2025 Admission Results

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many private schools do people typically apply to in order to get in somewhere?

We applied to 6 and got into 4. I would recommend 5 at least, but some families do less and are fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is very good academic and extra curriculum activity. She is super talented. However we were not even waiting listed for holton. Is it possible that I waived the application fee. That could have back fired. Just want an opinion for future reference.

Why did you waive the application fee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, this is a private school forum, but talking about acceptances for 4th and 5th graders is kind of silly IMO. 9th grade? Makes sense.

Waiting to apply until 9th grade is the crazy part. Serious private school families get in much earlier.

“Serious” is one way to put it. Another is terrified that your child won’t make the cut when the decision isn’t wholly based on YOU and your career and money. We live in a wealthy are with excellent public schools so we weren’t fearful our child wouldn’t go to a good HS. Our child had developed into a very mature and strong student by 8th grade with some passions and some opinions. We were able to select a private high school that suits this child right now at this stage of their life.

Your “excellent” public schools are far from that. The serious families know you have already disadvantaged your child’s education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got in off of Maret WL and love it

Would be interested to hear which grade and the timing of your admittance from WL. Still during regular admissions season? Or at a random later date?

DP but DC got in off waitlist in March, a week after original decisions were released (so in the period between decisions being announced by schools and initial deposits being due).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got in off of Maret WL and love it

Would be interested to hear which grade and the timing of your admittance from WL. Still during regular admissions season? Or at a random later date?

DP but DC got in off waitlist in March, a week after original decisions were released (so in the period between decisions being announced by schools and initial deposits being due).

(This was for 9th)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many private schools do people typically apply to in order to get in somewhere?

We applied to 6 and got into 4. I would recommend 5 at least, but some families do less and are fine

We applied to 4 and got into 4, because my kid only wanted these schools. But I would recommend 5 or 6 if you are certain you want to do private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is very good academic and extra curriculum activity. She is super talented. However we were not even waiting listed for holton. Is it possible that I waived the application fee. That could have back fired. Just want an opinion for future reference.

Why did you waive the application fee?

It was an honest mistake. Did that back fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is very good academic and extra curriculum activity. She is super talented. However we were not even waiting listed for holton. Is it possible that I waived the application fee. That could have back fired. Just want an opinion for future reference.

Why did you waive the application fee?

It was an honest mistake. Did that back fired.

They get so many applications, I doubt they put any stock into a waived application fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many private schools do people typically apply to in order to get in somewhere?

For 6th, we applied to 6, got into 2 and WL at 4. Agree with others who suggest 5 or 6.

[Anonymous]

Applied to 6 and got into one. For 9th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waitpooled at Holton for sixth grade and feeling incredibly disappointed. Do we know if anyone was actually rejected or is everyone just respectfully placed in the waitpool?

We were waitpooled as well. I’m curious how the admissions process was for your family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so keen on Holton? I don't have a daughter, but anecdotally I've not great things about it. I thought NCS was the better school if you are looking for an all-girl school? Is HA like the conversative counterpart to NCS? I guess I don't understand why it would be the only school that someone is looking at?

NCS and Holton are on-par with each other, although DCUM might have you think otherwise. The largest difference is that NCS is religious and Holton is secular. NCS has a very strong emphasis on writing, Holton has a stronger science program.
I personally found the music curriculum to be stronger at Holton too. And I feel NCS is a tad more conservative than Holton (I think Holton is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum).
All small differences, but for those of us that live in MD and don't need to commute into DC, Holton is a great choice.
And with the current state of MCPS schools, lots of us are looking to go private.

Both great schools but NCS is in the top tier of schools along with STA and Sidwell. Holton is the next tier. NCS is more nationally known and prestigious - affiliation with the Cathedral etc..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter applied for 5th grade at GDS and is on the waitlist. She has the best scores in her school, strong recommendations, and is very talented in extracurricular activities. I know 5th grade is not a main entry point, but I’d like to know if she can get off the waitlist. Has anyone on the waitlist ever gotten into GDS?

Look this is going to be a tough year for many people because of the government and contractors firings. I think the wait list(even none enter years) will move. If not apply again and to other schools. A lot of time one school will have a big sibling year, need boys vs girls, have a few families move away, etc and another will not.

[Anonymous]

How did people do for 9th? Curious about how advantageous it is to come from private v public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did people do for 9th? Curious about how advantageous it is to come from private v public?

From where I'm sitting, huge advantage coming from K-8. I don't know of a single student that didn't get a spot for 9th. However, I know several in public who were WL'd everywhere they applied.