Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?

[Anonymous]

I was told years ago that the "average" GPA at Sidwell is a 3.2, so I'd say a 3.5 is strong, but not the very top. I can tell you that in my child's senior class, there is not a single kid without a B on their transcript, and I'd venture to say that most of the A range grades are likely to be A-. If 4.0 kids exist at Sidwell, I don't know them.

I'd say the 3.5 kids are some of the most interesting at Sidwell because they are usually kids who do more than just grind out the work. They spend time playing sports and taking on leadership roles at school. Based on what I've seen, they tend to go to great colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't a 3.5 a very high GPA at Sidwell? I only hear about how hard it is to get all As at Sidwell, and that in some classes it is rare for more than 1 kid in a class to get an A with some teachers. We are at another prep, and my son has friends at Sidwell. I get the impression from their parents that a 4.0 just doesn't happen, and on the scale of it GPAs are lower on a relative basis versus what is handed out at even other select preps. Is all of this a bristling over what is an excellent GPA?

No one said a 4.0 gpa. You did. There are many kids, black or white or green or purple, at Sidwell that have GPAs 3.0 and above. And for the record, my AA child has had an A in math classes for four years running, A in foreign language for four years running. An 'A' in a class is not impossible or unusual. Not sure who your sources are but maybe it's their kid who's is not pulling the A grade.

[Anonymous]

That post was a pretty vile response to a very thoughtful post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:?

No one said a 4.0 gpa. You did. There are many kids, black or white or green or purple, at Sidwell that have GPAs 3.0 and above. And for the record, my AA child has had an A in math classes for four years running, A in foreign language for four years running. An 'A' in a class is not impossible or unusual. Not sure who your sources are but maybe it's their kid who's is not pulling the A grade.

I am the previous poster, and I'm not sure why my post was offensive. I only know my own child's GPA (above a 3.5 actually) for sure, but I've been told that the average is around a 3.2. Clearly your child is way above the average with all those As in math and language. The point of my post was to say that Sidwell students with GPAs of 3.5 and above are in pretty good shape for college, assuming they are taking rigorous classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:?

No one said a 4.0 gpa. You did. There are many kids, black or white or green or purple, at Sidwell that have GPAs 3.0 and above. And for the record, my AA child has had an A in math classes for four years running, A in foreign language for four years running. An 'A' in a class is not impossible or unusual. Not sure who your sources are but maybe it's their kid who's is not pulling the A grade.

I am the previous poster, and I'm not sure why my post was offensive. I only know my own child's GPA (above a 3.5 actually) for sure, but I've been told that the average is around a 3.2. Clearly your child is way above the average with all those As in math and language. The point of my post was to say that Sidwell students with GPAs of 3.5 and above are in pretty good shape for college, assuming they are taking rigorous classes. Sidwell is well known for the rigor of their classes as attested by the many fine institutions, private and public, that admit their students. Sidwell does not offer remedial classes. You will work regardless of the class you're in. Of course, honors and AP classes are more difficult but that would be anywhere you attend.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is well known for the rigor of their classes as attested by the many fine institutions, private and public, that admit their students. Sidwell does not offer remedial classes. You will work regardless of the class you're in. Of course, honors and AP classes are more difficult but that would be anywhere you attend.


True, but there are higher level classes to take in math and science, and my sense is that the most competitive colleges like to see at least some of those classes. It's not entirely fair because there are no advanced classes for the humanities kids.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell thinks every class is an advance class in the humanities.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell thinks every class is an advance class in the humanities.

Every English and history class in Sidwell Upper School IS advanced by pretty much any standard. Although there are no AP classes in those subjects, much of the work is college level, starting in 9th grade. The 9th and 10th grade history textbooks are used in college classes. There's a major emphasis on analyzing and using primary sources and writing at a high level. Getting an A in one of those classes is an accomplishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sidwell thinks every class is an advance class in the humanities.

Every English and history class in Sidwell Upper School IS advanced by pretty much any standard. Although there are no AP classes in those subjects, much of the work is college level, starting in 9th grade. The 9th and 10th grade history textbooks are used in college classes. There's a major emphasis on analyzing and using primary sources and writing at a high level. Getting an A in one of those classes is an accomplishment.

Not at any college Sidwell parents would want their kids to attend.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell applicants only get compared to other Sidwell students. Schools know they will only take 1 or 2.

[Anonymous]

So not true. Here we go again. Universities are happy to take more than one or two kids from Sidwell, if more than two kids apply that are all competitive. Last year Yale took 11 from Sidwell. Everyone acknowledges that last year was unusual, but if you look at where Sidwell kids go to college, there are many many colleges and universities that accept 4 or 5 routinely. There is no quota, and it is not disadvantageous, as many people think, to be one of many applicants from Sidwell. The top universities and colleges look at the whole applicant and decide if that student is a good fit for them. They do not compare kids from the same school and rank them by grades and scores. For example, a student with lower scores might be accepted because she is an outstanding writer, or a kid with great reference letters may get in with a slightly lower GPA than another applicant.

[Anonymous]

Kids do get compared within the same school. I know this first hand. My kid got waitlisted and was told that he would get a spot if a better qualified candidate (at the same school)- better grades - turned it down. He didn't get in. That's life. Nobody thought the system was broken. Reasonable decision by the school. But it was a direct result of comparing two kids at the same school

[Anonymous]

I think colleges do compare kids within schools, but they compare them across the board. A more interesting kid with lower stats can easily get the nod.

[Anonymous]

The college counselor will push certain students to apply or not apply to certain schools. The counselor has ideas about which top students will get into which schools and may discourage others not to apply there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids do get compared within the same school. I know this first hand. My kid got waitlisted and was told that he would get a spot if a better qualified candidate (at the same school)- better grades - turned it down. He didn't get in. That's life. Nobody thought the system was broken. Reasonable decision by the school. But it was a direct result of comparing two kids at the same school

So they implicitly wouldn't consider him for spots freed up by kids from other schools who turned it down? Never heard of such a thing. Troubling.