Feedback on Norwood School?

[Anonymous]

Unfair comment. I'm a former Beauvoir parent. I am pretty sure that each grade had at least one Jewish parent in each grade when we were there.

Is this sarcasm? I can't tell. Probably because I've never set foot in Beauvoir

[Anonymous]

Does participating in a Norwood summer camp help you with admissions?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about it. Their admissions are not ultra competitive. Over half the children who apply are admitted, and this year they had trouble filling their kindergarten class.

[Anonymous]

A 50% or so admissions rate seems competitive to me.

Interesting tidbit about them having a "problem" filling the K class, though.

[Anonymous]

Other competitive schools in the area have a 15-25% admission rate. So if Norwood admits half of its applicants, that's quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about it. Their admissions are not ultra competitive. Over half the children who apply are admitted, and this year they had trouble filling their kindergarten class.

Was there a wait list? Did they fill the slot?

[Anonymous]

I don't think that I would characterize it as "trouble filling the class" - I know numerous parents who were disappointed not to get into Norwood (also there were people complaining on this message board about not getting in) and would love to "fill the class". Norwood has a strong sibling policy and I understand that this year there were not as many sibling applicants.......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other competitive schools in the area have a 15-25% admission rate. So if Norwood admits half of its applicants, that's quite a bit.

Right, although to put this all in perspective, it's way out in the 'burbs. It's not conveniently located for DC residents. I would bet, and this is truly just a guess, the applicant pool from the neighboring communities isn't insanely large. A lot of people move to the area intending to send their kids to the public schools, which are very good.

[Anonymous]

Also, unlike WES, also in the burbs but easier to get to from NW DC, there is no pre-k/nursery to feed into K. I believe that WES had two unfilled openings in its pre-k program this year, but with most continuing on to K, that would leave just a few openings for K ( = harder to get in) compared with Norwood that looks to fill 3 full classes of K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, unlike WES, also in the burbs but easier to get to from NW DC, there is no pre-k/nursery to feed into K. I believe that WES had two unfilled openings in its pre-k program this year, but with most continuing on to K, that would leave just a few openings for K ( = harder to get in) compared with Norwood that looks to fill 3 full classes of K.

So then WES draws a fair number of families from NW, DC? I didn't realize that.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think that WES had two unfilled spots this year? I know people who were rejected and waitlisted, and saw postings on this site about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think that WES had two unfilled spots this year? I know people who were rejected and waitlisted, and saw postings on this site about that.

PP here. Sorry, a "timing" confusion -- I was referring to the pre-k class that was in session/enrolled during the month of Jan. 08, not the upcoming year.
When we toured the school and inquired about # of opening for K, the math, so-to-say, was something like, well...there are two unfilled spots in the rising pre-k, then the K class expands by 2 (? my recollection), so with 2 classes that equals 4 + plus the 2 empty spots...and at that point they would be filling 6 spots plus whatever currently families did not continue. I did not inquire about the "open spots" in the pre-k in Jan. since that was not our age group.

[Anonymous]

I attended the new parents reception at WES and met more DC families than Maryland families.