What GPA At Sidwell Necessary for T20 Colleges?

[Anonymous]

HS is 4 years long. Of COURSE you can have a foundation in both. My kid takes accelerated math/science. Will have 4-5 STEM APs for graduation. DC is much more interested in humanities and will also have 6-7 APs in humanities. + 4 years of language, and some other electives that reflect core interests. This whole idea that it’s required to specialized so early is nuts. Explore, challenge, then build in a broad foundation in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is less about GPA and more about having a hook - at any top metro DC school.

Not entirely true. Hooks help, but unhooked kids can still get in through building very impressive resumes and applications. Far too many DMV overachievers are just cookie-cutter applicants, all indicating interest in the same fields of study (Finance/Econ, Pre-Law, Pre-Med, CS, etc.)

Most of the kids are just so bleh boring. They’re very good about getting good grades and picking the right activities. Very few are impressive.

You're correct. I worked with a private admissions consultant, and they told us to steer clear of the highly-coveted majors as a DMV applicant unless we had national-level accolades. They helped my kid build an application around the Classics, and they got into a T15 school with an underwhelming GPA (3.7) due to grade deflation.

That is terrible advice if a kid actually wants to study something they are now blocked from pursuing, like CS. Better to go to a lower ranked school and do what you love. Rank does not matter. Loving what you do does matter.

Not necessarily. Most elite private colleges let you major in what you wish. Very common for kids to go in as a humanities major and switch to STEM once in school. It's a very common strategy in modern admissions.

Most universities put engineering in a different/separate admissions category. Most commonly it is difficult to transfer into engineering from a different program (Arts & Letters, humanities, whatever).

If one is admitted to a program that includes bith humanities and sciences, then moving from Classics to Physics often is easy.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't address the original question (my kid is an incoming first-year at Sidwell; sorry, OP), but since it came up, can someone explain why, when I see the IG college acceptances, so may kids list their major? Is this something they're supposed to decide while applying, or when they've accepted? Is it something people say to sound more focused?

I thought the point of college was to learn what you're interested in, especially because there are so many courses and departments that will be new to students. Is that not so anymore, or is it just part of the image-building process?

[Anonymous]

You can apply undecided. Generally a focused app is considered a more competitive app. Depends on the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't address the original question (my kid is an incoming first-year at Sidwell; sorry, OP), but since it came up, can someone explain why, when I see the IG college acceptances, so may kids list their major? Is this something they're supposed to decide while applying, or when they've accepted? Is it something people say to sound more focused?

I thought the point of college was to learn what you're interested in, especially because there are so many courses and departments that will be new to students. Is that not so anymore, or is it just part of the image-building process?

Welcome to your Sidwell freshman! (School does not use the term "first year!")

I think it's something kids post just to add to the information on the IG post. Guessing a lot of them might end up in other areas before they graduate.

[Anonymous]

This post makes me laugh on two fronts. One, it’s amazing that Sidwell is considered one of the best schools in the country and cost a shit ton of money yet parents have to get on this silly website to get information about college admissions? Doesn’t it have a world class counseling department for all that money?

Second, post like this also put the rest the claim that parents don’t put their kids in Sidwell for college admissions purposes. This poster’s kid hasn’t even started high school yet and here she goes already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This post makes me laugh on two fronts. One, it’s amazing that Sidwell is considered one of the best schools in the country and cost a shit ton of money yet parents have to get on this silly website to get information about college admissions? Doesn’t it have a world class counseling department for all that money?

Second, post like this also put the rest the claim that parents don’t put their kids in Sidwell for college admissions purposes. This poster’s kid hasn’t even started high school yet and here she goes already.

And she'll find out the hard way, just like so many before her.

[Anonymous]

>3.8 plus rigor of classes. a 3.8 in easy math and science will not be seen as same as 3.8 in the harder track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This post makes me laugh on two fronts. One, it’s amazing that Sidwell is considered one of the best schools in the country and cost a shit ton of money yet parents have to get on this silly website to get information about college admissions? Doesn’t it have a world class counseling department for all that money?

Second, post like this also put the rest the claim that parents don’t put their kids in Sidwell for college admissions purposes. This poster’s kid hasn’t even started high school yet and here she goes already.

And she'll find out the hard way, just like so many before her.

Well it’s just nuts. The kid has barely finished eighth grade and has “an interest in Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Duke.”

Sad. Just sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:>3.8 plus rigor of classes. a 3.8 in easy math and science will not be seen as same as 3.8 in the harder track.

It’s easy to spot non-Sidwell parents like you. I know an unhooked Sidwell student who just graduated with ~3.75 GPA. The student took statistics senior year and semester long science courses (not the most rigorous science level). That student is heading to a T10 SLAC that’s highly regarded on DCUM.
I know several other unhooked students who have similar (or slightly weaker) GPAs who are heading to T25 universities (a few were offered those spots off the waitlist).

[Anonymous]

Why is there such shame on parents to want to get their kids in top schools? Life is very competitive so yes thinking about trajectory in 8th grade does not seem crazy, it seems prepared. As a first generation professional I have learned the school you graduate from matters. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does in the real world. We are all just trying to do better for our kids than we had, and I absolutely want my kid in a top 20 college. I want them to be good people foremost, and not have to struggle like I had to, so if I can make the path a little easier for them and have things in place to line them up for that, with hard work of course on their part, sign me up.

[Anonymous]

It isn't about shame on parents. It is about letting kids be kids, letting them enjoy high school as a time of learning and exploration and let the college chips fall where they will. Curating a kid from 8th grade for a college application is plain silly and will do nothing to improve the relationship between the kid and their parents.

Besides, given national news, it will be a lot easier for kids from schools like Sidwell to get into T50 colleges anyhow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This post makes me laugh on two fronts. One, it’s amazing that Sidwell is considered one of the best schools in the country and cost a shit ton of money yet parents have to get on this silly website to get information about college admissions? Doesn’t it have a world class counseling department for all that money?

Second, post like this also put the rest the claim that parents don’t put their kids in Sidwell for college admissions purposes. This poster’s kid hasn’t even started high school yet and here she goes already.

And she'll find out the hard way, just like so many before her.

Well it’s just nuts. The kid has barely finished eighth grade and has “an interest in Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Duke.”

Sad. Just sad.

+1. OP would be more accurate by saying that "mama has an interest in Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Duke."

[Anonymous]

AT NCS, if unhooked, about 3.74 (A-, with more A grades than B+) with rigor plus interesting activities/leadership etc. I imagine it is similar at Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AT NCS, if unhooked, about 3.74 (A-, with more A grades than B+) with rigor plus interesting activities/leadership etc. I imagine it is similar at Sidwell.

This wasn't true at all this year aside from Georgetown or Michigan. Girls needed a 3.85 or higher to get into any other top20s universities unhooked. Liberal arts colleges were different and they go lower.