sidwell college results--does everyone have top grades or are they getting in kids into strong schools imperfect grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:which college do you prefer to be an alum of (and pass along legacy status)?

Within each school, not all "legacy status" is created equal. I'm quite sure that the kids of my fellow HYP alums who donate tons of money are much more likely to benefit in needle-moving ways for college admissions than someone like me donating five figures total over the past two decades. Anyone taking out loans to pay for HYP usually won't be in the financial state to donate meaningful amounts of money later on.

I’d much rather take my chances having my child apply as an Ivy legacy (I’m fine with any Ivy) over a legacy to UVA or UNC. As a matter of fact, I don’t think UVA can consider legacy status now. That will probably be the case at many state universities with popular flagship campuses.

Ivies and private colleges recognize they’re businesses and voluntarily doing away with legacy admissions is a bad business move (MIT and JHU have highly specialized programs so perhaps that’s why they don’t care).

JHU doesn't care because Bloomberg donated billions of dollars and told them not to care.

Well, other private colleges will need to find a similarly situated billionaire benefactor if they don’t want to care either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:which college do you prefer to be an alum of (and pass along legacy status)?

Within each school, not all "legacy status" is created equal. I'm quite sure that the kids of my fellow HYP alums who donate tons of money are much more likely to benefit in needle-moving ways for college admissions than someone like me donating five figures total over the past two decades. Anyone taking out loans to pay for HYP usually won't be in the financial state to donate meaningful amounts of money later on.

I’d much rather take my chances having my child apply as an Ivy legacy (I’m fine with any Ivy) over a legacy to UVA or UNC. As a matter of fact, I don’t think UVA can consider legacy status now. That will probably be the case at many state universities with popular flagship campuses.

Ivies and private colleges recognize they’re businesses and voluntarily doing away with legacy admissions is a bad business move (MIT and JHU have highly specialized programs so perhaps that’s why they don’t care).

JHU doesn't care because Bloomberg donated billions of dollars and told them not to care.

Well, other private colleges will need to find a similarly situated billionaire benefactor if they don’t want to care either.

Yes, especially SLACs. Amherst must have an anonymous billionaire sugar daddy (or sugar mama).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but still OP's question is relevant. Do those w Top 30 postings all have 3.8+

No one here knows the GPAs of all the kids. This is ridiculous.

Does Sidwell provide access to scattergrams? That would be a way to see if kids with below a 3.8 got into Top 30 schools last year.

[Anonymous]

Why are you obsessed with the 3.8 data point? Offers of admission have so many more factors that are considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but still OP's question is relevant. Do those w Top 30 postings all have 3.8+

No one here knows the GPAs of all the kids. This is ridiculous.

Does Sidwell provide access to scattergrams? That would be a way to see if kids with below a 3.8 got into Top 30 schools last year.

Yes, SCOIR data is available to students/parents right before 11th grade. Sidwell only shows data for the 3 most recent graduating classes (2020 to 2023).
The last time I looked, most of the Ivies admitted at least one Sidwell student with a GPA as low as 3.6 (during that 3 year period). One Harvard admit had a 3.1.
I assume he/she was an extreme outlier. Most Sidwell Ivy admits have a 3.8 or higher.

Based on that information, you shouldn’t be surprised that there are many Sidwell T30 admits with GPAs below a 3.8. That happens every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but still OP's question is relevant. Do those w Top 30 postings all have 3.8+

No one here knows the GPAs of all the kids. This is ridiculous.

Does Sidwell provide access to scattergrams? That would be a way to see if kids with below a 3.8 got into Top 30 schools last year.

Yes, SCOIR data is available to students/parents right before 11th grade. Sidwell only shows data for the 3 most recent graduating classes (2020 to 2023).
The last time I looked, most of the Ivies admitted at least one Sidwell student with a GPA as low as 3.6 (during that 3 year period). One Harvard admit had a 3.1.
I assume he/she was an extreme outlier. Most Sidwell Ivy admits have a 3.8 or higher.

Based on that information, you shouldn’t be surprised that there are many Sidwell T30 admits with GPAs below a 3.8. That happens every year.

Won’t show the hooks.

Here’s part where someone tries to argue that the 3.1 wasn’t hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but still OP's question is relevant. Do those w Top 30 postings all have 3.8+

No one here knows the GPAs of all the kids. This is ridiculous.

Does Sidwell provide access to scattergrams? That would be a way to see if kids with below a 3.8 got into Top 30 schools last year.

Yes, SCOIR data is available to students/parents right before 11th grade. Sidwell only shows data for the 3 most recent graduating classes (2020 to 2023).
The last time I looked, most of the Ivies admitted at least one Sidwell student with a GPA as low as 3.6 (during that 3 year period). One Harvard admit had a 3.1.
I assume he/she was an extreme outlier. Most Sidwell Ivy admits have a 3.8 or higher.

Based on that information, you shouldn’t be surprised that there are many Sidwell T30 admits with GPAs below a 3.8. That happens every year.

Won’t show the hooks.

Here’s part where someone tries to argue that the 3.1 wasn’t hooked.

I don’t think that anyone can credibly argue the 3.1 Harvard admit wasn’t hooked. With that GPA, my guess is that student was at least triple-hooked!

[Anonymous]

This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year a majority of the Sidwell Ivy admits are unhooked. And most, if not all, of the hooked Ivy legacies are academically strong (at least 3.8).

And the 3.1? Hooked. Some of the others you think are not probably are.

Private school kids applying to selective colleges are more likely to be hooked. And/or full pay.

The 3.1 Harvard admit isn’t from the class of 2024. He/she is from a previous Sidwell class. Yes, of course that person was super duper hooked.

Btw, some of you say that full pay isn’t a hook. Then, when you see all of these private school Ivy admits, you rush to the comments to say it’s because they’re hooked and full pay. Which is it?

[Anonymous]

I thought this was supposed to be the year that private school students received their comeuppance, regarding elite college admissions. Based on these IG accounts, and what I’m hearing IRL, nothing has changed. It’s still business as usual. Privilege continues to beget more privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think colleges don't know what the math I-IV track is and/or don't care. They don't need kids to come in doing theoretical math; the standard even for math majors and even in 2024 is Calculus. Beyond this they want interesting kids who stand out in different ways.

I completely agree! The last time I checked, even MIT doesn’t require calculus (although they strongly recommend it).

They also strongly recommend that you start over at Calc I again when you get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was supposed to be the year that private school students received their comeuppance, regarding elite college admissions. Based on these IG accounts, and what I’m hearing IRL, nothing has changed. It’s still business as usual. Privilege continues to beget more privilege.

Not everyone at a private school is privileged. They are privileged to be there, but that doesn't mean they come from privilege. At least, this is true of most non-public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think colleges don't know what the math I-IV track is and/or don't care. They don't need kids to come in doing theoretical math; the standard even for math majors and even in 2024 is Calculus. Beyond this they want interesting kids who stand out in different ways.

I completely agree! The last time I checked, even MIT doesn’t require calculus (although they strongly recommend it).

They also strongly recommend that you start over at Calc I again when you get there.

I would definitely heed that recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was supposed to be the year that private school students received their comeuppance, regarding elite college admissions. Based on these IG accounts, and what I’m hearing IRL, nothing has changed. It’s still business as usual. Privilege continues to beget more privilege.

Not everyone at a private school is privileged. They are privileged to be there, but that doesn't mean they come from privilege. At least, this is true of most non-public schools.

yes. the top boarding schools have a large percentage of kids on almost full aid.
Even the DC privates have up to 40% of kids on aid.