SWW - when do notices go out about interviews?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I looked at Student Enrollment Pathways by Public School, SY21-22 to SY22-23 https://edscape.dc.gov/node/1640846

and I remember looking at related spreadsheet data, source I can't remember...

my takeaway was for SWW, half of the freshman class (like 77 students) was roughly 1/3 Deal students, 1/3 Hardy students and 1/3 "not in audit" which I feel comfortable guessing is "private schools (and transfers into DCPS not from any DCPS or PCS schools)" and then the other half (like 75 was made up of a couple dozen n<10 DCPS and PCS schools.

Meaning that for all but two schools, there are probably onesie-twosie admissions to SWW as a very normal pattern.

Except zero for middle schools from Wards 7 and 8.

So, instead of increasing diversity, scrapping the admissions exam just made admission more of a lottery for the usual schools.

The school has increased diversity in the past two years. A smaller percent of kids have been coming from Deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I looked at Student Enrollment Pathways by Public School, SY21-22 to SY22-23 https://edscape.dc.gov/node/1640846

and I remember looking at related spreadsheet data, source I can't remember...

my takeaway was for SWW, half of the freshman class (like 77 students) was roughly 1/3 Deal students, 1/3 Hardy students and 1/3 "not in audit" which I feel comfortable guessing is "private schools (and transfers into DCPS not from any DCPS or PCS schools)" and then the other half (like 75 was made up of a couple dozen n<10 DCPS and PCS schools.

Meaning that for all but two schools, there are probably onesie-twosie admissions to SWW as a very normal pattern.

Except zero for middle schools from Wards 7 and 8.

So, instead of increasing diversity, scrapping the admissions exam just made admission more of a lottery for the usual schools.

The school has increased diversity in the past two years. A smaller percent of kids have been coming from Deal.

What is the data in diversity?

[Anonymous]

Since I have a son at Walls I know that they only accept juniors and seniors to do the admissions process. Other grades can only do greetings and answer questions. Also not just any kid who signs up can be an interviewer. My son signed up but since his brother was coming on Saturday they didn't let him do that day. Regardless to if he was going to interview him or not. If a child knows the interviewer through any way they are supposed to leave the room and vice versa.

I would like to note that when my elder son had HIS interview his student interviewer was in charge of the drama club and so they talked about that for the majority of the interview. On the other hand, my youngest's shared none of the same passions as his so the interview ended pretty stale when he tried to convey them.

Even though I don't agree with what some of the mom's here are saying I do agree that the teenage interviewing system is unfair. You could either get a person you connect with or not which makes it harder. However since the kids who get picked to do them aren't just any random student I know that they wouldn't chose based on gender, race, or anything else like that.

Hopefully that changed some people's views on the interview process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the data it looks like more than 50% of applicants are accepted

It sounds like you're looking at the myschoolsdc profile and assuming that the number of lottery "matches" + length of the waitlist = total applications, but that is incorrect. Most of the 1500+ students who apply each year do not get an interview and are not placed on the waitlist at all. The waitlist is made up of the students who were interviewed but did not get an offer on lottery day.

But it's true that more than 50% of students who are interviewed typically get an offer by Sept. 1. Here's that data:

2023: 190 lottery matches + 150 on waitlist = 340 total interviews. 233 offers extended (68.5%)
2022: 170 lottery matches + 211 on waitlist = 381 total interviews. 239 offers extended (62.7%)
2021: 143 lottery matches + 270 on waitlist = 313 total interviews. 238 offers extended (76.0%)

You can find more results here: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

Almost right, except that not all kids that interviewed got put on the WL. At least in 2021, when my kid was applying that was true. More like 500 kids interviewed that year.

How could they leave someone off the waitlist after they were interviewed? Why would they do that?

Apparently they did, though I cannot say why. I remember the incensed posts on DCUM from families whose kids were not put on the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since I have a son at Walls I know that they only accept juniors and seniors to do the admissions process. Other grades can only do greetings and answer questions. Also not just any kid who signs up can be an interviewer. My son signed up but since his brother was coming on Saturday they didn't let him do that day. Regardless to if he was going to interview him or not. If a child knows the interviewer through any way they are supposed to leave the room and vice versa.

I would like to note that when my elder son had HIS interview his student interviewer was in charge of the drama club and so they talked about that for the majority of the interview. On the other hand, my youngest's shared none of the same passions as his so the interview ended pretty stale when he tried to convey them.

Even though I don't agree with what some of the mom's here are saying I do agree that the teenage interviewing system is unfair. You could either get a person you connect with or not which makes it harder. However since the kids who get picked to do them aren't just any random student I know that they wouldn't chose based on gender, race, or anything else like that.

Hopefully that changed some people's views on the interview process.

You don't think something like gender, race, or if a kid is autistic could affect how they connect with an interviewer? That's one of the ways bias works. When I interview applicants for the same role, I have a consistent set of questions and I know what I'm looking for in the responses so that I can minimize that. From what you've said, that's the opposite of what's happening here, so that's exactly the kind of environment where a kid who is different or awkward would get penalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I looked at Student Enrollment Pathways by Public School, SY21-22 to SY22-23 https://edscape.dc.gov/node/1640846

and I remember looking at related spreadsheet data, source I can't remember...

my takeaway was for SWW, half of the freshman class (like 77 students) was roughly 1/3 Deal students, 1/3 Hardy students and 1/3 "not in audit" which I feel comfortable guessing is "private schools (and transfers into DCPS not from any DCPS or PCS schools)" and then the other half (like 75 was made up of a couple dozen n<10 DCPS and PCS schools.

