How this devolved into a Maret / GDS bashing session and debate on which is the hardest to get into, I do not know.

I am a GDS parent with kids who love the school and we have dear friends with kids thriving at Maret and Sidwell so....to answer the OP's ORIGINAL QUESTION- I don't think a smart but not motivated child would thrive at any of these schools. All three schools have a high percentage of the cohort bringing it academically and competitively every day, especially in the high school.

All of these school are difficult to get into so if the OP's child has good scores but bad grades that would be a red flag at admissions. Moreover, an unmotivated child will not like the competitive atmosphere at all of these schools. The teachers do not coddle. They want kids who are excited to learn. At GDS, despite the more progressive "feel" there is not a lot of support for any learning differences. They very nicely counsel kids out who are not cutting it, and I know they do the same at Sidwell and Maret.

I wish the bashing would stop. All three schools are great places to learn if the fit is right. OP I would look into why your child is unmotivated- is it the school atmosphere they have been in? An undiagnosed LD? Just temperament? Maybe a meeting with an educational consultant to help find a good fit or some testing will shine light on why they are unmotivated. Best of luck.

Anonymous wrote:Maret's class of 2019 acceptances are here https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1567608079/maret/r9s8qmdyvnmsdt0q9iaz/MaretSchoolCollegeProfile2019-2020.pdf

Congrats!

Maret's class of 2019 acceptances are here https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1567608079/maret/r9s8qmdyvnmsdt0q9iaz/MaretSchoolCollegeProfile2019-2020.pdf

Based on what?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Oh, not at all. I don’t understand the appeal of Maret. No personality or defining character; just a public school that costs more (and has better access to public fields).

But to the point, is Maret selective because it is small or it is good? It seems a better way to evaluate the rank of schools (however pointless that is) would be to look at which one students most often choose when they have a choice. I have no data, but if such data exists, it would be entertaining to analyze it.

Maret is more selective because it is significantly smaller than the other top schools and has a strong following with multigenerational Washingtonian elites. Whether it’s academically as strong as the others is open for debate, and college admissions is no guide because Maret’s strong college showing is just as much family connection as it is academics. Maret is a progressive school with a legacied following.

What strong college showing?

That's part of the proof in the pudding, isn't it. Maret is smaller but the depth of tier 1 and 2 college matriculations is still lacking compared to others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Oh, not at all. I don’t understand the appeal of Maret. No personality or defining character; just a public school that costs more (and has better access to public fields).

But to the point, is Maret selective because it is small or it is good? It seems a better way to evaluate the rank of schools (however pointless that is) would be to look at which one students most often choose when they have a choice. I have no data, but if such data exists, it would be entertaining to analyze it.

Maret is more selective because it is significantly smaller than the other top schools and has a strong following with multigenerational Washingtonian elites. Whether it’s academically as strong as the others is open for debate, and college admissions is no guide because Maret’s strong college showing is just as much family connection as it is academics. Maret is a progressive school with a legacied following.

What strong college showing?

I am not sure what "rankings" there are among any of these schools, or how anything would be qualified or quantified. No one really knows how many applications any of them receive any given year, or what their yields are; no one really has a handle on SAT scores, AP scores or college matriculations. So the idea that there is a way of gauging how any one school might "rank" against the others, is plain silly.

They are all expensive. They are all good, and they all work, for the most part, for the communities they serve.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Oh, not at all. I don’t understand the appeal of Maret. No personality or defining character; just a public school that costs more (and has better access to public fields).

But to the point, is Maret selective because it is small or it is good? It seems a better way to evaluate the rank of schools (however pointless that is) would be to look at which one students most often choose when they have a choice. I have no data, but if such data exists, it would be entertaining to analyze it.

Maret is more selective because it is significantly smaller than the other top schools and has a strong following with multigenerational Washingtonian elites. Whether it’s academically as strong as the others is open for debate, and college admissions is no guide because Maret’s strong college showing is just as much family connection as it is academics. Maret is a progressive school with a legacied following.

Maret is not actually progressive though they talk a good game. The parents don’t want progressive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Oh, not at all. I don’t understand the appeal of Maret. No personality or defining character; just a public school that costs more (and has better access to public fields).

But to the point, is Maret selective because it is small or it is good? It seems a better way to evaluate the rank of schools (however pointless that is) would be to look at which one students most often choose when they have a choice. I have no data, but if such data exists, it would be entertaining to analyze it.

Maret is more selective because it is significantly smaller than the other top schools and has a strong following with multigenerational Washingtonian elites. Whether it’s academically as strong as the others is open for debate, and college admissions is no guide because Maret’s strong college showing is just as much family connection as it is academics. Maret is a progressive school with a legacied following.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Oh, not at all. I don’t understand the appeal of Maret. No personality or defining character; just a public school that costs more (and has better access to public fields).

But to the point, is Maret selective because it is small or it is good? It seems a better way to evaluate the rank of schools (however pointless that is) would be to look at which one students most often choose when they have a choice. I have no data, but if such data exists, it would be entertaining to analyze it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Clearly you believe it is always Maret. Do you have any proof?

Anonymous wrote:Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Here’s a question: when a student gets into Maret and Sidwell or Maret and GDS, how often do they choose Maret vs the other school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of these is not like the others.... since when did gds become a top school!!! Bs!!!

Not getting into the big 3 designation fight. But yes, GDS is a top school.

+1. Sidwell is the big one because of Presidential prestige. GDS is a powerhouse academically. Maret has some loyal alum/children of once famous types, buts it’s reputation is slipping and all the news articles on the Jelleff deal just served to highlight their shaky finances, indifferent leadership and poor infrastructure.

As long as Maret remains more difficult to get in to than GDS, it will stay ahead of GDS. And I don't think the market is there for GDS to get more selective.

By that measure Maret is also more difficult to get into than Sidwell or Cathedrals, so why isn't Maret #1?

Who is to say it is not?

Maret is 60% the size of the other schools, which means fewer spots and thus harder to gain admission. Has nothing to do with any other factors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of these is not like the others.... since when did gds become a top school!!! Bs!!!

Not getting into the big 3 designation fight. But yes, GDS is a top school.

+1. Sidwell is the big one because of Presidential prestige. GDS is a powerhouse academically. Maret has some loyal alum/children of once famous types, buts it’s reputation is slipping and all the news articles on the Jelleff deal just served to highlight their shaky finances, indifferent leadership and poor infrastructure.

As long as Maret remains more difficult to get in to than GDS, it will stay ahead of GDS. And I don't think the market is there for GDS to get more selective.

By that measure Maret is also more difficult to get into than Sidwell or Cathedrals, so why isn't Maret #1?