There are some schools that are worth the commute and other sacrafices, but I would say, Bullis is not one if them. There are some great options in DC!

Actually, no, I was being serious. Many DC Public Schools are better than Bullis and they're free.

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore this poster, BEARSON3, he is a Landon kid. He is sockpuppeting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should save your money OP and try the DC Publics. We didn't because our kid got into an elite private here. If she had not, we would have sent her to public. We know many DC public school kids who got into really nice colleges...better ones than the kids coming out of Bullis.

My kids also attend/ed an "elite private" in the District -- perhaps the same one your child "got into". Whichever one it is, how sad that you think the measure of any school is completely defined by where the students go to college. It seems to me you're missing so much of the experience that a school can offer a child who is encouraged to truly value learning. Instead, in your view it all comes down to a window decal.

Bunch on nonsense. Find the school that fits your child. It may be Bullis, it may be elsewhere but Bullis certainly provides everything a student needs to succeed (as do most schools in this area). And there is value in a private experience beyond that which is afforded by any public school.

Anonymous wrote:I guess you could move to Poolesville and send DC to Poolesville HS. The schools referenced are among the best in the country. Just because your brother did not have a good experience does not mean that the schools are not good.
Folks, One of the points of the whole HS whole experience is for students to evolve into the type of person who will succeed at the next level which could be college, military, vocational training, etc. If your kid is an academic who seeks to attend the best colleges then your kid probably will want a school where he/she will be challenged academically, meet people outside of his/her normal circle of friends/family, and develop a specialty in a certain area such as athletics, art, etc. All the schools on the board are options but if you really want a school that will prepare you academically for the best colleges then you should check the stats listed above. IMHO, all the schools offer strong athletics, art, etc. Academics differentiate and when you school has not a single NMSF while Sidwell has over ten and the public schools average 3-5% of the class, then you have to reassess the value of Bullis. Again, not a knock on the school but there are better options unless you are content to spend $140,000+ for your kid to barely make the cut at UMD.

You entirely missed the point of my comments. The purpose of high school is not to get into college. The purpose of high school is to actually learn something. For some children (like my brothers), a W school isn't the right fit. Perhaps that is why their parents chose Bullis. After graduating from Wootton, one of my brothers never even went to college. If he had gone to a school that better inculcated a love of learning, I'm sure he would have gone on. He's a bright guy. It is incredibly presumptuous to proclaim that people who you don't even know are misspending their dollars. I only wish that my parents had been that stupid.

There are so many good private schools closer in that have stronger academics than Bullis; are you concerned you won't get in? In which case it might be worth it as a safety option, but I have heard the academics are not as strong as other privates.

I guess you could move to Poolesville and send DC to Poolesville HS. The schools referenced are among the best in the country. Just because your brother did not have a good experience does not mean that the schools are not good.
Folks, One of the points of the whole HS whole experience is for students to evolve into the type of person who will succeed at the next level which could be college, military, vocational training, etc. If your kid is an academic who seeks to attend the best colleges then your kid probably will want a school where he/she will be challenged academically, meet people outside of his/her normal circle of friends/family, and develop a specialty in a certain area such as athletics, art, etc. All the schools on the board are options but if you really want a school that will prepare you academically for the best colleges then you should check the stats listed above. IMHO, all the schools offer strong athletics, art, etc. Academics differentiate and when you school has not a single NMSF while Sidwell has over ten and the public schools average 3-5% of the class, then you have to reassess the value of Bullis. Again, not a knock on the school but there are better options unless you are content to spend $140,000+ for your kid to barely make the cut at UMD.

Just ignore this poster, BEARSON3, he is a Landon kid. He is sockpuppeting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should save your money OP and try the DC Publics. We didn't because our kid got into an elite private here. If she had not, we would have sent her to public. We know many DC public school kids who got into really nice colleges...better ones than the kids coming out of Bullis.

