Sidwell college advisor leaves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the parent of a current Sidwell junior and I'm much more anxious now than I was yesterday about the college admissions process. We're in the early stages of the process, so hearing that 2 of the 3 people in the CC office are leaving is very upsetting news. But if the college counselors were being mistreated by parents, then I can't blame them for wanting to leave the school. The behavior that was described or any similar behavior shouldn't be tolerated....ever.

At some schools a parent calling the Admissions Dept at a University to bad mouth their DC's classmate and fellow community member would be grounds to not renew that family's contract moving forward.

Does this parent have younger children in the school ?

If so, the family should be shown the door

I agree that what the parent did is beyond horrible, but you don't solve the problem by expelling an innocent kid.

Don't these schools always say they are accepting the family?

No they don't.

Yes, they do, especially for lower schools. I think you haven’t been to an Open House in quite a few years.

Meanwhile, it sucks that the kid would suffer for what a parent did, but kids benefit and suffer from what their parents do all the time. You can’t effectively reject the parent’s behavior without the kid getting hurt too.

[Anonymous]

Great article on college admission -

“For the socially and economically hopeful, raising a child in America is an eighteen-year process of investing in the college-admissions system.“

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-i-would-cover-the-college-admissions-scandal-as-a-foreign-correspondent?utm_brand=tny&mbid=social_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ER8S4pHVDFmLAaIYUkNFz_Qu6d77S3mntFVNbBgi_XQUahv0Vz6KADeA

[Anonymous]

At least now SFS has an opportunity to rethink and revamp the college counseling office. The turnover of two positions is a good start but just the initial step. SFS has been underinvesting in the office for a long time. It’s also the case that college admission has become more complex and challenging in recent years. Sidwell needs to add one or two more front line counselors to lower the student to counselor ratio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early decision cycle was not great for Sidwell and several parents were aggressively rude to the college placement office. And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

No way Sidwell pays college counselors enough to deal with the crazy parents

Early decision was not good for Holton either.

These private schools grade so hard, don’t offer AP’s, and just hope their name is enough to get kids in. But publics are offering dual enrollments, magnets, IB diplomas and tons of AP’s. Plus they inflate grades. It is really hard for private schools to keep up, especially now that many kids want big schools like Mich, Wisconsin, USC, UCLA, etc... over Williams and Amherst. I think social media has had a big influence on kids deciding SLAC’s are pretty boring.

Yes, we’re not at Sidwell, but are seeing the same thing at our school. I have no doubt my son is at the right school, but college admissions will be a disappointment.

Also not at Holton or Sidwell, but seeing the same at our private. I completely agree about private kids wanting public universities or urban schools over small liberal arts schools in tiny towns. I think it has a lot to do with price. Once you drop from from top 10 SLACs and Ivy, is the cost worth it? Save for the masters is the motto around our school. Even the rich families. The sad thing is not only is it affecting admissions for the private school kids, but these small colleges are struggling to keep up filled classes for admissions.

I also don’t think privates are doing enough in STEM and kids are having a tough time getting into MIT, GT, Cal Tech, now more than ever before. Small private high schools and private colleges have a tough time keeping up with publcs in advancement of stem classes, facilities, and research.

I loved my child going to private. That he had to work hard just to achieve a 90. That he learned how to write well, speak in class, and have a lot of personal growth and opportunity. But I am starting to realize that a 3.7 UW from his private doesn’t mean as much as it did 4 years ago.

That makes no sense at all. People who have been paying big money for private for 4 and in some cases as many as 13 years are not going to all of a sudden decide that it isn't worth investing in college and they should save their money for graduate school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was covered already and you keep asking. They 'reported' a classmate of their child to a common school of interest. I don't know the infraction and don't care, but no parent should be communicating with any admissions office and especially about another kid.

That’s it? I understood it was parents plural. Are you saying one child’s parents acted so egregiously and in a manner condemned by all that someone would change jobs because of it?

Plus, how would it even become known if one parent made an anonymous report about another applicant? How would it ever get back to the student or traced to another Sidwell family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a private college consultant and I have worked with plenty of Sidwell families. I can't speak for the junior counselor (won't name him since I don't think anyone else has) but Patrick is a good counselor who probably got fed up with the crazy parents. I think it's appalling that anyone would suggest that he was connected to the scandal.

