It is all about what school is best for your child. My siblings and I went to different DC private schools in the 90s since we were very different people. My kids are at Bullis now and it is a great fit for them (and no one in our family went there before). Do you know families with children at each school? I would try to connect with current families to learn more about their experience at the school to determine what school is the best fit for your child.

For us at Bullis, we have appreciated the balance of academics, athletics, and the arts. Although I thought of Bullis as an athlete only school when I was growing up, my very non-athletic child has found their place at Bullis too. We appreciate that it does not feel like an academic "pressure cooker" and supports different styles of learners.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really. Ask current parents how much impact the CTTL has on the everyday goings-on in the classroom. Ask the school specific questions about it. Ask for details.

None at all. But that is HS. Maybe different in lower grades.

I don’t know how I’d know as I don’t attend class. But the suggestion that SAES doesn’t encourage a growth mindset if not true. My kid has been there since MS and has grown into a HS student I could not have foreseen.

Field also swells in high school. The 6th grade class is typically 20-25 and 9th tends to be in 60s, so the upper school is considerably larger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks, everyone, for replying.

It is true that these were our "back-up" schools, but it doesn't mean I didn't do any research, or that DC and we don't have opinions as far as fit--we do. For a fully balanced appraisal, I wanted to add in other people's thoughts/experiences to see if they jibe with our impressions. Reasons why they aren't our first choice include distance, and in the case of Field, I don't have a feeling for how mainstream vs. therapeutic it is, since DC doesn't have an LD. But we've heard great things about all of them and wouldn't have applied to them if we didn't hold them in high esteem.

The best fit for DC learning-wise is probably GDS--DC likes diving deep in projects and is highly motivated that way. Culture-wise, probably Maret or Sidwell is the closest fit, but we feel like we'd fit in well at any of the schools. Among the schools to which DC was admitted, there's not an obvious perfect fit.

Is Field mostly for kids with LDs? Which school of the three will challenge DC the most academically?

My daughter is gifted and is at Field. She much prefers smaller classes, though, and she loves the project based work. She was accepted at a Big 3 and no doubt many people think we're insane for not going there but Field was a much better fit for her personality. A couple of her friends have ADHD but in terms of most kids having LDs, that's not the case. Because the classes are so small and the teachers know the kids and their learning styles so well, they're able to push kids when appropriate and provide more support when needed.

This is my neighbor's experience as well (not the big 3 part but a gifted student at Field). She's definitely quirky and has found a great group of friends. A previous poster commented on it being too small. Her grade has 42 kids in it (middle school) which for her, is perfect. So, it just depends on the kid. I don't know anything about teacher turnover but I just texted my neighbor and she said only one of her child's teachers is new to the school and a few have been at Field for quite some time. So who knows?!

On another note, and I'm only writing this because I think it is funny, a former teacher friend told me that one of the jobs of the admissions assistant at her school was to spend a couple of hours each day during admissions decision time responding to posts about schools. So, I suppose we should take all of this with a grain of salt!

Anonymous wrote:Really. Ask current parents how much impact the CTTL has on the everyday goings-on in the classroom. Ask the school specific questions about it. Ask for details.

None at all. But that is HS. Maybe different in lower grades.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi. We never considered Field given the experience of some friends whose children attended, but we did ultimately decide between St. Andrew's and Bullis for our middle school child. Ultimately, we chose Bullis and have been very happy with our decision (our child is in their third year). Based on our discussions with each school and current parents who sent their child to each school, we perceived that Bullis provided more opportunities to go in-depth in an area of particular interest. Our child is very focused on the arts, and the options were simply better at Bullis. For example, for our child to participate in certain aspects of the arts program at SAES, they would've had to arrive at school early (and there would've been no bus provided) for a pre-school-day program. Bullis provides ample opportunity for students to participate in the arts throughout the day and after school (with a late bus). Additionally, Bullis seemed more focused on and able to meet children where they were and appropriately pushing them to the next level academically (and this has proven true); the vibe we got from SAES did not reflect the same growth mindset when it came to student academic achievement, which was very surprising to us given the CTTL. Finally, we valued Bullis's size--it's important for children to be able to try out friend groups, reinvent themselves if that's what they want to do, be exposed to a wide array of people... it's harder for this to happen in a very small environment.
You have asked a difficult question because what is "best" for one is not "best" for all. I am sure each of these schools could be wonderful for your child or, perhaps, not the right fit for your child. (Though I would say the same for the "Big 3.") To a degree, this is all a well-informed leap of faith. Visit the schools and go with your gut and, more importantly, your child's.

What?! Lol. PP, come on, now.

Agreed, the highlighted sentence does not match my experience at SAES. But, the rest of this PPs points are valid. Bullis is bigger, so some specialized programs are going to be easier to access. SAES band and chorus are not as good as what we experienced with my public school kid. A MS band of 50-60 kids is quite different than 10.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks, everyone, for replying.

