2009 Private School Admission Results - Share them as you get them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got multiple accepts and we were told (by three AD's) that everything they saw (playdate), everything they read (recs, wppsi report) and our assessment (application, interview) of DD was aligned. We did not overstate DD's abilities. She is a bright kid but she IS average. Most kids with educated, enlighted parents can get into private school. Are the parents deluded enough to believe that a 99%+ FSIQ = genius & automatic accept? Yes! That's one of the reasons the "waitlist" was created.

I think you're being a little harsh in saying that "most kids with education, enlighted (sic) parents can get into private school." Our DC had a great WPPSI report, received very positive feedback from playdate, etc. We were accepted at our top choices. But good fortune and luck plays a role here. I know there are other kids just like DC who were turned down. And not because parents were uneducated and unenlightened. There are just a lot of qualified apps for a few slots. There are probably a few folks who do think that a 99+% FSIQ is automatic entry to a Big 3. Most folks, who were not fortunate to be admitted to their top choice (or any of their choices), however, are probably struggling with the immediate impact, and then will sort out a plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got multiple accepts and we were told (by three AD's) that everything they saw (playdate), everything they read (recs, wppsi report) and our assessment (application, interview) of DD was aligned. We did not overstate DD's abilities. She is a bright kid but she IS average. Most kids with educated, enlighted parents can get into private school. Are the parents deluded enough to believe that a 99%+ FSIQ = genius & automatic accept? Yes! That's one of the reasons the "waitlist" was created.

I think you're being a little harsh in saying that "most kids with education, enlighted (sic) parents can get into private school." Our DC had a great WPPSI report, received very positive feedback from playdate, etc. We were accepted at our top choices. But good fortune and luck plays a role here. I know there are other kids just like DC who were turned down. And not because parents were uneducated and unenlightened. There are just a lot of qualified apps for a few slots. There are probably a few folks who do think that a 99+% FSIQ is automatic entry to a Big 3. Most folks, who were not fortunate to be admitted to their top choice (or any of their choices), however, are probably struggling with the immediate impact, and then will sort out a plan.

And you also need to be careful about "outcome bias." Just because you did X and had outcome Y does not mean X was the cause. Indeed, plenty of other kids might have "aligned" in the same way but not have done as well; people have a tendency to explain their own decisions in ways that overestimate the rationality of their choices; ADs also have a common vocabulary for explaining their decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think the reason people are particularly curious about multiple acceptances is that they suggest either that lightning struck twice or that some factor other than luck was in play.

Of course, but even if the acceptances are totally random and totally independent events, you're going to have a few people accepted at both, along with a lot rejected at both, and some accepted at one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Well, sure, sometimes lightning does strike twice. But not all that often.

[Anonymous]

I love how losers in a race justify their loss to external factors of randomness. The kids that get accepted have something that the kids that get rejected do not. It could be anything from family, IQ, gender, etc... one thing that it is not - a lottery!

[Anonymous]

Oh pish PP. The REAL problem is TOO many people applying to the SAME four schools, and then being SHOCKED that they did not get it. The numbers are NOT on your side people, it really has little to do with how quality the kids and families are.

[Anonymous]

The above comment sickens me. This is about our kids, their education and development and hopefully ability to turn into good productive adults who will improve the world. This is not a "race". Let's not lose sight of what is important.

[Anonymous]

If it were true that the "winners" in the application race all had a certain je ne sais quoi, then you would see the same kids getting admitted over and over to the schools. The results thread shows that is not the case. Our children attended (and one currently attends) one of the big name "feeder" preschools that get so much emphasis on this board, and the director told me last year that most families from that school get in to only one school and get waitlisted everywhere else.

[Anonymous]

So then are you saying the preschool directors sit around with all of the AD's to make sure that each of their star pupils (or familiesthat give the most cash) get into at least one place but not two? I think it has something to do with the child, the family (connections and if the creepy vibe comes through in the interview), and the type of child needed to round out a classroom. It is not random though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how losers in a race justify their loss to external factors of randomness. The kids that get accepted have something that the kids that get rejected do not. It could be anything from family, IQ, gender, etc... one thing that it is not - a lottery!

This is actually an understandable mistake. Of course the kids who are admitted "have something that the kids that got rejected do not." The question is whether or not the decision to admit some subset of applicants from among the "qualified pool" is arbitrary with respect to explicit--or even tacit--admissions criteria. I suspect it is, i.e., that the admissions officers could construct and equally plausible admission group from among waitlisted or rejected applicants. That does not mean that *every* rejected applicant or waitlisted applicant was in that qualified pool, but that one should not confuse getting into a school with some form of superiority. Besides, the "glow" of being among a selected elite wears off pretty quickly when your comparative group becomes every other family admitted to the same school.

[Anonymous]

It may not be totally random, but it is also not totally reflective of the quality of the kids and families...just too many people applying for anyone to say that.

[Anonymous]

Even your account leaves considerable room for randomness: for example, if a pre-K class is already largely filled with girls with outsize personalities, a similar child applying for K might be out of luck.

[Anonymous]

There is no formula to admissions, it's more of an art, IMO (and I work as a volunteer with the admissions office at my DC's school, not that they give me any inside info, so please don't ask). Yes, most schools strive for racial, ethnic, and even socio-economic diversity. There are siblings to be given special consideration, although even that is no longer a guarantee most places. There are big names to be wooed, and of course, they do need a few families with the resources and motivation to $upport the annual fund/auction/bake sale/what have you. Perfect test scores don't mean much. As one AD told me, "many children thrive in the one-on-one atmosphere" of the test that is so different from day-to-day classroom life. And don't we all know someone (adult) who aced their boards but could barely carry on a conversation for more than five minutes?! Low scores don't necessarily mean a lot either, as any three year old can have an off day. Or two! Teacher recs can be biased one way or another. Playdates have gained importance, IMO, as that is really the only chance they have to get to know the "real" child, and in that, it's important for them to have fun and BE THEMSELVES. Trust me, AD's can smell the groomed answers to questions a mile away, just as college admissions officers can spot a bogus essay. But again, I think we all know a 3-4-5 year old who's had a bad day at an inopportune time.

Analyzing these factors may help "make sense" of it all, but it's not that simple. Fortunately, there are lots of GREAT independent schools in the DC area with their own unique styles and strengths. I hope everyone on these boards finds a place where their child is happy, challenged, and treasured. Even if it's not one of the "Big Three!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So then are you saying the preschool directors sit around with all of the AD's to make sure that each of their star pupils (or familiesthat give the most cash) get into at least one place but not two?

For some preschools, I think this scenario is quite plausible--not in the form that you present it, but in the sense that the directors can maximize customer satisfaction by helping to place different families at different schools.

[Anonymous]

Several people have mentioned receiving positive feedback from the DC's school visit/playdate. Is this just from your DC, or do you call the admissions office afterwards to discuss it?