Anonymous wrote:Not a pressure cooker at all. Very low key. In 9th grade English, for example, students read just to short novels, and other readings are easy and quick. I think the school is trying to cater to a larger market, which could also be related to the massive teacher turn over in recent years. It’s a country club.

Anonymous wrote:Not a pressure cooker at all. Very low key. In 9th grade English, for example, students read just to short novels, and other readings are easy and quick. I think the school is trying to cater to a larger market, which could also be related to the massive teacher turn over in recent years. It’s a country club.

Anonymous wrote:Responding to OP. Limited experience here with only 1 kid in US right now, but based on experience and conversations with other parents with kids in US, would say US can be very rigorous but rigor and pressure are largely driven by level of class and whether kids are comfortable with B or B+ v As. If grade expectations are lower or your DC isn’t in all honors/advanced classes, it’s very manageable, and yet enriching enough to prepare for college. If your DC is in all honors/highest advanced and expects to get all or mostly As, prepare the DC for hours of work on weekends and nights. But I imagine this is true elsewhere too. Bottom line is there are several paths through Potomac and no they are not all pressure cooker ones.

On feedback, most teachers return work quickly. Where it has taken longer (several weeks ) involves feedback on papers or lengthy written work. The teacher feedback IMO has been so detailed, specific and insightful it was worth the wait though. I have been impressed with the content of feedback, which has helped my DC become a better writer and better at literary and other textual analyses. Good luck on your choices!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The class composition largely drives the US experience-there are a couple of classes that are not cohesive and kids don’t speak to each other unless they are part of the same “group”. The prior comments about nepotism in athletics and some of the coaches ruining the athletic experience have also been true in our experience. And several teachers do not return work in a timely manner-not just English with papers etc. All in all a disappointing experience and we will be glad to be moving on!

Gotta take the sour grapes with a grain of salt. Sorry your family had a negative experience. That is no t the case for vast majority though.

NP here. I think "vast majority" would be vastly overstating that. It's often the people behind the problems who are oblivious to it. OP: while the administration has finally taken a few steps to address the academic pressures--mostly with the block schedule--there still remains quite a bit of pressure that comes from within the student body. There are lots of things to like about Potomac, but some pretty major issues persist, as with many schools.

Please speak to your experience as I will speak to mine. While nothing is perfect, we have been thrilled with almost every aspect of Potomac. It is truly a first rate school that does recognize that not all students are high flyers. Remember that the students who were admitted in the LS may not be the strongest in the US. They certainly know that and teach accordingly. 100% agree with PP that it is the parents who add to whatever potential stress is in any top notch school.

This back and forth alone says a lot about the parent community…

Well, the PP says she'll speak to her own experience after claiming to speak for the "vast majority." Then she talks about "high flyers." This is definitely the kind of parent who is sending the kids who cause the problems to Potomac. They are the ones who call kids "stupid" in front of classmates, talk about them behind their backs to anybody who will listen, question their college acceptances. They are so competitive and insecure at the same time that they can't just worry about themselves.

I actually interpreted the reference to "high flyers" as saying the school supports a wider range of students (and that PP's kids might be included in that wider range) - not as PP having a high flyer.

PP here - that is exactly what I meant. Thank you!

You are welcome! The rant implying your family was a problem and feeding into toxic pressure seemed completely the opposite of what you had written.

You think the poster who told somebody with legitimate concerns that they just have sour grapes isn't a problem? Okay.

What I said is that I think they aren't likely to be doing this below (as the PP accused them):

"This is definitely the kind of parent who is sending the kids who cause the problems to Potomac. They are the ones who call kids "stupid" in front of classmates, talk about them behind their backs to anybody who will listen, question their college acceptances. They are so competitive and insecure at the same time that they can't just worry about themselves "[/quote

You seen intent on defending a poster who immediately told a parent who voiced concerns they had "sour grapes" and that the "vast majority" of parents at Potomac don't feel that way. Then, when got defensive when reminded that they don't speak for a majority. I think they have indicated pretty clearly in repeated posts that they lack empathy and are obviously oblivious to anybody else's experiences but their own--that is a problem. And there are many parents like them at Potomac, who operate at that school as if a small population of connected famlies are the only people there.