Anonymous wrote:I think we’ve made the decision to go with the best fit, which honestly is also a very good school. Talked to current parents and felt that our family will really enjoy the experience. Thank you to you all.

Do we get to know which school? So excited for you!

Go with fit, not perceived rankings based on gawd knows what, Sergio’s year SATs?

I think we’ve made the decision to go with the best fit, which honestly is also a very good school. Talked to current parents and felt that our family will really enjoy the experience. Thank you to you all.

Anonymous wrote:The college outcome is the same either way. There’s no prestige outside of DC except for Sidwell (which will make others crazy but is true) so Big 3 is a DC bubble thing. Do what’s the best fit. Overall well being and happiness doesn’t have a price, especially when your best fit school is probably also an amazing school people in other areas can only dream about. We’re so lucky and lose touch with that a lot.

This times a million. Outside DC no one knows the difference between St Albans, St Andrews, St Stephens… it’s all a blur. Honestly even inside DC it’s a narrow pool of people who know the difference, and an even smaller group that actually cares.

Also as has been said many times on this board, the admissions stats to top colleges is far more correlation than causation. The same kid at two different private schools is not going to have higher chances of attending an Ivy from STA/NCS/Sidwell. In fact, the opposite might be true, and if you really want to maximize your kids college chances, you should send them to a good k-8 and then a public high school.

Anonymous wrote:We are a bit torn between two schools. One we know is a good fit for our family and child. The other ranks higher and is a Big 3. Deep inside I know I will feel more at home with the first choice and the school's mission is more aligned with my family's educational goals, but also don't want to give up the Big 3. What if it turns out better. What's your advice?

Why do you care more about what other people think is best for your kid than what you and she think is best for her?

We are going for a less prestigious school for 9th. Fit is most important to our family. No regrets.

The college outcome is the same either way. There’s no prestige outside of DC except for Sidwell (which will make others crazy but is true) so Big 3 is a DC bubble thing. Do what’s the best fit. Overall well being and happiness doesn’t have a price, especially when your best fit school is probably also an amazing school people in other areas can only dream about. We’re so lucky and lose touch with that a lot.

Anonymous wrote:Go for the gold.

This is bad advice. Brands are a marketing shortcut indicator of quality. Private schools are not medals. They are businesses. Full stop.

The heralded schools on this board indeed have a lot to offer, no doubt. And some have built exceptional caring communities and place students at excellent colleges. But as a PP indicated, they can be status quo oriented and slow to address issues. The pathways to success and attention tend to be a bit easier for students of big donor families at our school, for example. And if families aren't happy? There is always someone eager to take the spot.

Look carefully at administration. Just as the CEO and management team are a key concern for investors in a business, so they should be for your investment. Ask current parents about leadership. Do your homework on classroom approaches and curriculum. And absolutely trust your own instincts on fit.

Really hard to give advice without knowing the school you’re comparing to the Big 3.

Go for the gold.

Another thing to note: teachers in DC are fungible. Teachers from big 3 move to k8s and vice versa. The point is the educational experience will be similar so go with fit.

OP, you shouldn’t feel like you are alone in thinking this way. Many parents apply to and send their kids to the “elite” schools for the prestige without a second thought. At least you are aware you are doing it.

Well the “Big 3” is like six schools so don’t worry about it.

Of course you should want your kid at the bet fit school. But if it helps you, tons of parents preface any school-related conversation with the fact that kid was accepted at BIG3 for K but LESSER school was a better fit. And this goes on at least until kid is in college.

Go for the school that is the best fit for your child -- depending on your child's age and other factors, this might not necessarily be the same as the best fit for your family. And don't put that much stock into the whole Big 3 nonsense. I'm saying this as a parent who has one child that went to a Big 3 and one at a non-Big 3. Each school had its strengths and its weaknesses, but surprisingly often the Big 3 wouldn't own their weaknesses, making it difficult to redress those problems.