Has your first choice school changed since you started applications?

[Anonymous]

Since starting applications, my top choice has changed a couple times. Does this happen to others? What factors swayed you in different directions for your top choice?

[Anonymous]

Mine didn’t- DC’s did.

[Anonymous]

Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since starting applications, my top choice has changed a couple times. Does this happen to others? What factors swayed you in different directions for your top choice?

I should specify that my child is young so that it is why I've phrased it more as my choice.

But, yeah, I'm looking forward to admissions making the v choice easier.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and I regret telling them they were my first choice Now I'm not sure what to do if we get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

Were you influenced by talking to current families or more from the characterizations of pressure cookers on this board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

I can identify. Kind of hesitant about throwing them in the Lions den when it could be to rough in there for him to survive.

[Anonymous]

Yeah ours changed drastically based on the admissions interviews and our interactions with the school. Our original top choice was just awful during the interview process, and we had separate interviews for two kids, each with different admissions officers. In both interviews, the interviewers gave off big "IDGAF" energy. They barely wanted to get to know us or our kids, one just talked at us and the other was barely engaged.

And then our last choice school, the one that we threw in last minute turned out to be really great. Our daughter liked her interactions with the school and we really liked our conversation. We still haven't been able to visit in person b/c of COVID so if we get in, we'll have to figure out if the online vibe matches the in-person one.

I am still shocked though by our formally first choice school. Like I know you are a highly sought after school, but I would imagine that a LOT of parents (and kids) are turned off by that kind of attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

Were you influenced by talking to current families or more from the characterizations of pressure cookers on this board?

Both. This board makes the top schools sound incredibly joyless but current parents also freely admit that the academics are very intense. I have an academically strong child but I can't help but wonder if they would have a more enjoyable experience at a school like Bullis or SSSAS as opposed to GDS/Sidwell/St. Albans, etc. - particularly since I don't think the college outcomes from any of these schools for unconnected children are measurably different. Too late at this point but I think I would have done things a little differently. This is for a 9th grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah ours changed drastically based on the admissions interviews and our interactions with the school. Our original top choice was just awful during the interview process, and we had separate interviews for two kids, each with different admissions officers. In both interviews, the interviewers gave off big "IDGAF" energy. They barely wanted to get to know us or our kids, one just talked at us and the other was barely engaged.

And then our last choice school, the one that we threw in last minute turned out to be really great. Our daughter liked her interactions with the school and we really liked our conversation. We still haven't been able to visit in person b/c of COVID so if we get in, we'll have to figure out if the online vibe matches the in-person one.

I am still shocked though by our formally first choice school. Like I know you are a highly sought after school, but I would imagine that a LOT of parents (and kids) are turned off by that kind of attitude.

I had the same experience with a highly sought after school that was my first choice early as well. Wonder if it’s the same one? Anyway, they went from #1 on our list to #4. DC is an athlete and the coach of the preferred sport never even returned my messages and we contacted him wary in the game. Before I could ever send DC there we would need talk.

[Anonymous]

We applied to a K-12 and a K-8. The K-12 was initially my top choice but I am thinking more strongly about the K-8 now, followed by our strong public HS. Saves $200k and hopefully better college outcome? We’ll see what happens

[Anonymous]

Yeah, we were gunning for a top private but after both virtual and in-person events, we're not so sure anymore.

Pros: A bit more confident in the academics and college preparation in general compared to our public, but less so on math. Beautiful facilities.
Cons: Less diversity, both racially and economically. Financial impact (see below). May be harder to get into top colleges than coming from our public.

Ultimately it's a cost-benefit analysis. We're in that boat where we make enough to not qualify for any significant financial aid and engender no sympathy for having to make such a choice, but the cost is high enough that it has *severe* tradeoff implications for our travel (we like to take an extended trip each summer that is part tourism but also part cultural experience, learning about other parts of the world and ways of life being part of their holistic education), retirement/529 contributions, extracurricular/camp budget, and so on. Basically tuition would eat up the vast majority of our saving/disposable income not allocated to covering basics like mortgage, utilities, food, clothes, etc. In fact we'd probably have to cut back on some of those things. Contrasted to going to our public and having ~$100k additional per year available for savings and disposable income purposes. Given how much we realize we'd have to give up, the benefit has to be REALLY worth it, and after a lot of research and talking to other families and getting down to those financial brass tacks and thinking about the opportunity costs, the value just doesn't seem to be what we thought it would going into the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

Were you influenced by talking to current families or more from the characterizations of pressure cookers on this board?

Both. This board makes the top schools sound incredibly joyless but current parents also freely admit that the academics are very intense. I have an academically strong child but I can't help but wonder if they would have a more enjoyable experience at a school like Bullis or SSSAS as opposed to GDS/Sidwell/St. Albans, etc. - particularly since I don't think the college outcomes from any of these schools for unconnected children are measurably different. Too late at this point but I think I would have done things a little differently. This is for a 9th grader.

I know a medical specialist who says med school was a breeze after getting through SSSAS … doubt that would be less rigorous. Bullis for sure though.

[Anonymous]

I find myself increasingly interested in k-x rather than k-12.

I can easily imagine DC doing well with our public middle and high school options. I don't think DC will do well with new elementary curricula or focus but could really develop in a k-x with a defined exit plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strangely enough, I wish we had applied to a couple of less academically rigorous/intense schools. I am starting to doubt our decision to limit our applications to the Big 3. Even if our child gets in, it may not be the most enjoyable experience. Our back up is our strong public school, which we would be fine with.

Were you influenced by talking to current families or more from the characterizations of pressure cookers on this board?

Both. This board makes the top schools sound incredibly joyless but current parents also freely admit that the academics are very intense. I have an academically strong child but I can't help but wonder if they would have a more enjoyable experience at a school like Bullis or SSSAS as opposed to GDS/Sidwell/St. Albans, etc. - particularly since I don't think the college outcomes from any of these schools for unconnected children are measurably different. Too late at this point but I think I would have done things a little differently. This is for a 9th grader.

I know a medical specialist who says med school was a breeze after getting through SSSAS … doubt that would be less rigorous. Bullis for sure though.

My nephew breezed through Duke and graduated in 3 years while playing a division 1 sport after leaving Bullis.