Turning down admissions offers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Sorry, no, Sidwell is not the Harvard of USA Private Schools. That is at best a parochial view, from someone who is not aware of the top schools in the NE, on the west coast, etc. Most folks would say Exeter & Andover, maybe along with Grottlesex, are the Ivys of private schools.

Certainly, we would reject Sidwell in favor of several other local schools - actually, we would not bother to apply because even we’d pick our public over Sidwell. Clearly some other folks here will have alternative views.

You would reject Sidwell in favor of which local private school? With the exception of special cases (i.e., preference for single gender, religious or public/free), I honestly can’t think of a single local school I would choose over Sidwell. Btw, I’m not (currently) a Sidwell parent. My children attend a private K-8th.

then you don’t really know what it is like, do you? I think you have pumped in up in you mind to be greater than it may be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

Do you ever say something like that out loud, in front of people?

I bet they do! Sadly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is turning down an admissions offer and reapplying the following school year to the more exclusive privates heavily frowned upon? Our family is a having hard time determining which school year would be best to switch the kids to private due to some work issues. We are not sure how bad it would look to apply, be accepted, turn down, then reapply the following year?

Depends on the school. Do NOT turn Sidwell down. It's the Harvard of the USA's private schools so they never need to chase you. But at other schools maybe.

All the overzealous Sidwell snobbery in this forum is really beginning to paint a picture of the culture that must exist there. Our family is a year away from making a decision about public vs. private in DC and all I can say at this point is that my impression of Sidwell parents is not positive. Albeit from a limited sample, but I don't get a superiority complex vibe with any of the other privates discussed.

Having just completed our first private school application cycle, I can assure you that the 'picture painted' here is awful and accurate. The obnoxious Sidwell parents I witnessed at different events are lock-in-step with what I witness on this board. They were one of the top reasons Sidwell soured for us; that is NOT a community our family (kid or parent) wants to join.