Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:40
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Here are the high schools i’d consider (my kids are at McLean)
McLean, Marshall, Madison, Oakton, West Springfield
Forget about AAP, it’s not important for middle and goes away in high school.
We love McLean and live near to the “downtown” part. My kids can walk everywhere and it has a bit of a small town feel (for better or worse- we always run into people we know everywhere we go). Having said that, I also love Vienna for similar reasons.
I think you are out of luck for this school year unless you buy something asap. You aren’t going to be able to pupil place. There are some Montessori’s around as well- maybe that’s an option until you find where you want to settle?
You can’t say Madison and Marshall in the same line as Mclean and Oakton as choices. People who consider one set don’t consider the other. They are not at all interchangeable. Plus, OP like most here and in Fairfax county (no judgement either way) does not want IB.
Also I would put West Springfield lower than say Woodson or Chantilly high. As would most.
Based off enrollment, most people would put WSHS over Woodson.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:31
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP should just find a private, though probably difficult at this late date. She and her kid sound too high maintenance for FCPS.
I didn’t get that at all about OP.
OP, the problem with the big leagues as a PP referred is yes the houses will be a bit older. I can’t imagine buying a house that’s more than say 25 yrs old, so I disagree with your DH.
I bet most of the people here who send their kids to say Langley, McLean, Oakton don’t have much older houses. No one (here) would make that much of a sacrifice for those schools.
So if you can afford to buy a newish house, go for it. If not, pick Lake Braddock, Chantilly high etc. Simple.
And no way can you pupil place or do anything whatsoever (other than boundary fraud which it seems some people are doing gleefully) because your zoned school is IB or poorly rated.
Lots of people at Langley, McLean, Oakton, etc., live in homes built in the 1990s or earlier. And, yes, many opt for such a house when it would cost as much as a new house, typically further out, zoned for a different school.
That’s not to say OP has to find a house zoned for Langley, McLean, Oakton, etc - just that the line that you’re drawing is artificial and doesn’t align with the decisions that a lot of folks make. Some of the most traditional neighborhoods zoned for Langley, for example, are subdivisions like Langley Oaks, Shouse Village, McLean Hunt, and McLean Hamlet built in the 1960s-1980s.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:30
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
15:14 you are wrong!
Anyone here WOULD pick an older house in the ‘big leagues’ area over a newer one near Chantilly or WS or LB if they had to pick a similar priced one.
How is that even a question?!! The poor husband. OP is not the sharpest. Should go with her DH’s decision.
Anyone here WOULD pick an older house in the ‘big leagues’ area over a newer one near Chantilly or WS or LB if they had to pick a similar priced one.
How is that even a question?!! The poor husband. OP is not the sharpest. Should go with her DH’s decision.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:27
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Here are the high schools i’d consider (my kids are at McLean)
McLean, Marshall, Madison, Oakton, West Springfield
Forget about AAP, it’s not important for middle and goes away in high school.
We love McLean and live near to the “downtown” part. My kids can walk everywhere and it has a bit of a small town feel (for better or worse- we always run into people we know everywhere we go). Having said that, I also love Vienna for similar reasons.
I think you are out of luck for this school year unless you buy something asap. You aren’t going to be able to pupil place. There are some Montessori’s around as well- maybe that’s an option until you find where you want to settle?
You can’t say Madison and Marshall in the same line as Mclean and Oakton as choices. People who consider one set don’t consider the other. They are not at all interchangeable. Plus, OP like most here and in Fairfax county (no judgement either way) does not want IB.
Also I would put West Springfield lower than say Woodson or Chantilly high. As would most.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:22
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP should just find a private, though probably difficult at this late date. She and her kid sound too high maintenance for FCPS.
I didn’t get that at all about OP.
OP, the problem with the big leagues as a PP referred is yes the houses will be a bit older. I can’t imagine buying a house that’s more than say 25 yrs old, so I disagree with your DH.
I bet most of the people here who send their kids to say Langley, McLean, Oakton don’t have much older houses. No one (here) would make that much of a sacrifice for those schools.
So if you can afford to buy a newish house, go for it. If not, pick Lake Braddock, Chantilly high etc. Simple.
