Admission to private school from Oyster?

[Anonymous]

We are hoping to do Oyster for elem and then private for later on (definitely high school; most likely middle/jr high school too)
Are we setting ourselves up for a challenge down the road. I have heard English-dominant kids at Oyster kids dont get into Sidwell, for example. But what about other independent schools?

[Anonymous]

My nephew got into GDS from Oyster.

[Anonymous]

GDS, Maret, WIS, Sidwell (as noted), Burke, Field. I personally know the students/families or, in one case, their teachers.
I think it nearly impossible to analyze into the future.
Each pool of applicants is different from year to year, your DC could be up against applicants with similar attributes, etc. Remember, the goal is a well-rounded class, with a mix of students from different schools.
Also, if your DC is not a great test-taker, that would be an issue. (Most schools have de facto cutoffs for the SSAT and ISEE.)
We did Oyster then private for MS and it really worked for us.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I doubt there is any stigma or other issue related to Oyster as it pertains to private school admissions.

[Anonymous]

14:04,
I am wondering, are these families English dominant or Hispanic?

[Anonymous]

I think you're worrying far too much, unless all you want is Sidwell for your child. I can't imagine that you wouldn't find a private school that would want your child if he/she has the requisite grades, scores, etc., and having a background from Oyster would make them more interesting rather than less.

There is so much talk on this board about events years off that people really have no control over, such as folks who have toddlers who are caught up in worrying about which schools are most likely to get kids into the Ivy League.

I have a teenager. Believe me, you'll learn by the time your kid is a teenager that you have only so much control over who they'll be and what they're interests are. It's best to wait and see who they are and then support them in that. Then Sidwell may be the place for them.....or somewhere else. I'm sorry to rant -- I know you only want the best for your child and you're figuring out all the possibilities.

Believe me if I could have sent my dd to Oyster I would have in a heartbeat. As someone who is trying to learn Spanish as a grownup, I would like to have my daughter have had the chance to grow up with it as her second language.

[Anonymous]

PP: great advice. You are SO right. I hate even thinking along these lines--I find all this school hysteria really tedious. But my husband and I are trying to figure out if we should do Oyster or get me back into FT work in order to afford private. We are both inclined to Oyster and think it's great. But my husband asked the other day: Is it going to be super hard to get her (our kid) into private later on? Are we going to have to do public
So i figured i would look ahead a little.
THANK YOU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP: great advice. You are SO right. I hate even thinking along these lines--I find all this school hysteria really tedious. But my husband and I are trying to figure out if we should do Oyster or get me back into FT work in order to afford private. We are both inclined to Oyster and think it's great. But my husband asked the other day: Is it going to be super hard to get her (our kid) into private later on? Are we going to have to do public
So i figured i would look ahead a little.
THANK YOU

There is not necessarily any guarantee that your DD will be admitted to Sidwell for PreK/K. Even DC of legacies and sibs are rejected. This isn't meant to discourage, but to acknowledge that Big 3 admissions can be a challenge at any entry point. I am referencing the Big 3s as you wrote about that in your original post. There are many great privates in the DC metro area, but there is not necessarily any safety school. You can read the threads from early March to know that many folks were disappointed with the admission results from this cycle. My DC was admitted to a Big 3 and w/led at schools we thought of as safeties.

A possible bonus for entry in the later years is that there is more to know about the child.

[Anonymous]

17:39 IS RIGHT! don't micromanage your teenager from afar -- wait and let them show you who they are. Don't force them to fulfill the fantasy you are constructing when they are only three or four. There are good private school options for high school if it is the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP: great advice. You are SO right. I hate even thinking along these lines--I find all this school hysteria really tedious. But my husband and I are trying to figure out if we should do Oyster or get me back into FT work in order to afford private. We are both inclined to Oyster and think it's great. But my husband asked the other day: Is it going to be super hard to get her (our kid) into private later on? Are we going to have to do public
So i figured i would look ahead a little.
THANK YOU

You're welcome. FWIW, my dc transferred from DCPS into private school at 10th grade -- not a big 3 school (she would have *so* not made it into Sidwell) but a good school which suits her perfectly. I will say this -- Her grades were not what they should have been and she was waitlisted at first until she proved she could bring them up. She is not, ahem, the most dedicated student in the world. So one might argue that she should have gone private sooner. But I like to think it's proof that most middle class kids can make the transition from DCPS to private school later rather than earlier. I can understand why people would want to hedge their bets and send them all the way through but it worked out fine for us this way.

Also, OP, you might want to think about what working FT would mean for you and your family life. Would you enjoy it? Or would it be a big sacrifice?

Good luck with your decision!

[Anonymous]

I am late joining this discussion...Would be curious to hear from parents of kids who are now at Private School but started at Oyster. How was the transition? We are seriously considering doing Oyster for elem and then applying to private. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

14:50 What do you mean by transition? Academics or the admissions process.

[Anonymous]

14:50 here. I mean how did your child do the first yr at a private school--how was the transition socially/academically. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

14:50: Academically the transition could not have been smoother, DC was well prepared. Also, there was some relief as the new school is not bilingual. Socially was tricky in that DC didn't know anyone. DC made friends, that's fine, too.

The biggest surprise was the admissions process. It's really a bear to do on your own. I did end up envying applicants from private schools because they get so much support, like in-school test prep etc. (Of course I didn't envy their tuition bills!)

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. I wonder if it would be worth hiring one of those consultants to help with the application and testing? Even if it is costly, it is a lot cheaper than $30k/yr!!