College Counseling at Sidwell - One Year Later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Indeed, Sidwell and other top schools tell families not to come to that school for college placement (indeed, we were told this expressly at an admitted families event at SFS last year). THEY MEAN THAT. And I'm glad schools are being more honest about this. The problem is, parents just don't hear it, not really. Most parents think the "don't send your kid here if it's only about college" applies to SOMEONE ELSE's kid. Then they are disappointed with the end result. Which is such a shame. There are some who would think that the price tag of a top education at SFS, cathedral schools, GDS, etc. is worth it regardless of outcome. Others would think that the price tag is outlandish without a big college bump. Yet droves of people in the second group pay the price tag thinking it's worth it for the college boost that may not come. It's way too much pressure on the kids.

+1

[Anonymous]

Top privates are going to struggle in the future to convince new parents to pay $500,000+ for K-12. This gets much harder if college outcomes are not outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top privates are going to struggle in the future to convince new parents to pay $500,000+ for K-12. This gets much harder if college outcomes are not outstanding.

The problem with this thinking is that it isn't 1975 where 65% of the kids at the "elite" private schools went to Ivy/Ivy equivalent schools. So the sell is the curriculum and creativity, small class sizes, opportunity for theater, sports etc that are different at a large public high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it would be helpful to have a larger staff, particularly to give some guidance to juniors and even sophomores. So much energy goes into the senior class for obvious reasons. Because the advisory systems isn't really an advisory system, it would be helpful to offer true advising to the students (for choosing classes, etc).

Any junior or sophomore can meet with the staff during the open periods when they are hanging out and open for questions, or they can make an appointment any time. The whole process starts early enough for there to be plenty of time and opportunity to work through it.

Advising for classes is really only predicated on math and science. For those, the level of math and interest in the topic, along with recommendation from the prior year faculty should be sufficient to gauge proper placement. I am not sure what college guidance is going to tell you about class placement because they don't know the interest/aptitude of the student without having taught them already.

What about whether to take AP's? how many? which ones? when? subject tests? when? how many? which ones? it's not just about math placement. better to take the super-advanced and get a lower grade vs regular classes (which are still advanced) and get higher grades? there are lots of interesting questions to be discussed. why do some families feel the need to hire private college counseling services and start early in high school? what niche are they filling? is that a waste of $ given what SFS already offers from the college counseling office?

The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to whether that class is prep for an AP or not.
The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to what, if any, subject test they should or could take.
Yes, meet with a college advisor regarding advice for math placement, but usually the department head will advise on best placement based on past performance. Generally, your kid should take the most rigorous schedule possible.

This is one of those instances of "if you don't get it, you don't get it." There are so many things that an invested advisor who really knows his or her advisees can do. In the context of the specific questions about course selection that are being raised above, it helps tremendously if the person who is answering those questions really knows the student, and is personally invested in the student. We're talking about someone who can help provide strategic and informed advice, not just stock answers. But beyond that and these types of specific course selection questions, the relationship can be helpful in so many ways--inspire a student, identify problems, act as an intermediary, provide guidance about ways a student can pursue articulated interests, etc.

I have seen this type of advisory relationship work at many other independent schools. For the amount of money that Sidwell parents are paying in tuition, this should be one of the resources that the school provides.

[Anonymous]

There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it would be helpful to have a larger staff, particularly to give some guidance to juniors and even sophomores. So much energy goes into the senior class for obvious reasons. Because the advisory systems isn't really an advisory system, it would be helpful to offer true advising to the students (for choosing classes, etc).

Any junior or sophomore can meet with the staff during the open periods when they are hanging out and open for questions, or they can make an appointment any time. The whole process starts early enough for there to be plenty of time and opportunity to work through it.

Advising for classes is really only predicated on math and science. For those, the level of math and interest in the topic, along with recommendation from the prior year faculty should be sufficient to gauge proper placement. I am not sure what college guidance is going to tell you about class placement because they don't know the interest/aptitude of the student without having taught them already.

What about whether to take AP's? how many? which ones? when? subject tests? when? how many? which ones? it's not just about math placement. better to take the super-advanced and get a lower grade vs regular classes (which are still advanced) and get higher grades? there are lots of interesting questions to be discussed. why do some families feel the need to hire private college counseling services and start early in high school? what niche are they filling? is that a waste of $ given what SFS already offers from the college counseling office?

