How to position DCPS kids for private admission?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to use your university alumni emails on your application if you went to an elite school. They like to have the legacy preferences which improves their college placement record.

I don't know if you're serious or not but this is actually true and a good move.

OP is talking about pre-4th grade. I don’t think college outcomes are a thing for elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

"Apply early and often!"

This pretty much sums it up. We and at least 2 other families we know from our WOTP DCPS applied several times to private, beginning in 6th grade. This is despite the kids having all As, travel sports, etc. it's just a numbers games. As a previous posted there are often only 2-3 spots in admissions years prior to 9th grade (once all the priority candidates-siblings, legacies, minorities, VIPs) are admitted.


What is cool (and something I would never share in real life) is that my DCPS kid (who we applied multiple times) is now in the top 10% of a Big3 class and is applying to Ivies (on the encouragement/advice of the college counseling office as supported by their data). meanwhile a number of kids the school took in instead of my kid are no longer at the school. Part of me is like "see! We knew this kid was a good fit!" 🤪

[Anonymous]

We had our oldest in DCPS Prek and moved to K because we had heard from others how tough it is to come from DCPS. We got our oldest into Beauvoir who pulled in younger siblings and now he is likely headed to STA. Many parents have the plan to wait until X grade to try for private - you should decide at what grade your bank account can stomach is and apply then, it gets more and more competitive every year. If our child had stayed at their very well regarded public school, he would not be headed to STA right now. Private school kids have an advantage in private school admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to use your university alumni emails on your application if you went to an elite school. They like to have the legacy preferences which improves their college placement record.

I don't know if you're serious or not but this is actually true and a good move.

OP is talking about pre-4th grade. I don’t think college outcomes are a thing for elementary schools.

If it is a K-12, it absolutely is still a thing. They can take in VIP, $, legacy in early grades for the long view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Apply early and often!"

This pretty much sums it up. We and at least 2 other families we know from our WOTP DCPS applied several times to private, beginning in 6th grade. This is despite the kids having all As, travel sports, etc. it's just a numbers games. As a previous posted there are often only 2-3 spots in admissions years prior to 9th grade (once all the priority candidates-siblings, legacies, minorities, VIPs) are admitted.


What is cool (and something I would never share in real life) is that my DCPS kid (who we applied multiple times) is now in the top 10% of a Big3 class and is applying to Ivies (on the encouragement/advice of the college counseling office as supported by their data). meanwhile a number of kids the school took in instead of my kid are no longer at the school. Part of me is like "see! We knew this kid was a good fit!" 🤪

yuck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to use your university alumni emails on your application if you went to an elite school. They like to have the legacy preferences which improves their college placement record.

I don't know if you're serious or not but this is actually true and a good move.

OP is talking about pre-4th grade. I don’t think college outcomes are a thing for elementary schools.

Is the kid going to disappear elsewhere for his high school years? Of course college outcomes are a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to use your university alumni emails on your application if you went to an elite school. They like to have the legacy preferences which improves their college placement record.

What if we went multiple HYPSM and have many alumni accounts?

[Anonymous]

Don't cast a wide net. You should know your kid well enough to identify which schools are a fit. Make sure they can express themselves clearly and answer questions. We felt pretty confident about all our choices and it worked out well for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to use your university alumni emails on your application if you went to an elite school. They like to have the legacy preferences which improves their college placement record.

What if we went multiple HYPSM and have many alumni accounts?

List them all on the supporting information page! Along with references from the alumni association.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Apply early and often!"

This pretty much sums it up. We and at least 2 other families we know from our WOTP DCPS applied several times to private, beginning in 6th grade. This is despite the kids having all As, travel sports, etc. it's just a numbers games. As a previous posted there are often only 2-3 spots in admissions years prior to 9th grade (once all the priority candidates-siblings, legacies, minorities, VIPs) are admitted.


What is cool (and something I would never share in real life) is that my DCPS kid (who we applied multiple times) is now in the top 10% of a Big3 class and is applying to Ivies (on the encouragement/advice of the college counseling office as supported by their data). meanwhile a number of kids the school took in instead of my kid are no longer at the school. Part of me is like "see! We knew this kid was a good fit!" 🤪

yuck

Yuck?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We applied to private schools from DCPS for 6th grade with good outcomes. We are full pay and sadly, I think that matters to a certain degree, and not another social "category." My one takeaway is to be yourself which includes allowing your child to pursue activities that they are passionate about.

