GDS - Wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

There are gds kids this year who have committed to ivies that are not athletic recruits or legacies - but not that many.

Re ‘similarly difficult admits’ - it seems of unhooked non-legacy top students at gds get into/attend, northwestern, Williams, vandy and other tough admits.

I’m guessing many other top private schools in dmv have similar experiences.

And as was noted before most legacy kids don’t get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

(GDS student back) 4/16 of the Ivy admits this year were legacies. That's 1/4, which isn't really that high surprisingly (I'm kind of shocked lol), I thought it would be more. This isn't including schools like Barnard, Williams, (crazy good schools though!) these are the "true" Ivies. But of course, not everyone has posted their acceptances yet/decided so there's more to come. I've heard lots of chatter in the hallway of people choosing which Ivy their going to go to, and I know they haven't posted on the Instagram account yet. My advice to still apply if your child is passionate about going to that school. As you can see many people got in (12) that did not have that legacy connection. If your child is a very good student and you think they have a chance at getting in, I say you should go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my gosh. This thread is insane. I'm sorry to bring it back, but I got told by my friend at GDS (yes I am a student) to look at this thread, and I'm so glad I did because this is hilarious but also really disappointing. It's crazy to me that some (not all) parents on here are so wildly competitive with people they don't even know, about decisions they AREN'T MAKING.

If I'm going to be completely honest, I think GDS, Sidwell, Maret, St Albans, Holton, etc. are the same... it really just depends on your CHILD and what classes/extracurriculars they are taking that gets them into an Ivy League college. (Also, of course legacy helps too, duh) Please pick a DMV school where you think that you will feel at home!

I think it's important to note that the success of GDS does not take away from another school's, such as Sidwell. One more acceptance to Harvard from GDS than Sidwell means nothing in the grand scheme of things, it could be totally different the next year! College acceptances are very unpredictable. I think we should be happy for everyone who worked incredibly hard at all these schools and had their hard work pay off when they got accepted to a college. Going to an Ivy League college does not mean you are going to be set for life, and it does not guarantee happiness.

I find it really interesting that the parents of children who go to these schools have such bad blood. I have many close friends across different DMV private schools, and we NEVER argue about whose school is better! We recognize the other as an equal (I sound very GDS right now lol), and wish the other the best with their college applications.

Also lastly, I'd like to apologize on behalf of some of the GDS parents on this thread. I have never actually met a parent or student who has acted that way, and I hope I never do haha. I can assure you most GDS HS parents are not like that, certainly not mine or my friends! Congratulations to everyone who has a child going to college next year, I'm sure this year has been a whirlwind.

Well said, I'm happy to know we have young people like you in our DMV area. (a private school parent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

(GDS student back) 4/16 of the Ivy admits this year were legacies. That's 1/4, which isn't really that high surprisingly (I'm kind of shocked lol), I thought it would be more. This isn't including schools like Barnard, Williams, (crazy good schools though!) these are the "true" Ivies. But of course, not everyone has posted their acceptances yet/decided so there's more to come. I've heard lots of chatter in the hallway of people choosing which Ivy their going to go to, and I know they haven't posted on the Instagram account yet. My advice to still apply if your child is passionate about going to that school. As you can see many people got in (12) that did not have that legacy connection. If your child is a very good student and you think they have a chance at getting in, I say you should go for it.

More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

(GDS student back) 4/16 of the Ivy admits this year were legacies. That's 1/4, which isn't really that high surprisingly (I'm kind of shocked lol), I thought it would be more. This isn't including schools like Barnard, Williams, (crazy good schools though!) these are the "true" Ivies. But of course, not everyone has posted their acceptances yet/decided so there's more to come. I've heard lots of chatter in the hallway of people choosing which Ivy their going to go to, and I know they haven't posted on the Instagram account yet. My advice to still apply if your child is passionate about going to that school. As you can see many people got in (12) that did not have that legacy connection. If your child is a very good student and you think they have a chance at getting in, I say you should go for it.

More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

How do both of you know this? GDS student, is there some sort of directory that tells you parents names, and you then look them up? And for PP, how do you know? If you're going off just last name, you could be getting the wrong parents. (genuinely curious, but if this compromises anonymity you don't have to respond.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

(GDS student back) 4/16 of the Ivy admits this year were legacies. That's 1/4, which isn't really that high surprisingly (I'm kind of shocked lol), I thought it would be more. This isn't including schools like Barnard, Williams, (crazy good schools though!) these are the "true" Ivies. But of course, not everyone has posted their acceptances yet/decided so there's more to come. I've heard lots of chatter in the hallway of people choosing which Ivy their going to go to, and I know they haven't posted on the Instagram account yet. My advice to still apply if your child is passionate about going to that school. As you can see many people got in (12) that did not have that legacy connection. If your child is a very good student and you think they have a chance at getting in, I say you should go for it.

