Are application numbers really down?

[Anonymous]

What did everyone think of the article on the front page of today's Post about the number of applications to DC area private schools being down? Interesting that they specifically mention the lower-age grades.

[Anonymous]

I thought the first paragraph or two was a little misleading. Sure, Green Acres and Burgundy Farms are still taking applications past the deadline but that has always been the case. Further, they are accepting, not processing, the applications until March and only as space permits.

If the numbers are down, I certainly don't feel it. Perhaps that is the case in less competitive schools, but not the schools that are often talked about on this forum.

[scameron]

I think the article is wrong and the title is very sensational. I know that applying to St Patrick's, Beauvoir, Sheridan, Maret and Sidwell is as competitive as ever. In fact, this is the most difficult year ever at some of those schools. Lots of people see their child(ren)'s education as the most important financial item in their "budget" and therefore, it will be the last thing to take a hit in a recession. I believe that this in large part is because parents in Washington are so well educated themselves and see the value in a top notch education.

[Anonymous]

Maybe people are tired of paying application fees and are applying to fewer schools but from this list I don't get the sense the schools are having problems filling the slots for students.

[Anonymous]

I only skimmed it, but numbers of the magnitude cited in the article aren't going to have much if any impact on the odds of getting into the most popular schools, certainly in the short term. The Post reports a decline in the number of 5-9 y.o.s in the District of 13.4% over 7 years. Very roughly that's a decline of about 2% per year. Assume that similar numbers apply for the cohorts entering pre-K and K. If last year a school had 400 applicants for 20 spots (of which only 4-5 are available to "ordinary folks"), and that number has now declined by 2% to 392, it's a blip. Even if the school only had 100 applicants last year, this year it still has 98.

Okay, you still need to factor in the changing economy, but I would guess (and it's only a guess) that those with the means to pay $30,000 per year (plus camp) per child have been hit less hard than those earning much less.

[Anonymous]

I was a bit disappointed to learn that these schools that call themselves organizations were really just increasing tuition to see of they could get it, like a corporation would.

[Anonymous]

The Post article was poorly researched, if at all. Burgundy was named in the first paragraph as accepting late applications, but its applications are up 9 percent this year. Accepting applications gives the school a nice cushion if needed, not to mention application fees, but not much hope for late applicants unless the school has an opening in a non-transition year. It certainly won't help anyone applying for JK or K.