<p>My son is going to UVA next year and I've been following CC for months...am hoping you Fairfax residents can help me. We are transferring from SoCal to Fairfax county this summer and I need info on Fairfax County high schools for my youngest. Girl, rising sophomore, cheerleader, good student (but not UVA material...This year she's taking a mix of honors and regular classes in a very competitive high school, B+/A- student). Obviously, we want her in a good school, but not in way over her head. My husband will be commuting to the State Dept., so would prefer short vs. long commute. Any info on academics, social, students, etc. would be great!</p>
<p>I went to a FFX high for the last four years (current first year at VT), so i'll give you my two cents from a student's view:
The top school in FFX are considered to be TJ (the math/science magnet school...placement is needed though, so doesn't sound like her, although its worth a shot).<br>
As for the rest, there really isn't a single "bad" school, nor are any schools really worse than one another. The biggest difference amongst schools are whether its IB or AP (look into both, decide which one you would rather...most schools only offer one or the other). Also, schools like Chantilly and Westfield are "academy schools" where they have more specialized programs, such as a internet-based aeronautical science class or an auto-mechanic class. Also, athletics vary widely from school to school, as some are dominate at many sports and some have only one or two good teams every once in awhile.<br>
The "top" school would probably have to be Westfield, simply because its the second newest, its big (but too small for enrollment...typical of most FFX schools), the students are generally from well-off families, there's great athletics all around, and good academics (AP). Chantilly, Langley, Oakton, and Lake Braddock are all similar. Mount Vernon, McLean, Fairfax, West Potomac, and Edison are all good, mostly higher-income schools as well, but I know some of those are IB. Herndon (AP) and South Lakes (IB) have some brilliant, yet also truely mediocore students as well, but they can have some gang influence within school sometimes due to the large Hispanic population within the area, however both have good academics and Herndon has an excellent cheerleading squad (as well as Chantilly, Oakton, Westfield). Annandale, Falls Church, and West Springfield are city schools, so expect some rift-raft. Robinson, Marshall, Fairfax, Oakton, Lake Braddock, and Mount Vernon are all in more populated locations than others, and lots of traffic can be expected at rush-hours around these schools.</p>
<p>I know a lot of that is tidbits, and FFX has 25 high schools so its hard to know something about each one. I'm most familiar with Oakton, Herndon, South Lakes, Westfield, Centreville, Chantilly, Robinson, and TJ though. My best advice is decide first AP or IB, then decide on an area of FFX you'd like to live (closer to/in a city, or a more suburban area), then focus on academics, then athletics. All are excellent schools, and they cater to many students. Good luck!</p>
<p>PS- those types of grades, if they continue into a FFX school, are the general norm (or even above the average) for UVa acceptances from FFX</p>
<p>Fairfax public high schools are very similar in academic and none is falling way behind of the rest. i don't know much since i'm not living in the Fairfax county for the whole 4 years.
I came here when i was a junior so i couldn't apply for TJHSST which only accepts freshman and sophomore only.</p>
<p>All Fairfax schools provide solid academics. Thomas Jefferson is the best but that's a super selective magnet school and I'm not sure your daughter is eligible to apply as a rising sophomore. I don't really know a lot about the TJ admissions process...</p>
<p>Anyways, all the schools in Fairfax are good offering a ton of AP and/or IB courses...</p>
<p>decide where you want to / will be able to live. Live there, and you will be in a good school district. If your daughter is on the some honors / some regular classes track, there's not really any point in trying to get in the "best" school. Honestly I don't think there's any reason to try to get into a different fairfax county school than the one you live near, unless you have extremely strong biases for the AP over the IB or the other way around. Every school in fairfax county sends kids to the very top colleges, which there is something to be said for, since the very best kids who would've gone to every school are grouped together at TJ.</p>
<p>ca uva mom,
I feel somewhat uniquely qualified to answer your question. I have lived in Northern Virginia my entire life, and I really love this area. I also feel like I know more about this area (and the schools in this area) than just about anyone else. I started writing a very long response to your post, about the high schools in this area and the different communities you might want to consider living in. I got about 800 words in and I realized I was no where near close to finishing and that I was going to include a lot of information that is probably extraneous depending on your situation! Unfortunately I do not have time to keep writing.</p>
<p>If you pm me I will be happy to tell you everything you would ever want to know about the area and its schools, answer any questions you might have, and even explain why I think I'm uniquely qualified to talk about Northern Virginia ;). I really do love this area, and I really like talking about it. Please let me be a resource for you in anyway I can!</p>