And no way can you pupil place or do anything whatsoever (other than boundary fraud which it seems some people are doing gleefully) because your zoned school is IB or poorly rated.
She can pupil place into an AP school to get away from IB, but only for high school.
There is no pupil placement for middle school unless A) your kid has severe, sustained, documented bullying occuring or B) your kid has some major, major behavioral issues that require a specialized school or C) your kid gets caught with drugs, expelled for fighting, or something similar.
You cannot pupil place for middle school for things like being zoned for a poor performing school, having a low ranked IB high school, or wanting to take German at the neighboring high performing pyramid instead of the French, Spanish and Arabic offered at your pyramid. Pupil placement is just not an option for middle school.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:19
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow.
That is a lot of somewhat off the mark information.
I believe you are too late to apply for AAP, unless you are military coming from a different district already placed in a gifted program.
There are only 2 more years left in AAP. At this point, it is not worth it to just apply for 8th grade.
The majority of the middle schools will have solid to great academics for most kids who are not AAP level 4. They kids move classes and levels in middle school, mixing AAP and non AAP in classes like Algebra and Geometry (if your kid qualifies) plus all electives, PE and foreign languages. Middle school AAP level 4 is only English, history and science. Honestly, having an AAP level 4 kid in the middle school program, and not in the middle school program, my preference in hindsight is that it is better to mix with non AAP kids as much as possible in middle school to make more friends for high school, except for math. Get in the best level for their ability for your kid's math class.
AAP ends in 8th grade.
High school is general enrollment. Most, if not all of the highly desired schools ar AP (not AAP) run by the college board. The lower ranked schools are almost all IB, except for Robinson, which is a fantastic school, and Marshall, which is fine. Between the two options, the AP program is a far better choice.
Fairfax HS is a great school. It is its own district, but attached to FCPS, so it will not get rezoned as long as you live in the City of Fairfax. Definitely put that school back on your list.
If you are a military family, put all of the Burke, West Springfield, Lorton corridor schools back on your list: WSHS, Lake Braddock, Robinson and South County. All are good options.
You can only transfer to schools with space, and the AP/IB/foreign language transfer option is only for high school. Since you don't have a permanent home, that doesn't really affect you now.
Everything this person said.
Except for Robinson/Marshall, but it seems like OP is anti-IB.
You don't think Robinson is a fantastic school, and that Marshall is just fine too?
Or that the rest of the IB schools besides those two are lower performing?
The implication is that Robinson is better than Marshall, which it isn’t.
Robinson is a good school but not better than Marshall, I agree. But there a few very low rated IB schools. Doesn’t matter which one OP is referring to, her predicament is the same.
Middle is tough enough, it will be a tougher transition for your DC who is new in every way. That doesn’t bode well from a bullying perspective. Maybe go private.
Private school is WAY more difficult to start in middle school than a public middle school. Those kids at private schools have known each other for ages, and if the 7th grader doesn't click with the kids or the leader kids don't like him, there is no where to land and find your people.
Public schools have so many groups and kids, plus everyone is starting fresh in 7th grade, from a half dozen different elementary schools. All the kids are newish, so it is easier to find a group.
That varies alot, especially in this area. My kids are at a parochial school that popular with military families, and kids come and go all the time. Both of my kids had students join their grades in middle school, and those kids were welcomed and found their friend groups. It’s school dependent, and something to consider.
That
Anonymous
08/06/2025 15:14
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:OP should just find a private, though probably difficult at this late date. She and her kid sound too high maintenance for FCPS.
I didn’t get that at all about OP.
OP, the problem with the big leagues as a PP referred is yes the houses will be a bit older. I can’t imagine buying a house that’s more than say 25 yrs old, so I disagree with your DH.
I bet most of the people here who send their kids to say Langley, McLean, Oakton don’t have much older houses. No one (here) would make that much of a sacrifice for those schools.
So if you can afford to buy a newish house, go for it. If not, pick Lake Braddock, Chantilly high etc. Simple.
