ATL Private school - Lovett vs Westminster recent comparison (Atlanta: chapel, private schools)

[TDmomAA]

Hello! My family is pretty new to Atlanta. We moved to the area last year from CT due to job relocation. After some research, our family have made the decision to use private education for our son and we have applied him for Kindergarten for Fall 2020.

I have been reading a lot of older threads comparing the top Buckhead private schools on this forum and they have been helpful. Today we found out our son is accepted to Westminster, Galloway, Lovett and Mt Vernon. My husband and I have limited our choices down to Lovett and Westminster based on our tour experiences with the school and the reputation but since some of the comparison we read have been at least one year or two old. I would love to hear from any members here who may be current parents or past parents from these two schools that may be able to offer some recent insights about the two schools.

It seems to us Westminster has its reputation for its academic rigor. My son is bright but I would not consider him as someone highly academic driven. We think he will probably do fine at W but definitely do not want to put him through a school with high amount of pressure if that is the case there. The social element of the two schools is another important factor we are trying to understand to help us with decisions. We like the campus at Lovett and the idea that students have to wear uniform, with academic not far behind W as we were told.

Any insights any member can share will be appreciated. Thank you very much in advance. We have a short amount of time to make this decision.

[Vanessa30305]

Lovett is the backup for Westminster. I would chose Westminster over Lovett. As a new to Atlanta family, Lovett can also be socially challenging as it has a very high legacy rate and the families go pretty far back. Obviously it depends on your child, but I think your child has the best chance for success at Westminster. Curious did you also apply to Pace, AIS or Paideia?

[TDmomAA]

Thanks for your response!

No we didn't apply to the others. The immersion program at AIS wasn't appealing to us. Paideia/Galloway isn't a route we prefer, we want it more structured. Pace - we liked the upper school more than lower school so we didn't apply there neither.

Regarding the back up statement, we have also heard families who got accepted from both but chose Lovett over Westminster for a more well-rounded route. Hoping to see comparison between the two regarding religion, social aspect, teacher quality etc. Thanks!

[pinetreelover]

I would suggest focusing on which of the two schools you think is the best fit for your family and your child for lower school. Don't worry too much right now about academic rigor of the upper grades. You will know more about your child's academic strengths down the road. These early learning years are focused on developing a love of learning, character and intrinsic curiosity and self-motivation that will be necessary later. Many families make a school change at middle or high school as their child's academic, social or athletic strengths become more clear.

The teacher quality at both schools is excellent as you would expect. Westminster might have more diversity than Lovett - especially in the upper school. Religion is not a key component in the curriculum of either school.

[AtlJan]

Current Westminster parent. Our kid is not a super academic powerhouse. He is so happy there. DM with specific questions.

[ATLNE]

I have two children in the Lovett lower school and both of my children are having outstanding experiences. Our family is not from Atlanta and my husband and I were both educated at top colleges in the Northeast. We are liberal, not religious, and do not live in Buckhead.

Lovett has made enormous strides in diversity and the lower school reflects that effort. My children’s friends are from a variety of ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. In addition there is a new bus program which includes busses from midtown/Vh/M’side and other areas. Next year there will be additional routes to help support more zip code diversity.

The teacher quality and curriculum are outstanding and my children are engaged and challenged by differentiated learning, the writing and reading workshops, and Singapore math. The special teachers are equally outstanding - music, arts, Spanish, library and design thinking have been excellent. Also all lower school students take a quarter of introductory Mandarin each year.

Almost none of our parent friends fit the “stereotype” and are professionals who grew up all over the country and world.

While there are chapel and a religion class, both are very inclusive and cover world religions. There are full chapel services and celebrations for Diwali, Hanukkah, etc. The administration bends over backwards to celebrate and include everyone.

Lovett also has an amazing Guidance curriculum that is a real class, which starting in K focusses on teaching the kids about making good choices and being good citizens/leaders. The school really places a lot of emphasis on this. For example, out of the blue my child got a postcard from a teacher (not their own) thanking them for being a Lovett Leader by helping another child pick up their dropped lunch dishes and food.

Finally the “backup” comment is incorrect. We had the choice between Lovett and Westminster and chose Lovett. Why? Well our gut was telling us that Lovett would be a warmer and more supportive environment for our child. Also, we feel that the school really breathes its motto of “the whole child” and that the school wants its students to be well rounded and happy people, while being challenged academically. Our kids both had JATPs in the 99%, and are gifted athletes and musicians. They are both thriving and excelling. We know other families who made the same decision.

You can’t go wrong with either school, but block out the “noise” and really try to figure out where your child would be more comfortable/happy.

[CMMom]

Honestly, you need to go with your gut. Where did you and your family feel most comfortable? Which school had a better "vibe?" Because the truth is that it's nearly impossible to predict what your 4-5 year old is going to be like at 16 in terms of personality, interests, academic strengths/weaknesses, work habits, etc... I've known kids who left Westminster for Lovett in high school because they wanted a change or felt that the rigor was too much for them.

You know your kid best. And what's important to you as a family in terms of the "intangibles." Don't agonize over what is the "best" choice. Because what's right for your friend or neighbor's kid might not be right for yours.

[TDmomAA]

Thank you all for the responses. They definitely bring different insight into our decision making process. Hope to make a decision soon.

[CMMom]

What did you decide (I'm curious)?

[TDmomAA]

While we were happy to have acceptance from both of these two schools, it was definitely not an easy decision!We ended up deciding on Westminster after weighing in different factors. We are particularly interested in its curriculum. Many current parents we talked to also shared wonderful experiences with the school. We cannot wait for our son to start!!!!!