<p>But just to get you started, the schools I would focus on if I were you are Lanlgey, Woodson, McLean, Westfield, Robinson, West Springfield, Oakton, Lake Braddock, Madison and South Lakes, in roughly that order. </p>
<p>As noted before, The Fairfax County Public System is as good as Public Education gets. Its hard to go wrong in Fairfax County (perhaps you should stay away from Stuart). The schools I mentioned are in my opinion are not only exceptional schools but also in the best places in the county to live. I've also made sure to include to include a wide variety of locations, because Fairfax County is a surprisingly diverse place. </p>
<p>I would also consider living in Arlington (perhaps in the Yorktown district) or in the City of Falls Church, which are also parts of Northern Virginia.</p>
<p>Once again, I'm dying to gush about the area I live in, and tell you about why I picked the schools I did. Just drop me a pm.</p>
<p>Your daughter can still apply to TJ for the remaining few slots of people that dropped out etc. I promise we won't bite :) We're uber nice to the new few we get every year and the neat thing (and reason I applied freshman year) was she can come, try it for a month, and if she doesn't like it always go back. Pretty much no one does. </p>
<p>And in all honesty in comparison to base schools, from what I hear from my friends at base schools, the class difficulty and workload is all a mixed bag, just like the teachers, dependent on what teachers and classes you take so with those grades it's not like she'll be struggling or anything unless she chooses to do something stupid <em>irony ;)</em> like load up on 6 APs junior year (we always have one or two kids that do that... I took 3). </p>
<p>Even if she's not science and tech person, lots of people here aren't and we do have tons of humanities (electives and APs abound!), a huge theater program and Shakespeare troupe (almost everyone goes to plays and is involved someway), and a very interesting art/photo teacher (I love him, some hate him, to each his own). </p>
<p>Lastly, probably the biggest difference with TJ and other schools is 100% of the kids in your class care about getting into college, which means in general everyone just does there work, most people are interested in learning, and you don't have as much that 10% of kids, even at good schools, that just don't care, mess around, and disrupt stuff. The other thing is pretty much everyone is accepting of everything.</p>
<p>In general, people are happy, and the worst that can happen from trying for TJ is wasting a bit of time applying and going to another excellent FCPS.</p>
<p>You'll be entering an area where housing is likely less $$$ than SoCal. If he is commuting by Metro recommend places near the Orange Line, Woodson, Madison Oakton, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! You're right about SoCal housing, dudedad, but we've been blessed with base housing on the beautiful island of Coronado (my husband's a pilot in the Marine Corps). It's a pefect 68 degrees everyday and the beach is a block away - so I'm sure you can understand my daughter's angst at leaving! Having said that, we spent four years just north of you all in Montgomery County, MD, so we're familiar with the NOVA area. (This is move #11, but who's counting?) Since we're a military family with two in college next year, Langley and McLain are out, $$$, so we're looking at the Fairfax area. Anybody have anything specific about Woodson, Madison, Oakton, Robinson, Chantilly, Centreville or Fairfax? Those have the best SAT scores of the schools that are closer to DC and the State Dept. (Metro or 66 for commuting). I know Woodson, Madison, Oakton and Robinson are strong academically, but too cutthroat for a girl who will only take a handful of AP's/IB's? And I know TJ is great, but I think it's way over her head.
OBTW, nobody says anything about Fairfax High - is there something I should know about? You guys are great. Thanks all.</p>
<p>Not to confuse people, I have created 2 screen names. ca uva mom and cganyard. What can I say, I'm a middle aged mom who's technologically challenged. :)</p>
<p>That's the beauty of FFX schools. You can be either the most unintelligent or the brightest, and do well at any school. Being strong academically means there's a wide array of classes available. Many people in my class only took 1 or 2 APs each year, and some took 4 or 5. It really doesn't matter, other than making sure the school has AP. Frankly I would rather attend a strong school because those schools often have the best teachers that teach both AP and regular/honors. And those AP teachers can be amongst the best in the country, which is great for any type of class.</p>
<p>My rankings: Oakton > Chantilly > Madison > Fairfax > Robinson > C'ville
Don't know much about Woodson. </p>
<p>Madison -on the smaller side, good school overall, serves mostly Vienna which is primarily upper-middle class. You'd probably live near the Metro which is good for your husband.<br>
Oakton - strong acadmically, in athletics, and overall in other programs. Good school all around, and again, you'd live close to Metro/I-66 which means easy access to DC. If I hadn't gone to my school, I would have chosen to gone to Oakton or Westfield.
Robinson - its BIG. The biggest in the county I think, and has a junior high attached to it, which makes it even bigger. Powerhouse athletics, and good academics, although there is better in FFX, but not by much. Good school all around, but again, its big.