And no way can you pupil place or do anything whatsoever (other than boundary fraud which it seems some people are doing gleefully) because your zoned school is IB or poorly rated.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 13:21
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow.
That is a lot of somewhat off the mark information.
I believe you are too late to apply for AAP, unless you are military coming from a different district already placed in a gifted program.
There are only 2 more years left in AAP. At this point, it is not worth it to just apply for 8th grade.
The majority of the middle schools will have solid to great academics for most kids who are not AAP level 4. They kids move classes and levels in middle school, mixing AAP and non AAP in classes like Algebra and Geometry (if your kid qualifies) plus all electives, PE and foreign languages. Middle school AAP level 4 is only English, history and science. Honestly, having an AAP level 4 kid in the middle school program, and not in the middle school program, my preference in hindsight is that it is better to mix with non AAP kids as much as possible in middle school to make more friends for high school, except for math. Get in the best level for their ability for your kid's math class.
AAP ends in 8th grade.
High school is general enrollment. Most, if not all of the highly desired schools ar AP (not AAP) run by the college board. The lower ranked schools are almost all IB, except for Robinson, which is a fantastic school, and Marshall, which is fine. Between the two options, the AP program is a far better choice.
Fairfax HS is a great school. It is its own district, but attached to FCPS, so it will not get rezoned as long as you live in the City of Fairfax. Definitely put that school back on your list.
If you are a military family, put all of the Burke, West Springfield, Lorton corridor schools back on your list: WSHS, Lake Braddock, Robinson and South County. All are good options.
You can only transfer to schools with space, and the AP/IB/foreign language transfer option is only for high school. Since you don't have a permanent home, that doesn't really affect you now.
Everything this person said.
Except for Robinson/Marshall, but it seems like OP is anti-IB.
You don't think Robinson is a fantastic school, and that Marshall is just fine too?
Or that the rest of the IB schools besides those two are lower performing?
The implication is that Robinson is better than Marshall, which it isn’t.
Robinson is a good school but not better than Marshall, I agree. But there a few very low rated IB schools. Doesn’t matter which one OP is referring to, her predicament is the same.
Middle is tough enough, it will be a tougher transition for your DC who is new in every way. That doesn’t bode well from a bullying perspective. Maybe go private.
Private school is WAY more difficult to start in middle school than a public middle school. Those kids at private schools have known each other for ages, and if the 7th grader doesn't click with the kids or the leader kids don't like him, there is no where to land and find your people.
Public schools have so many groups and kids, plus everyone is starting fresh in 7th grade, from a half dozen different elementary schools. All the kids are newish, so it is easier to find a group.
I am the PP recommending private. OP’s kid has been in a private it seems so should be fine. Navigating a public school in middle is no walk in the park. I would stay away from, the big leagues for this reason (Langley, Mclean, Oakton). Or the big schools like Chantilly or Lake Braddock for sure. If you must do public, move away from FCPS.
We moved into one of these "big league" schools with a kid starting 7th and another starting 10th. Kid moving into 7th had a very smooth transition, whereas our very sociable 10th grader found it a bit tougher with kids at that age. It all worked out fine eventually.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 13:14
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
OP should just find a private, though probably difficult at this late date. She and her kid sound too high maintenance for FCPS.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:51
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Here are the high schools i’d consider (my kids are at McLean)
McLean, Marshall, Madison, Oakton, West Springfield
Forget about AAP, it’s not important for middle and goes away in high school.
We love McLean and live near to the “downtown” part. My kids can walk everywhere and it has a bit of a small town feel (for better or worse- we always run into people we know everywhere we go). Having said that, I also love Vienna for similar reasons.
I think you are out of luck for this school year unless you buy something asap. You aren’t going to be able to pupil place. There are some Montessori’s around as well- maybe that’s an option until you find where you want to settle?
McLean, Marshall, Madison, Oakton, West Springfield
Forget about AAP, it’s not important for middle and goes away in high school.
We love McLean and live near to the “downtown” part. My kids can walk everywhere and it has a bit of a small town feel (for better or worse- we always run into people we know everywhere we go). Having said that, I also love Vienna for similar reasons.