I believe admission officers/schools already have an idea what "type" of kid/spot they want or need to fill any given admissions cycle. That means instead of competing for 1 of 10-15 spots you are really in the running for 1 of 2-3 spots in a "selective private". What a school wants on their student roster that year may have nothing to do with your child and family. Be optimistic and realistic.

In my opinion, I think test scores and required school specific assessments are given a strong look especially coming from DCPS where teaching quality/instruction can vary (is the student generally on par with grade level). Do what you can to support your child academically as they grow.

When the time comes, encourage your child to be themself in the essays, interviews, and shadow days--don't micromanage what they want to write about or say. Admissions officers are pros at gauging authenticity.

This feels very similar to my DC's experience as well. We actually were waitlisted and taken off very shortly after at their top choice school. I think that being full pay definitely made a difference in them taking us off the waitlist since financial aid didn't have to be a consideration and we could accept the admissions offer immediately. One thing I did hear the admissions offer said to me after the fact (we had a conversation after we got the call that DC was off the waitlist) is that they are really looking for kids who are going to add to the community; are genuinely nice kids that will fit very well into the existing cohort. In addition to that they wanted to see kids who had something in their life they were personally really excited and passionate about, whether it's a sport, instrument or just a particular interest. Another thing; I do think the recommendation makes a difference too - so definitely get someone who knows your child really well to write a nice recommendation (besides the current teacher who hopefully knows your child well). The recommendation is one of the only ways the admissions team will get a sense of how your kid is in a classroom setting and how they interact with their peers, etc. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My nonathletic DCPS kids with As and Bs and high test scores got in everywhere we applied. I know that the school counselor noted how much the family showed up to school wide activities and how much the parents both volunteered. I have to think it was the last point that made them stand out? Who knows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nonathletic DCPS kids with As and Bs and high test scores got in everywhere we applied. I know that the school counselor noted how much the family showed up to school wide activities and how much the parents both volunteered. I have to think it was the last point that made them stand out? Who knows?

This does bring up a good point. Schools are definitely paying attention to the parents too.

Sure, legacy and VIP and money count - but they also want to bring nice families into their community. Being authentic, enthusiastic, and down to earth or relatable are good. Being arrogant, entitled, or pushy on topics related to "what the school is going to do for your kid" (academic rigor/math advancement/college placement) are generally not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nonathletic DCPS kids with As and Bs and high test scores got in everywhere we applied. I know that the school counselor noted how much the family showed up to school wide activities and how much the parents both volunteered. I have to think it was the last point that made them stand out? Who knows?

This does bring up a good point. Schools are definitely paying attention to the parents too.

Sure, legacy and VIP and money count - but they also want to bring nice families into their community. Being authentic, enthusiastic, and down to earth or relatable are good. Being arrogant, entitled, or pushy on topics related to "what the school is going to do for your kid" (academic rigor/math advancement/college placement) are generally not.

Maybe the most important criteria! No one wants to deal with obnoxious parents on the regular. I heard an admission person tell a parent "I don't work for you!" Never a good sign...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nonathletic DCPS kids with As and Bs and high test scores got in everywhere we applied. I know that the school counselor noted how much the family showed up to school wide activities and how much the parents both volunteered. I have to think it was the last point that made them stand out? Who knows?

This does bring up a good point. Schools are definitely paying attention to the parents too.

Sure, legacy and VIP and money count - but they also want to bring nice families into their community. Being authentic, enthusiastic, and down to earth or relatable are good. Being arrogant, entitled, or pushy on topics related to "what the school is going to do for your kid" (academic rigor/math advancement/college placement) are generally not.

Agree with this. My DCPS kid got into several highly-competitive schools in middle school with no "hooks" (I hate that term but it is what it is). Kid is a great student and I imagine had great recommendations, but I think our family stood out as well because we were a part of the previous schools' communities (volunteering, helping with annual auction, getting to know teachers and staff well, etc).

We also knew what we were looking for in a school and I think this showed in the application and interview. This is where coming in later years actually is an advantage. You know your kid better and know what to look for when making a school choice.