2024 Washington DC area College commits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why are so many people so giddy about T20 acceptances at private schools?

Drawing that conclusion from anonymous DCUM posts is so LOL.

So many threads are full of posts from the same handful of posters, plus there are lots of posts from students (the vocabulary and grammar/lack thereof is a dead giveaway), teachers, admissions staff, consultants, and goodness knows who else with barely to no connection with a school. And yet you've concluded that these anonymous posts are somehow representative of a private school's parents?

I love how you speak with such authority on the matter. Like you actually KNOW THINGS. It’s amusing.

I'm not the one claiming that anonymous DCUM posts are representative of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well knock me over with a feather.

Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections. That is, Sidwell only accepts the kids who are best positioned to get into T25s before they even walk through Sidwell's doors. Then these same kids apply ED because their parents can afford to. And, lo and behold, they get into a T25.

Is anybody surprised by this? The real question is, what is Sidwell's value added here? Would the same kid have had the same results coming from BCC? (Yes, you can talk about academic preparation, but that's a whole 'nother debate, and this thread is about college admissions.)

* Not to rag on Sidwell, but folks here seem to be using it as shorthand for top DC privates.

Do you really believe this is true? It's not.

PP here and of course I believe it. My kid was accepted at a top 3 and I can tell you all about kids’ stats, national-level EC, and our own diplomas.

So tell us. But be sure to limit to the information Sidwell had when they accepted your kid.

I'm not going to tell you identifiable info about my kid in a public forum, you idiot.

So when you said “I can tell you all about” it, you meant you couldn’t. So we can assume the rest of your post is equally suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections.

Yeah, the dozens of kids getting in at PK or K and those who are siblings, legacies, or children of faculty/staff have such a track record of academic and extracurricular achievements!

Lifers generally don't do as well in the college sweepstakes as kids who entered in 9th because of their fabulous soccer skills. Some even get counseled out. But you knew that.

Really hard to generalize about lifers. Some turn out to be exceptional, some are average, and some are counseled out or leave. Given that there are only 20 or so kids who enter in PK, and 120 kids by the time of graduation, you're really dealing with a small sample size that varies from year to year.

Why does your statement not apply equally to the 28 additional students joining in K, or to a somewhat lesser extent the 22 joining in 3rd/4th grade? That's like half the graduating class admitted before they're even 9 years old.

Most of the students admitted in 3rd/4th who are now my child's middle school classmates are nice, run-of-the-mill smart kids. But none of them (with apologies to Mary Katherine Gallagher) scream superstar. At least not currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well knock me over with a feather.

Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections. That is, Sidwell only accepts the kids who are best positioned to get into T25s before they even walk through Sidwell's doors. Then these same kids apply ED because their parents can afford to. And, lo and behold, they get into a T25.

Is anybody surprised by this? The real question is, what is Sidwell's value added here? Would the same kid have had the same results coming from BCC? (Yes, you can talk about academic preparation, but that's a whole 'nother debate, and this thread is about college admissions.)

* Not to rag on Sidwell, but folks here seem to be using it as shorthand for top DC privates.

Do you really believe this is true? It's not.

PP here and of course I believe it. My kid was accepted at a top 3 and I can tell you all about kids’ stats, national-level EC, and our own diplomas.

So tell us. But be sure to limit to the information Sidwell had when they accepted your kid.

I'm not going to tell you identifiable info about my kid in a public forum, you idiot.

So when you said “I can tell you all about” it, you meant you couldn’t. So we can assume the rest of your post is equally suspect.

I could, but I won't. See the difference in wording? Also, I couldn't care less if some jealous, anonymous rando on DCUM doesn't believe me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lifers generally don't do as well in the college sweepstakes as kids who entered in 9th because of their fabulous soccer skills. Some even get counseled out. But you knew that.

You often see the tired argument on DCUM that comparing private school college admissions to those of highly-regarded public schools somehow isn't apples to apples because private school student bodies are supposedly curated for superstars. But that simply isn't the case, when so many are being admitted without any evidence that they are or will become superstars.

