Does sidwell have class rank? Letter grades?

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard sidwell doesn’t rank students or assign grades because the Quaker philosophy of equality. Is this true?

[Anonymous]

Sidwell has never had class rank, or at least not for the past 45-50 years.

Sidwell does provide letter grades.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell upper school gives letter grades. They do not have a class rank and don't have an official "gpa" either - but they do calculate a GPA (unweighted) for 2nd semester Juniors to help in making college lists.

I also think as part of the high school profile, they may provide information on the distribution of grades. Something like...giving GPA ranges and saying what % of kids lie in each band. (or the flipside - giving deciles or quartiles and the GPAs in each of those?)

Our children did not attend before HS. My guess is the Middle School gives letter grades. Someone else can speak to the Lower School experience.

[Anonymous]

It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

Interesting. This seems to contradict what the CCO says. Can you elaborate on your experience as the parent of a top 10 student at Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

What's the definition of "top 10 students"?

[Anonymous]

No one in the CCO is telling ANY student to only apply to 3 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

This is contradictory to everything we know about and/or have experienced with CCO at Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

This is contradictory to everything we know about and/or have experienced with CCO at Sidwell.

NP -- This absolutely happens, but everything is very subtle. It's like a code. Kind of cringy actually.

[Anonymous]

Do you want the 4.0 kids/Top 10 kids applying to 10 schools, getting in to 7-9 of them and choosing 1 spot?

You think it’s cool when someone’s bragging about going 18 for 20 applications? No. It’s greedy and indecisive.

[Anonymous]

Lots of those trading in England when applying to Oxbridge. The HoS literally divies it all up, who applies to which of the colleges within those two universities. Maximizes the school’s intake. No one is offended, there a couple colleges which are notoriously difficult to get in to even with tons of support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell upper school gives letter grades. They do not have a class rank and don't have an official "gpa" either - but they do calculate a GPA (unweighted) for 2nd semester Juniors to help in making college lists.

I also think as part of the high school profile, they may provide information on the distribution of grades. Something like...giving GPA ranges and saying what % of kids lie in each band. (or the flipside - giving deciles or quartiles and the GPAs in each of those?)

Our children did not attend before HS. My guess is the Middle School gives letter grades. Someone else can speak to the Lower School experience.

Yes. LS also gives grades

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

Ignore this is a teenage troll

[Anonymous]

Broader question (Sidwell is answered). Do any of the top privates report rank/GPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has class rank when a top college calls the school and asks which kid is better, yeah.

And it has class rank when it tells the top 10 students to only apply to 3 colleges and they’ll go to bat for you. First they’ll guid you to where they can go to bat for you (ie higher rank or big donor kid not wanting same school or major).

This is contradictory to everything we know about and/or have experienced with CCO at Sidwell.

NP -- This absolutely happens, but everything is very subtle. It's like a code. Kind of cringy actually.

We would never presume our child is in "top 10" (whatever that means) but our DC has a very high GPA/test scores and is in hardest classes and was NEVER told to apply to "just 3 schools and we'll go to bat for you".