Did Walls interview invites go out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is just a numbers game and has nothing to do with what school the kid comes from. In terms of what they consider for deciding who to interview, GPA is worth 25% and recommendations are worth 75%.

Right, but there are lots of kids with the same GPA, and reviewing recommendations is a bit subjective even if they have a rubric. I’d imagine they have some ways to narrow the crowd and at least attempt to get a broader assortment of kids. And the private vs charter school lens would be interesting.
On the flip side I wonder how public school kids are viewed when applying to privates. As a parent whose kid applied to both public and private from an east of the park dcps middle school, just something I have been thinking about as we wait for everything to shake out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

Typo ward 5, 7, and 8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

Right, but it is a numbers game right? There are maybe 150 kids tops in each grade at SWW. I imagine a lot more than 150 kids apply from those two schools above which results in a significant number of kids from those schools who don’t get interviewed, to make sure they have kids for other schools as well. It is all very anecdotal and changes year to year, but whether it is ward based or school based, they have to have some kind of process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

When you say kids from a certain ward what exactly do you mean? Walls looks at the address or Walls looks at the middle school the kid attended? Those two are the same thing. And I don’t think the lone admissions person who has like five other jobs is sitting around looking at addresses.

[Anonymous]

PP, and I meant those two aren’t the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

When you say kids from a certain ward what exactly do you mean? Walls looks at the address or Walls looks at the middle school the kid attended? Those two are the same thing. And I don’t think the lone admissions person who has like five other jobs is sitting around looking at addresses.

Poorer wards in the city under-represented at the school. Specifically ward 7 and 8 for sure. Maybe 5?

Walls doesn’t need to do anything. When you put your address and data into the DC lottery, it’s all there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

You aren't going to get that in DC proper. If you want all those things, head home to Iowa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Walls was never designed to be the typical high school experience. Either way it sounds like it's not a good fit for your child, assuming your preferences align with theirs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

lol.

This is DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

lol.

This is DC.

Yeah, the built environment of the city just does not allow for a suburban-style high school with upwards of 2,000 students, surrounded by acres of playing fields and parking lots. Even SJC is small and cramped by suburban standards.

If that’s your dream, however, Loudon County is right there.