Another Sidwell college counselor head quits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never liked her anyway

+1

[Anonymous]

Director of College Counseling at Sidwell is getting to be a job like drummer for Spinal Tap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Director of College Counseling at Sidwell is getting to be a job like drummer for Spinal Tap

LOL. +100

[Anonymous]

Any idea if this is related to the quality of this year’s acceptances )I.e. lower tier)?Other threads talk about colleges are now giving prep schools a cooler embrace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tough job I guess

We're in the midst of the "Great Resignation" and Sidwell just like any other business is affected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any idea if this is related to the quality of this year’s acceptances )I.e. lower tier)?Other threads talk about colleges are now giving prep schools a cooler embrace.

Announcement did NOT come across this way.

This person has moved on from SFS before, so I assume they chose to do so again.

They already have another job lined up and I'd assume they've been in that hiring process for longer than would seem consistent with a narrative that admin pushed them out based on quality of ED/EA results (in a year that's been crazy at all schools - not just SFS). Plus, RD aren't even out yet and no one knows how the dust will settle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCO could benefit from a change (but SFS not big on change and this isn't meant to be specific about this person's job change)

But an influx of top-down energy that brings creativity, warmth, and more outreach to/relationships with students would be welcome.

We all know it has been a tough year and another in the constantly changing climate, but the current process lacks any feeling of CCO working as a team with the students. It has never felt like the students have someone at CCO who is in the trenches with them, in their corner helping out and/or cheering them on. They are perfectly nice, but it's almost as if the primary expectations were only to make sure list has a safety and turn in documents. There has been no CCO-initiated one-on-one communications with students as decisions have come out and no outreach to have meetings to give next-steps advice on strategy based on those decisions (or even a congratulations on your acceptance!). It's a "call us because we won't call you" (but "we're here for you! yay!") relationship with students.

You can't fault them if none of this was expected....but it's a shame that it isn't. These kids work hard and wouldn't it be nice for them to have someone who actually knew them and actively let them know they have their back in this process.

Are parents using external resources the majority of the time? If so, this certainly makes them fill like they are not needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CCO could benefit from a change (but SFS not big on change and this isn't meant to be specific about this person's job change)

But an influx of top-down energy that brings creativity, warmth, and more outreach to/relationships with students would be welcome.

We all know it has been a tough year and another in the constantly changing climate, but the current process lacks any feeling of CCO working as a team with the students. It has never felt like the students have someone at CCO who is in the trenches with them, in their corner helping out and/or cheering them on. They are perfectly nice, but it's almost as if the primary expectations were only to make sure list has a safety and turn in documents. There has been no CCO-initiated one-on-one communications with students as decisions have come out and no outreach to have meetings to give next-steps advice on strategy based on those decisions (or even a congratulations on your acceptance!). It's a "call us because we won't call you" (but "we're here for you! yay!") relationship with students.

You can't fault them if none of this was expected....but it's a shame that it isn't. These kids work hard and wouldn't it be nice for them to have someone who actually knew them and actively let them know they have their back in this process.

Are parents using external resources the majority of the time? If so, this certainly makes them fill like they are not needed.

Yes, most people do.

[Anonymous]

I hope they write a book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CCO could benefit from a change (but SFS not big on change and this isn't meant to be specific about this person's job change)

But an influx of top-down energy that brings creativity, warmth, and more outreach to/relationships with students would be welcome.

We all know it has been a tough year and another in the constantly changing climate, but the current process lacks any feeling of CCO working as a team with the students. It has never felt like the students have someone at CCO who is in the trenches with them, in their corner helping out and/or cheering them on. They are perfectly nice, but it's almost as if the primary expectations were only to make sure list has a safety and turn in documents. There has been no CCO-initiated one-on-one communications with students as decisions have come out and no outreach to have meetings to give next-steps advice on strategy based on those decisions (or even a congratulations on your acceptance!). It's a "call us because we won't call you" (but "we're here for you! yay!") relationship with students.

