GDS - Wow!

[Anonymous]

So far GDS’s early admissions results are super impressive. As a parent from another good private school, I am curious why their results are so much better than other privates. We toured GDS 20 years ago for PreK and were not impressed, so chose another top school. Is it their college counselors connections, greater amount of Ivy League/top 20 alum parents, big donors? I am honestly curious, how they can have so many more top college admits than other good privates? Many of these private schools have hand picked super smart kids who don’t get into this level of top school and certainly not at these numbers. GDS is not known for athletics or anything really, besides smart quirky liberal kids. Maybe that’s all the colleges are looking for? It’s not like their students are smarter or more accomplished than students at other good privates. Or do the GDS college counselors have the “secret sauce” with connections and packaging abilities? Honestly curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS always has amazing outcomes, along with Blair in NJ.

If only based on USNEWS school rankings, GDS was the worst performing of nearly all the top DMV privates in 2023 (sidwell, STA, NCS, Potomac, Holton, et al).

It goes in waves and it seems this year they are doing well. They already have more Harvard accepts than the entire 2023 class.

Admissions probably went all out this year.

+1 I'm sure the office was reamed after last year's results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far GDS’s early admissions results are super impressive. As a parent from another good private school, I am curious why their results are so much better than other privates. We toured GDS 20 years ago for PreK and were not impressed, so chose another top school. Is it their college counselors connections, greater amount of Ivy League/top 20 alum parents, big donors? I am honestly curious, how they can have so many more top college admits than other good privates? Many of these private schools have hand picked super smart kids who don’t get into this level of top school and certainly not at these numbers. GDS is not known for athletics or anything really, besides smart quirky liberal kids. Maybe that’s all the colleges are looking for? It’s not like their students are smarter or more accomplished than students at other good privates. Or do the GDS college counselors have the “secret sauce” with connections and packaging abilities? Honestly curious.

Agree 100 percent. As a parent at another so-called "Big 3" I found the Counseling Office to be remarkably apathetic and disengaged. GDS CCO has done a bang up job and it is already clear from yesterdays outcomes. Well done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS always has amazing outcomes, along with Blair in NJ.

GDS’ class of 2023 did NOT have amazing outcomes. The outcome was very meh. This year is looking very good for GDS’ class of 2024.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS always has amazing outcomes, along with Blair in NJ.

GDS’ class of 2023 did NOT have amazing outcomes. The outcome was very meh. This year is looking very good for GDS’ class of 2024.

Clearly reaming out the CCO helps. Are you listening, Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Is GDS the Georgetown day school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far GDS’s early admissions results are super impressive. As a parent from another good private school, I am curious why their results are so much better than other privates. We toured GDS 20 years ago for PreK and were not impressed, so chose another top school. Is it their college counselors connections, greater amount of Ivy League/top 20 alum parents, big donors? I am honestly curious, how they can have so many more top college admits than other good privates? Many of these private schools have hand picked super smart kids who don’t get into this level of top school and certainly not at these numbers. GDS is not known for athletics or anything really, besides smart quirky liberal kids. Maybe that’s all the colleges are looking for? It’s not like their students are smarter or more accomplished than students at other good privates. Or do the GDS college counselors have the “secret sauce” with connections and packaging abilities? Honestly curious.

The results from last year were middling. On IG I saw that 10% or so of the class was going to an Ivy/Williams. Probably best to hold secret sauce conversations after RD and then to see if this is a trend or an anomaly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS always has amazing outcomes, along with Blair in NJ.

GDS’ class of 2023 did NOT have amazing outcomes. The outcome was very meh. This year is looking very good for GDS’ class of 2024.

Clearly reaming out the CCO helps. Are you listening, Sidwell?

What are you talking about? Sidwell’s c/o ‘23 had excellent results (much better than GDS’ c/o ‘23). Sidwell only has two Instagram posts so far. I’m sure Sidwell’s c/o ‘24 is going to do as well (or better) than the c/o ‘23.

