Sidwell Question

[Anonymous]

If waitlisted what is the chance of coming off of the waitlist? 9th grade. We are not interested at all in any other school, this is the school for us.

[Anonymous]

Assume zero and make alternative plans.

[Anonymous]

Why zero?

[Anonymous]

Wouldn’t there be spots as people accepts at other big 3 ?

[Anonymous]

Because first of all, no one gets outright rejected, so wait list doesn’t mean that you’re actually still being considered. And second, the vast majority of people accepted will go, and they have probably already accepted a few more than they need just in case a few kids say no.
Maybe, maybe they take one or two kids off the waitlist in a year.

[Anonymous]

So exhausting. Please assume that they offer a spot to 1.35X the number of spots available, assuming 30-40% of offers are rejected. So…30 spots = 42 admits. Only if 12-15 kids are offered a spot and choose not to take it do they go to the list.

Using this example, they would know that statistically, 25-35% of kinds reject an offer of admission. Only if this year is a massive statistical deviation from a lifetime of data would any school need to go to their list. In that circumstance, they likely have 100 kids in a waiting pool for the 1 spot. In filling the spot, they will see what they need to make up their class. Is there gender balance? Is a race under-represented? Are they desperate for a back-up quarterback or second chair tuba player? The triangulation of that data is what determines who, if any, gets out of the waiting pool. To reiterate, these circumstances are exceptionally rare, particularly at the more competitive schools.

Does it happen occasionally? Yes. It is something that you should even think is in the realm of possibility? No.

[Anonymous]

Well Maret puts everyone on a waitlist, GDS has an actual waitlist, and Sidwell an actual waitlist. So I guess we just see if someone accepts at one of the other schools which wouod open up a spot at Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So exhausting. Please assume that they offer a spot to 1.35X the number of spots available, assuming 30-40% of offers are rejected. So…30 spots = 42 admits. Only if 12-15 kids are offered a spot and choose not to take it do they go to the list.

Using this example, they would know that statistically, 25-35% of kinds reject an offer of admission. Only if this year is a massive statistical deviation from a lifetime of data would any school need to go to their list. In that circumstance, they likely have 100 kids in a waiting pool for the 1 spot. In filling the spot, they will see what they need to make up their class. Is there gender balance? Is a race under-represented? Are they desperate for a back-up quarterback or second chair tuba player? The triangulation of that data is what determines who, if any, gets out of the waiting pool. To reiterate, these circumstances are exceptionally rare, particularly at the more competitive schools.

Does it happen occasionally? Yes. It is something that you should even think is in the realm of possibility? No.

Good explanation. At both the private and college level, families new to the process are unaware that institutions admit more applicants than the number of seats, and that they rarely need to use their waitlist.

[Anonymous]

We know 3 kids, maybe more, who got off the 9th grade wait list, but they all had the head of our K-8 advocating for them, and this was not in the past two years.

Also, as a PP says, spots will not open up as people decline; they only open up if the school has overestimated its yield.

[Anonymous]

Question for OP: where will your 9th grader enroll if they don’t get off the Sidwell waitlist? Wondering how you are approaching this, given your strong feelings.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they have a good public option. It's okay to only be interested in one private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If waitlisted what is the chance of coming off of the waitlist? 9th grade. We are not interested at all in any other school, this is the school for us.

Not trying to sound harsh, op, but you need to change your mindset. Soften it up. You can't attach this unbendingly to something you cannot control at all. It isn't healthy for you or your kid to think there is only one acceptable option in life.

[Anonymous]

I know a kid who is likely going to be the top of the waitlist--they and I'm sure others are working it within an inch of their lives.
I'm sorry to say OP but you have to move on.

I know that Sidwell will take kids for 10th if they have kids leave after 9th. They usually take 1-2. A friend on mine was in touch with admissions last year about this
and by late spring they were contacted about a potential spot (for 10th). They had made other plans at that point but things do happen for 10th.

[Anonymous]

We also have a child waitlisted at her first choice school. Our strategy is to get her excited about the backup school, while trying to remain hopeful and stay in contact with the first choice. I am not even telling her getting off the waitlist is an option because I know it will be tough/unlikely and don't want round two disappointment if she isn't one of the 1-2 percent who might get off. I would recommend rallying around the backup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We know 3 kids, maybe more, who got off the 9th grade wait list, but they all had the head of our K-8 advocating for them, and this was not in the past two years.

Also, as a PP says, spots will not open up as people decline; they only open up if the school has overestimated its yield.

OP - It's really this, if you kid is applying from public and not a K-8. Your kid may be great, maybe even the proverbial "second tuba," but if one of these schools also has a second tuba on the waitlist who is comparable to your kid, and the HOS is doing their job, there's a decent chance you are not even in the conversation as the decision is being made.