A/B Student Coming From Private K-8
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Anonymous
No, it isn't. Some people believe that if their straight A student was shut out, then everyone accepted must have had straight As, plus something else. This isn't true at any school. |
Anonymous
In that every student is welcome at public, sure. Add a profile of a student who is failing most classes and has violent behavioral issues, also a perfect fit for your local public school folks! |
Anonymous
It is possible for this student to get in to any school, depending on teacher recs and what exactly the school is looking for next year. I wouldn’t be dissuaded from applying to any school in this area if he has his heart set on it, but I would also have some backups because you never know. Good luck! |
Anonymous
What student are you describing? This question is about OP’s student. Did you want to start your own thread about this other student? |
Anonymous
Not a legacy? Not coming from one of the several “feeder” Catholic schools? Not coming from one of the other Catholic schools? Not a recruited athlete? Not a URM ? If your son doesn’t check any of the several boxes (preferably more than one), his odds of getting into Gonzaga are pretty slim. Not impossible. But it’s unlikely. |
Anonymous
My kid and his friend were admitted to Gonzaga from DCPS 2 years ago. They're white, not Catholics, not legacy for Gonzaga and not recruited athletes. In contrast they were waitlisted at GDS and Maret (yes--this a strange combination of schools to apply to but we applied very broadly given the reported uptick in applications from Covid.) |
Anonymous
If he is Catholic and active in his church, his odds improve a lot. |
Anonymous
| Thank you for your replies. I will definitely discuss with our K-8 at the appropriate time. I am thinking ahead and wanted to get a sense of your personal experiences with a child like ours. We are realistic, open minded, and just want to manage our expectations. We also do not want to waste our valuable time applying to schools that he has no shot of getting into and focus on those schools that he does. We are not Catholic so I do not think Catholic schools would be a good fit. |
Anonymous
Is your kid in 8th? Most schools would have already had meetings with all the families to review HS options by now. If your child is in 7th or younger, you may want to wait until after the admissions season is over before approaching your school. Also, most schools post a list of where their grads are attending, so if you are able to find that, this should give you a big clue as to what the options will be. |
Anonymous
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Here’s the honest answer, it’s possible anywhere depending on circumstances. But in general:
Admission would be very unlikely at Sidwell, St. Albans, Potomac, and GDS. Admission unlikely but somewhat more possible: Maret Competitive for admissions but could go either way: Landon, Prep, Gonzaga Good chance at admission, but nothing is a lock anymore: Flint Hill, St. Andrews, Bullis, SSSAS, Burke, Field. |
Anonymous
| So what kind of candidate gets into a Big3 from a K8 (thinking here of Sheridan, Lowell, Norwood and St. Pats)? |
Anonymous
"A" students who are in the top group of their K8 and are also nice kids/families (sometimes siblings get help) or solid student who also has something else significant to offer (athlete, VIP, $$$, diversity). |
Anonymous
Adding (I'm this PP) - knowing a very connected board member can also help. |
Anonymous
I am sorry I could not disagree more. Please talk to your school counselor. Have an honest conversation regarding how many legacies at various schools. Identify three dream schools and ask what can be done to help. Also-I really cannot say this enough please hire an outside consultant and let your school know you are hiring a consultant. This will aid in keeping the process honest because a good consultant has relationships with schools and can advocate. They cannot make any promise and run from anyone who makes a promise but they know things. For example they may know that class above is oversubscribed so they need to take less year before for zoning. They may know x 8th graders are leaving for boarding or are leaving for public or are being relocated as diplomats. They can also look at your applications and help you make it look better and can work with your child on interviewing skills. You have to also remember that schools look for kids over certain benchmarks and your son is already a good student. They will see what he could add to the mix that makes a grade. FWIW I know you said big thre but really look broadly because so many unhappy kids at big three so be careful what you wish for. |
Anonymous
| At our k-8, most (all?) 3 admits are siblings or URM. YMMV |