Does anyone who applied to the Big 3 for pre-K ever get into all of them?

[Anonymous]

We all agree. For the purposes of this particular post they are asking specifically about GDS, Beauvoir and Sidwell. Can anyone else actually answer the question?

[Anonymous]

Yes, kids do get multiple acceptances to these and other elite schools. No, the schools do not talk and decide who should go where (they talk, but not at that level of detail).

[Anonymous]

I would think so but how often is almost certainly unanswerable!

[Anonymous]

Here's a twist - how many people actually apply to all three of the named schools? Based on the personality of the schools it seems like a GDS/Sidwell combination is possible and a Sidwell/Beauvoir combination, but all 3 seems odd to me because they wouldn't really appeal to the same person.

[Anonymous]

Why? I'm interested in the top 3, therefore if I get into number 3 but not number 2 or 1, I have fulfilled my goal.

[Anonymous]

Friend's daughter applied to 9th grade (coming from a K-8 Episcopal school) and got into all schools that she applied to: Maret, Visitation, Stone Ridge, NCS.

Went to Maret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? I'm interested in the top 3, therefore if I get into number 3 but not number 2 or 1, I have fulfilled my goal.

They are all good schools but it seems like GDS is quite different from Beauvoir/NCS/StA and it is interesting that they both appeal to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why? I'm interested in the top 3, therefore if I get into number 3 but not number 2 or 1, I have fulfilled my goal.

They are all good schools but it seems like GDS is quite different from Beauvoir/NCS/StA and it is interesting that they both appeal to you.

I'm not PP, but we applied to all three. First, we were still evaluating the schools when the applications came due, so e weren't ready to exclude any of them based on early impressions. Second, we liked different things about each. All had strong academic reputations. But for example, we really liked the progressive philosophy and warmth of GDS, but also liked the focus on young children only at Beauvoir, but also liked the warm family feeling we got from Sidwell. Ultimately got accepted at two and WL at one. Decision was tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? I'm interested in the top 3, therefore if I get into number 3 but not number 2 or 1, I have fulfilled my goal.

Top 3 based on what? On DCUM? Outside of this forum, you never hear anything about these 3 particular schools being widely considered "the best". In fact, Worth Magazine named it's top 100 schools in the country and the DC area schools were:

#13 St Albans School
#17 National Cathedral School
#22 Potomac School
#28 Sidwell Friends
#43 Georgetown Day
#45 St Andrews (DE)
#49 Landon
#61 Maret
#71 Thomas Jefferson (Public, VA)

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/43718.page#295224

Clearly, if 9 area schools are considered tops in the nation, then it's pretty tough to try and cull out a "Top 3" or "Big 3" (Hey, maybe it should be the "Elite 8"

The other posters above are correct - you are doing your child a disservice if you only focus on schools that are called out on this anonymous board as the top whatever. These schools are very different than each other. For example, a student who would thrive at a Sidwell, Potomac, or St Albans might be a fish out of water at GDS (GDS students are generally not as athletic, more liberal and casual, little more "experimental", etc).

I really think parents need to stay away from trying to chase school prestige and just focus on places where their kids will be comfortable and do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because nobody wants to type out a string of "Beauvoir, GDS, Sidwell, Maret, Potomac". First, it takes time to type these out and it's annoying. But second, and more important, you will inevitably get people saying "but you should really include Lowell or WIS or whatever in your list" because "these are good schools too" (and in my view they are, just trying to make an example). And they you are back on the gerbil wheel of what schools OP should be referring to, and why. Which has been gone over on DCUM about a million times without reaching any consensus, and is totally annoying not to mention bootless.

It's like PP heard your prediction and responded right on cue!

[Anonymous]

To answer op, I know children who have been admitted to 2 of the 3 but many children rarely apply to all the Big 3 as they are somewhat different schools from one another so the interest to apply to all 3 isn't necessarily there.

[Anonymous]

Accepted at B. W/L at Sidwell. Did not apply to GDS. Accepted at 4 other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer op, I know children who have been admitted to 2 of the 3 but many children rarely apply to all the Big 3 as they are somewhat different schools from one another so the interest to apply to all 3 isn't necessarily there.

Yes, we applied to 2/3. While the third one is a great school, probably not a good fit for the child and family. We applied to some other schools that were comparable to the other two.

[Anonymous]

Top 3 based on what? On DCUM? Outside of this forum, you never hear anything about these 3 particular schools being widely considered "the best". In fact, Worth Magazine named it's top 100 schools in the country and the DC area schools were:

#13 St Albans School
#17 National Cathedral School
#22 Potomac School
#28 Sidwell Friends
#43 Georgetown Day
#45 St Andrews (DE)
#49 Landon
#61 Maret
#71 Thomas Jefferson (Public, VA)

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/43718.page#295224

Clearly, if 9 area schools are considered tops in the nation, then it's pretty tough to try and cull out a "Top 3" or "Big 3" (Hey, maybe it should be the "Elite 8"

The other posters above are correct - you are doing your child a disservice if you only focus on schools that are called out on this anonymous board as the top whatever. These schools are very different than each other. For example, a student who would thrive at a Sidwell, Potomac, or St Albans might be a fish out of water at GDS (GDS students are generally not as athletic, more liberal and casual, little more "experimental", etc).

I really think parents need to stay away from trying to chase school prestige and just focus on places where their kids will be comfortable and do well.

These are my top 3 DC area schools:


Sidwell
St Albans
Maret


Therefore, we shall apply to each one and take the highest on the list that gives us an admission. That's our plan. If we don't get in one of these top 3 privates we head to Blair Magnet.

[Anonymous]

As I read this, I am very interested in what percentage of people are applying to schools because they believe they are the "top" or have the most cache and how many go visit a bunch of schools and try to think where their child would fit best. Seems that there are definitely two ways of thinking about it.