Sidwell Obsession

[Anonymous]

The endowments of D.C. area private schools explains why their focus on pupils entering in the early years are on big donors, money, legacy and non financial aid candidates. When the bills are paid the focus can shift to academic talent. This explains why it is more difficult to enter at the high school level in these schools because you had better be top notch (grades, accomplishments etc). Its a matter of dollars and cents.

Therefore, for entry places in Sidwell, Maret, STA, GDS, Beauvoir and the like legacy, sibling, big donor, and money will always trump brains in need of financial assistance until the bills are paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is Episcopal's endowment per pupil?

14:45 again
Episcopal's was around 350 million before the last big crash. I think it's around 150-170 now, which puts it in the top 20, though yes less, than the BIG BIGS in the top 10.

(I have zero connection with the school, and not being Episcopal, will not be sending a child there. Just responding.)

[Anonymous]

As someone whose oldest child goes to public school and who lives in Texas I think it's obvious why there is an "obsession" with Sidwell Friends amongst DC parents: It is because it is the school formerly attended by Chelsea Clinton while her father was President of the United States and currently attended by the Obama sisters while their father is the sitting President of the United States. In a country of 350 mm people, the fact that two of the last three Presidents chose to send their daughters there is extraordinary. And it is obviously an excellent school too. Chelsea wound up at Stanford and then became a Rhodes Scholar. I didn't see Bill and Hill scrambling around trying to send her to Exeter for high school. Obviously, Sidwell Friends is a great school. If I lived in the DC area, I'd try to get my child in. All you stand to lose is time and the application fee. The other TT schools in the DC area have regional fame. Sidwell Friends has national fame. So I think that makes it more attractive.

Anyway, that's a view from an outsider with no hand in the game. I read this Board to get information and tips on private school applicatIons and testing in a general sense. Except for the show-offs who mistakenly think success in life is deeply connected to where you go to school, (it's not), I really like the Board and appreciate everyone's insight.

[Anonymous]

In a country of 350 mm people, the fact that two of the last three Presidents chose to send their daughters there is extraordinary. And it is obviously an excellent school too.

Where would Presidents send their 6,7,8,9,10 and 11 year-old daughters if they lived in the White House (in D.C. the last time I checked) .... local primary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

In a country of 350 mm people, the fact that two of the last three Presidents chose to send their daughters there is extraordinary. And it is obviously an excellent school too.

Where would Presidents send their 6,7,8,9,10 and 11 year-old daughters if they lived in the White House (in D.C. the last time I checked) .... local primary school.

Well why on earth not? Amy Carter attended an inner city public school. The Obamas visited several schools before choosing Sidwell Friends. It was well publicized at the time. Why pretend that an amazing school isn't amazing? What purpose does that serve?

[Anonymous]

Where would Presidents of the USA send their preteen daughters to school?

D.C.

Public or Private?

If private, which ones?

There's no rocket science here, Tex; or some miraculous chance that a private school on the list is Sidwell.

This has nothing to do with other good school options in the D.C. area.

My chats with the first family tell me Sidwell was quite familiar with the security routine (because of Chelsea) and that weighed heavily in their decision. I recall a similar arrangement at Concord Academy for Caroline. I'll save the stories of the parties with her sister school with the secret service in tow for another time.

[Anonymous]

Whatever. They could have sent her to boarding school for high school if they thought Sidwell Friends wasn't good enough. They had plenty of choices. And back to my point, Sidwell Friends is famous outside of DC, outside of the northeast corridor. And its because of the Presidents. I realize that living inside the beltway bubble makes it really super hard to process that beyond that neighborhood most people do not know of or care about these other TT schools. They just don't. Sorry. If it weren't for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, you could add Sidwell Friends to that too. But because two recent Presidents sent their daughters there, it's nationally famous and it's prestigious too. It's obviously not a bad school either. If I lived in DC, all the TT schools would be on my list, but I wouldn't pretend that fame and prestige don't matter. Of course they do. Otherwise, why would people from all over want to send their children to Choate or Exeter? It's because of the name. Name recognition in education matters, and it matters a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone whose oldest child goes to public school and who lives in Texas I think it's obvious why there is an "obsession" with Sidwell Friends amongst DC parents: It is because it is the school formerly attended by Chelsea Clinton while her father was President of the United States and currently attended by the Obama sisters while their father is the sitting President of the United States. In a country of 350 mm people, the fact that two of the last three Presidents chose to send their daughters there is extraordinary. And it is obviously an excellent school too. Chelsea wound up at Stanford and then became a Rhodes Scholar. I didn't see Bill and Hill scrambling around trying to send her to Exeter for high school. Obviously, Sidwell Friends is a great school. If I lived in the DC area, I'd try to get my child in. All you stand to lose is time and the application fee. The other TT schools in the DC area have regional fame. Sidwell Friends has national fame. So I think that makes it more attractive.

Anyway, that's a view from an outsider with no hand in the game. I read this Board to get information and tips on private school applicatIons and testing in a general sense. Except for the show-offs who mistakenly think success in life is deeply connected to where you go to school, (it's not), I really like the Board and appreciate everyone's insight.

