College Placement Success at Sidwell/GDS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I interview for Yale and I will say that I've been super impressed with the girls I've interviewed from NCS. They do a really good job preparing them for interviews (either specifically or they just end up that way). When I compare them to the kids I've interviewed at some of the other good DC privates (not Big 3), it's a pretty dramatic difference. (I have also been pretty impressed by SWW kids, but I have a much lower sample size there.)

Your interview reports must not hold much sway. Sidwell has outdrawn NCS at Yale by about 4 to 1.

[Anonymous]

Um, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is and isn't a skewed view. Absolutely, 14:52 is right in terms of teachers and fellow students -- they respect kids for who they are and don't give a damn about where they want to or will go to college. But I think it's also true that the kind of parents you see posting here have a noticeable impact on school culture, especially during junior and senior year. They drive their own poor kids crazy and enough of them are on the same wave length that kids whose families aren't this way end up affected (e.g. spending a lot of time talking their friends off the ledge, believing some of the BS that passes as conventional wisdom, being alienated by the madness and wanting to steer clear of top colleges because of it).[/quot.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I have had two kids at Sidwell and without exception the parents I know have told their kids to relax and go to a college that is a good fit. The kids themselves are very driven and put in long hours studying. They. usually concentrate their efforts on subjects they really love. Same with ECs. The kids initiate the activities and enjoy them. The kids do Support their friends and offer each other advice and help each other find opportunities. At Sidwell upper school the parents have very little role
In the school. The kids are expected to make their own way as part of the maturing process. I don't want to sound elitist, but the parents you describe here are not those that I have run into at Sidwell. They may be parents of kids at lesser-known schools or who hang out on DCUM but The parents I know at Sidwell are really confident in their own lives and happy that their kids are having a great experience in high school.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what grade your kid is in at Sidwell, but in DD's class, I hear a lot from the parents AND kids about which academic summer programs they are pursuing, test prep for AP's and subject tests, tutors for general help during the school year, etc. It's insane!!

[Anonymous]

I don't know why you'd be surprised OP that kids from the top schools get into the top colleges. Why is that a mystery? Money begets money. Legacy begets legacy. URM begets URM and so forth.

[Anonymous]

It's a caste system, Darling -- get with the program!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Sidwell doesn't face the same competition as New England/NY/Philly Boarding schools do. It is widely known as the best school in the D.C. area, and every top school stops by to recruit/take students from there.
2. Sidwell is quite small, with only 80 or so people in each graduating class. Compare this to Exeter and others, which have 200 or more.
3. By virtue of its small size and lack of competition, Sidwell can take the best students out there. The average SAT/ACT are comparable to that of the lower Ivies, so the student profile is quite strong. Students themselves are also interested in the Ivies to a greater degree than those at other schools, so the numbers look high.

The above post is just plain wrong -- in several key respects:

1. Sidwell is not "widely know as the best school in the DC area" -- the consensus is that it's one of the best, which is different from being THE best.

2. As others have pointed out, the class size number is way off -- try 120.

3. Many of us know plenty of students who have chosen NCS/STA or GDS or Maret over of Sidwell, rejecting Sidwell's offer of admission. It isn't every "best student's" top choice.

Sidwell is a terrific school, but it's not the only terrific school.

Sidwell is widely known as the best school in the DC area.

No, it is not.

[Anonymous]

^^^Sidwell is one of the best schools in the area. You are entitled to your opinion but the colleges who consistently accept Sidwell students will disagree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^Sidwell is one of the best schools in the area. You are entitled to your opinion but the colleges who consistently accept Sidwell students will disagree with you.

As a former admissions officer at a top college that consistently accepts Sidwell students, I can say that we considered Sidwell ONE of the best schools in the area, but we certainly did not assign it a #1 ranking. It's one of a group of excellent schools. Some parents may really want to assign a #1 ranking, but that's not something we viewed as a legitimate or worthwhile (or meaningful) exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interview for Yale and I will say that I've been super impressed with the girls I've interviewed from NCS. They do a really good job preparing them for interviews (either specifically or they just end up that way). When I compare them to the kids I've interviewed at some of the other good DC privates (not Big 3), it's a pretty dramatic difference. (I have also been pretty impressed by SWW kids, but I have a much lower sample size there.)

Your interview reports must not hold much sway. Sidwell has outdrawn NCS at Yale by about 4 to 1.

I have had kids at both. Not true at all. Some years NCS has more even though NCS is much smaller than Sidwell. More apt comparison would be Sidwell vs the Cathedral School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interview for Yale and I will say that I've been super impressed with the girls I've interviewed from NCS. They do a really good job preparing them for interviews (either specifically or they just end up that way). When I compare them to the kids I've interviewed at some of the other good DC privates (not Big 3), it's a pretty dramatic difference. (I have also been pretty impressed by SWW kids, but I have a much lower sample size there.)

Your interview reports must not hold much sway. Sidwell has outdrawn NCS at Yale by about 4 to 1.

I have had kids at both. Not true at all. Some years NCS has more even though NCS is much smaller than Sidwell. More apt comparison would be Sidwell vs the Cathedral School.

Numbers still favor Sidwell, sorry. I am not saying generally, but at Yale this is a fact. Sidwell sent more kids to Yale over the last few years than NCS, STA, GDS and Maret combined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interview for Yale and I will say that I've been super impressed with the girls I've interviewed from NCS. They do a really good job preparing them for interviews (either specifically or they just end up that way). When I compare them to the kids I've interviewed at some of the other good DC privates (not Big 3), it's a pretty dramatic difference. (I have also been pretty impressed by SWW kids, but I have a much lower sample size there.)

Your interview reports must not hold much sway. Sidwell has outdrawn NCS at Yale by about 4 to 1.

I have had kids at both. Not true at all. Some years NCS has more even though NCS is much smaller than Sidwell. More apt comparison would be Sidwell vs the Cathedral School.

Numbers still favor Sidwell, sorry. I am not saying generally, but at Yale this is a fact. Sidwell sent more kids to Yale over the last few years than NCS, STA, GDS and Maret combined.

And NCS isn't "much" smaller. The ratio of students is pretty easy to calculate. Sidwell:NCS is the same as Cathedrals:Sidwell. So unless the Cathedrals sent 25 to Yale in last three years, your statement isn't correct. The Cathedrals do send more kids to Princeton and Stanford, however. About the same at Harvard.

[Anonymous]

As a Sidwell parent, pretty embarrassed by the "we are number one with Yale" folks. Sit down, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^Sidwell is one of the best schools in the area. You are entitled to your opinion but the colleges who consistently accept Sidwell students will disagree with you.

As a former admissions officer at a top college that consistently accepts Sidwell students, I can say that we considered Sidwell ONE of the best schools in the area, but we certainly did not assign it a #1 ranking. It's one of a group of excellent schools. Some parents may really want to assign a #1 ranking, but that's not something we viewed as a legitimate or worthwhile (or meaningful) exercise.

The PP said ONE of the best. Not #1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Sidwell parent, pretty embarrassed by the "we are number one with Yale" folks. Sit down, please.

Thank god a voice of reason. Thank you pp. As a parent with kids at neither school, the objective view is same as yours, sit down please.