It is true that these were our "back-up" schools, but it doesn't mean I didn't do any research, or that DC and we don't have opinions as far as fit--we do. For a fully balanced appraisal, I wanted to add in other people's thoughts/experiences to see if they jibe with our impressions. Reasons why they aren't our first choice include distance, and in the case of Field, I don't have a feeling for how mainstream vs. therapeutic it is, since DC doesn't have an LD. But we've heard great things about all of them and wouldn't have applied to them if we didn't hold them in high esteem.

The best fit for DC learning-wise is probably GDS--DC likes diving deep in projects and is highly motivated that way. Culture-wise, probably Maret or Sidwell is the closest fit, but we feel like we'd fit in well at any of the schools. Among the schools to which DC was admitted, there's not an obvious perfect fit.

Is Field mostly for kids with LDs? Which school of the three will challenge DC the most academically?

My daughter is gifted and is at Field. She much prefers smaller classes, though, and she loves the project based work. She was accepted at a Big 3 and no doubt many people think we're insane for not going there but Field was a much better fit for her personality. A couple of her friends have ADHD but in terms of most kids having LDs, that's not the case. Because the classes are so small and the teachers know the kids and their learning styles so well, they're able to push kids when appropriate and provide more support when needed.

Bullis' academics have been great for my daughter. The new head prioritizes academics, but the school also has great arts and athletics programs that work for kids of various skill levels. My child is not particularly athletic but has loved being a part of the athletic teams. They have also participated in some of the arts programs despite having a limited background in the arts. Just look at each school and decide what feels right for your child.

Anonymous wrote:Really. Ask current parents how much impact the CTTL has on the everyday goings-on in the classroom. Ask the school specific questions about it. Ask for details.

Great idea. Absolutely ask parents and school.

Really. Ask current parents how much impact the CTTL has on the everyday goings-on in the classroom. Ask the school specific questions about it. Ask for details.

Anonymous wrote:Hi. We never considered Field given the experience of some friends whose children attended, but we did ultimately decide between St. Andrew's and Bullis for our middle school child. Ultimately, we chose Bullis and have been very happy with our decision (our child is in their third year). Based on our discussions with each school and current parents who sent their child to each school, we perceived that Bullis provided more opportunities to go in-depth in an area of particular interest. Our child is very focused on the arts, and the options were simply better at Bullis. For example, for our child to participate in certain aspects of the arts program at SAES, they would've had to arrive at school early (and there would've been no bus provided) for a pre-school-day program. Bullis provides ample opportunity for students to participate in the arts throughout the day and after school (with a late bus). Additionally, Bullis seemed more focused on and able to meet children where they were and appropriately pushing them to the next level academically (and this has proven true); the vibe we got from SAES did not reflect the same growth mindset when it came to student academic achievement, which was very surprising to us given the CTTL. Finally, we valued Bullis's size--it's important for children to be able to try out friend groups, reinvent themselves if that's what they want to do, be exposed to a wide array of people... it's harder for this to happen in a very small environment.
You have asked a difficult question because what is "best" for one is not "best" for all. I am sure each of these schools could be wonderful for your child or, perhaps, not the right fit for your child. (Though I would say the same for the "Big 3.") To a degree, this is all a well-informed leap of faith. Visit the schools and go with your gut and, more importantly, your child's.

What?! Lol. PP, come on, now.

Hi. We never considered Field given the experience of some friends whose children attended, but we did ultimately decide between St. Andrew's and Bullis for our middle school child. Ultimately, we chose Bullis and have been very happy with our decision (our child is in their third year). Based on our discussions with each school and current parents who sent their child to each school, we perceived that Bullis provided more opportunities to go in-depth in an area of particular interest. Our child is very focused on the arts, and the options were simply better at Bullis. For example, for our child to participate in certain aspects of the arts program at SAES, they would've had to arrive at school early (and there would've been no bus provided) for a pre-school-day program. Bullis provides ample opportunity for students to participate in the arts throughout the day and after school (with a late bus). Additionally, Bullis seemed more focused on and able to meet children where they were and appropriately pushing them to the next level academically (and this has proven true); the vibe we got from SAES did not reflect the same growth mindset when it came to student academic achievement, which was very surprising to us given the CTTL. Finally, we valued Bullis's size--it's important for children to be able to try out friend groups, reinvent themselves if that's what they want to do, be exposed to a wide array of people... it's harder for this to happen in a very small environment.
You have asked a difficult question because what is "best" for one is not "best" for all. I am sure each of these schools could be wonderful for your child or, perhaps, not the right fit for your child. (Though I would say the same for the "Big 3.") To a degree, this is all a well-informed leap of faith. Visit the schools and go with your gut and, more importantly, your child's.

I’d avoid field based on the changes I’ve seen over the past couple of years and Hugh teacher turnover rate.

Anonymous wrote:These three schools are extremely different. You need to find what is right for your student. If convenience is most important then focus on that.
As a Bullis parent, the school community has been welcoming, the teachers are supportive, the education is challenging and my child can excel in both athletics and the arts.

Agree. You need to find the school that is best for your DC.
We have happy kids at SAES- it was the right choice for us.

These three schools are extremely different. You need to find what is right for your student. If convenience is most important then focus on that.
As a Bullis parent, the school community has been welcoming, the teachers are supportive, the education is challenging and my child can excel in both athletics and the arts.