Sidwell throttling down college admissions?

[Anonymous]

Haha, ive seen both. Agree and agree.

Now go enjoy your spring breaks folks!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does Sidwell limit the number of applications they will support for their seniors' college applications?
If so what is the recommended number of applications allowed?

First off all the schools do this.

Second off, they are not limiting the NUMBER unless you are top 1-10. Our kid was up there and only applied to four schools. We didn’t complain, he applied to the top programs in the county, got in, and then chose.

They do strongly suggest WHAT schools based on the general Nash equilibrium game they play to get everyone in to top schools, as many as possible at least.

Sorry, could you please explain how the Nash equilibrium applies to college applications?

(S)he means the pareto optimal result not the nash equilibrium

Oh, I see, That makes more sense, if you’re gonna flash your economics erudition, you should at least get your terms right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid thread idea. There are no conspiracies. Schools make recommendations but can't control which school you apply to.

They can’t control where you apply. But they can control who gets the glowing refs and the phone calls. If a college sees kid A got Sidwell’s support in this way but kid B didn’t, they may wonder why kid B didn’t. Yes, they compare kids from the same school in order to limit the number they take from each school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid thread idea. There are no conspiracies. Schools make recommendations but can't control which school you apply to.

They can’t control where you apply. But they can control who gets the glowing refs and the phone calls. If a college sees kid A got Sidwell’s support in this way but kid B didn’t, they may wonder why kid B didn’t. Yes, they compare kids from the same school in order to limit the number they take from each school.

If Sidwell, or any school, hyped unqualified kid it would lose its credibility with colleges. If had a pattern of showing favortism among equally qualified candidates, it would also get old with college admissions staff who are no dummies. Posts like yours are more likely the result of sour grapes than institutional bias.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is a college counselor at a top private in NY. She has several stories of kids that she thought were the best candidates for various colleges (HYP included) that were rejected in favor of others. So colleges do not always track with school admissions offices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who is a college counselor at a top private in NY. She has several stories of kids that she thought were the best candidates for various colleges (HYP included) that were rejected in favor of others. So colleges do not always track with school admissions offices.

Good to know. I think groupthink can happen anywhere and sometimes adults who should know better start labeling kids as being in one category or another. I have one child who is brilliant but quiet and reserved. I worry about how he’ll be “ranked” by his pricvate school’s admissions counselor. So many people mistake charm for substance, and assume introverts have nothing to offer. Sadly, that plays out in life in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid thread idea. There are no conspiracies. Schools make recommendations but can't control which school you apply to.

They can’t control where you apply. But they can control who gets the glowing refs and the phone calls. If a college sees kid A got Sidwell’s support in this way but kid B didn’t, they may wonder why kid B didn’t. Yes, they compare kids from the same school in order to limit the number they take from each school.

Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

But can't college admissions officers figure all of that out for themselves without any input? The only thing I would think high school guidance counselors could add would be intangibles and demonstrated interest. I have no idea if they do this or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid thread idea. There are no conspiracies. Schools make recommendations but can't control which school you apply to.

They can’t control where you apply. But they can control who gets the glowing refs and the phone calls. If a college sees kid A got Sidwell’s support in this way but kid B didn’t, they may wonder why kid B didn’t. Yes, they compare kids from the same school in order to limit the number they take from each school.

If Sidwell, or any school, hyped unqualified kid it would lose its credibility with colleges. If had a pattern of showing favortism among equally qualified candidates, it would also get old with college admissions staff who are no dummies. Posts like yours are more likely the result of sour grapes than institutional bias.

NP. Maybe a hyped unqualified kids has parents most likely to donate heftily to the school and most likely to pull strings for their kids when they graduate. Is why they got into the Big 3, is why the get into the ivy, is why they get the good job. Isn't life pay-to-play that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

What if, what if. Of course, if there is a tremendous talent that offsets mediocre transcript. This happens every year for sports. If a kid has a wealthy family that donate ten million dollars, yes that makes a difference too. But that kid doesn't need the school to right a recommendation, it will come from his parents' board of director friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

What if, what if. Of course, if there is a tremendous talent that offsets mediocre transcript. This happens every year for sports. If a kid has a wealthy family that donate ten million dollars, yes that makes a difference too. But that kid doesn't need the school to right a recommendation, it will come from his parents' board of director friends.

Donating ten million is not enough to sway Harvard, Yale or Princeton. It might at Penn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

What if, what if. Of course, if there is a tremendous talent that offsets mediocre transcript. This happens every year for sports. If a kid has a wealthy family that donate ten million dollars, yes that makes a difference too. But that kid doesn't need the school to right a recommendation, it will come from his parents' board of director friends.

Donating ten million is not enough to sway Harvard, Yale or Princeton. It might at Penn.

Lol. See Jared Kushner. Pre-indictment daddy got his weenie son into Harvard for less than that. Two weenies got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am naive but I take guidance counselors at their word when they say they support all applications. How can people be so sure of these calls and rankings happening? Are you talking about helping to work waitlists or the initial application? If it is the latter, I assumed this was pretty much in the hands of college admissions staff.

Schools have an ethical obligation to be truthful when advocating for kids. Yes, they can be supportive of a B student getting into Princeton. School counselors have a much stronger argument to make when talking to Princeton about an A student.

What if the B student had discovered a subatomic particle? What if the B student was a superstar cellist? What if the B student started a peace organization that actually succeeded? Grades are not the be all and the end all.

What if, what if. Of course, if there is a tremendous talent that offsets mediocre transcript. This happens every year for sports. If a kid has a wealthy family that donate ten million dollars, yes that makes a difference too. But that kid doesn't need the school to right a recommendation, it will come from his parents' board of director friends.

Donating ten million is not enough to sway Harvard, Yale or Princeton. It might at Penn.

Lol. See Jared Kushner. Pre-indictment daddy got his weenie son into Harvard for less than that. Two weenies got in.

You are correct, but have not factored in inflation