Parents

Parents going bananas with pushing travel sports, student council, SAT/ACT in 9th grade, Tutors, AP everything, 4.0s.

Only takes a couple of those in your grades and everyone smart gets frantic. Race to nowhere.

TJ

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell. Loads of kids start early getting tutored to get through the pressure--- so the kids that can't afford tutors get even more pressured and don't get why they can't keep up--- while everyone including parents and teachers act like all the kids are naturally talented...not healthy...people complain to each other in hushed tones and then say they love the school.

As someone who has taught and tutored private school kids, I think families really overestimate how many children receive tutoring. A lot of the rumors start from students, who are not reliable narrators. Perception is not reality.

New poster. I don't usually post on these sorts of threads, but my kids went to private school here, and nearly ALL their fiends had tutors throughout elementary, some starting in second grade. So you are wrong.

Probably because as a parent it is so frustrating to live through how non-academic the progressive private schools are. No homework, no grades, no practicing, half the day on social issues. Public schools and parochial schools are way more academic- and at least you know by 2 nd grade if you kid has any issues.
Private school- you might have to pay someone to teach your kid to read, handwrite, or math since they only speak a couple hours in each per week in k-2.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell. Loads of kids start early getting tutored to get through the pressure--- so the kids that can't afford tutors get even more pressured and don't get why they can't keep up--- while everyone including parents and teachers act like all the kids are naturally talented...not healthy...people complain to each other in hushed tones and then say they love the school.

As someone who has taught and tutored private school kids, I think families really overestimate how many children receive tutoring. A lot of the rumors start from students, who are not reliable narrators. Perception is not reality.

ADM someone who worked alongside a father of two SFS students - now fully graduated- the tutoring and parental homework help is 100% true. My PHD STEM co-worker practically re-did his high school education twice more when they were in grades 9-12. They graduated well and classmates were in awe they did not use tutors (well paid tutors anyhow!).

Good luck with that!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RMIB, a moco magnet

+ 1.

RMIB is relentless. Worse than Blair, TJ and PHS. Mainly because students are being evaluated by international standards.

Agreed -Parents of Blair Student

+100. RMIB kids look like dead men walking though. Lol

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do Langley and McLean High compare? Are they pressure cookers.

More pressure than many of the base schools. Less pressure than the highly selective magnets and the tip top privates. Woodson has the Rep of being the worse FCPS in terms of pressure though (besides TJ). Not sure that’s a good thing though. if you are ta TJ and it doesn’t work for you, you can drop back at any time. Not so for base schools.

This makes me feel like we made the right decision to move to McLean. We have no interest in sending our kids to TJ.

I feel like it’s an individual decision and there is no one right answer. I have a kid who manages the pressure well, and loves TJ. And not just the academics. The kids, the ECs they do, the community. It’s a great school for DC1. But, I thank my lucky stars that DC2, who also applied, was a finalist but not selected. DC2 is every bit as smart (IQ tests for the 2 kids were 2 points apart), but a perfectionist who stresses about Bs. TJ would have eaten them alive. Some kids want the challenge and thrive at TJ. Some kids are overwhelmed. And a lot have to do with personality and learning style, not intelligence. You have to do what works for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do Langley and McLean High compare? Are they pressure cookers.

More pressure than many of the base schools. Less pressure than the highly selective magnets and the tip top privates. Woodson has the Rep of being the worse FCPS in terms of pressure though (besides TJ). Not sure that’s a good thing though. if you are ta TJ and it doesn’t work for you, you can drop back at any time. Not so for base schools.

This makes me feel like we made the right decision to move to McLean. We have no interest in sending our kids to TJ.