Anonymous wrote:Play along with my total fantasy scenario here: let's imagine my 8th grade DD gets into Sidwell or GDS and also Walls. I think she'd be happy at any of them. She's tough as nails, entirely self-motivated, deeply curious, very smart. Has been happy and successful in DCPS. I, however, am exhausted by DCPS - the nonstop advocacy, feeling like parents have to hold it all up bc it's so chaotic and funding always in jeopardy, issues with staffing and facilities, always wondering if we will lose a teacher or a section, not get a sub, get subjected to a crappy online curriculum. Walls may be protected from some of that, but it's still DCPS. We *can* afford private but we make too much to qualify for aid ($400k) so it will be a stretch. We will have to cut other things like vacations. We won't be doing all the tutoring and extra fancy stuff other kids do like get college essay consultants and marketing people to help develop a podcast or whatever latest thing is the "hook" to get "unhooked" kids into college. Sigh. So, in this totally fantasy scenario...what would you do? She will be ok anywhere because she's that kind of kid. She will be more challenged - I think - at a Sidwell or a GDS and I would be relieved to step back. But I would be trading that relief for financial stress. And the crazy social and status stuff that comes with private school. Thanks for indulging me in this fantasy world.

Anonymous wrote:Play along with my total fantasy scenario here: let's imagine my 8th grade DD gets into Sidwell or GDS and also Walls. I think she'd be happy at any of them. She's tough as nails, entirely self-motivated, deeply curious, very smart. Has been happy and successful in DCPS. I, however, am exhausted by DCPS - the nonstop advocacy, feeling like parents have to hold it all up bc it's so chaotic and funding always in jeopardy, issues with staffing and facilities, always wondering if we will lose a teacher or a section, not get a sub, get subjected to a crappy online curriculum. Walls may be protected from some of that, but it's still DCPS. We *can* afford private but we make too much to qualify for aid ($400k) so it will be a stretch. We will have to cut other things like vacations. We won't be doing all the tutoring and extra fancy stuff other kids do like get college essay consultants and marketing people to help develop a podcast or whatever latest thing is the "hook" to get "unhooked" kids into college. Sigh. So, in this totally fantasy scenario...what would you do? She will be ok anywhere because she's that kind of kid. She will be more challenged - I think - at a Sidwell or a GDS and I would be relieved to step back. But I would be trading that relief for financial stress. And the crazy social and status stuff that comes with private school. Thanks for indulging me in this fantasy world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your chances of having this choice are very very low. There are, surprise to no one, more than say 15 really smart gritty go getter girls from the entire DMV looking into Sid and GDS for 9th. So this fantasy is, as you recognize, a real fantasy.

That being said, we chose a Big 3 over our very excellent punching above its weight college admissions public for the reasons outlined by others but to put a finer point on it.

First, the writing, editing, and analytical development. I think there are equally good teachers at the good public schools. But, they have exponentially more students. A private school English teacher can assign a three page paper and then edit it and provide those edits back. That iterative process can continue. That is simply not possible with the numbers of students a public school teacher has to deal with. (3 page paper, times 50 kids at best, etc.). Also, say 25 kids on a class; your child will by definition have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful academic back and forth guided by a teacher.

Also, we liked the lack of grade inflation. We felt that our child deserved meaningful feedback on their performance. We wanted our child to have some grade challenged in high school when we were there to my guide them. That is much more likely to happen at a private school.

We also see that the classes are harder. They just are. People can pretend that they aren’t but my kid does way more homework than his peers at our local public. I understand this cuts both ways — 3 hours of homework on some nights freshman year is not actually beneficial to my kid.

Finally, and again this will be like throwing gasoline on a fire, we came to the conclusion that college outcomes are better. Which made sense to us for the reasons outlined above.

Your local public is not Walls, which undermines the relevance of your post. Also, you underestimate the number of children who have these choices.

(1). Our local public is, in my view, superior to Walls. Regardless, we engaged in the analysis for TJHSST where our child was accepted and also turned down for these reasons and everyone knows that’s “better” than Walls.

(2). Classes at GDS and Sidwell are about 120 in US. They accept about 30 +/- for 9th entry. Half of those (yes yes approximately) go to girls. Hence explain what’s the matter with my math?

(3). I thought my post was pretty helpful? Geez.

I think you don’t realize how many addition duties private school teachers have that eat up their time. Yes, they have smaller classes and so should be able to give students more feedback—but often they are busy with other duties that public school teachers do not have and also are often less qualified and paid far less.

The real difference between public and private is the peer group anyway, unless you are talking about a school like TJ or Stuyvesant in NYC.

Also, I would expect my child to learn to edit their own writing and not have their writing feedback be merely “edits.” Sounds like you should have sent your kid to TJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your chances of having this choice are very very low. There are, surprise to no one, more than say 15 really smart gritty go getter girls from the entire DMV looking into Sid and GDS for 9th. So this fantasy is, as you recognize, a real fantasy.

That being said, we chose a Big 3 over our very excellent punching above its weight college admissions public for the reasons outlined by others but to put a finer point on it.

First, the writing, editing, and analytical development. I think there are equally good teachers at the good public schools. But, they have exponentially more students. A private school English teacher can assign a three page paper and then edit it and provide those edits back. That iterative process can continue. That is simply not possible with the numbers of students a public school teacher has to deal with. (3 page paper, times 50 kids at best, etc.). Also, say 25 kids on a class; your child will by definition have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful academic back and forth guided by a teacher.

Also, we liked the lack of grade inflation. We felt that our child deserved meaningful feedback on their performance. We wanted our child to have some grade challenged in high school when we were there to my guide them. That is much more likely to happen at a private school.

