ED - Carnage at the Big 3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not true at GDS.

GDS is “Big 3”? Since when?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a big3 kid and one who is going to Wilson next year.

The Wilson admits have been phenomenal.
I don't know many Wilson kids but I personally know 3 Ivy admits in my small circle: Brown, Yale and Harvard.
No major hooks: all upper middle class white kids and non legacy.

This is somewhat inaccurate. Wilson results are fine but nothing spectacular. A handful of kids got into Ivy’s so far. Harvard admit was most definitely a legacy. Same with all the Yale admits. Top 5% of class at Wilson is always hyper competitive and does well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok. the big 3 have that too.

NP. I think the point is that well-prepared kids (with involved parents) can do well w/college admissions coming from Wilson, too.

I have a much younger kid in private currently, but we're IB for Wilson. I'm happy to hear about these results (we may consider Wilson and Walls, if possible, for high school).

yes, that is the point exactly. That in DC you don't have to spend close to $50K a year for school in order to get into elite colleges.

Top kids at Wilson and STA/Sidwell/NCS are getting into the exact same schools year-in and year-out.

Maybe. But once they get to college, the former struggle (including with writing), while the latter are well prepared.

Actually, our Wilson grad keeps up nicely at their top 10 university. Sorry bout that.

[Anonymous]

Having taught at Wilson, I know that the top 10% of Wilson students would have likely been successful even if they didn’t go to school. This is typically less about Wilson, and more about the opportunities offered to these students at home and by parent networks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok. the big 3 have that too.

NP. I think the point is that well-prepared kids (with involved parents) can do well w/college admissions coming from Wilson, too.

I have a much younger kid in private currently, but we're IB for Wilson. I'm happy to hear about these results (we may consider Wilson and Walls, if possible, for high school).

yes, that is the point exactly. That in DC you don't have to spend close to $50K a year for school in order to get into elite colleges.

Top kids at Wilson and STA/Sidwell/NCS are getting into the exact same schools year-in and year-out.

Maybe. But once they get to college, the former struggle (including with writing), while the latter are well prepared.

Not the Wilson kids we know. But if it makes you feel better, keep telling yourself that.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at a public high school, but reading this thread with interest from the perspective of a parent of a hs senior (mine did not apply ED anywhere). Chiming in to say that anecdotally the ED results have been very favorable at my children’s hs as well - I think this is a “better” year (whatever that means) than last year, when we knew many students who were not accepted colleges that were a big surprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having taught at Wilson, I know that the top 10% of Wilson students would have likely been successful even if they didn’t go to school. This is typically less about Wilson, and more about the opportunities offered to these students at home and by parent networks.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok. the big 3 have that too.

NP. I think the point is that well-prepared kids (with involved parents) can do well w/college admissions coming from Wilson, too.

I have a much younger kid in private currently, but we're IB for Wilson. I'm happy to hear about these results (we may consider Wilson and Walls, if possible, for high school).

yes, that is the point exactly. That in DC you don't have to spend close to $50K a year for school in order to get into elite colleges.

Top kids at Wilson and STA/Sidwell/NCS are getting into the exact same schools year-in and year-out.

Maybe. But once they get to college, the former struggle (including with writing), while the latter are well prepared.

Care to support that? Yeah, didn’t think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true at GDS.

GDS is “Big 3”? Since when?

Since before the "Big Foot" started roaming on the earth.

[Anonymous]

having had a daughter at both NCS and Holton, I can say without a doubt that Holton is equally rigorous to NCS (if not more so). We really need to retire the "big 3"; it doesn't mean anything and isn't reflective of the rigor of the independent schools in the area. It seems the only people who feel the need to use that term is parents who have a kid in one of those perceived schools.

I also know that Holton's ED/EA college acceptances so far have been terrific this year - Brown, UChicago, MIT, UPenn, Yale, Duke, Princeton, plus lots more top tier. Congrats to all the students at all the schools... lots more good news to come for all of them by April.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true at GDS.

GDS is “Big 3”? Since when?

Lol....since never

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:having had a daughter at both NCS and Holton, I can say without a doubt that Holton is equally rigorous to NCS (if not more so). We really need to retire the "big 3"; it doesn't mean anything and isn't reflective of the rigor of the independent schools in the area. It seems the only people who feel the need to use that term is parents who have a kid in one of those perceived schools.

I also know that Holton's ED/EA college acceptances so far have been terrific this year - Brown, UChicago, MIT, UPenn, Yale, Duke, Princeton, plus lots more top tier. Congrats to all the students at all the schools... lots more good news to come for all of them by April.

I admire Holton for being so open with their college matriculations - https://www.holton-arms.edu/scholar/college-counseling/matriculation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:having had a daughter at both NCS and Holton, I can say without a doubt that Holton is equally rigorous to NCS (if not more so). We really need to retire the "big 3"; it doesn't mean anything and isn't reflective of the rigor of the independent schools in the area. It seems the only people who feel the need to use that term is parents who have a kid in one of those perceived schools.

I also know that Holton's ED/EA college acceptances so far have been terrific this year - Brown, UChicago, MIT, UPenn, Yale, Duke, Princeton, plus lots more top tier. Congrats to all the students at all the schools... lots more good news to come for all of them by April.

This really is not true. Compare the school profiles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true at GDS.

GDS is “Big 3”? Since when?

Lol....since never

GDS = wannabe central (kids and parents)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:having had a daughter at both NCS and Holton, I can say without a doubt that Holton is equally rigorous to NCS (if not more so). We really need to retire the "big 3"; it doesn't mean anything and isn't reflective of the rigor of the independent schools in the area. It seems the only people who feel the need to use that term is parents who have a kid in one of those perceived schools.

I also know that Holton's ED/EA college acceptances so far have been terrific this year - Brown, UChicago, MIT, UPenn, Yale, Duke, Princeton, plus lots more top tier. Congrats to all the students at all the schools... lots more good news to come for all of them by April.

as has been said before, you have to look at all these matriculation lists with a grain of salt. how many are athletes, rich donor families, or big political/business names? Take those away and you'll find much fewer kids who earned it academically. it's the same number from school to school. nobody has a leg up based on their high school anymore.