Sidwell college advisor leaves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people keep asking if this is about the national scandal? Read the thread!
Patrick is leaving because every year a few awful parents make the job miserable for him. This year was the final straw.
The other guy needed to go.

I thought all the Sidwell parents were peaceful, low key and awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people keep asking if this is about the national scandal? Read the thread!
Patrick is leaving because every year a few awful parents make the job miserable for him. This year was the final straw.
The other guy needed to go.

I thought all the Sidwell parents were peaceful, low key and awesome.

They are, but one or two bad apples can spoil the cart, or in this case, cross a line so dramatically that someone felt they needed to leave the school.

[Anonymous]

When you accept children based on their parents jobs and connections, you will end up with seniors whose parents have powerful jobs and connections. Nothing else.

This is why DC didn’t apply to Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

so what did these awful parents do exactly that caused this advisor to leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so what did these awful parents do exactly that caused this advisor to leave?

The director hired someone who turned out to be spectacularly unsuited for the job. It happens. But rather than admit a mistake, make a change and move on, he refused to acknowledge the problem, got very defensive, and dug in. Now both are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so what did these awful parents do exactly that caused this advisor to leave?

The director hired someone who turned out to be spectacularly unsuited for the job. It happens. But rather than admit a mistake, make a change and move on, he refused to acknowledge the problem, got very defensive, and dug in. Now both are leaving.

You didn’t answer the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early decision cycle was not great for Sidwell and several parents were aggressively rude to the college placement office. And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

No way Sidwell pays college counselors enough to deal with the crazy parents

Early decision was not good for Holton either.

These private schools grade so hard, don’t offer AP’s, and just hope their name is enough to get kids in. But publics are offering dual enrollments, magnets, IB diplomas and tons of AP’s. Plus they inflate grades. It is really hard for private schools to keep up, especially now that many kids want big schools like Mich, Wisconsin, USC, UCLA, etc... over Williams and Amherst. I think social media has had a big influence on kids deciding SLAC’s are pretty boring.

Yes, we’re not at Sidwell, but are seeing the same thing at our school. I have no doubt my son is at the right school, but college admissions will be a disappointment.

Also not at Holton or Sidwell, but seeing the same at our private. I completely agree about private kids wanting public universities or urban schools over small liberal arts schools in tiny towns. I think it has a lot to do with price. Once you drop from from top 10 SLACs and Ivy, is the cost worth it? Save for the masters is the motto around our school. Even the rich families. The sad thing is not only is it affecting admissions for the private school kids, but these small colleges are struggling to keep up filled classes for admissions.

I also don’t think privates are doing enough in STEM and kids are having a tough time getting into MIT, GT, Cal Tech, now more than ever before. Small private high schools and private colleges have a tough time keeping up with publcs in advancement of stem classes, facilities, and research.

I loved my child going to private. That he had to work hard just to achieve a 90. That he learned how to write well, speak in class, and have a lot of personal growth and opportunity. But I am starting to realize that a 3.7 UW from his private doesn’t mean as much as it did 4 years ago.

As someone whose kid was applying 5 years ago, we had the same issue because they wanted a big school and was trying to enter computer science programs. With these programs, you are competing with the TJ's and the Bronx High School of Science kids who have a much better transcript of classes for science/engineering programs. As other PP's have mentioned, privates are great for college if you want to go to a SLAC, but it is much more difficult to get into a top engineering/science program coming from a small private. They just don't have the depth and breadth of classes. There may be some grade inflation with some of the applicants but these kids are taking the classes, scoring high on Math SAT/ACT sections and science achievements. Their extra curricular for science are also stellar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so what did these awful parents do exactly that caused this advisor to leave?

The director hired someone who turned out to be spectacularly unsuited for the job. It happens. But rather than admit a mistake, make a change and move on, he refused to acknowledge the problem, got very defensive, and dug in. Now both are leaving.

Why wasn’t the person hired a good fit?

[Anonymous]

Any word on Sasha Obama? Is she really going to UMich? Not exactly a place for slackers-everyone there is pre-professional and there is a LOT of competition without a lot of hand holding by anyone. You have to forge your own path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any word on Sasha Obama? Is she really going to UMich? Not exactly a place for slackers-everyone there is pre-professional and there is a LOT of competition without a lot of hand holding by anyone. You have to forge your own path.

Let’s stick to the topic and not discuss current indivudual student college plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early decision cycle was not great for Sidwell and several parents were aggressively rude to the college placement office. And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

No way Sidwell pays college counselors enough to deal with the crazy parents

Early decision was not good for Holton either.

These private schools grade so hard, don’t offer AP’s, and just hope their name is enough to get kids in. But publics are offering dual enrollments, magnets, IB diplomas and tons of AP’s. Plus they inflate grades. It is really hard for private schools to keep up, especially now that many kids want big schools like Mich, Wisconsin, USC, UCLA, etc... over Williams and Amherst. I think social media has had a big influence on kids deciding SLAC’s are pretty boring.

Yes, we’re not at Sidwell, but are seeing the same thing at our school. I have no doubt my son is at the right school, but college admissions will be a disappointment.

Also not at Holton or Sidwell, but seeing the same at our private. I completely agree about private kids wanting public universities or urban schools over small liberal arts schools in tiny towns. I think it has a lot to do with price. Once you drop from from top 10 SLACs and Ivy, is the cost worth it? Save for the masters is the motto around our school. Even the rich families. The sad thing is not only is it affecting admissions for the private school kids, but these small colleges are struggling to keep up filled classes for admissions.

I also don’t think privates are doing enough in STEM and kids are having a tough time getting into MIT, GT, Cal Tech, now more than ever before. Small private high schools and private colleges have a tough time keeping up with publcs in advancement of stem classes, facilities, and research.

I loved my child going to private. That he had to work hard just to achieve a 90. That he learned how to write well, speak in class, and have a lot of personal growth and opportunity. But I am starting to realize that a 3.7 UW from his private doesn’t mean as much as it did 4 years ago.

Is the lack of interest in SLACs driven by the hyper-liberal and social justice warrior attitude associated with these places? My SLAC alma mater cited a “tense campus climate” as a reason for lower enrollment but I don’t really know what that means!

Think harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

What disciplinary action, if any, was taken against the student of the parent who did this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

What disciplinary action, if any, was taken against the student of the parent who did this?

Hopefully the student wasn't punished for the behavior of their idiotic, entitled parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you accept children based on their parents jobs and connections, you will end up with seniors whose parents have powerful jobs and connections. Nothing else.

This is why DC didn’t apply to Sidwell.

X1000. So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And then one parent made an anonymous phone call to a college dean of admissions to undermine a classmate competing against his DC.

What disciplinary action, if any, was taken against the student of the parent who did this?

If the student didn't know, why should they be penalized? I am not justifying it, but it is sort of the same as the kids who were bulldozed by their parents in the big scandal...many of them may not have known their parents were paying money and bribing entry.