The bus is way, way easier than driving to campus and dropping off or picking up. At every school, pick up lines can be very long. The bus saves a huge amount of time and hassle, and also reduces traffic in the area at the same time.

It's even better when the kid can take Metro to and from school (if you live anywhere near a Metro station or can drive to one easily), or walk or bike (if you live close enough). DC resident students get a Kids Ride Free to take the Metro for free, and non-DC residents get some kind of subsidized card as well that I think GDS pays for.

For us, the many transportation options GDS offers, which enable us not to have to drive to Tenleytown twice a day and wait in long lines, was a big plus.

You can find more bus information here: https://sites.google.com/gds.org/improvemycommute/families/faqs-and-how-tos?authuser=0

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know - there's also a lens on the OP's (admittedly sloppy) post that suggests they are a URM family trying to understand the landscape on the chances their kid would be accepted, get funding, and thrive...(especially because they seem to care whether admissions staff is diverse)

I'll answer the commute question - we have an older child - we are not supposed to drive our child to school in the AM unless we have a carpool where we bring another family's child with us. Afternoon is not an issue for arriving as a solo family for pick-up. Our DC takes the bus but we know of other families that do not - and probably fudge by dropping their child "somewhere else near campus". I can't speak to the penalty or how may families are "cheating" on carpool rules.

Is this why people drop off on WI?
SO they don't get caught cheating on carpool rules?

Someone needs to get Frumin involved in this clear breach of the agreement made with the neighborhood. So selfish and entitled.

GDS has a great inexpensive bus system ($2/morning); I don't think people regularly flaunt the drop off rules.

Tell me more about the bus system. Where does it stop/cover?

GDS has a great bus system. They have 30+ stops into DC, MD and VA; I can't figure out how to link the bus stop map here, but i'm sure admissions would give it to you if asked. They only charge you for the specific date and time (morning and/or afternoon) your child rides so it's very flexible ($2/am; $6/pm). The morning busses arrive to school by 8am (since LS/MS starts then). HS kids hang out in the forum/library until school starts at 8:45am. The buses leave school around 3:30-3:40pm. They do not have a later post athletics bus.

New GDS HS family and did not realize this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know - there's also a lens on the OP's (admittedly sloppy) post that suggests they are a URM family trying to understand the landscape on the chances their kid would be accepted, get funding, and thrive...(especially because they seem to care whether admissions staff is diverse)

I'll answer the commute question - we have an older child - we are not supposed to drive our child to school in the AM unless we have a carpool where we bring another family's child with us. Afternoon is not an issue for arriving as a solo family for pick-up. Our DC takes the bus but we know of other families that do not - and probably fudge by dropping their child "somewhere else near campus". I can't speak to the penalty or how may families are "cheating" on carpool rules.

Is this why people drop off on WI?
SO they don't get caught cheating on carpool rules?

Someone needs to get Frumin involved in this clear breach of the agreement made with the neighborhood. So selfish and entitled.

GDS has a great inexpensive bus system ($2/morning); I don't think people regularly flaunt the drop off rules.

Tell me more about the bus system. Where does it stop/cover?

GDS has a great bus system. They have 30+ stops into DC, MD and VA; I can't figure out how to link the bus stop map here, but i'm sure admissions would give it to you if asked. They only charge you for the specific date and time (morning and/or afternoon) your child rides so it's very flexible ($2/am; $6/pm). The morning busses arrive to school by 8am (since LS/MS starts then). HS kids hang out in the forum/library until school starts at 8:45am. The buses leave school around 3:30-3:40pm. They do not have a later post athletics bus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dropping kids off on the far side of Wisconsin is within the school rules.

No it is not within the school rules. YOU as an adult are allowed to park on the far side of Wisconsin if you are and adult coming to something at school.....but you cannot drop your kid anywhere, but on campus to be in compliance with "dropping off". This is cut and paste of the rule...

All pick up and drop off is to occur on campus. Families are also not permitted to park on neighborhood streets to walk their children to campus, nor may they park and wait for their children in the afternoons.

Define "neighborhood." Two block radius? One mile?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know - there's also a lens on the OP's (admittedly sloppy) post that suggests they are a URM family trying to understand the landscape on the chances their kid would be accepted, get funding, and thrive...(especially because they seem to care whether admissions staff is diverse)

I'll answer the commute question - we have an older child - we are not supposed to drive our child to school in the AM unless we have a carpool where we bring another family's child with us. Afternoon is not an issue for arriving as a solo family for pick-up. Our DC takes the bus but we know of other families that do not - and probably fudge by dropping their child "somewhere else near campus". I can't speak to the penalty or how may families are "cheating" on carpool rules.

Is this why people drop off on WI?
SO they don't get caught cheating on carpool rules?

Someone needs to get Frumin involved in this clear breach of the agreement made with the neighborhood. So selfish and entitled.

GDS has a great inexpensive bus system ($2/morning); I don't think people regularly flaunt the drop off rules.

Tell me more about the bus system. Where does it stop/cover?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know - there's also a lens on the OP's (admittedly sloppy) post that suggests they are a URM family trying to understand the landscape on the chances their kid would be accepted, get funding, and thrive...(especially because they seem to care whether admissions staff is diverse)

I'll answer the commute question - we have an older child - we are not supposed to drive our child to school in the AM unless we have a carpool where we bring another family's child with us. Afternoon is not an issue for arriving as a solo family for pick-up. Our DC takes the bus but we know of other families that do not - and probably fudge by dropping their child "somewhere else near campus". I can't speak to the penalty or how may families are "cheating" on carpool rules.

Is this why people drop off on WI?
SO they don't get caught cheating on carpool rules?

Someone needs to get Frumin involved in this clear breach of the agreement made with the neighborhood. So selfish and entitled.

Or maybe focus your selective outrage on all the smoke shops opening up in the neighborhood, a close walk to public and private schools alike.

This. Race to the bottom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This drop-off situation is one of the reasons we didn't apply to the school. Apart from a lackluster tour and admissions staff not making themselves available to answer questions, the idea of coordinating carpool on top of everything I have to do on a daily basis was enough to move the school to the "no" column.

The tour at GDS is just to show you the school and the kids in their environment. You came in with the wrong expectations if you expected more than that. Admissions staff are available for questions by email, phone and at your parent interview. Are you saying you’re unable to reach them?

I came in with the same expectations I had at all of the school tours I attended. Out of the 8 I went to, the GDS one was the least informative.

GDS tours aren't like other schools. Tours are run by parent volunteers by design, not the administration or admissions staff. Parents don't know everything, nor should they, but they can offer a unique perspective and experience the administration can't. If there are specific questions you have admissions can share that information with you directly. Parent volunteers aren't there to "sell you" on the school.

FYI - tours vary by division. HS tours are not parent volunteers - but a student who gives a tour when you come in for the interview (I can't remember if the tour is before or after the interview). The information sessions (when we applied) were purely online. We attended a couple of those so that we could get to all the subjects/topics we were interested in.