odd 12th grade schedule.....not clear if that hurts Basis kids in admissions

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is incredibly stupid to have Mandarin for a handful of years in elementary school and then not offer it again until 8th grade.

Then don't send your kid there. The application explains why they use Mandarin in ES. But you are a an anonymous poster on DCUM who has a degree in Political Science from some middling liberal arts school. so obviously you know more.

You're not making BASIS parents look good with these crazy responses.

That is a juvenile/mean girl response even by DCUM standards. Your BASIS haterade seems to have partially blinded you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!

Are you kidding? We aren’t aware of any.

I'm a different poster and also know of BASIS kids who have struggled at Walls.

BASIS kids are not all at the very top of their respective years. Let's not try to pretend that Walls is a cakewalk.

Both BASIS and Walls can be good enough options for high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you knew this why didn’t you stay at BASIS? Sounds like you should have.

Who knew (that Walls - the "crown jewel" of DCPS high schools, was so academically weak, at least in the early years)?? But anyway, the point is there are pluses and minuses to both schools - so more important is figuring out which one is a better fit for your kid and what is important to you for your kid's high school experience (demanding academics vs. better social experience/extracurriculars/sports). Even if the Walls' education is sub-par, the kids are certainly getting in to some great colleges!

Hang on. You bailed from DCPS after elementary school because the system wasn't up to par for your kid for middle school, then returned for Walls with high expectations? Where was the sense in that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is incredibly stupid to have Mandarin for a handful of years in elementary school and then not offer it again until 8th grade.

Then don't send your kid there. The application explains why they use Mandarin in ES. But you are a an anonymous poster on DCUM who has a degree in Political Science from some middling liberal arts school. so obviously you know more.

You're not making BASIS parents look good with these crazy responses.

Anonymous wrote:It is incredibly stupid to have Mandarin for a handful of years in elementary school and then not offer it again until 8th grade.

Then don't send your kid there. The application explains why they use Mandarin in ES. But you are a an anonymous poster on DCUM who has a degree in Political Science from some middling liberal arts school. so obviously you know more.

It is incredibly stupid to have Mandarin for a handful of years in elementary school and then not offer it again until 8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!

Are you kidding? We aren’t aware of any.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the reason BASIS parents get so defensive when posters present data showing that BASIS isn’t “advanced” when compared to other schools, e.g. Walls and MD and VA suburban schools, is that BASIS’s reputation for being oh-so-advanced is literally the only thing it has going for it. The building sucks, the extracurricular are a joke and the administration is awful. People put up with all of that because they think their kid is getting an amazingly advanced education.

Are you getting a better education than say, Elliot Hine? Of course you are. But don’t try to pretend that BASIS DC is better than Walls or top suburban high schools. It’s clearly and measurably not.

No one is pretending that the high school is better than Walls or a suburban (?) high school. But the middle school is such an excellent option for those who aren't zoned for Deal and Hardy. And the high school is a very very decent backup to Walls.

Well, plenty of kids turn down Walls to stay at BASIS so I guess they don't think that Walls is better.

Plus, the test scores are about the same, even given the fact that Walls selects their student body and BASIS is stuck with 100% lottery. And parents that left BASIS for Walls freely concede that Walls doesn't have the same rigor as BASIS and is weaker academically.

Yes - I am one of those parents! Walls has other positive attributes, but so far strong academics is not one of them.

There are also Basis kids who have struggled academically at Walls. It goes both ways!