The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to whether that class is prep for an AP or not.
The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to what, if any, subject test they should or could take.
Yes, meet with a college advisor regarding advice for math placement, but usually the department head will advise on best placement based on past performance. Generally, your kid should take the most rigorous schedule possible.

Not necessarily. If college placement is an important goal, maybe you are better off taking regular Math and getting a good grade rather than struggle through an advanced Math class with teachers who get pleasure out of grading poorly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it would be helpful to have a larger staff, particularly to give some guidance to juniors and even sophomores. So much energy goes into the senior class for obvious reasons. Because the advisory systems isn't really an advisory system, it would be helpful to offer true advising to the students (for choosing classes, etc).

Any junior or sophomore can meet with the staff during the open periods when they are hanging out and open for questions, or they can make an appointment any time. The whole process starts early enough for there to be plenty of time and opportunity to work through it.

Advising for classes is really only predicated on math and science. For those, the level of math and interest in the topic, along with recommendation from the prior year faculty should be sufficient to gauge proper placement. I am not sure what college guidance is going to tell you about class placement because they don't know the interest/aptitude of the student without having taught them already.

What about whether to take AP's? how many? which ones? when? subject tests? when? how many? which ones? it's not just about math placement. better to take the super-advanced and get a lower grade vs regular classes (which are still advanced) and get higher grades? there are lots of interesting questions to be discussed. why do some families feel the need to hire private college counseling services and start early in high school? what niche are they filling? is that a waste of $ given what SFS already offers from the college counseling office?

The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to whether that class is prep for an AP or not.
The faculty of the classes your child is taking can advise as to what, if any, subject test they should or could take.
Yes, meet with a college advisor regarding advice for math placement, but usually the department head will advise on best placement based on past performance. Generally, your kid should take the most rigorous schedule possible.

Not necessarily. If college placement is an important goal, maybe you are better off taking regular Math and getting a good grade rather than struggle through an advanced Math class with teachers who get pleasure out of grading poorly.

When you ask an admissions officer, they will say "get a high grade in the most rigorous course" - there is no magic bullet for the answer for getting a B in the most rigorous or an A in the next rung down. And it isn't something that a college guidance or any other advisor can unequivicolly provide a firm answer to - each student is different and has different attributes to offer to a university.

[Anonymous]

I would hope that a college counselor could draw on past experience and be helpful. If counselors have a dialogue with some college admissions staff, they may actually know what is valued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would hope that a college counselor could draw on past experience and be helpful. If counselors have a dialogue with some college admissions staff, they may actually know what is valued.

There is no magic bullet. The college admissions people don't have a stock answer and neither will college guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

No one other than you is talking about mommy and daddy. All they're talking about is a functional advising system that students, on their own, can benefit from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would hope that a college counselor could draw on past experience and be helpful. If counselors have a dialogue with some college admissions staff, they may actually know what is valued.

There is no magic bullet. The college admissions people don't have a stock answer and neither will college guidance.

This year’s team is much better than the two who left. It’s like night and day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

No one other than you is talking about mommy and daddy. All they're talking about is a functional advising system that students, on their own, can benefit from.

And there is plenty of advising for anyone who wants it - any faculty, any department head, the homeroom advisors and the college advisors. All are available for advice-seekers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

No one other than you is talking about mommy and daddy. All they're talking about is a functional advising system that students, on their own, can benefit from.

And there is plenty of advising for anyone who wants it - any faculty, any department head, the homeroom advisors and the college advisors. All are available for advice-seekers.

Not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

No one other than you is talking about mommy and daddy. All they're talking about is a functional advising system that students, on their own, can benefit from.

And there is plenty of advising for anyone who wants it - any faculty, any department head, the homeroom advisors and the college advisors. All are available for advice-seekers.

Not true.

Two kids in upper school. Totally true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are any number of teachers and administrators the students at Sidwell can talk to. Their specific faculty members, the department chairs, their advisors and the college advisors. But they need to do it on their own. Not with mommy and/or daddy.

No one other than you is talking about mommy and daddy. All they're talking about is a functional advising system that students, on their own, can benefit from.

And there is plenty of advising for anyone who wants it - any faculty, any department head, the homeroom advisors and the college advisors. All are available for advice-seekers.

Not true.

Two kids in upper school. Totally true.

The structure you are talking about is not a true advisory system.