Anonymous wrote:Any updates on Northwestern? Any info at all would be great!

The PTSA was started up again last year. It's a small group but a great bunch of parents who really want to support and improve the school.
https://nwhsptsa.memberhub.com

Anonymous wrote:Any updates on Northwestern? Any info at all would be great!

My kid has is a rising Jr in VPA program and it has been a good fit for them. Not sure if it is intentional but they always have several other VPA kids in their non-VPA classes.
The teachers in VPA are amazing. The regular teachers have ranged from outstanding to just ok. Last year several of the AP classes were converted to honors after the first quarter because they didn’t have permanent teachers.
Class sizes have been around 25.
Extra curricular are ok. Lots of opportunities to get leadership positions in SGA or National Honor Society. Most of the sports teams aren’t super competitive so kids can join some teams even if they never played before. My non-athletic kid lettered in two sports freshman year.
If your kid wants to do well, there are lots of opportunities. If your kid wants to find trouble, they will.

Any updates on Northwestern? Any info at all would be great!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in University Park, just blocks away from Northwestern. My kids aren't yet high school aged, but I know very few kids from the neighborhood who go to Northwestern--it is widely considered not a great option. For public, most families try to get into Eleanor Roosevelt (STEM magnet) or College Park Academy. For privates, the top choices are DeMatha (boys), Seton (girls), Sandy Spring Friends, St. Anselm's Abbey (boys)--I think they're all technically religious, but I don't know anything about the daily religiosity actually happening at any of them. I'll chime back in if I think of any others that I'm missing.

I find comments like this so odd. There are 2 thousand kids at Northwestern. Obviously kids "go there." But not families that look like you, PP? Is that it?

If you look at the stats, by the time kids get to high school, almost all of the more affluent families zoned for NW have chosen something else. Or moved. The elementary schools are the most racially and economically diverse, the middle schools less so, the high school far less. Since UP is homogeneously affluent, it makes sense that few kids from the neighborhood are enrolled at NW. That’s what the PP said.

Yes, thank you (and the other PP) for explaining what I meant. I really was making a very narrow claim: I live in UP, and I know very few kids from this neighborhood who go to Northwestern. Obviously 1000+ kids go there. I’ve been in the building multiple times, I drive/bike/walk by every day at drop off and pick up times—I am well aware that there are lots of kids who go there. They are not predominantly from University Park. Another way to put it is that UP families, who tend to have options, make other choices.

I do appreciate the PP upthread who spoke highly of the VPA program at Northwestern. I’ve got a kid who is very interested in the performing arts program at HMS, and I’d love it if Northwestern was a good option for him.