Please tell me I am not the only one who think these questsions are silly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I told the truth..obsessed with hair and makeup, Dancing with the Stars, and loves to listen to hip hop, esp. the new TI songs.

Seriously.

Was this before this year? Did you get in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My fav one was "What extra curricular activities does your child participate in?" Um, he is 4 yrs old and goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. Extra curriculars? Well, he takes a nap. I seriously didn't know what to write. He doesn't take any classes b/c they cost an arm and a leg and I can barely afford preschool. What would you write? None probably looks bad, right?

You sound very nice. And very grounded. Two things I once was before I got caught up in this whole private school thing. So, with that said, I'll say what a number of other folks are thinking. If you're just filling out your essays now, well, even though the deadline hasn't passed, you're really late. The schools will take your "late" application as a sign of disorganization or lack of eagerness. The fact that your 4 year old doesn't have any extra curriculars might be not surprising, and even normal, if you lived in say, Duluth. But living here in hyper-competitive D.C., with aspirations for a private school education, well frankly, dear girl, you're way in over your head.

Save the application fee and the headaches of trying to write answers to these, yes I admit, seemingly ridiculous essay questions and just resign yourself to a non Big Three education for your DC. You'll all be better off.

This person is full of shit. We realized our initial selections were not the best fit and we applied in January to other schools. We were accepted in the first group -- not off the wait list and my DC was subsequently accepted at another top school which he will graduate from. Ignore these nasty people and just be yourself.

I'm not sure I follow. Did you get your "first group" applications in early or in January?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My fav one was "What extra curricular activities does your child participate in?" Um, he is 4 yrs old and goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. Extra curriculars? Well, he takes a nap. I seriously didn't know what to write. He doesn't take any classes b/c they cost an arm and a leg and I can barely afford preschool. What would you write? None probably looks bad, right?

You sound very nice. And very grounded. Two things I once was before I got caught up in this whole private school thing. So, with that said, I'll say what a number of other folks are thinking. If you're just filling out your essays now, well, even though the deadline hasn't passed, you're really late. The schools will take your "late" application as a sign of disorganization or lack of eagerness. The fact that your 4 year old doesn't have any extra curriculars might be not surprising, and even normal, if you lived in say, Duluth. But living here in hyper-competitive D.C., with aspirations for a private school education, well frankly, dear girl, you're way in over your head.

Save the application fee and the headaches of trying to write answers to these, yes I admit, seemingly ridiculous essay questions and just resign yourself to a non Big Three education for your DC. You'll all be better off.

This person is full of shit. We realized our initial selections were not the best fit and we applied in January to other schools. We were accepted in the first group -- not off the wait list and my DC was subsequently accepted at another top school which he will graduate from. Ignore these nasty people and just be yourself.

How do you like Lowell?

I'm not sure I follow. Did you get your "first group" applications in early or in January?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're just filling out your essays now, well, even though the deadline hasn't passed, you're really late. The schools will take your "late" application as a sign of disorganization or lack of eagerness.

Friends turned in an application to Beauvoir on the last possible day. Their child was accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My fav one was "What extra curricular activities does your child participate in?" Um, he is 4 yrs old and goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. Extra curriculars? Well, he takes a nap. I seriously didn't know what to write. He doesn't take any classes b/c they cost an arm and a leg and I can barely afford preschool. What would you write? None probably looks bad, right?

You sound very nice. And very grounded. Two things I once was before I got caught up in this whole private school thing. So, with that said, I'll say what a number of other folks are thinking. If you're just filling out your essays now, well, even though the deadline hasn't passed, you're really late. The schools will take your "late" application as a sign of disorganization or lack of eagerness. The fact that your 4 year old doesn't have any extra curriculars might be not surprising, and even normal, if you lived in say, Duluth. But living here in hyper-competitive D.C., with aspirations for a private school education, well frankly, dear girl, you're way in over your head.

Save the application fee and the headaches of trying to write answers to these, yes I admit, seemingly ridiculous essay questions and just resign yourself to a non Big Three education for your DC. You'll all be better off.

I am the OP but I got confused with another poster somehwere along the way...
My kid defintely does "extra curriculars" because I need a reason to get up and out the door Saturday/Sunday mornings. In fact, I am trying to find a couple more things to add into the schedule.

I realize were late and if we get in we get in and if we don't, we don't. The application fees are pretty minimual. The questions aren't hard they just come off sounding ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My fav one was "What extra curricular activities does your child participate in?" Um, he is 4 yrs old and goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. Extra curriculars? Well, he takes a nap. I seriously didn't know what to write. He doesn't take any classes b/c they cost an arm and a leg and I can barely afford preschool. What would you write? None probably looks bad, right?

