College Acceptances for Washington Latin High School

[Anonymous]

So Washington Latin took out an add in the Washington Post "Local Living" section congratulating their seniors on acceptances to college, with a list of colleges at which they were accepted.

It is a thoroughly mediocre list - barely a top 50 or top 100 school in the bunch.

I am not a Latin basher - I have a student that will be attending next year. But his list worries me. Does anyone have any insight into Latin HS? Is the list of college acceptances driven by demographics? By availability of financial aid? Or is it something worse? Are they not pushing students hard enough, or do they not have good college counseling?

I would like my student to be able to attend Latin for middle school and high school, and get into a good college. I hope I can be confident that Latin students get into good colleges!

[Anonymous]

which schools are on the list?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:which schools are on the list?

It's a long list - 4 columns Just to give you an example, here are the first five in each column

Albright College
Allegheny College of Maryland
American U
Bethune-Cookman
Bowie State

Hampershire College
Hofstra U.
Hollins University
Iona College
Jacksonville Univ.

NOVA
Oberlin
Ohio U
Old Dominion
Pace Univeristy

George Washington
U of Tampa
Coast Guard Academy
U of Akron
U of Denver

Outside of U of Maryland,there does not appear to be a strong flagship state college in the list at all.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. Odd that they'd asvertise it if they're all mediocre. Do a lot of the kids go from the middle to the high school or is there a peeling off at that point?

[Anonymous]

Their list of all acceptances since 2012 - their first graduating class - is on their website.

[Anonymous]

That's a strange way too do it. Seems like that list would turn off the families most likely to be college focused. I see better names than that on any random drive through town.

[Anonymous]

This is DC, where 40% of kids don't even graduate high school.

Congratulations to these kids for not only making it through high school, but getting into college.

[Anonymous]

Jesus, how obtuse are you people? Consider what most kids in DC do.

FWIW, I had terrific scores and grades and I went to a school in that same range as those listed above because it is where I got the best scholarship. In my HS, which was probably similar to Latin, my acceptance into that school and scholarships (as well as those of others like me) was a source of pride for the teachers.

Maybe it seems unsophisticated now, but for the first person in a family going to college it is a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:which schools are on the list?

It's a long list - 4 columns Just to give you an example, here are the first five in each column

Albright College
Allegheny College of Maryland
American U
Bethune-Cookman
Bowie State

Hampershire College
Hofstra U.
Hollins University
Iona College
Jacksonville Univ.

NOVA
Oberlin
Ohio U
Old Dominion
Pace Univeristy

George Washington
U of Tampa
Coast Guard Academy
U of Akron
U of Denver

Outside of U of Maryland,there does not appear to be a strong flagship state college in the list at all.

I work in admissions and suggest you may need to do a little reading up on what the latest in "great colleges" is. The "flagship state college" meme that seems to be with you might just not be there the way it was when you grew up. Between your college admissions experience and theirs is an entire generation of major upheaval in the higher education sector, including massive spending cuts to "flagship state schools" such as those in the UC system, but not only. MD isn't what it used to be. Star MD faculty are now at GU, GWU, and AU, for example. They couldn't take it anymore.

In short, read up, then report back.

[Anonymous]

So why are the students not going to a strong flagship state school? Maybe they got a better aid package.
Maybe these schools are places that have a program where the student will be successful?

Coast Guard Academy, Oberlin, GW, AU all have nationally recognized programs.

Congratulations Latin Students!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus, how obtuse are you people? Consider what most kids in DC do.

FWIW, I had terrific scores and grades and I went to a school in that same range as those listed above because it is where I got the best scholarship. In my HS, which was probably similar to Latin, my acceptance into that school and scholarships (as well as those of others like me) was a source of pride for the teachers.

Maybe it seems unsophisticated now, but for the first person in a family going to college it is a big deal.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus, how obtuse are you people? Consider what most kids in DC do.

FWIW, I had terrific scores and grades and I went to a school in that same range as those listed above because it is where I got the best scholarship. In my HS, which was probably similar to Latin, my acceptance into that school and scholarships (as well as those of others like me) was a source of pride for the teachers.

Maybe it seems unsophisticated now, but for the first person in a family going to college it is a big deal.

A valid point. But for those of us in a different demographic (ie, high income, not the first in our family to attend college), this is a disappointing list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:which schools are on the list?

It's a long list - 4 columns Just to give you an example, here are the first five in each column

Albright College
Allegheny College of Maryland
American U
Bethune-Cookman
Bowie State

Hampershire College
Hofstra U.
Hollins University
Iona College
Jacksonville Univ.

NOVA
Oberlin
Ohio U
Old Dominion
Pace Univeristy

George Washington
U of Tampa
Coast Guard Academy
U of Akron
U of Denver

Outside of U of Maryland,there does not appear to be a strong flagship state college in the list at all.

I work in admissions and suggest you may need to do a little reading up on what the latest in "great colleges" is. The "flagship state college" meme that seems to be with you might just not be there the way it was when you grew up. Between your college admissions experience and theirs is an entire generation of major upheaval in the higher education sector, including massive spending cuts to "flagship state schools" such as those in the UC system, but not only. MD isn't what it used to be. Star MD faculty are now at GU, GWU, and AU, for example. They couldn't take it anymore.

In short, read up, then report back.

Thank you - perhaps the list is better than it appears to me.

[Anonymous]

22:25 is right. Latin is doing a great job with a highly diverse population. And scholarship money is key---given that DC TAG is only $10K/year---and that doesn't even get you to 50% of in-state tuition at most "flagship" public universities. If you look at the acceptance list for the last 4 years on the school's website---you will see a number of acceptances to top 25 colleges.

[Anonymous]

22:33---i will tell you that I know two recent Latin grads who share your SES/educational family profile who are at Georgetown and UCLA---so those Latin grads seem to have done just fine.