We also see that the classes are harder. They just are. People can pretend that they aren’t but my kid does way more homework than his peers at our local public. I understand this cuts both ways — 3 hours of homework on some nights freshman year is not actually beneficial to my kid.

Finally, and again this will be like throwing gasoline on a fire, we came to the conclusion that college outcomes are better. Which made sense to us for the reasons outlined above.

Your local public is not Walls, which undermines the relevance of your post. Also, you underestimate the number of children who have these choices.

(1). Our local public is, in my view, superior to Walls. Regardless, we engaged in the analysis for TJHSST where our child was accepted and also turned down for these reasons and everyone knows that’s “better” than Walls.

(2). Classes at GDS and Sidwell are about 120 in US. They accept about 30 +/- for 9th entry. Half of those (yes yes approximately) go to girls. Hence explain what’s the matter with my math?

(3). I thought my post was pretty helpful? Geez.

Anonymous wrote:We have a Walls/GWEP grad and a child who is currently attending one of the Big 3. (You will have good and bad teachers anywhere.) Pros and cons to both but every child deserves the education and attention provided by the Big 3 schools. If given the opportunity and your child wants it, take the spot at the big 3.

Anonymous wrote:Your chances of having this choice are very very low. There are, surprise to no one, more than say 15 really smart gritty go getter girls from the entire DMV looking into Sid and GDS for 9th. So this fantasy is, as you recognize, a real fantasy.

That being said, we chose a Big 3 over our very excellent punching above its weight college admissions public for the reasons outlined by others but to put a finer point on it.

First, the writing, editing, and analytical development. I think there are equally good teachers at the good public schools. But, they have exponentially more students. A private school English teacher can assign a three page paper and then edit it and provide those edits back. That iterative process can continue. That is simply not possible with the numbers of students a public school teacher has to deal with. (3 page paper, times 50 kids at best, etc.). Also, say 25 kids on a class; your child will by definition have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful academic back and forth guided by a teacher.

Also, we liked the lack of grade inflation. We felt that our child deserved meaningful feedback on their performance. We wanted our child to have some grade challenged in high school when we were there to my guide them. That is much more likely to happen at a private school.

We also see that the classes are harder. They just are. People can pretend that they aren’t but my kid does way more homework than his peers at our local public. I understand this cuts both ways — 3 hours of homework on some nights freshman year is not actually beneficial to my kid.

Finally, and again this will be like throwing gasoline on a fire, we came to the conclusion that college outcomes are better. Which made sense to us for the reasons outlined above.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your chances of having this choice are very very low. There are, surprise to no one, more than say 15 really smart gritty go getter girls from the entire DMV looking into Sid and GDS for 9th. So this fantasy is, as you recognize, a real fantasy.

That being said, we chose a Big 3 over our very excellent punching above its weight college admissions public for the reasons outlined by others but to put a finer point on it.

First, the writing, editing, and analytical development. I think there are equally good teachers at the good public schools. But, they have exponentially more students. A private school English teacher can assign a three page paper and then edit it and provide those edits back. That iterative process can continue. That is simply not possible with the numbers of students a public school teacher has to deal with. (3 page paper, times 50 kids at best, etc.). Also, say 25 kids on a class; your child will by definition have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful academic back and forth guided by a teacher.

Also, we liked the lack of grade inflation. We felt that our child deserved meaningful feedback on their performance. We wanted our child to have some grade challenged in high school when we were there to my guide them. That is much more likely to happen at a private school.

We also see that the classes are harder. They just are. People can pretend that they aren’t but my kid does way more homework than his peers at our local public. I understand this cuts both ways — 3 hours of homework on some nights freshman year is not actually beneficial to my kid.

Finally, and again this will be like throwing gasoline on a fire, we came to the conclusion that college outcomes are better. Which made sense to us for the reasons outlined above.

Your local public is not Walls, which undermines the relevance of your post. Also, you underestimate the number of children who have these choices.

Anonymous wrote:Your chances of having this choice are very very low. There are, surprise to no one, more than say 15 really smart gritty go getter girls from the entire DMV looking into Sid and GDS for 9th. So this fantasy is, as you recognize, a real fantasy.

That being said, we chose a Big 3 over our very excellent punching above its weight college admissions public for the reasons outlined by others but to put a finer point on it.

First, the writing, editing, and analytical development. I think there are equally good teachers at the good public schools. But, they have exponentially more students. A private school English teacher can assign a three page paper and then edit it and provide those edits back. That iterative process can continue. That is simply not possible with the numbers of students a public school teacher has to deal with. (3 page paper, times 50 kids at best, etc.). Also, say 25 kids on a class; your child will by definition have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful academic back and forth guided by a teacher.

Also, we liked the lack of grade inflation. We felt that our child deserved meaningful feedback on their performance. We wanted our child to have some grade challenged in high school when we were there to my guide them. That is much more likely to happen at a private school.

We also see that the classes are harder. They just are. People can pretend that they aren’t but my kid does way more homework than his peers at our local public. I understand this cuts both ways — 3 hours of homework on some nights freshman year is not actually beneficial to my kid.

Finally, and again this will be like throwing gasoline on a fire, we came to the conclusion that college outcomes are better. Which made sense to us for the reasons outlined above.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so confused. Why haven’t you asked your daughter what SHE wants?… Instead of random strangers on the internet. If she has a good head on her shoulders, she will have her own aspirations and desires that are outside other people’s opinions. You say that YOU are exhausted but is your daughter exhausted with DCPS? Also why are you spending so much time thinking about this? She may not even have a choice and then you’re wasted everyone’s time on this.

I’m sure at the end of the day the daughter would prefer the $200k+ you would throw away on Sidwell to use as a downpayment on a house or law school tuition … not sure why you will start this phase of her life off with a terrible financial choice.