Odds of getting into Sidwell

[Anonymous]

Plenty of odds at Sidwell but not nearly as many or as odd as at GDS.

[Anonymous]

Does that pass for clever in your world?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know what date or week does Sidwell notify parents of acceptance ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what date or week does Sidwell notify parents of acceptance ?

All of the schools notify in early March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she can throw a spiral, she's in.

Come on Flint Hill parent. Don’t you get tired of surfing all these threads waiting for an opportunity to throw that in there.

Not a FH parent, but truth hurts.

[Anonymous]

Ok, football team isnt doing well but, is that all you folks can grab onto. I would hate to bring up academic stats which would definitely leave you 2 speechless.

[Anonymous]

While about a half dozen of the kids from DC's day school class applied to Sidwell, only one said it was his first choice. And he turned out to be the only one admitted, though he was probably not as strong a student as most of the other applicants. It makes sense that they only want the kids who really want to be there. I think it also makes a big difference whether the headmaster of your K-8 school is a strong advocate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she can throw a spiral, she's in.

Come on Flint Hill parent. Don’t you get tired of surfing all these threads waiting for an opportunity to throw that in there.

Not a FH parent, but truth hurts.

Hush, child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While about a half dozen of the kids from DC's day school class applied to Sidwell, only one said it was his first choice. And he turned out to be the only one admitted, though he was probably not as strong a student as most of the other applicants. It makes sense that they only want the kids who really want to be there. I think it also makes a big difference whether the headmaster of your K-8 school is a strong advocate.

How do kids from public school even get in because they have no advocate from schools speaking on their behalf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While about a half dozen of the kids from DC's day school class applied to Sidwell, only one said it was his first choice. And he turned out to be the only one admitted, though he was probably not as strong a student as most of the other applicants. It makes sense that they only want the kids who really want to be there. I think it also makes a big difference whether the headmaster of your K-8 school is a strong advocate.

How do kids from public school even get in because they have no advocate from schools speaking on their behalf?

Sidwell looks at public school kids to bring in diversity, so don’t let that discourage your if you’re African American or Latinx.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, as you state from the start, it’s a numbers game with any of the top schools. 10* applicants for each spot. If your child is keen on it, support her application but be realistic of the statistics, especially if you are not connected to the Sidwell community in other ways. Sidwell is not as connections dependent as Maret and GDS, but in some ways Sidwell parents are more prominent so they both don’t have to be connected but are also inherently connected just by the nature of who they are all at once. Just go for it, manage your child’s expectations, and have a good backup plan...

I may just be clueless about the private schools of this area even though my child is going to one, but I didn't realize GDS and Maret were schools that were dependent on connections. What does that mean? You get in because of who you know? Do you mean DC power players or money? I always thought of Sidwell as the school for the powerful and NCS/STA the schools for the wealthy. Wrong?

Maret gives more priority to siblings, legacies, and potential donor families than other schools. GDS is not quite the same, although lib real credentials help.

As for “Sidwell as the school for the powerful and NCS/STA the schools for the wealthy,” that’s silly. Wealth and power go together. Sidwell might have more career public servants, but NCS/STA probably has more political appointees in both Democratic and Republican administrations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, football team isnt doing well but, is that all you folks can grab onto. I would hate to bring up academic stats which would definitely leave you 2 speechless.

Please cite said stats. Whatever you make up, they pale in comparison to STA and NCS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, football team isnt doing well but, is that all you folks can grab onto. I would hate to bring up academic stats which would definitely leave you 2 speechless.

Please cite said stats. Whatever you make up, they pale in comparison to STA and NCS.

The comparison pp was talking to would be Sidwell vs Flint Hill but, since you mention it. What is the #1 private school in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While about a half dozen of the kids from DC's day school class applied to Sidwell, only one said it was his first choice. And he turned out to be the only one admitted, though he was probably not as strong a student as most of the other applicants. It makes sense that they only want the kids who really want to be there. I think it also makes a big difference whether the headmaster of your K-8 school is a strong advocate.

How do kids from public school even get in because they have no advocate from schools speaking on their behalf?

Sidwell looks at public school kids to bring in diversity, so don’t let that discourage your if you’re African American or Latinx.

PP, don't even bother applying. I am keeping it 100% real. If you are not full pay, political appointee, and/or super connected the odds are not in your favor in addition to the low odds of even being considered for the 30-40 slots. Look at schools where your child has better odds. Please keep in mind this is a very stressful process for kids too. I have seen too many kids vested in Sidwell, just to be put on the never moving waitlist. While rejection is part of life, they have more than enough time to experience in their future.

[Anonymous]

Likely PP wants in and is running interference.