Gilman

[Anonymous]

Our family, very recently started considering private school, Gilman in particular. We did not consider other private schools due to distance & religious affiliation. Having visited Gilman, I'm reconsidering our approach to not look at other schools.

While our student is very gifted, we have concerns about admissions after our visit. See, our student skipped a grade two years ago. Public school was not providing him a challenging enough environment, he was testing out of every subject and performing well above grade level for many years. At the time, private school was only a passing thought due to cost. When we mentioned our students grade elevation during our visit, we received mixed responses from the admissions team. A concern that had not crossed my mind until that conversation. Maturity & social development seemed to be a point of general concern, but I don't believe they were speaking about my child directly.

However, over the past two years our financial situation has changed and we would now be able to pay for tuition in full. While we could swing 35k, it would be a considerable amount of savings that would be sacrificed. We would still like to apply for FA.

For context, our student is very poised and mature, maintains a 3.9, is active in a handful of clubs/sports. Our student also has ADHD and requires medication to maintain focus which is well controlled. Executive functioning skills are very good and do not require any additional accommodations. Grade skipped was 6th grade.

1. What is the general consensus on students who skip a grade/gifted students.
2. Even though the FA application is separate, will it have an impact on admissions?
3. How selective is Gilman? (No stats available online and did not feel comfortable asking directly.)

[Anonymous]

From an outside perspective, 3.9 in public school is generally not going to be considered gifted and skipping a grade in public middle school is more of a red flag than anything else.

[Anonymous]

It is true that it’s much more common to skip grades in early elementary vs. late elementary or middle. I don’t see it as a red flag necessarily, it’s just unusual. There is a big shift in maturity in MS that is often still happening in 9th, but if you feel your child is mature for their age and isn’t having any social issues at their current school, I don’t see why it would cause a greater issue now. Of course there’s always the possibility of social misfires entering any new HS, but I don’t think the chances of a problem are necessarily greater for your child than anyone else. I would think the school would be able to get a read on “maturity and social development” through the interview, evidence of extracurricular involvement, and essay answers—which often ask about interactions with friends or other students.

I don’t personally know anything about Gilman or its selectiveness, but it never hurts to spread a broader net. Basically it comes down to, is your public an acceptable option if your child doesn’t get in? If not, expand your search to be safe. If you’re ok with public as a fall back, only apply to schools that you truly prefer to your public.

[Anonymous]

There is no consensus on grade skipping and gifted students!

Are you concerned about whether Gilman is a good fit for your kid? Or concerned that your kid may not be accepted? I don’t see that it focuses on gifted education. You are looking for high school??

[Anonymous]

Many/most kids at Gilman do a "pre-1st" year after kindergarten and before 1st grade. This is extremely common for all but the oldest kids in the grade.

This means that a solid number of the boys (more than half?) turn 15 in their 8th grade year or the summer. They will turn 16 as freshmen.

If I were you, I'd think long and hard about what that would mean for my super young 9th grader. (I have a kid who will start 9th as a 13-year-old. I get it.)

[Anonymous]

PP again, as far as FA, most schools insist that it’s a separate process that has no bearing on their decision to accept or not, and maybe I’m paranoid, but I don’t really believe it. We could scrape by without FA so we didn’t apply, because public was not an option and we were only applying to two schools (child is 2e and we had limited options that were good fits, and really needed to get in). If the school is out of reach without FA, you don’t really have a choice so don’t sweat it, or if you’re not as desperate then go ahead and apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From an outside perspective, 3.9 in public school is generally not going to be considered gifted and skipping a grade in public middle school is more of a red flag than anything else.

Why is it a red flag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no consensus on grade skipping and gifted students!

Are you concerned about whether Gilman is a good fit for your kid? Or concerned that your kid may not be accepted? I don’t see that it focuses on gifted education. You are looking for high school??

Concerned that skipping a grade will reflect negatively and he will be granted conditional acceptance if he repeats a grade.

I think he would be bored skipping a grade & 5 years of tuition would be more of a stretch for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From an outside perspective, 3.9 in public school is generally not going to be considered gifted and skipping a grade in public middle school is more of a red flag than anything else.

Why is it a red flag?

Public school 4.0 gpa kids, which are very common, often struggle with classes in selective private high schools such as the one at Gilman, because the expectations are different.

