Sidwell College Admissions This Year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean does NCS give Naviance scattergram access to US students?

Let me give you some breaking news. Naviance is totally and I mean completely worthless. My kid was a SHOE IN (and is no one even close has ever been denied) for 12 colleges that he was rejected/WL for. Naviance is from an era that no longer exists. Its all song and dance and grandma was hispanic and I wrote a book my parents published and am TO. Congrats! you are in everywhere!

In seriousness, forget Naviance. This was our first time through the hellhole of college admissions and we thought it was a realistic guide since it used data from our high school. It was worse than useless, it was dangerously useless. They should just take it offline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean does NCS give Naviance scattergram access to US students?

Let me give you some breaking news. Naviance is totally and I mean completely worthless. My kid was a SHOE IN (and is no one even close has ever been denied) for 12 colleges that he was rejected/WL for. Naviance is from an era that no longer exists. Its all song and dance and grandma was hispanic and I wrote a book my parents published and am TO. Congrats! you are in everywhere!

In seriousness, forget Naviance. This was our first time through the hellhole of college admissions and we thought it was a realistic guide since it used data from our high school. It was worse than useless, it was dangerously useless. They should just take it offline.

Your bitterness and determination to lash in every possible direction is incredibly amusing. Do tell us more about how your “shoe” in kid was denied at 12 schools.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, Naviance was way off for DC. Led to false hopes and confidence.

[Anonymous]

I doubt this was more true at Sidwell than anywhere else. It was an unpredictable and tough year but from what I hear there were a ton of good outcomes there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean does NCS give Naviance scattergram access to US students?

Let me give you some breaking news. Naviance is totally and I mean completely worthless. My kid was a SHOE IN (and is no one even close has ever been denied) for 12 colleges that he was rejected/WL for. Naviance is from an era that no longer exists. Its all song and dance and grandma was hispanic and I wrote a book my parents published and am TO. Congrats! you are in everywhere!

In seriousness, forget Naviance. This was our first time through the hellhole of college admissions and we thought it was a realistic guide since it used data from our high school. It was worse than useless, it was dangerously useless. They should just take it offline.

I’m sorry your kid was disappointed. College admissions seems to be wildly unpredictable these days. Crazy times!

[Anonymous]

There probably aren't as many IVY acceptances as in years past, but it seems like at least the kids I know about all have great landing spots and choices.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell parent of senior. Mind blowing reversal of fortune in the last week or so, especially yesterday. My own kid came away with several acceptances and waitlists yesterday and we were absolutely stunned given our diminished expectations. It seems like everything is falling into place for many kids. This may turn out to be a very strong year. One thing is clear; I have absolutely no clue about how this whole process really works, despite having gone through it for the last year and a half. I am more confused than ever. And, truthfully, I am a bit embarrassed by how much mindshare I invested in it amid more consequential things like a global pandemic and a war in a Europe.

At the end of the day, I am grateful, especially for the relentless effort of the Sidwell CCO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean does NCS give Naviance scattergram access to US students?

Let me give you some breaking news. Naviance is totally and I mean completely worthless. My kid was a SHOE IN (and is no one even close has ever been denied) for 12 colleges that he was rejected/WL for. Naviance is from an era that no longer exists. Its all song and dance and grandma was hispanic and I wrote a book my parents published and am TO. Congrats! you are in everywhere!

In seriousness, forget Naviance. This was our first time through the hellhole of college admissions and we thought it was a realistic guide since it used data from our high school. It was worse than useless, it was dangerously useless. They should just take it offline.

Yes, Naviance was a poor predictor, but that "song and dance" line is completely fallacious and fueled by bitterness (which I get). It's OK to be disappointed and frustrated, but don't make crap up to justify your loss. And, consider maybe part of the loss was one of extra privilege that had been previously awarded to kids just because they attended that school.

I am sorry your kid is disappointed. That stinks. I get it.

[Anonymous]

What happened with all those Michigan applications? I heard that something like 80 kids applied…at our public school, Michigan was unbelievably unpredictable. Most highest ranked/highest stats kids deferred EA, while plenty others accepted. In RD, it has been equally mixed. No rhyme or reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent of senior. Mind blowing reversal of fortune in the last week or so, especially yesterday. My own kid came away with several acceptances and waitlists yesterday and we were absolutely stunned given our diminished expectations. It seems like everything is falling into place for many kids. This may turn out to be a very strong year. One thing is clear; I have absolutely no clue about how this whole process really works, despite having gone through it for the last year and a half. I am more confused than ever. And, truthfully, I am a bit embarrassed by how much mindshare I invested in it amid more consequential things like a global pandemic and a war in a Europe.

At the end of the day, I am grateful, especially for the relentless effort of the Sidwell CCO.

Do share more..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean does NCS give Naviance scattergram access to US students?

