sidwell college results--does everyone have top grades or are they getting in kids into strong schools imperfect grades?

[Anonymous]

Yes, being full-pay can offer an admissions boost at need aware colleges.

“But there is another admissions edge at many prestigious private colleges and universities that isn’t readily apparent, and it’s open even to those who are merely upper middle class. You may tilt the scales in your favor if you can pay for tuition, room and board — up to $300,000 or so over four years — without needing financial aid.

Schools don’t talk about this much. It’s not a great look, at least at first glance, and broadcasting it runs the risk of scaring lower-income applicants away from applying.

Still, savvy guidance counselors and private consultants know all about this advantage, one that is available at most private schools across the country, including selective institutions. Among the schools that have such policies: American University, Bates, Boston University, Brandeis, Carleton, Case Western, Colgate, Colorado College, George Washington, Haverford, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, Northeastern, Oberlin, Pitzer, Reed, Skidmore, Smith, Tufts, Wesleyan and Washington University.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/your-money/college-admissions-wealth.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still, savvy guidance counselors and private consultants know all about this advantage, one that is available at most private schools across the country, including selective institutions. Among the schools that have such policies: American University, Bates, Boston University, Brandeis, Carleton, Case Western, Colgate, Colorado College, George Washington, Haverford, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, Northeastern, Oberlin, Pitzer, Reed, Skidmore, Smith, Tufts, Wesleyan and Washington University.”

None of these are T20 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still, savvy guidance counselors and private consultants know all about this advantage, one that is available at most private schools across the country, including selective institutions. Among the schools that have such policies: American University, Bates, Boston University, Brandeis, Carleton, Case Western, Colgate, Colorado College, George Washington, Haverford, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, Northeastern, Oberlin, Pitzer, Reed, Skidmore, Smith, Tufts, Wesleyan and Washington University.”

None of these are T20 schools.

You’re reaching so hard, I think you’re going to pull a muscle! 😆

Carleton (#9), Wesleyan (#11), and Smith (#16) are all T20 national liberal arts colleges. Washington University (#21) is one ranking point outside of T20. If you want to argue that point, I’ll leave you to it.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges

[Anonymous]

I forgot to add (in case you don’t know), Washington University is a T21 national research university.

[Anonymous]

You never know how many legacies are in any given class OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

The 3.1 Harvard admit isn’t from the class of 2024. He/she is from a previous Sidwell class. Yes, of course that person was super duper hooked.

Btw, some of you say that full pay isn’t a hook. Then, when you see all of these private school Ivy admits, you rush to the comments to say it’s because they’re hooked and full pay. Which is it?

If this refers to a Class of 2020 graduate, most definitely super-duper hooked. Think major family business enterprise and an endowed something at one of Harvard's grad schools. A parent in the class had described the student as being on "academic life support" but, Harvard didn't mind, evidently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

The 3.1 Harvard admit isn’t from the class of 2024. He/she is from a previous Sidwell class. Yes, of course that person was super duper hooked.

Btw, some of you say that full pay isn’t a hook. Then, when you see all of these private school Ivy admits, you rush to the comments to say it’s because they’re hooked and full pay. Which is it?

If this refers to a Class of 2020 graduate, most definitely super-duper hooked. Think major family business enterprise and an endowed something at one of Harvard's grad schools. A parent in the class had described the student as being on "academic life support" but, Harvard didn't mind, evidently.

The nastiness in this post is completely unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think colleges don't know what the math I-IV track is and/or don't care. They don't need kids to come in doing theoretical math; the standard even for math majors and even in 2024 is Calculus. Beyond this they want interesting kids who stand out in different ways.

I completely agree! The last time I checked, even MIT doesn’t require calculus (although they strongly recommend it).

They also strongly recommend that you start over at Calc I again when you get there.

Actually MIT has a placement exam when you arrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think colleges don't know what the math I-IV track is and/or don't care. They don't need kids to come in doing theoretical math; the standard even for math majors and even in 2024 is Calculus. Beyond this they want interesting kids who stand out in different ways.

I completely agree! The last time I checked, even MIT doesn’t require calculus (although they strongly recommend it).

They also strongly recommend that you start over at Calc I again when you get there.

Actually MIT has a placement exam when you arrive.

Even if you place into Calculus 2 at MIT, you should probably retake Calculus 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

The 3.1 Harvard admit isn’t from the class of 2024. He/she is from a previous Sidwell class. Yes, of course that person was super duper hooked.

Btw, some of you say that full pay isn’t a hook. Then, when you see all of these private school Ivy admits, you rush to the comments to say it’s because they’re hooked and full pay. Which is it?

If this refers to a Class of 2020 graduate, most definitely superase -duper hooked. Think major family business enterprise and an endowed something at one of Harvard's grad schools. A parent in the class had described the student as being on "academic life support" but, Harvard didn't mind, evidently.

Please don’t speak about an individual who is easily recognizable to many, and who has not done anything to provoke public discussion about her (and about what some parent may or may not have said) at some time about her. Or if you do, please also provide your name, identifying details about one or more of your kids, and a criticism that someone has at some point made of them to someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

The 3.1 Harvard admit isn’t from the class of 2024. He/she is from a previous Sidwell class. Yes, of course that person was super duper hooked.

Btw, some of you say that full pay isn’t a hook. Then, when you see all of these private school Ivy admits, you rush to the comments to say it’s because they’re hooked and full pay. Which is it?

If this refers to a Class of 2020 graduate, most definitely superase -duper hooked. Think major family business enterprise and an endowed something at one of Harvard's grad schools. A parent in the class had described the student as being on "academic life support" but, Harvard didn't mind, evidently.

Please don’t speak about an individual who is easily recognizable to many, and who has not done anything to provoke public discussion about her (and about what some parent may or may not have said) at some time about her. Or if you do, please also provide your name, identifying details about one or more of your kids, and a criticism that someone has at some point made of them to someone else.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

OK, humor me. Harvard (4) and Penn (6) have multiple IG posted admits this year. How many to each are hooked in your opinion? Give me a number or percent, no need for further identifying details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

OK, humor me. Harvard (4) and Penn (6) have multiple IG posted admits this year. How many to each are hooked in your opinion? Give me a number or percent, no need for further identifying details.

Why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

OK, humor me. Harvard (4) and Penn (6) have multiple IG posted admits this year. How many to each are hooked in your opinion? Give me a number or percent, no need for further identifying details.

None of the Penn admits have an obvious hook that I’m aware of. One Harvard admit is a sports recruit (it says so on the IG post), and one Harvard admit is a legacy. I’m not sure if the other 2 Harvard-bound students are legacies or the children of big $ donors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but still OP's question is relevant. Do those w Top 30 postings all have 3.8+

No one here knows the GPAs of all the kids. This is ridiculous.

Does Sidwell provide access to scattergrams? That would be a way to see if kids with below a 3.8 got into Top 30 schools last year.

Yes, SCOIR data is available to students/parents right before 11th grade. Sidwell only shows data for the 3 most recent graduating classes (2020 to 2023).
The last time I looked, most of the Ivies admitted at least one Sidwell student with a GPA as low as 3.6 (during that 3 year period). One Harvard admit had a 3.1.
I assume he/she was an extreme outlier. Most Sidwell Ivy admits have a 3.8 or higher.

Based on that information, you shouldn’t be surprised that there are many Sidwell T30 admits with GPAs below a 3.8. That happens every year.

3.1 from 2022 football recruit.de-committed Penn three days prior to ED results. Got into Harvard in RD round