Here's the reality of independent school college counseling:

The admissions offices promise parents the world, setting up expectations that can't be fulfilled. They lie, really. As an independent consultant, I have a whole staff of people and we are working with a much smaller group of seniors than the class at Sidwell. We are able to give them an incredible amount of one-on-one attention for this reason. Independent school counselors CANNOT DO THIS. It doesn't matter how amazing they are, it's a matter of math. They have X amount of hours to be spread amongst Y amount of kids, and they also have a lot of extra duties that come with working at an independent school. I can take the time to go over each student's supplemental essay 10 times until it's the most perfect reflection of that student, and those people cannot.

Also, since we are on the subject, I should mention that it's much quicker to rewrite a student's essay than to "coach" the student to rewrite his own essay. It ends up being much more authentic that way but takes forever. That's why I have a job. But when parents expect this of the college counselors, of course they are disappointed. It's about expectations.

Lastly, speaking of expectations, a lot of these parents simply do not understand what college admissions is like today. It's brutal. That's why the crazies in LA decided to commit fraud - because there was no other way to guarantee that their kids would get into these schools. There are simply no guarantees anymore. Incredibly qualified, wonderful kids are denied left right and center. And a lot of independent school parents blame this on their school college counselors, for some reason. As if the college counselor could have done something to change the outcome.

Trust me, those people are fighting tooth and nail for your kids behind the scenes. The absolute DUMBEST thing you could possibly do is to piss them off. Even Rick Singer, according to the wiretap transcript, yelled at parents for this. It's a fast track way to making sure your kid gets in nowhere. Why on earth would you demean, insult, and badmouth the person who is trying to HELP your CHILD?

So you admit you’re rewriting essays? Isnt it possible you’re hurting kids more than helping?

No, my point is that I’m doing what takes longer, which is NOT rewriting them- I’m coaching the student to self-edit.

Whatever helps you sleep at night

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a private college consultant and I have worked with plenty of Sidwell families. I can't speak for the junior counselor (won't name him since I don't think anyone else has) but Patrick is a good counselor who probably got fed up with the crazy parents. I think it's appalling that anyone would suggest that he was connected to the scandal.

Here's the reality of independent school college counseling:

The admissions offices promise parents the world, setting up expectations that can't be fulfilled. They lie, really. As an independent consultant, I have a whole staff of people and we are working with a much smaller group of seniors than the class at Sidwell. We are able to give them an incredible amount of one-on-one attention for this reason. Independent school counselors CANNOT DO THIS. It doesn't matter how amazing they are, it's a matter of math. They have X amount of hours to be spread amongst Y amount of kids, and they also have a lot of extra duties that come with working at an independent school. I can take the time to go over each student's supplemental essay 10 times until it's the most perfect reflection of that student, and those people cannot.

Also, since we are on the subject, I should mention that it's much quicker to rewrite a student's essay than to "coach" the student to rewrite his own essay. It ends up being much more authentic that way but takes forever. That's why I have a job. But when parents expect this of the college counselors, of course they are disappointed. It's about expectations.

Lastly, speaking of expectations, a lot of these parents simply do not understand what college admissions is like today. It's brutal. That's why the crazies in LA decided to commit fraud - because there was no other way to guarantee that their kids would get into these schools. There are simply no guarantees anymore. Incredibly qualified, wonderful kids are denied left right and center. And a lot of independent school parents blame this on their school college counselors, for some reason. As if the college counselor could have done something to change the outcome.

Trust me, those people are fighting tooth and nail for your kids behind the scenes. The absolute DUMBEST thing you could possibly do is to piss them off. Even Rick Singer, according to the wiretap transcript, yelled at parents for this. It's a fast track way to making sure your kid gets in nowhere. Why on earth would you demean, insult, and badmouth the person who is trying to HELP your CHILD?

So you admit you’re rewriting essays? Isnt it possible you’re hurting kids more than helping?

No, my point is that I’m doing what takes longer, which is NOT rewriting them- I’m coaching the student to self-edit.

Whatever helps you sleep at night

Are you "coaching" an essay that is supposed to be the student's work-product and evidence of their individual writing ability? Or do college admissions care more about the substance and are not using it as a writing sample?