You can't fault them if none of this was expected....but it's a shame that it isn't. These kids work hard and wouldn't it be nice for them to have someone who actually knew them and actively let them know they have their back in this process.

Are parents using external resources the majority of the time? If so, this certainly makes them fill like they are not needed.

Not privy to this information. But that doesn't mean CCO shouldn't be an active source of support for these kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCO could benefit from a change (but SFS not big on change and this isn't meant to be specific about this person's job change)

But an influx of top-down energy that brings creativity, warmth, and more outreach to/relationships with students would be welcome.

We all know it has been a tough year and another in the constantly changing climate, but the current process lacks any feeling of CCO working as a team with the students. It has never felt like the students have someone at CCO who is in the trenches with them, in their corner helping out and/or cheering them on. They are perfectly nice, but it's almost as if the primary expectations were only to make sure list has a safety and turn in documents. There has been no CCO-initiated one-on-one communications with students as decisions have come out and no outreach to have meetings to give next-steps advice on strategy based on those decisions (or even a congratulations on your acceptance!). It's a "call us because we won't call you" (but "we're here for you! yay!") relationship with students.

You can't fault them if none of this was expected....but it's a shame that it isn't. These kids work hard and wouldn't it be nice for them to have someone who actually knew them and actively let them know they have their back in this process.

This is exactly the help my MCPS kid receives at Walter Johnson. For Sidwell prices, I'd expect a little more customizing and hand-holding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough job I guess

We're in the midst of the "Great Resignation" and Sidwell just like any other business is affected.

Absolutely. The job is incredibly disheartening because of test-optional nonsense. Previously, CCs could monetize and earn respect for their ability to correctly predict where students would get in. Now it's not possible! So they get flack from all sides (employer, students, parents).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CCO could benefit from a change (but SFS not big on change and this isn't meant to be specific about this person's job change)

But an influx of top-down energy that brings creativity, warmth, and more outreach to/relationships with students would be welcome.

We all know it has been a tough year and another in the constantly changing climate, but the current process lacks any feeling of CCO working as a team with the students. It has never felt like the students have someone at CCO who is in the trenches with them, in their corner helping out and/or cheering them on. They are perfectly nice, but it's almost as if the primary expectations were only to make sure list has a safety and turn in documents. There has been no CCO-initiated one-on-one communications with students as decisions have come out and no outreach to have meetings to give next-steps advice on strategy based on those decisions (or even a congratulations on your acceptance!). It's a "call us because we won't call you" (but "we're here for you! yay!") relationship with students.

You can't fault them if none of this was expected....but it's a shame that it isn't. These kids work hard and wouldn't it be nice for them to have someone who actually knew them and actively let them know they have their back in this process.

This is exactly the help my MCPS kid receives at Walter Johnson. For Sidwell prices, I'd expect a little more customizing and hand-holding.

Agreed. And I'm not in the camp with an expectation that tuition $$ or Sidwell brand should confer a certain college-tier outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough job I guess

We're in the midst of the "Great Resignation" and Sidwell just like any other business is affected.

Absolutely. The job is incredibly disheartening because of test-optional nonsense. Previously, CCs could monetize and earn respect for their ability to correctly predict where students would get in. Now it's not possible! So they get flack from all sides (employer, students, parents).

We have given no flack - but the flack that would be given is a shift in how CCO (and SFS in general) treats kids and families.

[Anonymous]

Once you get past the high donor alumni, the athletic recruits, and the high-achieving URMs, there are only so many measly spots available for T20 schools. Don't blame the CCOs. If you are not in any of the above three categories, know what you are paying for. It is not college placement. It is for a bespoke educational experience for a very privileged/fortunate few. Your children have had x number of years of getting the best attention to all their educational and formative needs to be high-achieving young adults--no matter where they go to college. I feel sorry for the CCOs and the school admins in general. It has become a business, available to the highest bidder. No institutional respect whatsoever from the parents. When I went to boarding school, even the wealthiest parents (old money) had the good sense to let the admin handle things. No one trusts anybody anymore.