+ offers boarding

DISTRICT
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, 1524 35th St., NW 20007; 202-337-3350; girls 9th–12th grades; $19,350; 479 students; www.visi.org.

National Cathedral School, Mount St. Alban, NW 20016; 202-537-6300; girls 4th–12th grades; $28,905; 578 students; www.ncs.cathedral.org.
The upper school has a new writing center, and the foreign language program has added courses in Chinese.

MARYLAND
Academy of the Holy Cross, 4920 Strathmore Ave., Kensington 20895-1299; 301-942-2100; girls 9th–12th grades; $14,800; 620 students; www.academyoftheholycross.org.

Connelly School of the Holy Child,  9029 Bradley Blvd., Potomac 20854; 301-365-0955; girls 6th–12th grades; $18,325–$19,600; 372 students; www.holychild.org.

Elizabeth Seton High School, 5715 Emerson St., Bladensburg 20710; 301-864-4532; girls 9th–12th grades; $8,950; 599 students; www.setonhs.org.
The school in the fall 2007 opened the Center for Sports and Fine Arts, with a gym, weight and fitness room, and music rooms designed for the bands and vocal groups.

+Garrison Forest School, 300 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills 21117; 410-363-1500; coed preschool, girls pre-1st–12th grades; $9,900-$20,975 (day), $29,900 (regional boarding), $36,400 (boarding); 696 students; www.gfs.org.
In the fall of 2007, Garrison Forest opened a new green middle-school building.

The Holton-Arms School, 7303 River Rd., Bethesda 20817; 301-365-5300; girls 3rd–12th grades; $25,425-$26,650; 660 students; www.holton-arms.edu.

+ Oldfields School, 1500 Glencoe Rd., Glencoe 21152; 410-472-4800; girls 8th grade–postgraduate; $29,100 (day), $34,100 (5-day boarding), $39,100 (7-day boarding); 151 students; www.oldfieldsschool.org.

+ St. Timothy’s School, 8400 Greenspring Ave., Stevenson 21153; 410-486-7400; girls 9th–12th grade; $23,000 (day), $39,000 (boarding); 151 students; www.sttims-school.org.

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, 9101 Rockville Pike, Bethesda 20814; 301-657-4322, ext. 321; coed pre-K–K, girls 1st–12th grades; $10,650–$20,320; 675 students; www.stoneridge.org.
Asian studies and philosophy courses were recently added to the curriculum.

+ Yeshiva of Greater Washington, 2010 Linden La., Silver Spring 20910; 301-962-5111; Orthodox; 7th grade–postgraduate; $13,500 (7th and 8th grades), $15,670 (9th–12th); 186 students; www.yeshiva.edu.

VIRGINIA
+ Chatham Hall, 800 Chatham Hall Cir., Chatham 24531; 434-432-2941; girls 9th–12th grades; $13,200 (day), $36,000 (boarding); 138 students; www.chathamhall.com.

+ Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound La., Middleburg 20117; 540-687-5555; girls 9th–12th grade; $29,531 (day), $39,375 (boarding); 180 students; www.foxcroft.org.

+ Madeira School, 8328 Georgetown Pike, McLean 22102; 703-556-8200;  9th–12th grades; $31,000 (day), $40,000 (boarding); 317 students; www.madeira.org.

Oakcrest School, 850 Balls Hill Rd., McLean 22101; 703-790-5450; girls 6th–12th grades; $13,383–$14,533; 209 students; www.oakcrest.org.

+ St. Margaret’s School, 444 Water La., Tappahannock 22560; 804-443-3357; girls 8th–12th grades; $13,950 (day), $36,000 (boarding); 158 students; www.sms.org.
The school built a pair of soccer fields and softball diamonds along with a cross-country course on 42 acres.