Chantilly - very nice school. Clean and crisp is what comes to mind when I think of Chantilly. Good athletics, great acadmics (its an acaedmy school), and is in a nice location near FFX Pkwy/Rt 50 which means easy access to 66 > DC.
C'ville - Again, big. Good athletics, don't know much about the academics. Although they have a really good band, which I guess could portray into it having pretty good students. Don't know too much outside of sports and band though. Nice school, 3 stories. Near Rt 28/Dulles which can be a nightmare at rushhour, but again, is close to Metro/66.
Fairfax - one of the smaller schools, and from what i've heard, is good. I think they've had "gang" issues before and general disruptions, but its high school, so I wouldn't read too much into it. I thought it was IB though, not too sure. Athletics are kind of unheard of outside their district, but decent.</p>
<p>You really can't go wrong with any of the schools. Frankly, I would chose a couple of locations you'd like to live in, then look at each school from there. Look into the types of programs they have, and check out some of the athletics/clubs if you're interested in specifics. But all academics are good, and while some are a step above, I went to one of the "lesser" academic schools and took 8 APs, all honors, and now at VT studying engineering. I know plenty who failed too. I know plenty from schools like Westfield/Chantilly who either did exceptional or poorly. It's just based on what you elect to take for classes, and whether or not you want to put in the required work.</p>
<p>Thanks shoebox10 and everyone else for all the info! I'm feeling much better after reading all these messages...Everyone is very upbeat about all the schools and that speaks volumes. My daughter is a hard worker, bright but not brilliant, and I just don't want her in over her head. Some of the comments on great schools.net lead one to believe she'll never have a life with all the academic pressure at, say, Woodson. And although academics definitely come first at our house, we want her education to be balanced with extra-curriculars, too.</p>
<p>Fairfax County schools are very overrated. First off, every school is going to have its share of idiots and intelligent people, hard classes and easy ones. I go to CVHS and I've taken a difficult courseload every year (senior now). To be frank, Im an extremely lazy person yet Im still at the top 5% of my class. It all depends on your teacher but the education isnt THAT great nor are the classes THAT hard. I know people at other FX schools and they say similar things. The big benefits of going to a FX school is that you have a large selection of classes and you have more doors opened. Grading scale is harder though: 90-93 is B+, 94-100 is A. They are all pretty similar but if I'd have to pick I'd say either Westfield, since its newer, or Cville, cause I go there and thinks its not that hard. In regards to your daughter, it seems kind of harsh to say she isnt UVA material. You don't have to be a genius to go. Also, you are afraid of things being over her head. Maybe you should give her more credit and let her decide. School wont decide difficulty but class selection will. You should try and push her to push herself. Of course you've probably discussed these things with her. If it seems like Im being nosy Im sorry...</p>
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Fairfax County schools are very overrated. First off, every school is going to have its share of idiots and intelligent people, hard classes and easy ones. I go to CVHS and I've taken a difficult courseload every year (senior now). To be frank, Im an extremely lazy person yet Im still at the top 5% of my class. It all depends on your teacher but the education isnt THAT great nor are the classes THAT hard.
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<p>I'm sorry you feel that way. Our concerns are actually superficial compared to the quality of public education throughout the country, for that matter, throughout the world. I'm grateful for what I have here and so I've tried to do right by it. Not everyone is an academic superstar, no. We all have to do the best with what we have. Some counties don't even have AP, much less offering nearly every AP course and any course you would want to take through the Academy system like Fairfax does. In some places it is rare for a single student to pass the AP test, if they even take them. Here we are lucky to have such quality instruction and so much extra help that many students are able to pass the AP without even much effort. </p>
<p>Are Fairfax students any better than any other students? NO. Is the Fairfax school system excellent by any measure? Yes. I think it is a real commentary on how people can never be satisfied when I hear how people lived here and "had" to send their kids to private school to stay away from the riff-raff of the public schools. Fine if you want to go the private route, it's a personal choice, but I don't need to hear how all those immigrant kids are going to impair little Susie's bid to be poet laureate at age seven. These are some of the best schools in the world. Don't judge until you've walked the proverbial mile...</p>
<p>Sigma Centauri, no offense taken. I understand what you're saying, but have also been through this twice before with my older sons. My oldest moved his sophomore year to a much harder school (Montgomery County MD) and was overwhelmed academically - to the point where he did nothing but study. Really. He had no friends for a year and believe me, it was a very long year for all of us. But you're right - I shouldn't underestimate my daughter and her abilities. She's a great kid and she'll do well wherever she goes. My reference to her not being UVA material wasn't meant to be cruel, just honest. I've watched this thread for months and I've seen how tough it is to get in. And I didn't want all of you here to assume she was a straight A student who'd be taking eight or nine AP classes. And as far as pushing her, she'd be the first one to tell you we do plenty of that.:) But I'll take your advice to heart, I promise.</p>
