Which of the "top 3" or "top 5" private schools has the best track record at the Ivies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I'm a first generation college grad from the midwest with two Ivy League degrees (including one from Harvard). Having those schools on my resume has opened many, many doors for me in DC and internationally. What do I do for a living? I'm a top level executive at an internationally respected NGO.

Obviously you can be successful coming from other schools (as demonstrated by the vast majority of successful people), but sometimes those names on a resume help. And especially if you and your family know nearly no one outside of your very small hometown. I will be happy with whatever school my children decide to attend (assuming they want to go to college), but I'm fully aware they will also have the benefit of growing up in a diverse area with a range of connections through both their own relationships and those of their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I'm a first generation college grad from the midwest with two Ivy League degrees (including one from Harvard). Having those schools on my resume has opened many, many doors for me in DC and internationally. What do I do for a living? I'm a top level executive at an internationally respected NGO.

Obviously you can be successful coming from other schools (as demonstrated by the vast majority of successful people), but sometimes those names on a resume help. And especially if you and your family know nearly no one outside of your very small hometown. I will be happy with whatever school my children decide to attend (assuming they want to go to college), but I'm fully aware they will also have the benefit of growing up in a diverse area with a range of connections through both their own relationships and those of their parents.

It can open doors, which is very important for those first generation college kids. Hopefully kids who have made their way to top DC privates already have lots of connections and doors open to them. They will all go to great schools and do well. My child was lazy in school, but still learned a lot and got into A solid LAC. He blossomed in college and now has lots of doors open to him, perhaps more than kids who glided into better schools without a good sense of themselves. It can work out in lots of ways, but I think it can be very damaging for kids to think future success depends on Ivy admission. It does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I'm a first generation college grad from the midwest with two Ivy League degrees (including one from Harvard). Having those schools on my resume has opened many, many doors for me in DC and internationally. What do I do for a living? I'm a top level executive at an internationally respected NGO.

Obviously you can be successful coming from other schools (as demonstrated by the vast majority of successful people), but sometimes those names on a resume help. And especially if you and your family know nearly no one outside of your very small hometown. I will be happy with whatever school my children decide to attend (assuming they want to go to college), but I'm fully aware they will also have the benefit of growing up in a diverse area with a range of connections through both their own relationships and those of their parents.

It can open doors, which is very important for those first generation college kids. Hopefully kids who have made their way to top DC privates already have lots of connections and doors open to them. They will all go to great schools and do well. My child was lazy in school, but still learned a lot and got into A solid LAC. He blossomed in college and now has lots of doors open to him, perhaps more than kids who glided into better schools without a good sense of themselves. It can work out in lots of ways, but I think it can be very damaging for kids to think future success depends on Ivy admission. It does not.

PP here. Totally agree with your statement. The "embarrassed" poster just seemed to require a reply as there were too many negative assumptions. Glad to hear about your son!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really GDS CAT? Only you.

GDS Cat would never concede the possibility of GDS' dethronement in the "Ivy Bowl."

[Anonymous]

Not that it was on that throne . . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really GDS CAT? Only you.

GDS Cat would never concede the possibility of GDS' dethronement in the "Ivy Bowl."

I am pretty certain I am the person who coined the term "GDS CAT" (it stands for "GDS College Acceptance Troll" and it warms my heart that others are using the terminology. As the (probable) coiner of the phrase, though, I should add that I've always maintained that the troll probably is NOT affiliated with GDS, because the end result is always that people get angry at GDS and nobody who liked the school would make it look so silly with such a dumb series of posts. I also caution people not to fall for the trolling.

Finally, wow, didn't realize the GDS CAT was active two years ago! Meow, meow, that's one old CAT.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I'm pretty sure there was at least one real GDS booster bragging about college admissions, and that boosterism is what spawned the CAT.

[Anonymous]

Some perspective needed here. As graduate of two HYP Ivies, please note that an Ivy degree is not a silver bullet. it brings many advantages, but does not guarantee success and happiness.


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-how-to-survive-the-college-admissions-madness.html?_r=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not that it was on that throne . . . .

