private school admissions--what sets kids apart?
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Anonymous
What did you do that wouldn’t have been obvious to others? We have been accepted to 2nd tier schools only and WL at first tier. I still don’t understand why. ISEE scores 7,8,9,9; national placement in science; city recognition for art portfolio (submitted to school); plays 4 sports; UMC family that is active at K-8; parent recognized for school donations; well written parent statements and student essay. Applied to top tier in K, 6, and 9 - all WL. I know legacy kids with lower stats who get in. The non-legacy kids (very view) who do get in have similar stats. What did you do differently? |
Anonymous
You know the answer to your question here. Legacy matters to these schools, so those students got in. The non-legacy kids who got in got lucky. Your kid sounds impressive and why they weren't chosen to Tier 1 schools has nothing to do with your child. Embrace the school that chose them (they SEE your child) and set your eyes on a college that will also be proud to have them. |
Anonymous
| I think who you know in the school is a big factor. If you know someone on the Board, you are pretty much guaranteed acceptance. Legacy and pedigree also matters. There are a lot of smart kids applying and the top schools have very limited spots so it’s not always the brightest kids that are getting accepted. It’s a mixture of legacy, pedigree, who you know in the school, siblings, etc. I actually think test scores and extracurriculars don’t matter as much. Also how are we even supposed to know test scores where schools have their own admission tests such as Potomac? We were never told our child’s score. |
Anonymous
Did you ask the HoS at your K-8 why your child was not admitted to top tier for 9th? HoS at St Pats, Lowell, Sheridan, Norwood would know. |
Anonymous
I should add that one year, one of our children was not admitted, because he said that he was stressed about getting good grades, because it was an exmission year. Between that comment and a few other things he said, the school concluded he was being put under too much pressure. If you have a good relationship with your former HoS you should be able to ask, and if you don’t, there’s your answer. |
Anonymous
Yes, I asked, but I feel like I got a 'non-answer' - "competition was steep and there were just so many great kids and not enough spots". It just seems like other "great kids" similar to mine get the spots and never my kid. Oh well, my focus is on my younger ones now and I'm not sure top tier is for them - I'm tempted to send them there the older ones went for simplicity. |
Anonymous
Not much, but for 9th my child did have better, nearly perfect test scores and literally perfect grades. That took a lot of effort on their part. We also kept/made connections at each of the schools so we had recommendations at each school. We sought advice from the principal at our sending school on fit. We attended admissions events as well as games and performances offered to applicants to help reinforce connection to the school. I think the trick is to do all this stuff without seeming creepy and desperate and that is a very tricky balance to strike. Also, I get it that kids with mediocre stats are also successful and I don’t have any explanation for that. |
Anonymous
Your emphasis on "first tier" and "2nd tier" could be your answer. |
Anonymous
Are you saying there isn't a pecking order in high schools or just that it is supposed to remain unsaid? |
Anonymous
You’re saying too much of the quiet part out loud. Also focused too much on rankings instead of showing fit. You’re supposed to say things like “Jr wants to go to the library every day to learn after school and is looking for a school where there are more kids like her,” not “we’re looking for Jr to be in a top tier school.” This is also internally in your K-8 discussions with teachers and administrators. If you don’t show you know why your daughter would be a better fit at NCS than Holton beyond that NCS is ranked first, especially if administrators think Holton would also be a fit or might be a better fit, they may not bat for you with NCS. |
Anonymous
Also this question can be read as narrow-minded or myopic, which can be a turn-off. Administrators may have a different perspective they want to share and may find parents who are active listeners to their differing perspective more attractive. |
Anonymous
So gross and eye-rolly. How do you do that crap and not vomit all over yourselves? You know in 20 years NONE of this will matter! |
Anonymous
I don’t. But I know people who do, and do so successfully. I also think this practice is completely unfair. For all these schools’ talk about systemic bias no one seems to realize that parents of most kids coming from underprivileged backgrounds don’t know don’t have time to learn the difference between Sidwell and GDS. They just want their kids to go to the best schools and “get ahead,” sometimes without much of an idea of what that means. It’s unfair to ask them to have a reason to want to a school beyond “I want the best for my child.” |
Anonymous
Obviously, it will still matter to these PPs. And their kids will remember that their parents kept pushing them and were disappointed when they failed to get into certain schools. |
Anonymous
Unfair and hypocritical. Yes, you are getting it now. |