Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains why so many DID NOT choose Sidwell. . .

Yes, if you want things to be simple, do not choose Sidwell. If you prefer an environment that is not introspective and constantly questioning its purpose, values and perceptions, then Sidwell is not the place for you. For others, it is exactly why we chose it. To each his / her own.

Simple? Oh please. Every "why I did" response is simple minded. The name? The name of all things??? Yeah, that's real deep and introspective. My DC goes to a Big 3 that is NOT Sidwell and no one says it's because of the name. How ridiculous. But carry on with your so called introspection.

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains why so many DID NOT choose Sidwell. . .

Yes, if you want things to be simple, do not choose Sidwell. If you prefer an environment that is not introspective and constantly questioning its purpose, values and perceptions, then Sidwell is not the place for you. For others, it is exactly why we chose it. To each his / her own.

This thread explains why so many DID NOT choose Sidwell. . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is so ironic. I'm a Sidwell grad from the late 90s. I can think of MAYBE 2-3 of my classmates who have high-powered, money-making, NYC-esque jobs. The rest work for nonprofits, art galleries, one is a public defender, another is a social worker - and these are not people from wealthy families. The school used to be about values - now it's about social status and networking for parents. It's a shame, actually.

Actually, with the exception of Chelsea Clinton (and I guess you could argue she runs a non-profit), the mix of the types of jobs you describe is still consistent with alumni younger than you. The place itself hasn't changed much, just the perception from those who are not part of the school community.

parent of recent alums here -- I have to disagree -- many recent alums are working in finance.

Anonymous wrote:

This is so ironic. I'm a Sidwell grad from the late 90s. I can think of MAYBE 2-3 of my classmates who have high-powered, money-making, NYC-esque jobs. The rest work for nonprofits, art galleries, one is a public defender, another is a social worker - and these are not people from wealthy families. The school used to be about values - now it's about social status and networking for parents. It's a shame, actually.

Actually, with the exception of Chelsea Clinton (and I guess you could argue she runs a non-profit), the mix of the types of jobs you describe is still consistent with alumni younger than you. The place itself hasn't changed much, just the perception from those who are not part of the school community.

Anonymous wrote:
The name only matters before you visit the school because that's the only thing you know. My three kids went/go there, including one who is out of college. I didn't care about the name almost 20 years ago when we applied. It was the facilities, the teachers, the philosophy. The name disappears pretty quickly. I absolutely don't pay money for the name. I don't think we have had a Sidwell sticker on our car for ten years. When I walk on to the campus, it's the actual school that I value, not what others think about it.

With all due respect, PP, "almost 20 years ago when you applied," the competitive environment for higher education and top paying jobs was nothing like it is today.

I have no idea why this comment is germane. My first kid may have applied 20 years ago, but I still have a student at the school. 20 years ago or now. It's not the brand that I care about. It's the actual school that I find valuable. Brand attracts potential applicants. Performance is what keeps a family there. I don't think "name recognition" prepares kids for the competition you are talking about. But a good school does.

Anonymous wrote:This is so ironic. I'm a Sidwell grad from the late 90s. I can think of MAYBE 2-3 of my classmates who have high-powered, money-making, NYC-esque jobs. The rest work for nonprofits, art galleries, one is a public defender, another is a social worker - and these are not people from wealthy families. The school used to be about values - now it's about social status and networking for parents. It's a shame, actually.

Yeah, and all the really good music stopped in the late 1990s too. Now it's all garbage.

We didn't care about the name at all (this was pre-Obamas) or the facilities (pre-athletic center, arts center). We chose Sidwell because of the Quaker values and because we understood it to be a school that would instill in our kids the capacity and instinct to question everything. We were disappointed re the former, but absolutely got what we hoped for re the latter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2. Quaker oriented culture

How is this manifested and how has it affected your child's experience?

"Quaker oriented" culture? What does that mean?

Google is your friend

I'm from Philly and went to a Friends school. I get Quaker culture. Was confused by the "oriented" part. Is it Quaker light? Only some elements of Quaker values?

Quaker extra-light. "Tis a gift to be simple" doesn't always ring true in the school's culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am highly educated and never heard of Sidwell until I came to work in DC. No one in my excellent college attended the school and no one bothered to ask anyone where they went to high school. It is just a DC phenom and a reflection of the shallow brand-name obsession in the city.

Yup.

