Did Walls interview invites go out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

Typo ward 5, 7, and 8

Are you actually looking at data or just going by gut for this “trend”? Because I’d expect a lot more diversity at the school if geography factored in, but it has remained about 50% white since at least 2020. More diversity would be a good thing, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

lol.

This is DC.

OK but let’s admit that the facilities are not good compared to other high schools in DC.

It’s very lacking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Except for the greenery, some DC high schools do have above and also DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Except for the greenery, some DC high schools do have above and also DCI

I know this is going on a bit of a tangent - but there are several DCPS high schools with large atriums, auditoriums, cafeterias, and outdoor space. Not as much as the suburbs, but more than SWW. Duke Ellington is the extreme (https://gcs-sigal.com/project/duke-ellington-school-of-the-arts/), but a lot of the public high schools have recently gotten modernizations recently - many with glass covered atriums, large gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc. Roosevelt (https://www.petworthnews.org/blog/roosevelt-high-tour-january-30-petworth) , Eastern (https://fhai.com/projects/eastern-high-school/) , Coolidge (https://educationsnapshots.com/projects/9712/coolidge-senior-high-school/), Dunbar (https://www.gilbaneco.com/projects/dunbar-high-school/), etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Except for the greenery, some DC high schools do have above and also DCI

Doesn’t Jackson-Reed have all of these? Maybe not a huge parking lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Except for the greenery, some DC high schools do have above and also DCI

I know this is going on a bit of a tangent - but there are several DCPS high schools with large atriums, auditoriums, cafeterias, and outdoor space. Not as much as the suburbs, but more than SWW. Duke Ellington is the extreme (https://gcs-sigal.com/project/duke-ellington-school-of-the-arts/), but a lot of the public high schools have recently gotten modernizations recently - many with glass covered atriums, large gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc. Roosevelt (https://www.petworthnews.org/blog/roosevelt-high-tour-january-30-petworth) , Eastern (https://fhai.com/projects/eastern-high-school/) , Coolidge (https://educationsnapshots.com/projects/9712/coolidge-senior-high-school/), Dunbar (https://www.gilbaneco.com/projects/dunbar-high-school/), etc.

My kid goes to Banneker; the school is gorgeous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Except for the greenery, some DC high schools do have above and also DCI

I know this is going on a bit of a tangent - but there are several DCPS high schools with large atriums, auditoriums, cafeterias, and outdoor space. Not as much as the suburbs, but more than SWW. Duke Ellington is the extreme (https://gcs-sigal.com/project/duke-ellington-school-of-the-arts/), but a lot of the public high schools have recently gotten modernizations recently - many with glass covered atriums, large gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc. Roosevelt (https://www.petworthnews.org/blog/roosevelt-high-tour-january-30-petworth) , Eastern (https://fhai.com/projects/eastern-high-school/) , Coolidge (https://educationsnapshots.com/projects/9712/coolidge-senior-high-school/), Dunbar (https://www.gilbaneco.com/projects/dunbar-high-school/), etc.

My kid goes to Banneker; the school is gorgeous.

Yes! Banneker and Jackson Reed too! For all the negative posts on here, I feel like the modernizations and facility space in DC is really strong. Compared to other districts around the country, and we are lucky. There are a few exceptions like Basis or SWW that don't have the same kind of space, but parents/students pick that intentionally and aware of the trade off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

Typo ward 5, 7, and 8

Are you actually looking at data or just going by gut for this “trend”? Because I’d expect a lot more diversity at the school if geography factored in, but it has remained about 50% white since at least 2020. More diversity would be a good thing, in my opinion.

Sounds like what you are looking for is actually less diversity.

In any event, geography matters. You will find a lot of kids in NW who don't consider McKinley because of commute time. It's absurd to pretend like proximity is unimportant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lots of interviews for Walls out. My middle schooler has 6 friends who have received them. She hasn't though (despite having the same or better GPA), so while we're hoping there's another wave to come, it doesn't seem likely.

This was my post and my kid also has a 4.0, so it seems like recommendations had to be the deciding factor. My kid is not an introvert at all and is very involved in her school. Most of her friends who got interviews had a different teacher for one of the recommenders, whereas the other 4.0 friend without an interview had the same teacher as my kid. I worry that that teacher just wasn't as effusive as the other one and if they're comparing kids from the same school? But who knows.