Skipping a grade recently, in middle school, means that they would have less preparation immediately prior to high school. This can be problematic compared to skipping in early elementary, which would have less direct impact on high school preparation.

[Anonymous]

He’ll definitely be one of the youngest. You might look at Park, which does not have pre first, so kids are less likely to be old for their grade. And don’t kid yourself. When the large minority of kids are 2 yrs older than your son, he’ll notice. They will be better at sports and far more mature.

[Anonymous]

You might think your son is poised and mature, but how does he fit in with peers? My ADHD son usually seems very bright and mature to adults. Peers are not the same. Academically, my child has been performing well above grade level for his entire school career, but if he did not have a late birthday, we would have chosen to hold him back for socialization reasons.

You may be viewing your child through rose colored glasses. Additionally, you don't want a boy at an all boys independent school where nearly everyone is held back so that his classmates are fully 2 years older. Imagine a 13 year old and 15 or 16 year old in the same grade. That is what he will be facing and Gilman is likely trying to tell you that without saying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our family, very recently started considering private school, Gilman in particular. We did not consider other private schools due to distance & religious affiliation. Having visited Gilman, I'm reconsidering our approach to not look at other schools.

While our student is very gifted, we have concerns about admissions after our visit. See, our student skipped a grade two years ago. Public school was not providing him a challenging enough environment, he was testing out of every subject and performing well above grade level for many years. At the time, private school was only a passing thought due to cost. When we mentioned our students grade elevation during our visit, we received mixed responses from the admissions team. A concern that had not crossed my mind until that conversation. Maturity & social development seemed to be a point of general concern, but I don't believe they were speaking about my child directly.

However, over the past two years our financial situation has changed and we would now be able to pay for tuition in full. While we could swing 35k, it would be a considerable amount of savings that would be sacrificed. We would still like to apply for FA.

For context, our student is very poised and mature, maintains a 3.9, is active in a handful of clubs/sports. Our student also has ADHD and requires medication to maintain focus which is well controlled. Executive functioning skills are very good and do not require any additional accommodations. Grade skipped was 6th grade.

1. What is the general consensus on students who skip a grade/gifted students.
2. Even though the FA application is separate, will it have an impact on admissions?
3. How selective is Gilman? (No stats available online and did not feel comfortable asking directly.)

I suspect they probably were describing your child but most of us don't want to hear the negative.

a few thoughts:

1) never heard of Gilman so looked it up
2) it's not boarding so I'm assuming you live in Baltimore?
3) 58% of teachers don't have advanced degrees. that's a red flag for me. our privates insisted on teachers working or obtaining their Masters degrees.
4) You said he's "very gifted" (the term used is "profoundly gifted") but Gilman doesn't seem to be oriented towards either giftedness or ADHD. Maybe I read too fast.
5) whether or not you think you can swing $35K a year is irrelevant to them. You will have to provide extensive financials to get financial aid. Every school is different. We never received aid.
6) while skipping grades used to be a positive a few decades back it is a practice frowned upon now. In fact, we have the other problem of children being "red-shirted" to give them more years of maturation before they compete for college, so yes, skipping two years is odd and something you will have to explain. That's why we now have 7 year olds in K. My own DD was red-shirted by her private and it was absolutely the best thing in the world for her.
6) If you live in the DC area the perfect school for you would be Commonwealth Academy because it serves both gifted and ADHD. But it's in Alexandria, VA.

best of luck

[Anonymous]

The website says 66% of faculty have advanced degrees.

My son graduated from Gilman. Most students who enter in middle school or high school are the usual age for each. They’re transferring from 5th grade in public or private and have not done pre-first anywhere.

Great school in every way. Diverse, challenging, and supportive. No one school is perfect for everyone. Good luck with your search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The website says 66% of faculty have advanced degrees.

My son graduated from Gilman. Most students who enter in middle school or high school are the usual age for each. They’re transferring from 5th grade in public or private and have not done pre-first anywhere.

Great school in every way. Diverse, challenging, and supportive. No one school is perfect for everyone. Good luck with your search.

OK, whatever I read about Gilman said 58%. Whatever. I've served on boards of privates and we want to see 100%

[Anonymous]

Landon: 70% of faculty hold advanced degrees.

McDonogh: 67% of faculty hold advanced degrees.