I think you are out of luck for this school year unless you buy something asap. You aren’t going to be able to pupil place. There are some Montessori’s around as well- maybe that’s an option until you find where you want to settle?
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:51
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow.
That is a lot of somewhat off the mark information.
I believe you are too late to apply for AAP, unless you are military coming from a different district already placed in a gifted program.
There are only 2 more years left in AAP. At this point, it is not worth it to just apply for 8th grade.
The majority of the middle schools will have solid to great academics for most kids who are not AAP level 4. They kids move classes and levels in middle school, mixing AAP and non AAP in classes like Algebra and Geometry (if your kid qualifies) plus all electives, PE and foreign languages. Middle school AAP level 4 is only English, history and science. Honestly, having an AAP level 4 kid in the middle school program, and not in the middle school program, my preference in hindsight is that it is better to mix with non AAP kids as much as possible in middle school to make more friends for high school, except for math. Get in the best level for their ability for your kid's math class.
AAP ends in 8th grade.
High school is general enrollment. Most, if not all of the highly desired schools ar AP (not AAP) run by the college board. The lower ranked schools are almost all IB, except for Robinson, which is a fantastic school, and Marshall, which is fine. Between the two options, the AP program is a far better choice.
Fairfax HS is a great school. It is its own district, but attached to FCPS, so it will not get rezoned as long as you live in the City of Fairfax. Definitely put that school back on your list.
If you are a military family, put all of the Burke, West Springfield, Lorton corridor schools back on your list: WSHS, Lake Braddock, Robinson and South County. All are good options.
You can only transfer to schools with space, and the AP/IB/foreign language transfer option is only for high school. Since you don't have a permanent home, that doesn't really affect you now.
Everything this person said.
Except for Robinson/Marshall, but it seems like OP is anti-IB.
You don't think Robinson is a fantastic school, and that Marshall is just fine too?
Or that the rest of the IB schools besides those two are lower performing?
The implication is that Robinson is better than Marshall, which it isn’t.
Robinson is a good school but not better than Marshall, I agree. But there a few very low rated IB schools. Doesn’t matter which one OP is referring to, her predicament is the same.
Middle is tough enough, it will be a tougher transition for your DC who is new in every way. That doesn’t bode well from a bullying perspective. Maybe go private.
Private school is WAY more difficult to start in middle school than a public middle school. Those kids at private schools have known each other for ages, and if the 7th grader doesn't click with the kids or the leader kids don't like him, there is no where to land and find your people.
Public schools have so many groups and kids, plus everyone is starting fresh in 7th grade, from a half dozen different elementary schools. All the kids are newish, so it is easier to find a group.
I am the PP recommending private. OP’s kid has been in a private it seems so should be fine. Navigating a public school in middle is no walk in the park. I would stay away from, the big leagues for this reason (Langley, Mclean, Oakton). Or the big schools like Chantilly or Lake Braddock for sure. If you must do public, move away from FCPS.
I moved a kid to private school in middle school. It is really hard because the kids are very cliquey at that age, the grades are very small, and if one popular kid decides they don't like you then no one will talk to you. It can be very lonely moving to private school for middle school.
My kid, who can make friends anywhere and is usually very well liked everywhere, from "geeks" to "popular: kids, made no friends in their grade at that school except for one sweet kid who decided to start welcoming my kid 2nd semester, and was not invited anywhere all year or included in anything fun. One popular kid decided that they could not remember my kid's name and made up a new name for my kid, which every other kid used for the rest of the year. The kids always did it with a smile so it looked friendly to the teachers, but it was mean and exclusionary. With only 40 kids in the entire grade, there was no one for my kid. There was one other family who we knew through sports who also moved their kid into a small private school during 7th grade, and they had a similar experience of being excluded by the kids who had been gere for years. Their younger siblings, who started in younger grades, had the complete opposite experience and were very welcomed.
That doesn't happen in the larger public middle schools where you have different kids in every class, and there are 20-30x more students where each kid csn find their people. My kid had a younger sibling, very geeky, who started a new fcps middle school not knowing anyone. She was able to find a nice group of similarly quirky friends within a couple weeks, that she is still friends with in college.
