Turning down admissions offers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

GDS, NCS, Maret, Holton, STA - if you want intense/rigorous.

Many more if you want a gentler school experience.

I can’t imagine choosing any of those schools over Sidwell (especially NCS/STA if you’re seeking a “gentler school experience”). If I’m paying anything close to $50K annually, I’m going for the school with the best overall reputation and name recognition…and that’s objectively Sidwell.

To each his/her own.

We didn’t even apply to Sidwell. Enrolling at Beauvoir for greatest chance at the Cathedral Schools. I was totally unimpressed with Sidwell.

Really????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

Other than Basis in McLean, I can think of good reasons to turn down Sidwell for nearly any private school in the area (albeit not the same reasons in each case) and, could also see choosing Sidwell above any other. Assuming, of course, you care more about your kid's experience than the magnet on the back of your overpriced SUV.

Agree. “… the best overall reputation and name recognition …” should not be the reason you pick a school for your child. Unless you don’t much care if it is the right school for them (rather than for you).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

GDS, NCS, Maret, Holton, STA - if you want intense/rigorous.

Many more if you want a gentler school experience.

I can’t imagine choosing any of those schools over Sidwell (especially NCS/STA if you’re seeking a “gentler school experience”). If I’m paying anything close to $50K annually, I’m going for the school with the best overall reputation and name recognition…and that’s objectively Sidwell.

To each his/her own.

We didn’t even apply to Sidwell. Enrolling at Beauvoir for greatest chance at the Cathedral Schools. I was totally unimpressed with Sidwell.

Really????

Another person here for 9th grade. Applied to Sidwell because of reputation. Of the other well regarded privates, it seemed like the least energetic and engaged though teachers seemed great. It was lowest on our list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For a competitive school you will not be offered a spot again if you turn it down.

This. Just do what you have to do with eyes open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

Other than Basis in McLean, I can think of good reasons to turn down Sidwell for nearly any private school in the area (albeit not the same reasons in each case) and, could also see choosing Sidwell above any other. Assuming, of course, you care more about your kid's experience than the magnet on the back of your overpriced SUV.

No plausible reason to turn down BIM for Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

We didn’t even apply to Sidwell. Enrolling at Beauvoir for greatest chance at the Cathedral Schools. I was totally unimpressed with Sidwell.

Really????

PP here - yes. I'm from the NE. None of these schools are as strong as the top ones in NYC or the NE boarding. I truly don't understand the Sidwell obsession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

GDS, NCS, Maret, Holton, STA - if you want intense/rigorous.

Many more if you want a gentler school experience.

I can’t imagine choosing any of those schools over Sidwell (especially NCS/STA if you’re seeking a “gentler school experience”). If I’m paying anything close to $50K annually, I’m going for the school with the best overall reputation and name recognition…and that’s objectively Sidwell.

To each his/her own.

We didn’t even apply to Sidwell. Enrolling at Beauvoir for greatest chance at the Cathedral Schools. I was totally unimpressed with Sidwell.

As I said earlier, to each his own…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t even apply to Sidwell. Enrolling at Beauvoir for greatest chance at the Cathedral Schools. I was totally unimpressed with Sidwell.

Really????

PP here - yes. I'm from the NE. None of these schools are as strong as the top ones in NYC or the NE boarding. I truly don't understand the Sidwell obsession.

It’s highly debatable that all “top” NYC private schools are stronger than Sidwell. It’s also irrelevant. I live in DC so I’m not sending my children to school in NYC. I’m also not sending them to boarding school because I actually like my children and I would like to see them on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

It's surprising to me that others had a bad experience with Sidwell during the admissions process. I thought their admissions staff was really great. Beauvoir, on the other hand, was a horrid experience. During the play visit they didn't bother to offer a tour and the head of school walked straight past me, ignoring my "hello" as I was sitting in their coffee less waiting area. So when we got offers from both Sidwell and Beauvoir, it was an easy choice between the two - we chose Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

Other than Basis in McLean, I can think of good reasons to turn down Sidwell for nearly any private school in the area (albeit not the same reasons in each case) and, could also see choosing Sidwell above any other. Assuming, of course, you care more about your kid's experience than the magnet on the back of your overpriced SUV.

No plausible reason to turn down BIM for Sidwell?

No plausible reason to turn down Sidwell for BIM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

Just curious if your kids have friends who go there or you know families who have been in the US recently? We chose not to even apply to Sidwell. Chose Potomac over it but would have also been happy at GDS and we liked Maret (but our kids did not)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

Just curious if your kids have friends who go there or you know families who have been in the US recently? We chose not to even apply to Sidwell. Chose Potomac over it but would have also been happy at GDS and we liked Maret (but our kids did not)

Yes, I know seven families (LS/MS/US) with children at Sidwell. I’ve spoken with all of them and, without exception, they told me that their children are having a great experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
PP here - yes. I'm from the NE. None of these schools are as strong as the top ones in NYC or the NE boarding. I truly don't understand the Sidwell obsession.

+1 (not from NE, but familiar with several schools elsewhere)

Before moving to metro DC, only the Cathedral schools were really on our radar. (I’ve since become impressed with Sidwell’s marketing skills, but no chance we would apply there, which should make Sidwell fans happy.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
PP here - yes. I'm from the NE. None of these schools are as strong as the top ones in NYC or the NE boarding. I truly don't understand the Sidwell obsession.

+1 (not from NE, but familiar with several schools elsewhere)

Before moving to metro DC, only the Cathedral schools were really on our radar. (I’ve since become impressed with Sidwell’s marketing skills, but no chance we would apply there, which should make Sidwell fans happy.)

If you live in DC, why does it matter if NE boarding/NYC private schools are “better” than Sidwell (and that’s highly debatable). Are you planning to have your child commute from DC to NYC to attend school everyday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
PP here - yes. I'm from the NE. None of these schools are as strong as the top ones in NYC or the NE boarding. I truly don't understand the Sidwell obsession.

+1 (not from NE, but familiar with several schools elsewhere)

Before moving to metro DC, only the Cathedral schools were really on our radar. (I’ve since become impressed with Sidwell’s marketing skills, but no chance we would apply there, which should make Sidwell fans happy.)

If you live in DC, why does it matter if NE boarding/NYC private schools are “better” than Sidwell (and that’s highly debatable). Are you planning to have your child commute from DC to NYC to attend school everyday?

PP did not read the bit quoted above where it says “not from NE”. The question posed above is irrelevant to the previous comment which was cited.

There are several local privates we would seriously consider, but Sidwell is not on that list. We would not apply there. Clearly, some folks love Sidwell and they can send their DC to Sidwell. We will not. Degustibus non disputantum est.