fewer spots available for next year?

[Anonymous]

GDS just sent out the following message to current families:
"Our zoning approval process also sets a specific enrollment cap for the School. During the pandemic, as parents sought alternative educational experiences for their children, GDS experienced increased enrollment. Our attrition (the number of students leaving the school) decreased and our yield (the number of students who chose to enroll following our acceptance during admissions season) increased. This phenomenon was experienced by independent schools and colleges and universities nationwide.
As we are currently over the enrollment cap in our agreement (1,075), for the 2023-24 school year, GDS is obligated to move into compliance. This means that for next year we will need to admit fewer students than normal."

Are other private schools admitting fewer students for next year?

[Anonymous]

Yes. We were told this by another school discussed widely on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Ours said they had a particularly strong applicant pool and expects to have waitlists for all grades.

[Anonymous]

I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

[Anonymous]

As we are currently over the enrollment cap in our agreement (1,075), for the 2023-24 school year

So with their current pk-12 student body, they exceed caps. So will they fill a normal-sized pK class and not fill attrition in other classes? Or are they going to reduce the size of pK as well? Also when they say “next year” are they referring to the admissions season currently in progress?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

Yeah I don’t know where that came from. Even if you’re enough of a high roller that you can confidently fund 3-4 independent school and university tuitions, you often still choose to stop at 2 because of the time investment needed to raise kids in the current society. I have a feeling most independent school parents aren’t free range. (Not sure about Catholic/Christian)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

It might be that across the larger population family size is smaller. But what matters is for the families applying to that school.
I know many wealthier families who are in private schools (not Catholic) in the DMV who have 3 or 4 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As we are currently over the enrollment cap in our agreement (1,075), for the 2023-24 school year

So with their current pk-12 student body, they exceed caps. So will they fill a normal-sized pK class and not fill attrition in other classes? Or are they going to reduce the size of pK as well? Also when they say “next year” are they referring to the admissions season currently in progress?

Yes, they are referring to the admissions season currently in progress. I don't think anyone not on the admissions committee can answer your other question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

It might be that across the larger population family size is smaller. But what matters is for the families applying to that school.
I know many wealthier families who are in private schools (not Catholic) in the DMV who have 3 or 4 kids.

Even thinking to just our social circles in our private school most families have three children. I don’t think the admissions person meant family sizes of 5+ kids, but more of a 3-4.

[Anonymous]

If they're over their enrollment cap, can they admit any kids?
I'm confused.

The class of 2025 is huge at GDS and other privates as well. That was the first Covid year. I think NCS corrected last year by limiting acceptances to the class of 2026. It effect may drag on for a few more years.

I wonder if the city audited the numbers at GDS which led to this email. If that is the case, I bet they audited the rest too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

As it us a fact the families in that school have larger families now. That could mean two instead of one or three instead of two. This school is a small part if the nationwide "facts" you are quoting. Please provide links.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

I think the 3 kid trend started about 15 years ago and now seems to be almost the norm in most circles.

Our oldest kids are 17 and it was just beginning when he was a baby. Most of our older friends etc. had 2 kids whereas those with younger kids have 3.
I don't doubt that family size goes in and out of style. There was a while on DCUM where the "should I have a third kid question" popped up about every day for years on end. This seems to have died down.

[Anonymous]

I feel like the DCUM party line as of now is "it's a status symbol to have 3 kids".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

Not the admissions officer, but how very presumptuous of you to question them. Did you ever think that the admissions officer works for a Catholic school? Or their school is an outlier? There is literally zero reason fr this person to lie.