More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

How do both of you know this? GDS student, is there some sort of directory that tells you parents names, and you then look them up? And for PP, how do you know? If you're going off just last name, you could be getting the wrong parents. (genuinely curious, but if this compromises anonymity you don't have to respond.)

GDS parent responding. It’s not a huge school and I have personal knowledge of many families in the way one does after a certain number of years together in a community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here. Is it even worth applying to an Ivy (or similarly difficult admit) from GDS if student is not a legacy?

Why would the answer be any different for GDS students who are Ivy legacies? Are you suggesting that they can only apply to that one Ivy (whether it's a good fit or not), but not to any of the others?

PPs have said that many, if not most, of the Ivy admits are legacies. I'm asking whether - given the significant number of GDS legacy students at a particular school - it's basically a wasted application (especially ED or SCEA) if the applicant is not a legacy at that school.

(GDS student back) 4/16 of the Ivy admits this year were legacies. That's 1/4, which isn't really that high surprisingly (I'm kind of shocked lol), I thought it would be more. This isn't including schools like Barnard, Williams, (crazy good schools though!) these are the "true" Ivies. But of course, not everyone has posted their acceptances yet/decided so there's more to come. I've heard lots of chatter in the hallway of people choosing which Ivy their going to go to, and I know they haven't posted on the Instagram account yet. My advice to still apply if your child is passionate about going to that school. As you can see many people got in (12) that did not have that legacy connection. If your child is a very good student and you think they have a chance at getting in, I say you should go for it.

More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

GDS student. You're right, and I was wrong. I know 6 legacies of the now 17 Ivy League bound students, I mistakenly didn't think about graduate school, I just saw undergrad and went with that. That is my fault, thank you for helping me realize that, I don't want to spread misinformation. Also for the other question posted about how I know this; yes there is a directory that shows parents, but like the GDS parent said above, you get to know the families as it is a small school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

Graduate school doesn't count as legacy, so please stop whining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More than 4 of the Ivy admits are legacies. Some have parents who went to graduate school at the Ivy that their kid was admitted to - and are very prominent professionals. I count at least 7 and that’s just the ones I know at the top of my head. I don’t know all the families well.

Graduate school doesn't count as legacy, so please stop whining.

I think it counts at Penn and Princeton. Not sure about others.
Grandparents count at Penn also. Not sure about other ivies

[Anonymous]

Blah blah many privates have more total ivies for their classes this year and many still haven’t put them up on Instagram. Every Ivy is represented at our school- some more than once, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blah blah many privates have more total ivies for their classes this year and many still haven’t put them up on Instagram. Every Ivy is represented at our school- some more than once, etc.

It’s been such an uncommonly stellar Ivy year at our private.
Almost record-breaking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of GDS’s Ivy admits are legacy? I’ve heard it’s a lot.

My child is a GDS senior. At least 9 ivies aren't legacies.
Seems to be most.

Yes - many if not most are legacies. Not huge high profile giving Jared kushner type $ but they have a parent(s) who graduates of these schools. Same it seems is true at all big 3 - for ivies at least - not UChicago etc.

As a big3 parent, I can tell you parents who are alums of ivies are a dime a dozen. For example, in my DC’s class alone there are 3 other parents in my exact HYP graduating class in college. I don’t know where other parents went to school but I know the ones in my college class so that’s just a sample. I also interview for my Hyp and I interview legacies all the time. Mostly they don’t get in.

So it is a useful barometer to know that these are mostly legacies getting in if you are thinking about applying to one of these high schools and wondering if it enhances your kids chances. If there are 15 ivies out of 130 - no that doesn’t mean your kid has one in ten chance or whatever.

It also doesn’t take anything away from these kids and what they’ve accomplished. These high schools are hard and in many classes As are hard to come by. There is no way I could get through one of them and get the college results I got 30ish years ago. That’s not to say the process is fair or schools should count legacy or whatever else. But just to say, this path is not a walk in the park either. (Nor is getting to a level in athletics where they want to recruit you).

The gds high school student said it here best. There are many great high schools in this area and no one has a magic sauce to get kids into these schools. It looks like GDS had a very strong year - surely others did too. My takeaway from that is that these schools aren’t going to limit to one or two a class if they see a strong pool.

So congrats to these seniors and all others out there who made it through this year. Applying to college these days is not for the faint of heart. The acceptance numbers are a fraction of what they were when I applied. The schools are - rightly in my view - taking way more first gen kids and also offering real $ to make it affordable for many. So in a highly educated area like ours, it’s tough. And the numbers are unmanageable making it’ more of a lottery than it should.. So everyone should be proud of what they accomplished and know that this is one step on a very long path.

Also I saw a thread on what undergraduate degrees 1Ls from Harvard have - it’s a very wide range. So that’s just another small reminder of what a long journey this is and that college is much more what you make of it then where you went. Happy graduation.

How many if any are not legacies?

[Anonymous]

Grad school legacy doesn't count at Harvard.