Even in K, the school knows if the kids are legacies. They do testing, too, which admittedly isn't totally reliable at this age, but it "weeds out" the average kids and the kids with special needs.

[Anonymous]

At that young age, "isn't totally reliable" is quite the understatement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well knock me over with a feather.

Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections. That is, Sidwell only accepts the kids who are best positioned to get into T25s before they even walk through Sidwell's doors. Then these same kids apply ED because their parents can afford to. And, lo and behold, they get into a T25.

Is anybody surprised by this? The real question is, what is Sidwell's value added here? Would the same kid have had the same results coming from BCC? (Yes, you can talk about academic preparation, but that's a whole 'nother debate, and this thread is about college admissions.)

* Not to rag on Sidwell, but folks here seem to be using it as shorthand for top DC privates.

Do you really believe this is true? It's not.

PP here and of course I believe it. My kid was accepted at a top 3 and I can tell you all about kids’ stats, national-level EC, and our own diplomas.

So tell us. But be sure to limit to the information Sidwell had when they accepted your kid.

I'm not going to tell you identifiable info about my kid in a public forum, you idiot.

So when you said “I can tell you all about” it, you meant you couldn’t. So we can assume the rest of your post is equally suspect.

I could, but I won't. See the difference in wording? Also, I couldn't care less if some jealous, anonymous rando on DCUM doesn't believe me.

Yup. I see the need guard your kid’s stats from 8th grade. Or were they a lifer so you can’t possibly divulge their WPPSI score for fear of outing them? Was their national level EC stacking blocks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lifers generally don't do as well in the college sweepstakes as kids who entered in 9th because of their fabulous soccer skills. Some even get counseled out. But you knew that.

You often see the tired argument on DCUM that comparing private school college admissions to those of highly-regarded public schools somehow isn't apples to apples because private school student bodies are supposedly curated for superstars. But that simply isn't the case, when so many are being admitted without any evidence that they are or will become superstars.

Yes but they also curate out any potential concerns (socioeconomics, many disabilities, engagement, language). As well they curate if the student is of average or above average intellect in K assuming they wil continue in that way.i

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections.

Yeah, the dozens of kids getting in at PK or K and those who are siblings, legacies, or children of faculty/staff have such a track record of academic and extracurricular achievements!

Lifers generally don't do as well in the college sweepstakes as kids who entered in 9th because of their fabulous soccer skills. Some even get counseled out. But you knew that.

Really hard to generalize about lifers. Some turn out to be exceptional, some are average, and some are counseled out or leave. Given that there are only 20 or so kids who enter in PK, and 120 kids by the time of graduation, you're really dealing with a small sample size that varies from year to year.

Why does your statement not apply equally to the 28 additional students joining in K, or to a somewhat lesser extent the 22 joining in 3rd/4th grade? That's like half the graduating class admitted before they're even 9 years old.

Most of the students admitted in 3rd/4th who are now my child's middle school classmates are nice, run-of-the-mill smart kids. But none of them (with apologies to Mary Katherine Gallagher) scream superstar. At least not currently.

I have a child who is a lifer (started in PK) and is now a senior. There are a few superstars, many average/good students (and this is "average/good" for a competitive private school), and a few who have been counseled out. Maybe it's more predictable when a child is admitted in 9th vs in PK that a kid will be at the leading edge of the bell curve, but as you know, the teenage years are highly transformative both physically (important for kids who turn out to be recruited athletes) and intellectually.
I'm guessing you want to hear that kids who are admitted in HS are better candidates for "top" college admissions, but I don't really see that playing out with any consistency. No one should be surprised, given the types of families that are looking to get their children accepted into these schools when their children are only toddlers - the families tend to be highly educated, motivated, and wealthy, a formula that invariably sends kids to excellent colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why are so many people so giddy about T20 acceptances at private schools?

Drawing that conclusion from anonymous DCUM posts is so LOL.

