Average GPA at SWW (DC "magnet") is 3.93 unweighted; this is what private kids are up against

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

Wishing failure on teenagers really is not the great look you think it is. Try to do better.

I’m not wishing failure on anyone. Unearned, inflated grades set these students up for failure in selective colleges. That’s really not a great look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

There are more.

The Instagram list only has 28 kids posted out of 150.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ Once again, for those in the cheap seats: What is Harvard’s legacy admit rate for legacies who are NOT also URM, recruited athletes, and the children of big donors? It’s not 33%.

6 percent acceptance rate for all applicants who are not legacies - URM, athletes, first gen, donors included. 33 percent when the legacy thumb is on the scale - for URM, athletes, donors.

Clearly, legacy still matters whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

What is the statistic for legacy admissions ALONE (not in conjunction with URM, athlete, and donor)? And where is the link? I’m not taking your word for anything.

You really want to push back on this legacy hook idea, don’t you? Acc to the Harvard paper itself, all things being equal, legacy applicants have an appreciable advantage over non-legacy.

But keep your fingers in your ears if you like. That usually works.

No, I believe that “all things being equal” legacy status for children of Harvard College graduates confers **some** admissions boost. I do not believe that boost is a 33% admission rate, without that applicant also having another significant hook.

I appreciate facts. Your steady drumbeat of Harvard’s supposed 33% legacy admission rate is completely fact-free. The reason you cannot cite your source is because it doesn’t exist. There is no available data on legacy admits who are also not URM, athletes, and the children of big donors.

Prove me wrong. Put up or shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

There are more.

The Instagram list only has 28 kids posted out of 150.

How many more? A total of 10 or 11 (out of 150-160 students)? That’s still under 7% of the class. Does that impress you?
I’ll be impressed once that percentage reaches double-digits.

[Anonymous]

Go Walls!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The narrative that private school kids are coddled is ridiculous.

My neighbor has a private school kid. That kid has had more tutors for sports and academics than anyone I know. He is on a travel team and gets trained outside of it 2-3x a week. They hired someone to help him with 9-grade admissions. They've poured thousands in him outside of school costs to get him where he is. That is coddling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

Tis..Tis...Ivy or no Ivy is not goal for the majority and that's a fact. Significant merit based aid is what a lot of families look hope for. The SWW kids are getting a lot of merit based aid. No one knows how many kids got admitted to which schools. People just know what's made public.

[Anonymous]

Why shouldn't SWW students taking college classes at GW get a grade bump?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The narrative that private school kids are coddled is ridiculous.

My neighbor has a private school kid. That kid has had more tutors for sports and academics than anyone I know. He is on a travel team and gets trained outside of it 2-3x a week. They hired someone to help him with 9-grade admissions. They've poured thousands in him outside of school costs to get him where he is. That is coddling.

That is rare, and you will find the same rare over the top behaviors among public school parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why shouldn't SWW students taking college classes at GW get a grade bump?

No reason. Did someone suggest that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

Tis..Tis...Ivy or no Ivy is not goal for the majority and that's a fact. Significant merit based aid is what a lot of families look hope for. The SWW kids are getting a lot of merit based aid. No one knows how many kids got admitted to which schools. People just know what's made public.

Yes, I understand that Walls’ student body, on average, is far less wealthy than the families of top DC private school students. I also know that (officially) Ivies only offer need-based aid. The statement still stands. Are graduates with grade-inflated transcripts (at Walls, JR, any public school) being set up for failure when they’re admitted to highly selective colleges? They will be competing with students who are much better prepared, and that can have a huge negative effect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why shouldn't SWW students taking college classes at GW get a grade bump?

We’re not talking about the 10 to 15 students/grade who are in the GW program. We’re discussing the vast majority of the student body that spends all 4 years at Walls.

[Anonymous]

This isn't about the Ivy rat race. DCPS kids who do well enough for Ivy admissions will be fine. They are smart kids who work hard.

Grade inflation hurts the kids who do next to nothing and get high GPAs, but would have failed out doing the same level or work at a school that graded normally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Let’s see if colleges continue to like the grade-inflated Walls product. Seven admits to Ivy/Ivy equivalent colleges (out of 150-160 students) isn’t an impressive result—especially for an academic magnet school.

Tis..Tis...Ivy or no Ivy is not goal for the majority and that's a fact. Significant merit based aid is what a lot of families look hope for. The SWW kids are getting a lot of merit based aid. No one knows how many kids got admitted to which schools. People just know what's made public.

Yes, I understand that Walls’ student body, on average, is far less wealthy than the families of top DC private school students. I also know that (officially) Ivies only offer need-based aid. The statement still stands. Are graduates with grade-inflated transcripts (at Walls, JR, any public school) being set up for failure when they’re admitted to highly selective colleges? They will be competing with students who are much better prepared, and that can have a huge negative effect.

I’m guessing they will be fine. Public school kids getting into top schools generally take a lot of AP exams.
AP scores don’t have grade inflation. Assuming kids are getting 4s and 5s, they should be fine. I’m sure they will have to step it up in college but top students at Walls should be capable of ramping it up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty shocking to see the SWW hate here. The school has crappy facilities, the students aren’t coddled, and the school still must contend with DCPS bureaucracy. And lots of their families there can’t afford to go to the schools you drool over, even though their kids get in. If kids can navigate all that and still end up at Cornell or Yale, good for them! Even more impressive are the kids who got full rides or massive amounts of merit aid to highly regarded schools. Walls is a rare DCPS success story. Anyone who pays taxes in the city should celebrate this.

That's the major difference and the story doesn't fit the narrative. I really wish SWW did some coddling. It's almost like Lord of the Flies They have been sending kids to top schools for years. So this is nothing new. Colleges know exactly what SWW produces so they must like the product.

Yeah Walls kids are the ones with families that stick it out in DCPS and thrive - these generally will be people who are independent and proactive, rooted in their communities, and rely on their skills and effort rathet than money. Plus the experience of Walls itself (taking Metro or bus downtown) is likely to facilitate independence and drive as well. I imagine this is similar for any urban magnet - these kids are going to be prized admits for good reasons.

Lol! Most Walls families “stick it out in DCPS” because they can’t afford private high school. Let’s just be honest.

That’s the whole point … they rely on drive and skills, not money. That’s a good thing.