The public midfle school was large enough for every kid to find their people, in spite of the typical 13 year old angst and clique behavior. The private school was too small to find even one friend when the 13 year old mean clique behavior kicked in.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:48
Subject: Re:House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:I have never heard anyone call Chantilly intense. Everyone I know there loves the school.
From your thread in the AAP forum, you are putting way too much weight on AAP. He might be accepted, if he is, it will be for 11/2 years. It is not that big a deal.
Pretty much this.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 07:59
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
I can't imagine moving here and taking this board as gospel. There are some useful nuggets but everything needs to be taken with huge grains of salt.
People complain about every school here. I've hardly ever met a person in real life who has been anything other than content or happy with their school.
People complain about every school here. I've hardly ever met a person in real life who has been anything other than content or happy with their school.
Anonymous
08/05/2025 23:38
Subject: House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow.
That is a lot of somewhat off the mark information.
I believe you are too late to apply for AAP, unless you are military coming from a different district already placed in a gifted program.
There are only 2 more years left in AAP. At this point, it is not worth it to just apply for 8th grade.
The majority of the middle schools will have solid to great academics for most kids who are not AAP level 4. They kids move classes and levels in middle school, mixing AAP and non AAP in classes like Algebra and Geometry (if your kid qualifies) plus all electives, PE and foreign languages. Middle school AAP level 4 is only English, history and science. Honestly, having an AAP level 4 kid in the middle school program, and not in the middle school program, my preference in hindsight is that it is better to mix with non AAP kids as much as possible in middle school to make more friends for high school, except for math. Get in the best level for their ability for your kid's math class.
AAP ends in 8th grade.
High school is general enrollment. Most, if not all of the highly desired schools ar AP (not AAP) run by the college board. The lower ranked schools are almost all IB, except for Robinson, which is a fantastic school, and Marshall, which is fine. Between the two options, the AP program is a far better choice.
Fairfax HS is a great school. It is its own district, but attached to FCPS, so it will not get rezoned as long as you live in the City of Fairfax. Definitely put that school back on your list.
If you are a military family, put all of the Burke, West Springfield, Lorton corridor schools back on your list: WSHS, Lake Braddock, Robinson and South County. All are good options.
You can only transfer to schools with space, and the AP/IB/foreign language transfer option is only for high school. Since you don't have a permanent home, that doesn't really affect you now.
Everything this person said.
Except for Robinson/Marshall, but it seems like OP is anti-IB.
You don't think Robinson is a fantastic school, and that Marshall is just fine too?
Or that the rest of the IB schools besides those two are lower performing?
The implication is that Robinson is better than Marshall, which it isn’t.
Robinson is a good school but not better than Marshall, I agree. But there a few very low rated IB schools. Doesn’t matter which one OP is referring to, her predicament is the same.
Middle is tough enough, it will be a tougher transition for your DC who is new in every way. That doesn’t bode well from a bullying perspective. Maybe go private.
Private school is WAY more difficult to start in middle school than a public middle school. Those kids at private schools have known each other for ages, and if the 7th grader doesn't click with the kids or the leader kids don't like him, there is no where to land and find your people.
Public schools have so many groups and kids, plus everyone is starting fresh in 7th grade, from a half dozen different elementary schools. All the kids are newish, so it is easier to find a group.
I am the PP recommending private. OP’s kid has been in a private it seems so should be fine. Navigating a public school in middle is no walk in the park. I would stay away from, the big leagues for this reason (Langley, Mclean, Oakton). Or the big schools like Chantilly or Lake Braddock for sure. If you must do public, move away from FCPS.
Anonymous
08/05/2025 22:33
Subject: Re:House/FCPS location complex situation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:IB can be fine but it’s not very popular. Wasn’t it enough there was recently a thread on this with people arguing. Moving on.
I’d go with Lake Braddock or Irving/West Springfield.
Lake Braddock and West Springfield each have almost 3000 high school kids. You can find smaller schools with academics that are just as strong.
You’d have to go to Loudoun county. Chantilly high has 3k kids yet several PPs were recommending that to OP.
No, you’d just go elsewhere in Fairfax.