The four D's of top private schools

[Anonymous]

1. Daycare. They don’t take’m. Exceptions, but basically, don’t look to Beauvoir or Sidwell if your kids are in daycare. Nannies and preschools, please.

2. Diversity. They want the right kid. Color is fine, socioeconomic is fine. But you better be educated. They don’t want kids of non college-educated parents.

3. Donations. Always welcome. Your money won’t buy your way into the school, but it opens a window.

4. Drive. You need to want it bad. Do your homework folks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. Daycare. They don’t take’m. Exceptions, but basically, don’t look to Beauvoir or Sidwell if your kids are in daycare. Nannies and preschools, please.

2. Diversity. They want the right kid. Color is fine, socioeconomic is fine. But you better be educated. They don’t want kids of non college-educated parents.

3. Donations. Always welcome. Your money won’t buy your way into the school, but it opens a window.

4. Drive. You need to want it bad. Do your homework folks!

Arrgh, I can't help it I have to respond to this:

1. I can't even respond to this one, there is alsolutely no reason to prefer nannies over daycare, and what data do you have to back this up

2. Wow, I guess this explains why over 60% of the student population at private schools are white!!!

3. Again, illogical. For the 07-08 school year, 20% of the students in DC private schools were on financial aid, I guess these people need to show the money as well. Also, I do not recall parents being asked about their finances unless they apply for financial aid

4.

[Anonymous]

Was this OP answering a question, trying to be funny, bitter... ? Can't figure out the context of this one.

[Anonymous]

How would they know our educational background? The application has nothing about us except for address, phone, email (may have had occupation and work address, but I don't think it even had that). There was no parent interview.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell and at least one or two other schools ask for your educational background. If you're a double legacy to a particular ivy with a child that has potential that has got to help.

Even if they don't ask, they have staff who can Google: "First name last name" .

[Anonymous]

I just want to know what schools op is talking about so I can avoid them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and at least one or two other schools ask for your educational background. If you're a double legacy to a particular ivy with a child that has potential that has got to help.

Even if they don't ask, they have staff who can Google: "First name last name" .

Ok, this is bordering on the ridiculous. I can see it now, a whole staff of people at Sidwell combing through the 100,000+ hits on google trying to determine which schools John and Jane Doe went to.

[Anonymous]

Family with children at one of the top three here: Our child was not in daycare, so to speak, but at a non-accredited "pre-school", we are white, Irish Catholic (is that diverse?), we do have college degrees (although they did not ask about that on application, as I recall) and when you Google my name - it's so ordinary, you'd never be able to find me, as for donations - we were never asked about our financial status (although we did not apply for aid - so they must presume we can afford) and since we were not at the school yet - we had not made any donations. (are you implying you have to "donate" beforehand to get in?) as for drive - well, we expressed an interest, filled out an application, brought our DC to the playdate and told the interviewer that it seemed like a nice school - is that considered drive? No letters of recommendation or phone calls, here.
But I am just a parent at one of these schools - you seem to know more than I do about the process - are you an admissions person or a consultant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and at least one or two other schools ask for your educational background. If you're a double legacy to a particular ivy with a child that has potential that has got to help.

Even if they don't ask, they have staff who can Google: "First name last name" .

Ok, this is bordering on the ridiculous. I can see it now, a whole staff of people at Sidwell combing through the 100,000+ hits on google trying to determine which schools John and Jane Doe went to.

You don't need to. They ask you on the application along with your child's name what your degree(s) is/are and where you went to school.

And even if they didn't, they wouldn't need to Google everyone, just those who are "iffy" with great kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family with children at one of the top three here: Our child was not in daycare, so to speak, but at a non-accredited "pre-school", we are white, Irish Catholic (is that diverse?), we do have college degrees (although they did not ask about that on application, as I recall) and when you Google my name - it's so ordinary, you'd never be able to find me, as for donations - we were never asked about our financial status (although we did not apply for aid - so they must presume we can afford) and since we were not at the school yet - we had not made any donations. (are you implying you have to "donate" beforehand to get in?) as for drive - well, we expressed an interest, filled out an application, brought our DC to the playdate and told the interviewer that it seemed like a nice school - is that considered drive? No letters of recommendation or phone calls, here.
But I am just a parent at one of these schools - you seem to know more than I do about the process - are you an admissions person or a consultant?

With respect to donating, they do discuss such things with your child'd previous school.

[Anonymous]

Well we did not donate a penny to the previous school .........again, is this a fact from an admissions person or rumor?

[Anonymous]

My child goes to Maret, and I don't know any kids in his class that went to daycare. Not saying it doesn't happen. Just saying I don't know any and I think that's probably close to accurate. Donations, I don't think anyone is asked beforehand (but if you're a Senator, I'm sure they know what you can do). I think almost all the schools are striving for diversity now. I don't know why they wouldn't look for kids from less educated parents (but I will say in my son's current class, it's true there aren't any non college educated people...but are there anywhere?)

[Anonymous]

Sidwell had a form that asked for "parent involvement" or something like that, for the preschool to fill out. I think it's obvious when a school lists a parent as chairing a fundraising committee what that means. I'm not saying every kid accepted has parents who donate a lot, but these schools have to build their endowments somehow and getting some families in who are committed to actively supporting those efforts matters.

The sidwell application also asked for parents educational degrees, schools attended, so that obviously matters. The schools' exmissions improve by having more Harvard, Yale alums' kids there.

Sidwell also asked, optional I believe but asked nontheless, for someone to fill out an additional recommendation (beyond the typical recs from the preschool). This was the final reason we didn't apply. I didn't feel comfortable trolling around and asking my neighbors or friends or other loosely related folks who went there (or were current parents) to fill it out. It seemed so ridiculous because I'm sure they get some pretty impressive letterhead compared to what I would've been able to come up with.

So, after filling out the application and having no positive aspects related to my DH or myself that would actually stand out in a positive way, we just dropped it in the trash (prior to online, obviously) and saved the 60 bucks. Our child had 98th percentile scores, attended a "top" preschool, and had many aspects that would've made her a great candidate, but none of those things showed up on the actual application after I'd filled it out - it was all about me.

We applied to one of the other "big 3" schools and my child loves it there. One of her classmates, with similar test scores, great preschool, but "average" parents applied and was outright rejected. I'm glad I didn't donate my money to the school by applying.

[Anonymous]

What the f***! No wonder we weren't accepted! My poor little kid went to daycare ... question is...how did they find out? I was never asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What the f***! No wonder we weren't accepted! My poor little kid went to daycare ... question is...how did they find out? I was never asked.

Are you being serious? Can't tell from your post.

Where did you apply? All schools ask for at least the most recent/current education setting. Many schools want the complete history and give you plenty of room on their application to list every setting.