GDS offers--for the most part--fantastic classes. The English department is traditionally hailed as the best. A highlight of the English curriculum is the senior paper, a 15-30 page paper on two books of the students' choice. As with all assignments, students work in close consultation with teachers and get the chance to get to know both the teachers and the books at hand very well. GDS students all take at least one year of literature in addition to the required four years of English; kids and teachers care a lot about literature, and this emphasis is apparent students' work and thought. But GDS' other academic departments are arguably on par with the English department. The math department offers the most advanced curriculum of any private school in the D.C. area, with about six classes beyond calculus. GDS offers French, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese, though, sadly, the French department is at the beginning of what may become its death. It still offers one or two classes beyond the AP each year, but the number of teachers and students has been dwindling in recent years. Students have a lot of flexibility in determining their schedules, so they can create very taxing schedules or easier ones. That said, most juniors and seniors have quite a heavy workload. For upperclassmen, the work load per night can range from about three to eight hours. Most GDS alumni say they are very well prepared for college, often saying they find college much easier than high school. But GDS is not just grueling; it's enjoyably difficult. There's a strong sense of comaraderie among students, and many of the hardest classes are also the most fun. And the work is usually not tedious--it's mostly reading and writing, almost never busywork. It's often hard to participate in classes without having done the reading, so kids are generally pretty on top of things. The average class size is probably about 14, though it varies by department. Some classes are as small as four students; the biggest classes--usually sciences--are capped at 18. All classes center around discussion, particularly those in the humanities. Math classes often involve work in groups, with kids figuring out proofs and formulas on their own instead of simply being told by a teacher. GDS teachers are remarkably accessible. They can usually be found pretty easily around the building, and they're keen to get to know kids. Most kids meet regularly with teachers out of class to discuss academic issues, but it's even more common to have a casual conversation about non-academic issues in the hall. GDS' halls are lined with couches, providing excellent opportunities for consultations about papers or other matters.