So many threads are full of posts from the same handful of posters, plus there are lots of posts from students (the vocabulary and grammar/lack thereof is a dead giveaway), teachers, admissions staff, consultants, and goodness knows who else with barely to no connection with a school. And yet you've concluded that these anonymous posts are somehow representative of a private school's parents?

I love how you speak with such authority on the matter. Like you actually KNOW THINGS. It’s amusing.

I'm not the one claiming that anonymous DCUM posts are representative of anything.

You’re claiming to know what kind of people are posting. And that you can easily identify posts by kids . So yeah, you’re claiming to know something that you absolutely don’t.

[Anonymous]

There have been so many DCUM threads over the years where the posters claim to be staff, consultants, teachers, students, et al.

That's how I know it isn't only parents posting. They could also be lying, of course, but that would cut against your argument even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell* only accepts kids who have great test and/or academic chops plus legacy/athletic/national-level ED/connections.

Yeah, the dozens of kids getting in at PK or K and those who are siblings, legacies, or children of faculty/staff have such a track record of academic and extracurricular achievements!

Lifers generally don't do as well in the college sweepstakes as kids who entered in 9th because of their fabulous soccer skills. Some even get counseled out. But you knew that.

Really hard to generalize about lifers. Some turn out to be exceptional, some are average, and some are counseled out or leave. Given that there are only 20 or so kids who enter in PK, and 120 kids by the time of graduation, you're really dealing with a small sample size that varies from year to year.

Why does your statement not apply equally to the 28 additional students joining in K, or to a somewhat lesser extent the 22 joining in 3rd/4th grade? That's like half the graduating class admitted before they're even 9 years old.

Most of the students admitted in 3rd/4th who are now my child's middle school classmates are nice, run-of-the-mill smart kids. But none of them (with apologies to Mary Katherine Gallagher) scream superstar. At least not currently.

I have a child who is a lifer (started in PK) and is now a senior. There are a few superstars, many average/good students (and this is "average/good" for a competitive private school), and a few who have been counseled out. Maybe it's more predictable when a child is admitted in 9th vs in PK that a kid will be at the leading edge of the bell curve, but as you know, the teenage years are highly transformative both physically (important for kids who turn out to be recruited athletes) and intellectually.
I'm guessing you want to hear that kids who are admitted in HS are better candidates for "top" college admissions, but I don't really see that playing out with any consistency. No one should be surprised, given the types of families that are looking to get their children accepted into these schools when their children are only toddlers - the families tend to be highly educated, motivated, and wealthy, a formula that invariably sends kids to excellent colleges.

I'm not the PP but chiming in...

It's been our experience that the very strong students who are admitted in 9th - remain excellent students throughout and are in the highest rigor classes. This is NOT to say that every 9th admit fits into the "very strong student" category....9th admits contains a mix. And there are rising 8th who are also very strong students. I don't know when they started...

However, the kids who end up with top college admissions is generally NOT from this group of very strong students that were admitted in 9th. MOST of these 9th admit strong students are not hooked and are not getting into T25 despite their strong stats/rigor. This is what others are trying to get across. I can think of exactly one 9th unhooked admit who landed at an Ivy from our DC's class.

[Anonymous]

Your argument runs contrary to all those claiming that "9th grade admissions is so hard, only those with hooks get in."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your argument runs contrary to all those claiming that "9th grade admissions is so hard, only those with hooks get in."

That's why I posted.....to provide the nuance.

People like to think their smart 9th admit will get the coveted outcomes they see on these Insta posts. Your smart 9th admit may stay smart and do excellent....but if they are not hooked....you should be prepared that they will not be in the coveted outcome list. They will still do great and get a great education and will be prepared for college. There are more things to life and more things to HS. But we know many smart 9th admits who did not get to go to their top choices (notice plural....like they ended up at their 6th choice) and saw other hooked students be admitted (some were strong students, others were not).

[Anonymous]

If private schools are admitting so many unhooked students in 9th grade, then why do people say that you can't compare a private's college admissions results to public schools like Whitman and Churchill? Either they're curating the 9th grade class for college admissions, or they're not.