Poll: Sidwell letters

[Anonymous]

Erby Mitchell, if you are reading this....you should really revise your rejection letter for next year's bunch of rejected families.

[Anonymous]

I agree very insensitive

[Anonymous]

Question: was anyone accepted here applying for aid? So far, the words "rejected" and "applied for aid" seem to be synonymous.

[Anonymous]

come on - you got rejected from a school, do you want the school to apologize for that? a letter is a letter, think of when you apply to jobs, do you get a flowery rejection letter

[Anonymous]

re: rejection letter.

Are you kidding me? This has to be one of the saddest commentaries on this process.

Get over it.

[Anonymous]

rejected - pre-k - applied for aid. I also found the letter cold, almost as cold as I found that application process at Sidwell. Will not be applying again next year. My 30k will be spent at a more worthy school.

[Anonymous]

I think there are nice, gentle ways to handle it. I didn't apply -- we're not elite school material -- but I think many parents have invested a lot emotionally in the application process so it's understandable they'd be hurt.

I would imagine any of their kids WOULD do well at Sidwell but it was a space constraint thing. I would hope the letter said something along those lines. I'd be interested to hear the language from the letter if anyone cares to share a bit of it.

[Anonymous]

"Cold" is a very good way to describe the whole Sidwell application experience. Very different from other schools we applied to (even those who we didn't get in to).

[Anonymous]

I don't see anything wrong with letting Sidwell know about their rejection letters. Send a copy of another letter so they can see the difference.
Next year, I hope that parents boycott that school. (It may happen anyway if the economy goes sour). I have heard too much negative and not enough positive. I bet that each family could give themselves three good reasons why they do not need to go to Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Re: Sidwell letters being "cold." What sort of flowery bromides would you like to see in the letter? "We treasured our interactions with your family and believe your child would have made a wonderful fit if only etc etc etc..." -- for a letter going out to *900* (or whatever) applicants who didn't make it?!? Wouldn't that come across as phony and one-size-fits all?

Imagine the indignant responses *that* approach would generate. Perhaps "cold" would be replaced by "insincere" as the criticism of the day.

Haven't seen the Sidwell letter, but it would seem a simple, straightforward approach (thanking the applicant family, but explaining the outcome) is actually the most respectful and -- gasp! -- honest way to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anyone want to share which part sounds cold?

[Anonymous]

I think schools are in a no-win situation. Parents will complain about the harshness of the Sidwell rejection letter. Parents will complain about the soft rejection (AKA waitlist) letter from GDS or Maret or Beauvoir. Yes for some (probably very, very few) the waitlist is indeed just that (a potential chance to get accepted). For the vast majority the waitlist is the soft rejection, and should be treated as such to avoid false hopes.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the Sidwell waitlist letter is much nicer than Maret's.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the Sidwell waitlist letter is much nicer than Maret's.

Probaly because Sidwell only takes a select few on their waitlist and Maret sends their waitlist letter to hundreds of people - hundreds of whom they know will never be accepted.

[Anonymous]

whatever...let it go. the sidwell letter is what it is. there is nothing you can do about it now folks! focus your energy and time on the next step in your child's application/acceptance process. sidwell is what it is. for your own sake, just move on.