You sound very nice. And very grounded. Two things I once was before I got caught up in this whole private school thing. So, with that said, I'll say what a number of other folks are thinking. If you're just filling out your essays now, well, even though the deadline hasn't passed, you're really late. The schools will take your "late" application as a sign of disorganization or lack of eagerness. The fact that your 4 year old doesn't have any extra curriculars might be not surprising, and even normal, if you lived in say, Duluth. But living here in hyper-competitive D.C., with aspirations for a private school education, well frankly, dear girl, you're way in over your head.

Save the application fee and the headaches of trying to write answers to these, yes I admit, seemingly ridiculous essay questions and just resign yourself to a non Big Three education for your DC. You'll all be better off.

This person is full of shit. We realized our initial selections were not the best fit and we applied in January to other schools. We were accepted in the first group -- not off the wait list and my DC was subsequently accepted at another top school which he will graduate from. Ignore these nasty people and just be yourself.

I second this ... be yourself and let the chips fall where they may. Extracurriculars for you DC can be any ol' activity they do at preschool ... think of an activity DC does at school and expand on it.

[Anonymous]

20:33, why don't you just admit that you're a neurotic social climber, desperate to get your child into any top school that would have him/ her, and have resorted to DCUM to try to eliminate the competition?

[Anonymous]

I don't care to apply to these schools. A lot of what they are doing w/ 4 and 5 yr olds isn't even age appropriate anyway (neither are the current public kindergartens either). I chose not to apply to the schools in my area whose applications rivaled my own college ones in length. I almost expected them to ask "Please submit a current resume w/ your application." I chose schools that asked realistic questions of children who are 4, going on 5 like "What are your child's interests?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care to apply to these schools. A lot of what they are doing w/ 4 and 5 yr olds isn't even age appropriate anyway (neither are the current public kindergartens either). I chose not to apply to the schools in my area whose applications rivaled my own college ones in length. I almost expected them to ask "Please submit a current resume w/ your application." I chose schools that asked realistic questions of children who are 4, going on 5 like "What are your child's interests?"

I believe that "these schools" all ask a question about your child's interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:33, why don't you just admit that you're a neurotic social climber, desperate to get your child into any top school that would have him/ her, and have resorted to DCUM to try to eliminate the competition?

I think that all this talk on DCUM, both positive and the type that urban legend has it is designed to eliminate the competition, does nothing more than garner interest in a school and fuel the private school hysteria.

[Anonymous]

I am going to go out on a limb here and actually answer the question asked. You are clearly not the only one who finds the questions silly, but there are those who do not find them silly at all and have ample information to provide in answer to them.

Some children do in fact have "special skills" that are already clearly evident at 3+ or 4 years old.

Because this is anonymous, I will put our own situation out there in order to provide a concrete example. Our dc is very skilled at drawing and - at the age of 3 - draws entire scenes with people (complete with full faces and body parts and clothing), trees, flowers, sky, etc., in which the people are engaged in different activities. Yes, this is at 3 years old.

So, it happens. There is a reason the questions exist.

(Fwiw, I remember seeing an essay about very similar question that was published about applications to preschools and the "silliness" of being asked to "describe your 2 year old" - which was another question that did not seem silly to me at the time but clearly seemed silly to others.)

[Anonymous]

What "extra-curriculars" does a typical 4-year old in the area have?

This Board makes me feel like I'm already a failure at parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What "extra-curriculars" does a typical 4-year old in the area have?

This Board makes me feel like I'm already a failure at parenting.

soccer, ballet (well pre-ballet), gymnastics/tumbling, tae kwon do, tap, swimming, musical instruments (if they're doing something like suzuki piano, violin or guitar).

you're not a failure at parenting if your child isn't involved in any of this stuff.

[Anonymous]

Typical tots in this area have taken or participate in dance/movement classes, art/creative projects classes, pee wee sports leagues (especially if they have older siblings in the same sport), swimming classes, and particularly in the asian community ... music lessons. Other tots have at least been exposed to a second language if only via their nanny or because they are a member of a multilingual family.

I agree with a pp that formal "classes" (even the free ones at the library) are not necessary. You obviously know what types of activities interest your child and can provide an honest, thoughtful, noncompetitive-sounding answer. Our child has always liked exploring the great outdoors and was fascinated by rocks, bugs, flowers, animals, etc. We fostered this interest by taking afternoon walks and visiting the many parks within our region. I believe that was my response to the question you mentioned.

But yes, it does get a bit silly, especially for the pre-K applications!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What "extra-curriculars" does a typical 4-year old in the area have?

This Board makes me feel like I'm already a failure at parenting.

soccer, ballet (well pre-ballet), gymnastics/tumbling, tae kwon do, tap, swimming, musical instruments (if they're doing something like suzuki piano, violin or guitar).

you're not a failure at parenting if your child isn't involved in any of this stuff.

Yikes. It's not hard to see how kids without sufficient financial resources, or those from singe parent homes, can so quickly "fall behind."