Stop with the sanctimonious crap. I have spent my adult life in New York, Boston, Washington and San Francisco. Each of these cities, to varying degrees places emphasis on certain labels that help to identify social status. In New York, there is equal emphasis on what school your kids attend, starting at the preschool level. Ever heard of the 96th Street Y? And a mention of Goldman Sachs or a prominent hedge fund are clear markers of prosperity. In SF, people casually mention that they were Apple employee number 136 as an indication of the fact that they were the beneficiaries of Apple stock when it was at $34. In Boston, it's about neighborhoods, schools and country clubs in an environment with almost no racial integration. In LA it is about cars, schools and your proximity to power in media and entertainment.

So yes, people in DC care a lot about schools. If there is one obsession worth having, that is probably the right one.

This is so ironic. I'm a Sidwell grad from the late 90s. I can think of MAYBE 2-3 of my classmates who have high-powered, money-making, NYC-esque jobs. The rest work for nonprofits, art galleries, one is a public defender, another is a social worker - and these are not people from wealthy families. The school used to be about values - now it's about social status and networking for parents. It's a shame, actually.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest? The name. That's what you're (we're) paying for.

Cynical and short sighted. Since the benefit is lost on you, you should have saved yourself the expense. As a 15 year member of the community, I am not part of the "you're".

NP. I don't think this is cynical and short sighted at all. I bet 99% of the parents there (ourselves included) have this reason somewhere on their list of "Why We Chose Sidwell." Nothing to be offended by, PP. It's just an acknowledgement of the fact that the name carries weight both here and elsewhere.

The absolute high point of my experience as a Sidwell parent was when my kids, a Sidwell grad two weeks into his first year of of ollege, told me, "You know, Mom, nobody here gives a shit where you went to high schoo." Amen, dude. l

Anonymous wrote:The name only matters before you visit the school because that's the only thing you know. My three kids went/go there, including one who is out of college. I didn't care about the name almost 20 years ago when we applied. It was the facilities, the teachers, the philosophy. The name disappears pretty quickly. I absolutely don't pay money for the name. I don't think we have had a Sidwell sticker on our car for ten years. When I walk on to the campus, it's the actual school that I value, not what others think about it.

With all due respect, PP, "almost 20 years ago when you applied," the competitive environment for higher education and top paying jobs was nothing like it is today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am highly educated and never heard of Sidwell until I came to work in DC. No one in my excellent college attended the school and no one bothered to ask anyone where they went to high school. It is just a DC phenom and a reflection of the shallow brand-name obsession in the city.

Yup.

Stop with the sanctimonious crap. I have spent my adult life in New York, Boston, Washington and San Francisco. Each of these cities, to varying degrees places emphasis on certain labels that help to identify social status. In New York, there is equal emphasis on what school your kids attend, starting at the preschool level. Ever heard of the 96th Street Y? And a mention of Goldman Sachs or a prominent hedge fund are clear markers of prosperity. In SF, people casually mention that they were Apple employee number 136 as an indication of the fact that they were the beneficiaries of Apple stock when it was at $34. In Boston, it's about neighborhoods, schools and country clubs in an environment with almost no racial integration. In LA it is about cars, schools and your proximity to power in media and entertainment.

So yes, people in DC care a lot about schools. If there is one obsession worth having, that is probably the right one.

Totally agree with this. Anyone who says otherwise may be kidding themselves, but no one else.

*92nd

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am highly educated and never heard of Sidwell until I came to work in DC. No one in my excellent college attended the school and no one bothered to ask anyone where they went to high school. It is just a DC phenom and a reflection of the shallow brand-name obsession in the city.

Yup.

Stop with the sanctimonious crap. I have spent my adult life in New York, Boston, Washington and San Francisco. Each of these cities, to varying degrees places emphasis on certain labels that help to identify social status. In New York, there is equal emphasis on what school your kids attend, starting at the preschool level. Ever heard of the 96th Street Y? And a mention of Goldman Sachs or a prominent hedge fund are clear markers of prosperity. In SF, people casually mention that they were Apple employee number 136 as an indication of the fact that they were the beneficiaries of Apple stock when it was at $34. In Boston, it's about neighborhoods, schools and country clubs in an environment with almost no racial integration. In LA it is about cars, schools and your proximity to power in media and entertainment.

So yes, people in DC care a lot about schools. If there is one obsession worth having, that is probably the right one.