Bi-racial child and elite schools

[Anonymous]

We're very new to this and are curious if our 1 month old bi-racial baby has a shot an the Washington elite privates due to her heritage? She is half white/half middle eastern and her grampa was an ambassador.

Do these things make a difference in admissions?

[Anonymous]

Your child will be fine. Step onto an elite private campus and you will see how amazingly diverse the student body is; culturally, ethnically, racially, socio-economically, etc. as long as they are qualified academically, your child will fit right in.

[Anonymous]

Your child isn't considered bi-racial. She is half white and... half white, as people from the Middle East are considered white.

[Anonymous]

Isn't middle eastern white?

[Anonymous]

Do you mean, will it give her a leg up?

Ha.

Elite schools first look at the student's academic record (for preschool, they look at cooperation and overall level of comfort during the playdate). Then they look at the "whole child" (extra-curriculars, etc). Then at the parents, and their ability to fit in socially and donate. Race is NOT a factor on the east coast when you are rich.

[Anonymous]

NP here. Would the grandfather's status as an ex-ambassador affect the chance of admission? Do they even ask about that kind of information or do the parents have to slip it into the conversation during an interview? I am hoping the answer is "no" and it's not like that information would bring any money or influence to the school.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend that you just enjoy your newborn baby. Live in the moment. That is where the joy is.

At the rate you are going, you'll be plotting her college application strategy by the time she is just learning to sit up on her own.

[Anonymous]

I call troll. That is ridiculous OP. You have a long time before you have to worry about this and who knows? The application process may change by then. But, as other posters have said -- your kid is not going to be considered bi-racial and please don't check that box. They will call "b.s." on you when they meet the kid.

[Anonymous]

Why is everyone being mean? I want to ensure we raise a wonderful child and that includes thinking ahead and trying to get her into the best schools possible.

[Anonymous]

You can be mixed with anything..as long as it's not Black you will have zero problems in DC elite schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can be mixed with anything..as long as it's not Black you will have zero problems in DC elite schools

Do black kids not have a shot? Why?

[Anonymous]

If gramps went to one of the elite privates and donated gobs of money to the school it might make a difference. Otherwise no - ex-ambassadors are a dime a dozen around here. Now if he were ambassador to the Vatican and you are interested in Catholic school that might help because that means he's probably well known in Catholic circles.

[Anonymous]

There are a good number of half-black half-white kids at our school, fwiw...

To the PP who asked, at the schools we applied to (Top 3/5), there was no place to naturally or reasonably mention the grandfather's ex job by any stretch of the imagination. It could only really come out by the parents forcing it into an answer to another question about the family (like, "Our family has a long-established love of travel, harkening back to when MOM's father was the ambassador from ___ to the United States." ) I think it would come across as a little pretentious, and given the families around here, it would not really be the be-all-end-all to any admissions team, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone being mean? I want to ensure we raise a wonderful child and that includes thinking ahead and trying to get her into the best schools possible.

We're being mean because your either a troll or worse yet, clueless. My DH is middle eastern too and guess what... He's white! Your child is not a URM no matter how you try to coach it. So if indeed you do have an infant and your sitting around dreaming up angles to give you a leg up for admission that into Sidwell or GDS you're unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone being mean? I want to ensure we raise a wonderful child and that includes thinking ahead and trying to get her into the best schools possible.

Because you are talking like an idiot. Some of the elite private schools have significant percentages of bi-racial or multi-racial students. It is an everyday occurrence in D.C., which has come a long way toward being a cosmopolitan place to live and raise a family. Plus your child is an infant. Please chill the fuck out.