[AtlantaBadger]

A whole lot of reasons to stay at Woodward Academy.  We chose that school for our kids with virtually no regard for athletics, other than that the school did have a good array of sports and would give them the opportunity to participate, cheer on their teams, etc.  Henry is far and away the most accomplished athlete in the family, but if you had suggested to us when we were looking for schools when he was just in elementary school (our kids went to local public elementary school) that Henry or any of our kids would be playing football or any sport on scholarship in college, we would have asked you to submit to a drug test because that would have been crazy talk.  We absolutely are NOT "stage parents" or the sports equivalent.  My wife and I always joke that "we ordered musicians but got athletes."  Woodward is the largest "independent" school in Georgia, and so has a wide array of opportunities for artists, performers, athletes, you name it.  It draws students from over 40 counties and is no doubt the most diverse of any of the Atlanta private schools.  Ellen and I were both public school products growing up in Madison, WI, and wanted to find the closest thing to a really good public school experience within the Atlanta independent school choices.  Woodward is that place.

Did we from time to time wish that they had a better head football coach or head basketball coach when our kids played?  Sure.  But switching schools never entered into our minds -- we did not choose Woodward for the football team or basketball team or softball team anyway.  Our kids all had terrific experiences at WA.  The school prepared them all very well for college and for life in general.  Sort of like the "40 year decision" that Stanford likes to talk about, only earlier. 

Eric

[AtlantaBadger]

A whole lot of reasons to stay at Woodward Academy.  We chose that school for our kids with virtually no regard for athletics, other than that the school did have a good array of sports and would give them the opportunity to participate, cheer on their teams, etc.  Henry is far and away the most accomplished athlete in the family, but if you had suggested to us when we were looking for schools when he was just in elementary school (our kids went to local public elementary school) that Henry or any of our kids would be playing football or any sport on scholarship in college, we would have asked you to submit to a drug test because that would have been crazy talk.  We absolutely are NOT "stage parents" or the sports equivalent.  My wife and I always joke that "we ordered musicians but got athletes."  Woodward is the largest "independent" school in Georgia, and so has a wide array of opportunities for artists, performers, athletes, you name it.  It draws students from over 40 counties and is no doubt the most diverse of any of the Atlanta private schools.  Ellen and I were both public school products growing up in Madison, WI, and wanted to find the closest thing to a really good public school experience within the Atlanta independent school choices.  Woodward is that place.

Did we from time to time wish that they had a better head football coach or head basketball coach when our kids played?  Sure.  But switching schools never entered into our minds -- we did not choose Woodward for the football team or basketball team or softball team anyway.  Our kids all had terrific experiences at WA.  The school prepared them all very well for college and for life in general.  Sort of like the "40 year decision" that Stanford likes to talk about, only earlier. 

Eric