[Anonymous]

I think these private coaches walk a very fine line between doing the work for the applicant and doing it on their behalf. I’m sure they tell themselves they do the latter. And I’m not saying I wouldn’t use one. But how ethical it is is certainly a question and would be one I would seriously consider if I were in the business. Are you helping a kid end up somewhere that he or she doesn’t necessarily deserve over someone who can’t afford your services but deserves it more? Not really helping with equity in society.

[Anonymous]

What a disgrace. He's great. Sidwell parents are a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a disgrace. He's great. Sidwell parents are a nightmare.

Who is “he”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's somewhat difficult to judge this whole situation without knowing the specific nature of what the parent communicated to the college, whether the information was true/relevant, and whether the school had suppressed the information in the interest of protecting its own reputation.

Nope, there is NEVER a time when someone should be anonymously sending notes to colleges to disparage other kids. Never. That is just batsh1t crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's somewhat difficult to judge this whole situation without knowing the specific nature of what the parent communicated to the college, whether the information was true/relevant, and whether the school had suppressed the information in the interest of protecting its own reputation.

I know for a fact these things are suppressed in our private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early decision cycle was not great for Sidwell and several parents were aggressively rude to the college placement office. And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

No way Sidwell pays college counselors enough to deal with the crazy parents

Early decision was not good for Holton either.

These private schools grade so hard, don’t offer AP’s, and just hope their name is enough to get kids in. But publics are offering dual enrollments, magnets, IB diplomas and tons of AP’s. Plus they inflate grades. It is really hard for private schools to keep up, especially now that many kids want big schools like Mich, Wisconsin, USC, UCLA, etc... over Williams and Amherst. I think social media has had a big influence on kids deciding SLAC’s are pretty boring.

Yes, we’re not at Sidwell, but are seeing the same thing at our school. I have no doubt my son is at the right school, but college admissions will be a disappointment.

Also not at Holton or Sidwell, but seeing the same at our private. I completely agree about private kids wanting public universities or urban schools over small liberal arts schools in tiny towns. I think it has a lot to do with price. Once you drop from from top 10 SLACs and Ivy, is the cost worth it? Save for the masters is the motto around our school. Even the rich families. The sad thing is not only is it affecting admissions for the private school kids, but these small colleges are struggling to keep up filled classes for admissions.

I also don’t think privates are doing enough in STEM and kids are having a tough time getting into MIT, GT, Cal Tech, now more than ever before. Small private high schools and private colleges have a tough time keeping up with publcs in advancement of stem classes, facilities, and research.

I loved my child going to private. That he had to work hard just to achieve a 90. That he learned how to write well, speak in class, and have a lot of personal growth and opportunity. But I am starting to realize that a 3.7 UW from his private doesn’t mean as much as it did 4 years ago.

That makes no sense at all. People who have been paying big money for private for 4 and in some cases as many as 13 years are not going to all of a sudden decide that it isn't worth investing in college and they should save their money for graduate school.

Ah, you richies always forget the 30% on financial. The % of kids whose grandparents are paying for private school, and those who are barely holding everything together trying to pay for the increased costs of a school they are embarrassed to admit they can no longer afford. And yes, there are families who paid for the school for actual education and are okay with public universities for BA. Look back at last matriculation and you will see an obvious upward trend in every private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's somewhat difficult to judge this whole situation without knowing the specific nature of what the parent communicated to the college, whether the information was true/relevant, and whether the school had suppressed the information in the interest of protecting its own reputation.

Nope, there is NEVER a time when someone should be anonymously sending notes to colleges to disparage other kids. Never. That is just batsh1t crazy.

Given all that’s come out in the last few days, I’m no longer willing to be that definitive in condemning the parent (even if I’d never do it myself). It all depends. Admissions and outplacement have been corrupted, so how can an applicant know that relevant negative information about competing applicants isn’t being suppressed?

When a corrupted person is so highly regarded that they are giving Sasha and Malia private tennis lessons at the WH (what is more vetted than that?), how can a parent believe that they should just relax and trust the process?

[Anonymous]

Some should all stay away from Sidwell because the parents are crazy, when we see or hear of a Sidwell parent we should make a mental note that that person is crazy and mean to the college counselor.
Parents at all other schools act like ladies and gentlemen