I live in Tenleytown and have been involved with a number of schools in the area, so I give you this advice.....

Contact your daughter's current school Admissions Director today, or as soon as possible. S/he can get started contacting schools in the DC area asking for help in placing your daughter. Since DC is a very transient area, openings occur all the time, and if an opening is available, you will be asked to submit paperwork, even if it is past the deadline. Admission Directors work with each other all the time and your school's AD should know your child and can ascertain which school in DC would be the best fit. The DC school AD would then also have a better picture of the student seeking admission rather than receiving a blind application.

Housing--There is a condo building directly above the Tenleytown Metro (subway) station. People miss it because the ground floor facing Wisconsin Avenue houses a Best Buy and a Container Store. The entrance is around the corner and the condo units sit above the stores. There is a condo being constructed on the next block up Wisconsin and another condo the next block up that is less than five years old.

Georgetown Day School is within three blocks of the Metro station. Wilson HS is a block off Wisconsin across from an entrance to the Metro. Sidwell Friends is about six blocks from the Metro down Wisconsin. National Cathedral School for Girls is an additional six blocks south of Sidwell. All are within walking or biking distance and buses run down Wisconsin Avenue every five minutes. St. John's HS (Catholic) runs a shuttle every morning and evening to the Tenleytown Station.

Although you say your daughter would prefer a co-ed school, don't be deterred by single gender NCS. They share a campus with all-boys St. Albans School and all the arts programs (drama, Chorale, etc.) are co-ed as are some athletic teams (swimming, crew, track and cross country). Also some junior and senior classes are co-ed and some faculty are shared so the students have the benefits of both a co-ed and single gender education.

Good luck in finding a school where your daughter will flourish.

OP, I would call schools you are interested in THIS WEEK. Explain your husband just learned of new job, you only just realized you would be moving, etc. Ssay you know application deadlines are mostly next week, but wondered if they would consider giving you an extra few weeks to pull everything together but still consider you DD this admissions cycle. You can send in unofficial copies of last years' grades, along with last year's test scores. If she is in the ballpark for admission, most schools will be flexible 20with deadlines for out of town families facing unexpected moves.

I think the more important issue is thinking about fit. DC has a dozen very good independent schools, and if you add in the close MD and DC suburbs there are 20 or so schools that are all excellent in their way. I would not just go for the "top three," not least because no one agrees on what they are! You should think about school size, single sex versus coed, artsy versus sporty, high pressure academics versus more laid back, progressive teaching philosophy versus more traditional, urban versus rural, and so on. Searching this forum will give you lots of food for thought.

Anonymous wrote:Meh save your money and time and look at Elizabeth Seton or Dematha in Prince Georges County, half the cost but equal the results. They don't carry the "name brand" of the other schools people listed, but are you concerned about education or bragging rights to your neighbors?

Isn't that going to be a long commute to Tenley?

Meh save your money and time and look at Elizabeth Seton or Dematha in Prince Georges County, half the cost but equal the results. They don't carry the "name brand" of the other schools people listed, but are you concerned about education or bragging rights to your neighbors?

Did she take the SSAT or ISEE for 9th grade admission? If so, what were her scores (independent school norm percentiles)? The top independents are very competitive, but if she scored high and has good grades her 9th grade year, a 10th grade placement is possible.

As someone who worked in independent school admissions in the area, I'd say you are better off if you go ahead and submit applications now, before the deadline, but some schools will accept a late app in your circumstances. However, they will fill known openings in March so some possibilities will be foreclosed if you wait.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you coming from a school like Westminster? Are you looking for a similar culture?

Yes. Exactly like Westminster.

Have you talked with staff there about the move? They may be able to help guide you. And are you interested in the religious component?

We have yet to approach our school but yes, that might be helpful.
The religious component is important but not critical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you coming from a school like Westminster? Are you looking for a similar culture?

Yes. Exactly like Westminster.

Have you talked with staff there about the move? They may be able to help guide you. And are you interested in the religious component?

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you coming from a school like Westminster? Are you looking for a similar culture?

Yes. Exactly like Westminster.

Easier to enter at 10 than 9. There will be openings because freshmen leave during the year, freeing up space for a few sophomores.

Sometimes, there are openings in weird years. You should call the schools and check in.

OP, considering you are looking for 10th grade (which is not usually a big admissions year), and considering you described the process as pretty painful last year, you could move to a good close in public option but then really work the process through your current head of school to explore if any private options will work out. This is DC and people do move a lot in the summer, you could get pretty lucky with a slot over the summer. There are so many great schools around here, especially for high school.

OP, are you coming from a school like Westminster? Are you looking for a similar culture?

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone mentioned that Wilson is in Tenleytown?
Yes, great theater program. Lots of talent so big parts may be tough to get but theater classes are open to all and there are many many opportunities to perform.
Op, why not rent at first?
Lots of rental houses and apartments. Great place to live.you can walk and use public transportation.

Yes somebody did above on the first page, I believe. They were talking out being in Tenleytown area and they said Big 3 are right there but so is Wilson.

Has anyone mentioned that Wilson is in Tenleytown?
Yes, great theater program. Lots of talent so big parts may be tough to get but theater classes are open to all and there are many many opportunities to perform.
Op, why not rent at first?
Lots of rental houses and apartments. Great place to live.you can walk and use public transportation.

OP The top 3 and Potomac are full with waiting lists. The other schools are more open to a transfer -- they know that sometimes people are posted and make exceptions. I would not even consider TJ, unless your DD has spectacular STEM credentials. They only accept 17 for sophomore year and it is very competitive. We did admissions two years in a row -- it was a pain, but worth it. Getting to and from the VA schools from DC/ MD will be next to impossible unless you like sitting in traffic. That is a major issue here in DC.