fewer spots available for next year?

[Anonymous]

Do other schools have these caps?

Is there a way to find out what they are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do other schools have these caps?

Is there a way to find out what they are?

The DC schools all do.

[Anonymous]

Gds is approximately 50 students over their enrollment cap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gds is approximately 50 students over their enrollment cap.

So they are taking 50 less this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gds is approximately 50 students over their enrollment cap.

So they are taking 50 less this year?

Which spread out over all the grades, is not that much of a reduction.

[Anonymous]

It’s actually a lot given how few they admit overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they're over their enrollment cap, can they admit any kids?
I'm confused.

The class of 2025 is huge at GDS and other privates as well. That was the first Covid year. I think NCS corrected last year by limiting acceptances to the class of 2026. It effect may drag on for a few more years.

I wonder if the city audited the numbers at GDS which led to this email. If that is the case, I bet they audited the rest too.

I have the same questions.

[Anonymous]

Wonder if those who just applied this season will get some sort of email too. Other schools have sent emails (basically saying sit tight till early March) but nothing from GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in admissions in a private in the DMV. The school has been discussed many times on this site.

It is true, we have very few slots for new families. For example, our kindergarten class is over 50% siblings. This is the highest it’s ever been so it really limits new family admits. We have examined trends and many of our families simply have larger families now.

As for higher grades, most grades have some attrition but we are probably only filling 4-7 seats throughout the lower school. I’ll note, grade 3 is not a growing year for us.

That part in particular that I've bolded is 100 percent incorrect. People, especially wealthy and educated, are having significantly fewer children. This is a fact.

It might be that across the larger population family size is smaller. But what matters is for the families applying to that school.
I know many wealthier families who are in private schools (not Catholic) in the DMV who have 3 or 4 kids.

Anecdotally that’s what you’re experiencing, I understand and of course, believe you. Statistically however you are incorrect; that’s not happening, especially in the wealthier and educated demographic. It may very well be that the schools are taking fewer students, but it has nothing to do with expanding families. It’s actually despite smaller family size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gds is approximately 50 students over their enrollment cap.

So they are taking 50 less this year?

Which spread out over all the grades, is not that much of a reduction.

It will be a very significant impact this admissions cycle, because it's a zero-sum game. If GDS must be at 1,075 or less by this fall, it will need to really under-admit this spring, and then fill in any open spots below 1,075 from the wait list after the June binding date. It can't rely on yield projections this spring alone to get to 1,075 or less. This might be a great year for a first-choice letter.

I'm not going to get into specific numbers, but the current headcount for pre-K through 11 already isn't that far off from 1,075. We'll know in about a month, but I'd be very surprised if the number of admits for the typical expansion years (4th, 6th and 9th) isn't a small fraction of that for a typical year. Absent unusually high attrition or a decision to really downsize the pre-K and K grades (highly unlikely), there is no other option if GDS must be at 1,075 or less come fall.

[Anonymous]

When are contracts due for current students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When are contracts due for current students?

I imagine in a week or two. But everyone (returning and new students) can get out of their contracts (minus the deposit) until June 1.
So the number of returning students will not be known for certain until then.

[Anonymous]

So every spot is basically dependent on attrition? Will they prioritize PK and K? Does that mean possibly no new admits in higher grades?

[Anonymous]

GDS parents- you can help yourselves by not parking and standing illegally during drop off and pick up and not dropping your kids off on the streets around the school. You’re royally pissing off the neighbors and the ANC. It’s not just the enrollment numbers that are in violation of the BZA , it is the families as well with their disregard to the agreed upon traffic patterns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So every spot is basically dependent on attrition? Will they prioritize PK and K? Does that mean possibly no new admits in higher grades?

I think that there is no chance that GDS has less than full pre-K and K classes in the fall. Even reducing the size of those grades by 2-4 kids each would be significant for those grades, but wouldn't move the needle overall because those are the smallest grades. GDS of course will admit kids at the higher grades, but it might be, for example, only 10-20 admits for 9th, rather than 40.