I wonder if they try to balance what middle schools the kids come from. So kids from bigger high schools are less likely bc there are more of them? I also always wonder if the selective schools give preference to dcps vs charter or private.
Or it could vary/change from year to year too.

I've wondered this too - if the lottery algorithm somehow takes into account the school or ward the student is coming from and tries to balance admissions. I can't imagine it's fully proportional (e.g., 25% of applications come from Ward 3 DCPS middle and that makes up 25% of admissions, etc.).

Of course they are going to look at what ward and give preference to certain wards. This is why they deleted the test initially and actually sent out people and messaging to these wards to encourage the kids to apply.

Ward and middle school aren’t among the admissions criteria. You can actually see the data showing which middle schools the 24-25 9th graders came from. Almost half that class came from Deal and Hardy.

They are not going to reveal that to you in the admissions criteria.

Trend % of kids from ward 3 over the years and percentages of kids from say ward 5, 6, or 7.

Typo ward 5, 7, and 8

Are you actually looking at data or just going by gut for this “trend”? Because I’d expect a lot more diversity at the school if geography factored in, but it has remained about 50% white since at least 2020. More diversity would be a good thing, in my opinion.

Sounds like what you are looking for is actually less diversity.

In any event, geography matters. You will find a lot of kids in NW who don't consider McKinley because of commute time. It's absurd to pretend like proximity is unimportant.

FWIW - we got an email Friday for an interview, but just got a second email - they said they had to re-send because some emails did not go through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

lol.

This is DC.

OK but let’s admit that the facilities are not good compared to other high schools in DC.

It’s very lacking

Yes, that is my point exactly. Almost every other high school in DC has much better facilities and gives a more traditional high school experience than Walls. As illustrated by all the posts above linking some of those schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

You aren't going to get that in DC proper. If you want all those things, head home to Iowa

I'm from the Middle East and can't head home there because my country is at war, but thanks for your tone deaf comment.

[Anonymous]

Im genuinely baffled by how many of my child’s friends that weren’t asked for an interview. These kids had 4.0s or close to it, took the hardest classes, and were excellent students and leaders in their schools. I understand they don’t look at GPA much and no CAPE, but I’m surprised that they were passed over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im genuinely baffled by how many of my child’s friends that weren’t asked for an interview. These kids had 4.0s or close to it, took the hardest classes, and were excellent students and leaders in their schools. I understand they don’t look at GPA much and no CAPE, but I’m surprised that they were passed over.

I think it is a moment of reflection. I was genuinely put off by the parents at SWW Open House. They were thirsty to put it mildly.

If you could actually look at these comments as a neutral observer you would see people who respond to rejection with entitlement versus curiosity as to what their teachers truly feel about their kids.

Take a moment of reflection. You might now have the full picture of why kids were rejected. If I can sense the thirst on open house night, I can only imagine what the teachers feel from the parents writing the recommendations. That is toxicity no standardized test can pick up but it the type that needs to be rooted out of positive developmental environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im genuinely baffled by how many of my child’s friends that weren’t asked for an interview. These kids had 4.0s or close to it, took the hardest classes, and were excellent students and leaders in their schools. I understand they don’t look at GPA much and no CAPE, but I’m surprised that they were passed over.

I agree. It seems kind of BS. I am sure kids selected are great. But kids not selected seem equally great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

lol.

This is DC.

OK but let’s admit that the facilities are not good compared to other high schools in DC.

It’s very lacking

Yes, that is my point exactly. Almost every other high school in DC has much better facilities and gives a more traditional high school experience than Walls. As illustrated by all the posts above linking some of those schools.

I think you're missing the point. Walls has never put out that it's a traditional high school, so if that's what you're looking for, you're in the wrong place. Whether and how much it lives up to the whole "city as your classroom" ideal, that is what it purports itself to be. It also has a humanities focus. Saying you want to go to Walls for the traditional high school experience is like saying you want to go to Walls for STEM. Neither are advisable.

FWIW my kid loves being in the midst of Foggy Bottom, takes classes at GW, interns down the street, and does sports practice on the National Mall.