Let me give you some breaking news. Naviance is totally and I mean completely worthless. My kid was a SHOE IN (and is no one even close has ever been denied) for 12 colleges that he was rejected/WL for. Naviance is from an era that no longer exists. Its all song and dance and grandma was hispanic and I wrote a book my parents published and am TO. Congrats! you are in everywhere!

In seriousness, forget Naviance. This was our first time through the hellhole of college admissions and we thought it was a realistic guide since it used data from our high school. It was worse than useless, it was dangerously useless. They should just take it offline.

Yes, Naviance was a poor predictor, but that "song and dance" line is completely fallacious and fueled by bitterness (which I get). It's OK to be disappointed and frustrated, but don't make crap up to justify your loss. And, consider maybe part of the loss was one of extra privilege that had been previously awarded to kids just because they attended that school.

I am sorry your kid is disappointed. That stinks. I get it.

I don't think it's wrong. Go check out cc threads with endless 1600 SAT, 4.0 UW kids (mine included) denied while kids with 1420 and 3.8's or even TO accepted due to their "really good essays". Or look around your neighborhood, those who checked certain boxes had hugely different outcomes. I'm not going to go in to details. If you your kid was spared the carnage, awesome for you. But there are plenty of people who learned this cycle that academic rigor, exceptional ECs, leadership and strong recommendations do not matter if you are from a certain demographic.

It was a shock, yes. But ultimately I know that my child will be successful because of their massive intellect and strong character - so I'm not trying to be bitter but I wish someone told ME last year that there was NO way he was getting in Top 10 schools with his race/gender/family income. The only wealthy white kids getting in are from places like Sidwell because the counselor is paid to make sure it happens. In FPCS the GC is uninvested - they don't care, check the boxes. I analyzed Naviance like the CIA looking for Bin Laden (as did several friends of mine). I can tell you with certainty in FCPS, it is TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, unreliable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the elephant in the room is that a good chunk of the very top students are “stranded”. They are doing less well than the bottom 85% of the class. Yield protected at likelies/matches and not into any SCEA or ED. Sidwell needs an explicit strategy for these kids. It’s not to late to advocate for this group imo. No entitlement here at all. I don’t think CCO gets the macro picture here. These kids had safeties but safeties are not acting like safeties for this high performing group.

So, here's the thing...EVERY kid should have applied to a real safety school with rolling admission or EA (think UVM, Pitt, Penn State...maybe Wisconsin or Indiana)...it is hard for me to believe that very top students from SFS applied to these types of schools and did not get in. More likely, they decided that University of Michigan or Northeastern was their "safety" ...but anyone who has been paying attention over the past few years knows that these schools have become VERY competitive (and unpredictable) over the past few years. If these students were depending on such schools to be their backups and are "stranded" right now, that does not seem to be the fault of the CCOs (unless the CCOs were giving very bad advice--which is hard for me to believe, as a parent of a "top student" at another Big 3)...

I know of at least 1 Sidwell NMSF deferred at Wisconsin so I take umbrage with your premise.

+1

So, here's the thing... NO ONE at Sidwell thinks that Michigan or Northwestern is a safety, for ANY student.

I'm always impressed at the number of posters who, absent any facts or personal knowledge, think they know EXACTLY what's going on.

They think they're matches. Which there wrong about all top 30's are reaches. With wake and unc, UCSB being the easiest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent of senior. Mind blowing reversal of fortune in the last week or so, especially yesterday. My own kid came away with several acceptances and waitlists yesterday and we were absolutely stunned given our diminished expectations. It seems like everything is falling into place for many kids. This may turn out to be a very strong year. One thing is clear; I have absolutely no clue about how this whole process really works, despite having gone through it for the last year and a half. I am more confused than ever. And, truthfully, I am a bit embarrassed by how much mindshare I invested in it amid more consequential things like a global pandemic and a war in a Europe.

At the end of the day, I am grateful, especially for the relentless effort of the Sidwell CCO.

meh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent of senior. Mind blowing reversal of fortune in the last week or so, especially yesterday. My own kid came away with several acceptances and waitlists yesterday and we were absolutely stunned given our diminished expectations. It seems like everything is falling into place for many kids. This may turn out to be a very strong year. One thing is clear; I have absolutely no clue about how this whole process really works, despite having gone through it for the last year and a half. I am more confused than ever. And, truthfully, I am a bit embarrassed by how much mindshare I invested in it amid more consequential things like a global pandemic and a war in a Europe.

At the end of the day, I am grateful, especially for the relentless effort of the Sidwell CCO.

What are the things that the CCO did that you are grateful for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened with all those Michigan applications? I heard that something like 80 kids applied…at our public school, Michigan was unbelievably unpredictable. Most highest ranked/highest stats kids deferred EA, while plenty others accepted. In RD, it has been equally mixed. No rhyme or reason.

At our public, it was all stats driven as usual.