Chelsea went to Oxford after Stanford but was NOT a Rhodes Scholar. Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar.

[Anonymous]

Whatever. They could have sent her to boarding school for high school if they thought Sidwell Friends wasn't good enough. They had plenty of choices. And back to my point, Sidwell Friends is famous outside of DC, outside of the northeast corridor. And its because of the Presidents. I realize that living inside the beltway bubble makes it really super hard to process that beyond that neighborhood most people do not know of or care about these other TT schools. They just don't. Sorry. If it weren't for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, you could add Sidwell Friends to that too. But because two recent Presidents sent their daughters there, it's nationally famous and it's prestigious too. It's obviously not a bad school either. If I lived in DC, all the TT schools would be on my list, but I wouldn't pretend that fame and prestige don't matter. Of course they do. Otherwise, why would people from all over want to send their children to Choate or Exeter? It's because of the name. Name recognition in education matters, and it matters a lot.

Tex, I hope you recognise when Obama rolled into town her daughters were the same ages as my sons (elementary school age). Not quite ready for boarding school away from their parents. Not quite mature as Texans for 8 and 11 years of age. Therefore, they needed a day school. Entry for Choate is the 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Whatever. They could have sent her to boarding school for high school if they thought Sidwell Friends wasn't good enough. They had plenty of choices. And back to my point, Sidwell Friends is famous outside of DC, outside of the northeast corridor. And its because of the Presidents. I realize that living inside the beltway bubble makes it really super hard to process that beyond that neighborhood most people do not know of or care about these other TT schools. They just don't. Sorry. If it weren't for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, you could add Sidwell Friends to that too. But because two recent Presidents sent their daughters there, it's nationally famous and it's prestigious too. It's obviously not a bad school either. If I lived in DC, all the TT schools would be on my list, but I wouldn't pretend that fame and prestige don't matter. Of course they do. Otherwise, why would people from all over want to send their children to Choate or Exeter? It's because of the name. Name recognition in education matters, and it matters a lot.

Tex, I hope you recognise when Obama rolled into town her daughters were the same ages as my sons (elementary school age). Not quite ready for boarding school away from their parents. Not quite mature as Texans for 8 and 11 years of age. Therefore, they needed a day school. Entry for Choate is the 9th grade.

I said "for high school" with reference to Chelsea Clinton. You make it sound like there was no choice but Sidwell Friends and I'm saying that if it wasn't so great, they could have sent her elsewhere for high school. As for the Obamas, like I said they toured many DC area schools before settling on Sidwell Friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone whose oldest child goes to public school and who lives in Texas I think it's obvious why there is an "obsession" with Sidwell Friends amongst DC parents: It is because it is the school formerly attended by Chelsea Clinton while her father was President of the United States and currently attended by the Obama sisters while their father is the sitting President of the United States. In a country of 350 mm people, the fact that two of the last three Presidents chose to send their daughters there is extraordinary. And it is obviously an excellent school too. Chelsea wound up at Stanford and then became a Rhodes Scholar. I didn't see Bill and Hill scrambling around trying to send her to Exeter for high school. Obviously, Sidwell Friends is a great school. If I lived in the DC area, I'd try to get my child in. All you stand to lose is time and the application fee. The other TT schools in the DC area have regional fame. Sidwell Friends has national fame. So I think that makes it more attractive.

Anyway, that's a view from an outsider with no hand in the game. I read this Board to get information and tips on private school applicatIons and testing in a general sense. Except for the show-offs who mistakenly think success in life is deeply connected to where you go to school, (it's not), I really like the Board and appreciate everyone's insight.

Chelsea went to Oxford after Stanford but was NOT a Rhodes Scholar. Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar.

Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't realize she was such a loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The endowments of D.C. area private schools explains why their focus on pupils entering in the early years are on big donors, money, legacy and non financial aid candidates. When the bills are paid the focus can shift to academic talent. This explains why it is more difficult to enter at the high school level in these schools because you had better be top notch (grades, accomplishments etc). Its a matter of dollars and cents.

Therefore, for entry places in Sidwell, Maret, STA, GDS, Beauvoir and the like legacy, sibling, big donor, and money will always trump brains in need of financial assistance until the bills are paid.

Or, it could have something to do with the idea that there are more academic credentials and metrics with 14 year olds over 4 year olds.

[Anonymous]

If that were the case then why are the entry years heavily weighted to candidates with $$$, legacy, status, sibship and donors ... and "outsiders" are competing for very few remaining slots?

[Anonymous]

Face it, these schools need the money. Their endowments are frankly in the tank. That's why the face of the entry classes are of higher socioeconomic class and status. This is a business with high stakes despite the 'non-profit' label.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If that were the case then why are the entry years heavily weighted to candidates with $$$, legacy, status, sibship and donors ... and "outsiders" are competing for very few remaining slots?

I don't think that is a true statement across the board. Some schools have a strong sibling/priority policy, others have a stronger "new family" policy.