Feedback from play visits

Anonymous
Our only feedback after playdates (while still there) has been almost incidental comments like "She had fun" or "We had a nice time." I always figured that was just small talk o parting and never thought it might actually mean something. Is that what people mean by feedback, or has anyone gotten anything positive but more substantive?
Anonymous
My first time through admissions this year, but I would say as a rule you don't get much in the way of feedback.

Our first school playdate was @ a "big three" for our twins -and afterwards my spouse and I thought we were celebrities as the admissions person and teachers each came up to us individually afterwards to say how great it must be to be a twin - as they separated, had fun, were engaging....etc. It was a enough commentary where I thought they were giving us a soft landing or something and they were letting us down easy. I think it had more to do with twins in a playdate than anything else -and everyone (teachers/admissions) being super friendly.

Other schools were "zero" feedback whatsoever directly - which I didn't take to be a big deal at all. I might advise if your current head of school has a good relationship with the school you are applying to - to check in if you feel comfortable. We didn't ask ours to - but she did anyways.

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Our only feedback after playdates (while still there) has been almost incidental comments like "She had fun" or "We had a nice time." I always figured that was just small talk o parting and never thought it might actually mean something. Is that what people mean by feedback, or has anyone gotten anything positive but more substantive?


Those are the only types of comments I've been able to get too- generic, but positive.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our only feedback after playdates (while still there) has been almost incidental comments like "She had fun" or "We had a nice time." I always figured that was just small talk o parting and never thought it might actually mean something. Is that what people mean by feedback, or has anyone gotten anything positive but more substantive?


Those are the only types of comments I've been able to get too- generic, but positive.


Would love to hear from someone who got these (only) in prior years about how things turned out.
Anonymous
Received very negative feedback from AD at Lowell School one year. At the play date the kids were to count to 50. Well, he went past 50 basically called him a show off and immature. Pointed to his drawings and said they were anatomically inaccurate because he didn't draw a nose on the face. Needless to say we didn't get in there. He was 4 at the time.
Anonymous
23:10 here. I don't feel comfortable saying anything more as we are in the current admissions cycle.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Received very negative feedback from AD at Lowell School one year. At the play date the kids were to count to 50. Well, he went past 50 basically called him a show off and immature. Pointed to his drawings and said they were anatomically inaccurate because he didn't draw a nose on the face. Needless to say we didn't get in there. He was 4 at the time.


Sorry you had that experience. It sound like the AD has easy buttons that can be pushed. I think that what happened to you sounds very unprofessional, sorry.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Received very negative feedback from AD at Lowell School one year. At the play date the kids were to count to 50. Well, he went past 50 basically called him a show off and immature. Pointed to his drawings and said they were anatomically inaccurate because he didn't draw a nose on the face. Needless to say we didn't get in there. He was 4 at the time.


Sorry you had that experience. It sound like the AD has easy buttons that can be pushed. I think that what happened to you sounds very unprofessional, sorry.


It was an unfortunate experience but DH puts things in perspective for me when I'm down. The morning of the visit DC had swimming lessons and right after was the visit. There may have been an hour we had to get from once place to the next. We imagine that when DC arrived to the visit he was incredibly tired and we all know how that is when a kid is 4. We wrote it off as just a bad visit. And the way the AD communicated what she perceived as red flags was simply rude and afterward, it wasn't a school I wanted DC to attend. Not to say had he still been accepted I would have turned it down because maybe I probably wouldn't have. If it were my only option I may have sent him and transferred out. I believe once you're in an Independent school it is much easier to apply into another school. Fortunately, we were accepted at 2 other great schools and waitlisted at 1 and rejected at Lowell. It worked out but I encourage other parents, especially of younger children to apply to several schools, just in case DC has an off day or the AD misreads your child's enthusiasm or meekness. You want to find a school that complements your kiddo.
Anonymous
The teacher who led the playdate for my DD told us she was looking forward to seeing her in the fall. We were waitlisted.
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