<p>I live in the area and from what I've heard, Fairfax schools are pretty good all around. I will respond to one of the other posters, though, and say that if your daughter is into the humanities/arts, she may want to look elsewhere besides TJ. I went to TJ interested in biology and now, as a senior, I lean way more towards the humanities. TJ still has way more options for me than my base school, which was really small (I'm from out of county), but there has been more and more effort to get rid of humanities kids at TJ, which has been quite annoying for those of us who changed our minds. Some parents in particular seem to feel we are wasting some other kid's spot who wants to become a nuclear physicist or something. Our new principal is fantastic and very accepting of all students, no matter what the interest, but there is a certain stigma attached to the humanities kids among certain members of the community. Do look carefully and find schools that would be a match for your daughter's interests and needs. The nice thing about this area is that there are so many options for education. Good luck!</p>
<p>To Princedog, I understand FX county schools are good. I specifically said they have a lot to offer. I just get tired of everyone saying how special and amazing the schools are. The high performance, imo, comes from the students more than the schools. I know plenty of people who would thrive anywhere and plenty who do poorly and would do poorly anywhere. I believe the reason so many students from FX go on to great schools is because of the population density for one, but mainly because a lot of their parents are successful hardworking people who push their children. If somebody was trying to find a good school system I would say pick Fairfax due to the number of classes and reputation.</p>
<p>I agree with SigmaC. FFX schools are great simply because anyone from the dumbest to the brightest can fit in and be successful. While each school differs in athletics, student life, and surrounding area, overall each school can fit any type of student academically. But, it really comes down to how hard you work and whether you take advantage of what FCPS has to offer. If a student wants to take APs and work hard, he/she will make it far in life. If a student wants to simply take regualr classes and slack off, well, that's their problem. The number of resources, from SAT prep classes to the huge AP/IB programs, in addition to the general fast-pace of life can produce some stellar students. It just boils down to the individual....</p>
<p>Well, you posed a question that's a little more complex than "what's the best school?" You want a good commute to the State Dept as well. Allow me to offer my two cents.</p>
<p>I live in the Lake Braddock district, and have three kids who graduated from there. (LB is one of the three 7-12 'secondary schools' in the county--the others being Robinson and Hayfield). Lake Braddock is just completing a four-year renovation, so your daughter would be going to what is essentially a brand new school.</p>
<p>Of my three LBSS graduates, one graduated from JMU, another will graduate from UVA this spring (Wahooa!), and the third is at Christopher Newport. It's a great school for lots of different kinds of kids. What extracurriculars does your daughter like? A large school will likely have them all. LBSS is an AP school. Robinson is IB. </p>
<p>But, the reason LBSS is separated from the pack is the commute. Braddock Road is on an express bus line to the Pentagon. That connects via a shuttle bus with the State Dept. (State is in the Foggy Bottom region of DC, right near the Kennedy Center and the Watergate. There is very little parking. Public transportation is the way to go.)</p>
<p>Some other considerations: in a few months construction will begin on the Metro to Dulles. This will likely stress the Dulles Access road even more, and it is now at capacity. This affects commutes from the northern part of the County (Madison, South Lakes, Herndon). The Orange Line of the Metro, which goes directly to Foggy Bottom from the area of McLean, Marshall, Fairfax, and Oakton HS's, is the most crowded of the Virginia metro lines. To relieve congestion, Metro will introduce eight car trains soon. But, this is a tough commute. </p>
<p>I hope that helps. I can answer questions from the point of view of a parent and a commuter. It's a nice time to buy--there's a bit of a housing slump right now.</p>
<p>For military familes: I recommend Burke/West Springfield (22152/22153 only). Easy commute to Belvoir/Bolling/Hoffman Bldg via car. VERY easy commute to Pentagon (express buses run throught the neighborhoods), easy commute to Arl/Alex/DC via other metro.</p>
<p>There are FOUR secondary schools in FCPS: LB, Rob. Hay. and South County. These are 7th -12th grade schools. Robinson is IB, the rest are AP.</p>
<p>West Springfield High School is one of the few South FFX CO FCPS schools that offers both a high school (9-12 only) AND AP curriculum. </p>
<p>Stay away from the western side of the county THIS UPCOMING YEAR!!!!!Westfield/Herndon/South Lakes/Centreville/Chantilly/Oakton High Schools are about to undergo a NASTY boundary study and you do NOT want to buy a house for one particular school and find out that you are going to redistrict to a different one.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me. I can tell you more than you want to know.</p>