The way it seems on DCUM, a number of posters believe that GDS is basically Harvard junior college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS was never the best at placing Ivies from. They just shout the loudest. The big Three - STA, NCS and Sidwell have always had very strong showings. STA and NCS get kids in on academics + have the added placements from their strong sports programs. Sidwell holds the Ivy crown this year in the area, perhaps the nation[i], if what I have read here is true.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I am a lawyer now working in policy and administration at an international financial institution dedicated to a mission I care deeply about. I love my job, my team, and our work. My husband's great, and our kids are happy, engaged and kind. Our kids are at a "Big 3" in DCUM parlance. As for their academic futures, I hope and expect for them to search out areas of interest and work hard. Neither DH nor I care whether they go to "ivy" schools, but I care very much that they work hard in school, do their best, and be sensible in choosing between colleges. For my DH and me, going to a top ivy opened up professional doors. Plus, I loved college and law school, made many life-long friends, and often have a presumption of competence and intelligence that many people give to graduates of the top-ranked schools. I'm not at all obsessed with where my kids eventually go to college. I have seen, though, benefits in my profession of going to top-ranked schools, and I'd hope my kids keep those types of things in mind in choosing a school. Not at all embarassed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I am a lawyer now working in policy and administration at an international financial institution dedicated to a mission I care deeply about. I love my job, my team, and our work. My husband's great, and our kids are happy, engaged and kind. Our kids are at a "Big 3" in DCUM parlance. As for their academic futures, I hope and expect for them to search out areas of interest and work hard. Neither DH nor I care whether they go to "ivy" schools, but I care very much that they work hard in school, do their best, and be sensible in choosing between colleges. For my DH and me, going to a top ivy opened up professional doors. Plus, I loved college and law school, made many life-long friends, and often have a presumption of competence and intelligence that many people give to graduates of the top-ranked schools. I'm not at all obsessed with where my kids eventually go to college. I have seen, though, benefits in my profession of going to top-ranked schools, and I'd hope my kids keep those types of things in mind in choosing a school. Not at all embarassed.

You sound perfectly grounded now, but given your hopes I predict that you will be completely stressed in ten years when your own children are competing for those Ivy League admissions.

[Anonymous]

The way it seems on DCUM, a number of posters believe that GDS is basically Harvard junior college.

A number of posters is basically one Mom at GDS. GDS is a solid number 4 when it comes to local schools getting kids in to the Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. Can all of you with the freaking obsession re: Ivy League and who goes to the top school (high school, really?) just shut up already?Women, those of you with the obsession, what the hell do you do for a living? What have you accomplished since graduating from your top private prep or Ivy league school? Married a successful man? Had kids, that you can perpetuate the madness ? It is so obvious that the majority of theese ridiculous postings are from SAHM with nothing better to do than obsess and try to live vicariously through their children. Get a life already. As a woman, I'm seriously embarassed. Enough already, please just shut up!

I am a lawyer now working in policy and administration at an international financial institution dedicated to a mission I care deeply about. I love my job, my team, and our work. My husband's great, and our kids are happy, engaged and kind. Our kids are at a "Big 3" in DCUM parlance. As for their academic futures, I hope and expect for them to search out areas of interest and work hard. Neither DH nor I care whether they go to "ivy" schools, but I care very much that they work hard in school, do their best, and be sensible in choosing between colleges. For my DH and me, going to a top ivy opened up professional doors. Plus, I loved college and law school, made many life-long friends, and often have a presumption of competence and intelligence that many people give to graduates of the top-ranked schools. I'm not at all obsessed with where my kids eventually go to college. I have seen, though, benefits in my profession of going to top-ranked schools, and I'd hope my kids keep those types of things in mind in choosing a school. Not at all embarassed.

You sound perfectly grounded now, but given your hopes I predict that you will be completely stressed in ten years when your own children are competing for those Ivy League admissions.

IME, the future basket cases were apparent from early on. People who are compensating, competing, or living vicariously and who are laboring under the illusion that there are golden tickets and/or magic spells. From what I've seen, people who started out rational have stayed rational.

[Anonymous]

Top schools are ncs (3 yale bound girls, 3 harvard ect. this year)/sta, sidwell, holton/landon

never seen gds as a strong ivy competitor