Hockaday or Greenhill??

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by palciparum

Just curious to see which one are students choosing?

Next part would be, why?

Firstly, I think the number who are accepted to both is likely to be very, very small. Secondly, those schools are remarkably good at figuring out whether they are a back up or a first choice, and at figuring out which families/students are a best fit (I say family because that's incredibly important when you apply younger, it's much more than just test scores).



Anecdotally, I know more families that used Greenhill as a backup for Hockaday/St Mark's than the other way around. I know plenty for whom Greenhill was the top choice. Most who choose Hock/SMS over Greenhill do so for the older reputation of the school and perception that it's a bit more conservative in the way it operates. Those who had GH as top choice often had it there due to the progressive reputation of the school vs the others.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

Anecdotally, I know more families that used Greenhill as a backup for Hockaday/St Mark's than the other way around. I know plenty for whom Greenhill was the top choice. Most who choose Hock/SMS over Greenhill do so for the older reputation of the school and perception that it's a bit more conservative in the way it operates. Those who had GH as top choice often had it there due to the progressive reputation of the school vs the others.

We chose GH (didn't even bother applying to the other 2) bc it was coed, really looked to round and individualize the education, and wasn't in the loop (BFE, traffic-wise).
In that order.

[eastdallasmom]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

Anecdotally, I know more families that used Greenhill as a backup for Hockaday/St Mark's than the other way around. I know plenty for whom Greenhill was the top choice. Most who choose Hock/SMS over Greenhill do so for the older reputation of the school and perception that it's a bit more conservative in the way it operates. Those who had GH as top choice often had it there due to the progressive reputation of the school vs the others.

We also know several families who viewed GH as a backup to Hockaday/St Mark's, but then some such as ourselves who only applied to GH (and other schools, but not Hock/SMS) because we wanted a co-ed education and, in the case of my son, I don't think SMS would be a good fit for him (and I'm quite certain SMS would agree). We were waitlisted once at GH and have two pending applications in for this year so I don't know whether we'd be in the category of people with a child who could have gotten into both (or any) of these schools, but I agree that people who like GH do tend to look at the fact that it is not as traditional/conservative as some of the other elite private options in Dallas.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by stan4

It's required.
Even for preK.

Letter of recommendations are required for admittance into a private preK? That is off the charts weird. A 3 year old can barely go to the bathroom successfully.

[Betty_Baylor99]

Originally Posted by RJ312

Letter of recommendations are required for admittance into a private preK? That is off the charts weird. A 3 year old can barely go to the bathroom successfully.

A good % of the PreK applicants will have already completed a semester or a year or more of preschool by the time they apply for PreK. Preschool teachers may only see the child a couple of hours a day for 2-3x a week, but they already have a brief glimpse at seeing if the child is adjusting socially, if the child has the manual dexterity to properly hold a pencil or use a pair of scissors, if the child is able to identify and write letters and numbers, etc. Having a preschool teacher write a letter of recommendation is helpful to show the child’s preparedness for learning in a structured learning environment. You’re more likely to have a glowing report on a child that is able to sit quietly while the teacher reads a story to the class and plays well with classmates vs the child that is rolling all over the floor during story time, hitting classmates, or is unwilling to share during playtime.

[stan4]

My daughter got a good rec bc it was obvious that she'd follow directions and take initiative on herding the other kids in her class.

[BoulderMomma]

Originally Posted by BoulderMomma

Hi! We are about to move to Dallas and have two girls who will be in PreK and 1st. We applied to 5 schools hoping to get both girls into at least one, and were STUNNED that both girls got into Greenhill and Hockaday. We considered these schools such long shots we only did a short tour of each. (We had only 3 days in TX to interview, do CATS, and have the girls assessed at 5 schools. There was no time.)

With our work schedules, we won't be able to head out before contracts are due. So my question is, can you give me the inside info that wouldn't appear on the website. The feeling of the schools? We're very progressive, although our kids are in a religious school now, so I'm too worried about politics. I've heard a Hockaday is more structured and Greenhill works better for kids that can self imitate work. Is that true?

What is the social scene like for parents? We're no millionaires - how wealthy are the families? How kind are the kids? How inclusive and welcoming is the school community? Which school is less likely to have "mean girls," or do both work to address bullying. Both my kids are very athletic - what are the sports like??

Anything to help us get a sense of which to pick.

Thank you!!

UPDATE: So this thread went momentarily off the rails, but doesn’t everything at times. Thanks for all of the input. We ended up selecting Hockaday and we’ve been very happy with that choice. Had we selected GH, I’m sure I’d be saying the same thing. I had never considered a single gendered school for my daughters before moving to TX, but I didn’t have the deep feelings about it that some commenters expressed. For us, it’s been wonderful. Particularly for my oldest daughter, who tends to be very shy and quiet - who will step back if a louder voice jumps forward. For her, I think a single gender education has been excellent. She has become the most vocal kid in her math class, she’s on a robotics team, and she just won a poetry award. Girls winning robotics or coding competitions is just part of her “normal,” which has given her confidence in ways that I never had as an equally-shy kid at her age. We have found the school very supportive, and the families very kind. In both classes I would estimate 60% of families lean progressive (or at least were Biden voters), and as more kids were added in 5th, that increased. Both schools are excellent and I’m sure I would have been just as thrilled had we made the other choice. Thanks for all the feedback!!