Anonymous wrote:The differences between Sidwell and GDS are much larger than the open campus. FYI, Sidwell HS kids have the option of going to Chipotle and other area places for lunch ---- or eat in the cafetaria. Students and faculty don't want to walk to Starbucks, the school store also makes lattes, cappuccinos, expressos etc. (Similar facility on Cathedral grounds. Aside from Burke and Sheridan, GDS loses on a campus v. campus comparison to every single private school inside DC. Field, Maret, Sidwell and especially the Cathedral schools. That won't change after they move in to the Safeway.
And your point is...?
GDS doesn't have a spectacular campus for either the lower or upper school. It wasn't founded by folks at the turn of the century or inherited property from a wealthy matron. The school was founded by families excluded from all the area independents due to their race, religion, or ethnicity. Sometimes families pick a school for their child based on mission and curriculum, not if there is a fox den or a climbing wall. The other campuses you mentioned are lovely. There are great communities at all of the schools. Yet at the end of the day, some folks still prefer GDS. And that's okay.