The application process is nuts... mini vent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will share my experience. We are one year in elementary. It was stressful and we only applied to one school that goes until 12th. (feel grateful for that) We got in and are very happy. My DD had some specific desires for single gender that made it easier for us. We have good public options and have a child still in public. If it helps, we framed to our child that we don't know what's next until March but we know we have options. I would try really hard to keep positive thoughts about your current public option "worst case". I was prepared to re-apply as many times as needed each year to get the "best fit" rather than "anything but public" -- realize every family is different but our positivity toward public/options was calming.

You didn't get in -- your child did.

Speaks volumes regarding what private school is all about.

Yawn. Get a life. I see this kind of useless comment all the time on here. The school and family are a community and trust me… our entire family supported my DD in changing schools, leaving friends and her sister at her public for a better fit. WE are a family. YOU are something else.

Sorry your kid is so screwed up that you had to change schools. Some of us are just better at parenting, I guess.

Hahahhahhahahahhahahahhahahahahhaha. Good one. I know you’re not a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re coming from public, you should be a little bit worried. Privates love privates.

Ok… My child came from public. I have one still in public. Both schools have very caring teachers. I really don’t think we need to make publics “lesser than”

I find it a weird belief. We also came from public and had no problems at all successfully navigating the application process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lot. We were going to apply to four for high school but ended up narrowing it down to three.

DC is applying to 6 for high school and I was naive about how much work this involved. My DC just wants it to be done. I really regret going to a k-8 and forcing this process onto my 13 year old. This has consumed their entire 8th grade year so far!

It does become all consuming, which is unfortunate. The kids hear about it at school, at home, etc. It’s constantly on in the background of everything else.

Good luck, six is a lot!

Yes and the K-8 schools downplay how all encompassing it is.

So true. If I had to do it all over again I would not have chosen K8.

[Anonymous]

I would have. You never know what your child would be like for 9th in K. I grew up with K-6 model and that’s what I preferred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It made me not send our child to a k8 school as the thought of doing it all over again sounded terrible.

+1. DC was admitted to multiple schools and this was deciding factor on choice of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It made me not send our child to a k8 school as the thought of doing it all over again sounded terrible.

The thing is some kids don't want to go to the same school for K-12. The majority don't infact.

You can always apply out if you’re not happy. However, not being forced to do it is awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone who voluntarily puts themselves through the process of applying to private schools in this area, which is overflowing with outstanding public schools, deserves any stress and misery that comes their way as a result.

I do feel bad for your three, four and five year olds, though -- who you subject to poking and prodding at such young ages just so you can have an impressive bumper sticker for your Volvo.

My 4 yo had a blast doing show and tell on zoom, playing games, and getting to visit some cool new playgrounds.

But thanks for feeling bad for them. I will relay your sympathy.

Seriously, we wish we had applied to privates in K rather than starting in 9th entry. Such a cakewalk.

When people would question why people would pay private school tuition for Kindergarten, I had a friend who would reply “We’re not paying for kindergarten, we’re paying to reserve a spot in the high school.” So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone who voluntarily puts themselves through the process of applying to private schools in this area, which is overflowing with outstanding public schools, deserves any stress and misery that comes their way as a result.

I do feel bad for your three, four and five year olds, though -- who you subject to poking and prodding at such young ages just so you can have an impressive bumper sticker for your Volvo.

My 4 yo had a blast doing show and tell on zoom, playing games, and getting to visit some cool new playgrounds.

But thanks for feeling bad for them. I will relay your sympathy.

Did you tell him he was being evaluated by strangers, as a four year old, to determine whether he we good enough to be permitted to mix with their tribe?

DP. Nope. I told DC that we were going to see if we liked [u]them[u] (which was true, by the way). There’s absolutely no need for a kid that age to feel rejected. It gets much harder as they get older and they understand what’s going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone who voluntarily puts themselves through the process of applying to private schools in this area, which is overflowing with outstanding public schools, deserves any stress and misery that comes their way as a result.

I do feel bad for your three, four and five year olds, though -- who you subject to poking and prodding at such young ages just so you can have an impressive bumper sticker for your Volvo.

Well, aren't you a peach?

Yea, well, I just don't get it. And I feel sorry for the kids.

And you never will.

It’s cute how you think that’s a bad thing.

You just proved my point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you applied to multiple schools and increased your odds, OP. When we went through the process the only schools we felt were a reasonable commuting distance were Potomac and GDS. Our son diligently worked at SSAT prep and scored in the 80s and 90s, did his student visits and tried to show his best side... and then we got waitlisted at both schools.

Pssst. Waitlisting is just another name for rejected. Pretty sure GDS “waitlists” ALL applicants.

I've been curious about this. Do people get off wait lists? How does it work? (New to privates obviously)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you applied to multiple schools and increased your odds, OP. When we went through the process the only schools we felt were a reasonable commuting distance were Potomac and GDS. Our son diligently worked at SSAT prep and scored in the 80s and 90s, did his student visits and tried to show his best side... and then we got waitlisted at both schools.

Pssst. Waitlisting is just another name for rejected. Pretty sure GDS “waitlists” ALL applicants.

I've been curious about this. Do people get off wait lists? How does it work? (New to privates obviously)

We got off two waitlists

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really hope DC gets into one of the schools we're applying to, because I don't want to put them through all this again (until college). It's been a pain in the arse for me too.

For those parents who have BTDT, please tell me it was worth it?

I totally agree. We applied to several and it made me recognize how much privledge you have to have to be able to just apply. The cost, various test requirements, time for tours and testing, and just the number of details in general. We did it, but we are two working professionals with the income and bandwidth to actually do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you applied to multiple schools and increased your odds, OP. When we went through the process the only schools we felt were a reasonable commuting distance were Potomac and GDS. Our son diligently worked at SSAT prep and scored in the 80s and 90s, did his student visits and tried to show his best side... and then we got waitlisted at both schools.

Pssst. Waitlisting is just another name for rejected. Pretty sure GDS “waitlists” ALL applicants.

I've been curious about this. Do people get off wait lists? How does it work? (New to privates obviously)

We got off two waitlists

PP here. Does it usually happen near the acceptance time (others who were accepted then going other schools) or is closer to Fall, like a last minute someone isn't coming for whatever reason.

[Anonymous]

I have had 3 kids apply to high school from a k-8. In my experience, some schools use the WL more than others. Some schools admit based on traditional yields so they may overadmit by 20% and never get to their WL. Other schools tend to regularly offer spots off the WL and are not over admitting by as much. Sidwell is one school that a lot of kids at our school get into off the WL. The Sidwell offers are usually a day or two before the commit date in March. I don’t know anyone who has ever gotten off the Maret or GDS WL. NCS and STA don’t use the WL much either. This is my experience as a k-8 parent for many years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had 3 kids apply to high school from a k-8. In my experience, some schools use the WL more than others. Some schools admit based on traditional yields so they may overadmit by 20% and never get to their WL. Other schools tend to regularly offer spots off the WL and are not over admitting by as much. Sidwell is one school that a lot of kids at our school get into off the WL. The Sidwell offers are usually a day or two before the commit date in March. I don’t know anyone who has ever gotten off the Maret or GDS WL. NCS and STA don’t use the WL much either. This is my experience as a k-8 parent for many years.

Very helpful. Appreciate the detailed feedback