Meaning that for all but two schools, there are probably onesie-twosie admissions to SWW as a very normal pattern.

Except zero for middle schools from Wards 7 and 8.

So, instead of increasing diversity, scrapping the admissions exam just made admission more of a lottery for the usual schools.

The school has increased diversity in the past two years. A smaller percent of kids have been coming from Deal.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since I have a son at Walls I know that they only accept juniors and seniors to do the admissions process. Other grades can only do greetings and answer questions. Also not just any kid who signs up can be an interviewer. My son signed up but since his brother was coming on Saturday they didn't let him do that day. Regardless to if he was going to interview him or not. If a child knows the interviewer through any way they are supposed to leave the room and vice versa.

I would like to note that when my elder son had HIS interview his student interviewer was in charge of the drama club and so they talked about that for the majority of the interview. On the other hand, my youngest's shared none of the same passions as his so the interview ended pretty stale when he tried to convey them.

Even though I don't agree with what some of the mom's here are saying I do agree that the teenage interviewing system is unfair. You could either get a person you connect with or not which makes it harder. However since the kids who get picked to do them aren't just any random student I know that they wouldn't chose based on gender, race, or anything else like that.

Hopefully that changed some people's views on the interview process.

You don't think something like gender, race, or if a kid is autistic could affect how they connect with an interviewer? That's one of the ways bias works. When I interview applicants for the same role, I have a consistent set of questions and I know what I'm looking for in the responses so that I can minimize that. From what you've said, that's the opposite of what's happening here, so that's exactly the kind of environment where a kid who is different or awkward would get penalized.

FWIW, I'm not PP but my kid participated as an interviewer this past weekend. They had to do implicit bias training beforehand and were given a list of questions to ask and ways to grade responses. Not that that's a substitute for the expertise of an educator or interviewer, nor do I think the process is well constructed. But they have at least tried to do *some* things right!

[Anonymous]

This whole thread has only confirmed my belief that if you're looking for something to be negative about, you are going to find it. We went through the interview process last year and I find the comments about hormonal teenagers thinking with their private parts to be insulting and hilarious at the same time. I am glad some parents have weighed in here on the training teens go through to be involved in the interviews. I would assume that to be the case but I doubt that is going to assuage the negative posters here just looking for problems.

I think having upperclassmen involved in the interviews is a plus because 1) it provides students with leadership opportunities; and 2) it can make interviews less stressful for students not accustomed to them - rather than a panel of teachers you have a teacher and someone your age. It also allowed us as parents during our Q&A time to find out about the student experience at the school. Our kid's interview was fine. They were not fluff questions but they were about getting to know the student. My child answered questions based on their academic interests and those happened to be things that fit in with a relevant club and class at the school, so it showed they would be a good fit at the school.

I doubt this will change anyone's mind but what I've read on here just has not been our experience. The issue is that the number of amazing kids in DC far outstrips the number of available spots. I think that's really why the interview process is a good thing, because it helps identify those kids who are most interested in Walls and the academic topics that most apply to the school's strengths.

[Anonymous]

Yes I definitely agree with this because there ARE so many great kids in DC. That is why I think people shouldn't be offended or hurt if they don't get in. There's just too many to pick from and no system is ever perfect. Parents just because your kid is high achieving it doesn't mean that others' aren't.

[Anonymous]

Can someone tell me how to reply to posts im new

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me how to reply to posts im new

Click the quote button of the post you want to respond to. Its in the top right corner of the post.

[Anonymous]

Did I do it
T?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did I do it
T?

Is this how it works?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread has only confirmed my belief that if you're looking for something to be negative about, you are going to find it. We went through the interview process last year and I find the comments about hormonal teenagers thinking with their private parts to be insulting and hilarious at the same time. I am glad some parents have weighed in here on the training teens go through to be involved in the interviews. I would assume that to be the case but I doubt that is going to assuage the negative posters here just looking for problems.

I think having upperclassmen involved in the interviews is a plus because 1) it provides students with leadership opportunities; and 2) it can make interviews less stressful for students not accustomed to them - rather than a panel of teachers you have a teacher and someone your age. It also allowed us as parents during our Q&A time to find out about the student experience at the school. Our kid's interview was fine. They were not fluff questions but they were about getting to know the student. My child answered questions based on their academic interests and those happened to be things that fit in with a relevant club and class at the school, so it showed they would be a good fit at the school.

I doubt this will change anyone's mind but what I've read on here just has not been our experience. The issue is that the number of amazing kids in DC far outstrips the number of available spots. I think that's really why the interview process is a good thing, because it helps identify those kids who are most interested in Walls and the academic topics that most apply to the school's strengths.

People like to find an excuse before a result is even known. The process is what it is and complaining on a blog won't change anything.

All things are excuses why my kid won't be admitted-the test, lack of the test, student interviewer, bad teacher interview, recommendations, kids from private schools, train ride too far, shy kid, etc. The saddest thing is that most didn't even read the rubric or even understand the process. Keep at it "keyboard warriors" you'll get that result one day......................

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did I do it
T?

Is this how it works?

Yep, you got it.