My kids also attend/ed an "elite private" in the District -- perhaps the same one your child "got into". Whichever one it is, how sad that you think the measure of any school is completely defined by where the students go to college. It seems to me you're missing so much of the experience that a school can offer a child who is encouraged to truly value learning. Instead, in your view it all comes down to a window decal.

Anonymous wrote:I think you should save your money OP and try the DC Publics. We didn't because our kid got into an elite private here. If she had not, we would have sent her to public. We know many DC public school kids who got into really nice colleges...better ones than the kids coming out of Bullis.

My kids also attend/ed an "elite private" in the District -- perhaps the same one your child "got into". Whichever one it is, how sad that you think the measure of any school is completely defined by where the students go to college. It seems to me you're missing so much of the experience that a school can offer a child who is encouraged to truly value learning. Instead, in your view it all comes down to a window decal.

I think you should save your money OP and try the DC Publics. We didn't because our kid got into an elite private here. If she had not, we would have sent her to public. We know many DC public school kids who got into really nice colleges...better ones than the kids coming out of Bullis.

Anonymous wrote:Your dime not mine. The facts don't lie. Whitman, Wooton, Chhurchill, WJ and B-CC students score higher on AP exams, have more NMSF, have higher SAT scores and better placement at top schools than Bullis. With Sidwell, Landon, GP, STA, NCS, Maret, Holton-Arms and a few others, the results justify the tuition but if you want to pay top dollar for an education that is considerably inferior to public schools in the area then, by all mean, go ahead. This is a free country.

Are those the only metrics by which you measure a quality high school experience? My two brothers and I attended Wootton (PSA -- it's w, double o, double t, o, n). I did quite well for myself but my brothers, one in particular, fared poorly. The school was too big and too geared towards grinding out appropriately-credentialed college applicants as opposed to ensuring that all students had a meaningful high school experience. Conversely, they would have thrived at a smaller school where teachers actually took the time to find out what made them click. Perhaps the children who attend Bullis might be in similar situations. Maybe they just wouldn't do as well at a big regional high school. I think your view on the purpose of high school is exceedingly skewed but it is well-suited for the environment your child will find at Whitman, Wootton and Churchill.

As for me, we don't even live in MoCo so this is a non-issue. However, if we did, you can rest assured that I wouldn't choose a W school.

OP,
If you are considering an independent school, choose it because you and your child like the curriculum and the community. Do your best to ignore parents that do not have a child at the school you are considering.

Since you are considering lower school, visit classrooms in all grade levels. See for yourself. It doesn't take long after a visit to see if a school is right or wrong for your child.

If you feel your child is in the right place - whatever the commute - it won't feel so bad.

+1

Anonymous wrote:What an idiotic response. Just because one school has higher college placement, AP scores, etc. than another doesn't necessarily mean the former school is better than the latter. There isn't necessarily one explanation. Maybe there are simply more academically inclined kids at BCC than Bullis. Maybe Bullis doesn't do a good enough job with college placement (in the eyes of some).

There is no absolute explanation.

Huh? I have to think your response is a joke. If you are going to spend at least $35,000 would you not want the academics to at least be equal? So you are saying the kids aren't as smart and for that money, the college counselors aren't as good? Take the $140,000 you are going to spend for HS and put it towards tutoring and college counseling. Seems like a much better use of the money.

Your dime not mine. The facts don't lie. Whitman, Wooton, Chhurchill, WJ and B-CC students score higher on AP exams, have more NMSF, have higher SAT scores and better placement at top schools than Bullis. With Sidwell, Landon, GP, STA, NCS, Maret, Holton-Arms and a few others, the results justify the tuition but if you want to pay top dollar for an education that is considerably inferior to public schools in the area then, by all mean, go ahead. This is a free country.

What an idiotic response. Just because one school has higher college placement, AP scores, etc. than another doesn't necessarily mean the former school is better than the latter. There isn't necessarily one explanation. Maybe there are simply more academically inclined kids at BCC than Bullis. Maybe Bullis doesn't do a good enough job with college placement (in the eyes of some).

There is no absolute explanation.