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

[Anonymous]

They don't send class rank to colleges, but anyone can figure out a GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Anywhere they want"? Nope. At least not according to our college counselor at a comparable private HS, for a 3.8 kid.

Um....okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Michigan is absolutely one of the best schools a kid could go to. At some point, all parents should look at the sponsored research tables for universities. Michigan has huge figures in their medical and engineering graduate schools. Locally, Univ of Maryland is quite strong in the latter.

Over four years of undergrad, who wouldn't want their kid being taught by graduate students who are funded to be doing real cutting edge research? I went to a very selective liberal arts college, and frankly never felt it never translated well for professional life. Unless a kid is committed to a path that fully relies on grad school, I think it is a mistake to dismiss the practical analysis.

I couldn't agree more about Michigan. It is an excellent school. I'm just not sure about the high state school tuition/room & board ($57,432) when DC could attend a private (think Bowdoin, Bates, etc) for slightly less with much smaller classes and student body. The powers that be (hiring managers) know the schools so we don't need to start the 'nobody has heard of these schools' argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But what if a school, like Sidwell, offers only 8-10 APs. It's honestly difficult to take more than 4-5 AP classes at Sidwell though you can take more exams.

Four of those 10 APs that Sidwell offers are in each of four foreign languages. The rest spread out over math, science, and even one in AP Art.

Apparently, not offering 30 AP courses has not hurt Sidwell's placement in colleges around the country. The colleges recognize the level of difficulty in all the non-AP courses. The school didn't get its academic reputation by side stepping in any academic area, AP or non-AP..

[Anonymous]

Kids don't take 30 AP courses in high school. Kudos to places that have more offerings, but I don't read that Sidwell offering "only" 10 AP courses as a suggestion they have no purpose or value.

Of course Sidwell is a very good school. But unless your kid is a recruited soccer player or your family has some legacy plays, discounting the AP coursework and 5s score cards doesn't seem like a cogent thing to assert. College admissions have become so crazy competitive, to me it seems like any relative advantage not taken is a liability. Sad statement, but there are those who'd disagree at their peril.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids don't take 30 AP courses in high school. Kudos to places that have more offerings, but I don't read that Sidwell offering "only" 10 AP courses as a suggestion they have no purpose or value.

Of course Sidwell is a very good school. But unless your kid is a recruited soccer player or your family has some legacy plays, discounting the AP coursework and 5s score cards doesn't seem like a cogent thing to assert. College admissions have become so crazy competitive, to me it seems like any relative advantage not taken is a liability. Sad statement, but there are those who'd disagree at their peril.

Okay.....

[Anonymous]

To the Bowdoin, Bates, etc. point...have we reached a point where liberal arts colleges have less of a purpose? Those are great schools, and I went to one of their comparibles. But my point is even 25 years ago my liberal arts BA seemed to only qualify me for graduate schools. I did that, and all went well enough. But then as the student and now as the parent I've always had the private horror of thinking these colleges are high school 2.0.

That's an awful thought and I wonder if shared. BTW, I'd be thrilled if my kids went to U Michigan for engineering over Amherst, Bates or even Dartmouth by the same reasoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have any top private 3.5s gotten college results yet?

ED comes out 12/15. Anyone who's already heard either applied rolling (which tend to be lower tier schools) or is a recruited athlete.

"Lower tier" like the University of Michigan?

I wrote the point about the ED dates and no I most certainly did not mean Michigan, particularly since my DC actually goes there. Not sure why you would jump to that conclusion since Michigan has a normal EA cycle and does not do rolling admissions so EA applicants won't hear until probably 12/18. Go Blue.

[Anonymous]

If I teach my kids just one thing, it would be this: elitism doesn't travel well. Unless you want your kids to be sentenced to serve 30 years as a lawyer or lobbyist on the Hill (or worse a federal government ladder climber), making a big moment of a prep school is pretty silly. Use Sidwell's great education as a preparation for the next important steps. Getting an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree. I too rarely get asked where I went to college, and can't remember getting quizzed on if or where I prepped. If the second was important I'd be living in Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

I imagine your rarely asked anything at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I imagine your rarely asked anything at all.

Compensating for something. Again.

[Anonymous]

I find it hard to believe that the OP is a real Sidwell parent. Assuming they know they can get great advice from the college counseling office, and not an anon message board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have any top private 3.5s gotten college results yet?

3.5 Big 3 kid: accepted Amherst, Wesleyan, Sarah Lawrence, UMCP Scholars, University of Miami( with merit aid); deferred Harvard: Waiting on three other ivies plus final form Harvard.

[Anonymous]

You rehashed a year old thread to brag about your kid?

[Anonymous]

Let me guess -- your kid is male? It's much easier to get into LACs if you're male.