[Anonymous]

It’s a rich school that’s has full pay students fitting the ALDC profile.

It’s more about the individual kid than the school.

GDS and schools like it select students with the money to be able to make the Ivy happen.

Nice troll thread though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are obsessed. Why do you worry about anybody else’s kid but your own? And why are you competing schools against each other?

I come to these threads to remind myself to be thankful that I have a regular kid going to a regular school and who doesn’t stress about it.

I like to sit on the sidelines and watch these competitive people tear each other, kids and schools apart. It’s like theater of the living!

Regular loser parenting

Exhibit A. Thank you for proving the point.

No. To come here and gloat about your “regular” kid at a “regular” school and think you are somehow winning because you are watching others stress out means you truly are a loser.

Exhibit B. You’re really good at this!

Exhibit C. Bitter loser parent feeling misplaced Schadenfreudisch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far GDS’s early admissions results are super impressive. As a parent from another good private school, I am curious why their results are so much better than other privates. We toured GDS 20 years ago for PreK and were not impressed, so chose another top school. Is it their college counselors connections, greater amount of Ivy League/top 20 alum parents, big donors? I am honestly curious, how they can have so many more top college admits than other good privates? Many of these private schools have hand picked super smart kids who don’t get into this level of top school and certainly not at these numbers. GDS is not known for athletics or anything really, besides smart quirky liberal kids. Maybe that’s all the colleges are looking for? It’s not like their students are smarter or more accomplished than students at other good privates. Or do the GDS college counselors have the “secret sauce” with connections and packaging abilities? Honestly curious.

Agree 100 percent. As a parent at another so-called "Big 3" I found the Counseling Office to be remarkably apathetic and disengaged. GDS CCO has done a bang up job and it is already clear from yesterdays outcomes. Well done!

Oh, I know!
(Having had kids at GDS an another DC private).

-their grades are not as "deflated" as compared to the other Big3 schools. It's easier to get all As. NCS has maybe 5 girls each year above a 3.9 (for example) while GDS has 25 (and it goes down from there---so the average GPA is higher than that at NCS or Sidwell).
-they have a summer program with matches kids with internships that other GDS parents (and/or their connections) provide. This helps get kids unique/impressive experience on their resumes. Other Big3 privates don't offer this at all.

[Anonymous]

Well, my white male son at ACHS got into Yale. And we didn't pay 250,000 for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are obsessed. Why do you worry about anybody else’s kid but your own? And why are you competing schools against each other?

I come to these threads to remind myself to be thankful that I have a regular kid going to a regular school and who doesn’t stress about it.

I like to sit on the sidelines and watch these competitive people tear each other, kids and schools apart. It’s like theater of the living!

Regular loser parenting

Exhibit A. Thank you for proving the point.

No. To come here and gloat about your “regular” kid at a “regular” school and think you are somehow winning because you are watching others stress out means you truly are a loser.

Exhibit B. You’re really good at this!

Exhibit C. Bitter loser parent feeling misplaced Schadenfreudisch.

Exhibit D. I can do this all day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are obsessed. Why do you worry about anybody else’s kid but your own? And why are you competing schools against each other?

I come to these threads to remind myself to be thankful that I have a regular kid going to a regular school and who doesn’t stress about it.

I like to sit on the sidelines and watch these competitive people tear each other, kids and schools apart. It’s like theater of the living!

Regular loser parenting

Exhibit A. Thank you for proving the point.

No. To come here and gloat about your “regular” kid at a “regular” school and think you are somehow winning because you are watching others stress out means you truly are a loser.

Exhibit B. You’re really good at this!

Exhibit C. Bitter loser parent feeling misplaced Schadenfreudisch.

Exhibit D. I can do this all day!

A true loser

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my white male son at ACHS got into Yale. And we didn't pay 250,000 for HS.

And?