Bias against privates high school in admissions?

[Anonymous]

Are you out of area? Because i don’t know of any local ‘elite’ private schools with February acceptance dates? You can obviously have great college outcomes from public and private, but you’ll need to be top of the pack. If you’re getting a 3.9 at sidwell you’ll have great options. If you have an unweighted 3.9 from TJ you’ll have great options. If you have a 3.3 with no APs at either i don’t know if your options will be as good. I suspect (and am banking on) that profile doing better from private. At least 50% of the graduating class at my kids’ privates go to schools I’d be thrilled with (ivy, SLAC, etc.). That’s not the case in public. All i think I’ve done with private is narrow the range of possibilities, but we chose the school for the fit, not for the college outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

??? Compare scores with whom? And how does this relate to your assertion of "lots?" And, why are you focused on test scores? Even at schools the prefer or require them, they are not the end-all be-all. Also, what is you idea of "lots?" More than the handful that exist? How generous.

Again, you've made it clear you don't have any experience with these campuses. Stop the disinformation.

[Anonymous]

To get to the top of a large private school is not as cut-throat as it is to be in the top 10% of a large public school. It might 20 students vs. 100 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

??? Compare scores with whom? And how does this relate to your assertion of "lots?" And, why are you focused on test scores? Even at schools the prefer or require them, they are not the end-all be-all. Also, what is you idea of "lots?" More than the handful that exist? How generous.

Again, you've made it clear you don't have any experience with these campuses. Stop the disinformation.

See where the low test score admits come from.

[Anonymous]

From a college admissions perspective….

College admissions these days is very much a lottery, even if one has top scores and top ECs. Public or private will not change that fundamental reality. Cast a wide net lest one end up with no fish.

I do think there is a strong preference for 1st-gen college students right now, because that is a still legal proxy which some colleges/universities are using to achieve racial and ethnic diversity. However, most local public students in Arlington/ Fairfax/ Falls Church/ Howard/ Montgomery are definitely NOT 1st-generation to attend college. So that likely is not a differentiator between public or private for OP.

Admissions at 2 top regional public universities have told my family that they focus on the top 10% of students at public non-magnet schools and the top 1/3rd of students at a good private or at a public magnet (TJ, Blair magnet, or such). This is a matter of focus, not strict exclusion, so obviously there are exceptions to that rule of thumb.

Given all that, I think the old advice to “find the school with the best fit for DC” is still the right advice. That might be your local public or it might be a private school. Putting DC in an environment where she will learn, will be challenged, and also will be reasonably happy gives her the best chances for college admissions. Visit the local public and also many privates and see where DC fits best.

[Anonymous]

Many local privates no longer label classes as AP, but DO still offer in-school AP exams. Other people on DCUM have said GDS is the only private which no linger permits students to sit in-school AP exams, but I do not have 1st-hand data. This situation is evolving and dynamic, so it is both a good question and a reasonable question for private school admissions people.

Be sure to ask about this as “does xyz school offer the option for students to sit AP exams at xyz school ?” rather than as “does xyz school offer AP courses ?”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that any elite private in DMV will have a fair share of VIP, legacy, athlete, and URM students for top colleges to choose from. A super smart kid with GPA/testscores can be leapfrogged by all of these hooked applicants (some with high stats, some not). The reason is that these top colleges want to fill a class with a mix of students - they KNOW that these hooked kids will all do just fine at their university having gotten through the elite DMV private.

It's hard to say whether the same kid would do better in public. If you go to some DMV public that also has legacy, VIP, athletes, URM - you'll have the same issue.

I do think the private school kid will have better luck a highly regarded private (outside of T20) than from a public.

The W high schools, Blair HS, TJ HS, Langley HS, McLean HS, and at least Oakton HS also have LOTS of hooked (Legacy and also whatever else) students. The hooked students might well have an admissions advantage over academically more capable unhooked students during college admissions time. College admissions is a lottery these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t choose private HS to gain an admissions advantage, and knew it might even be a disadvantage in that department.

We did it for the smaller classes. The emphasis on writing and critical thinking. For less bureaucracy and more personal relationships with faculty.

It doesn’t matter to me at all if this means DC ends up going to a 150 ranked college vs a Top 25. I’m confident that the work ethic and discipline DC has learned will make up for whatever admission’s disadvantage attending a rigorous private entails.

This is pretty close to how we think about it,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

Well, NYU last year had no racial minorities and almost 26% identify as American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black/African American, or Hispanic. In the admitted class, 19% identify as first in their families to attend college and 20% are Pell Grant recipients.

First gen applications are up. https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/increase-in-applications-from-first-gen-and-underrepresented-students/

http://www.nyu.edu/content/nyu/en/about/news-publications/news/2023/march/admissions-class-of-2027

Yale accepted 70 questbridge applicants for the 2028 freshman class.
https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/12/06/over-70-questbridge-scholars-to-join-yales-class-of-2028/


And questbridge acceptances are up 28% overall. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/12/16/colleges-accept-record-number-of-low-income-students-via-questbridge/?sh=789694ef6cd3

So, no, I don’t think you can say these spots are not given more freely to minority students nor can you say they don’t have an easier process for admissions. Equal grades will not result in equal outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

??? Compare scores with whom? And how does this relate to your assertion of "lots?" And, why are you focused on test scores? Even at schools the prefer or require them, they are not the end-all be-all. Also, what is you idea of "lots?" More than the handful that exist? How generous.

Again, you've made it clear you don't have any experience with these campuses. Stop the disinformation.

See where the low test score admits come from.

Going deep into the application pool to hit targets. It is just more DEI based discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

Well, NYU last year had no racial minorities and almost 26% identify as American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black/African American, or Hispanic. In the admitted class, 19% identify as first in their families to attend college and 20% are Pell Grant recipients.

First gen applications are up. https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/increase-in-applications-from-first-gen-and-underrepresented-students/

http://www.nyu.edu/content/nyu/en/about/news-publications/news/2023/march/admissions-class-of-2027

Yale accepted 70 questbridge applicants for the 2028 freshman class.
https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/12/06/over-70-questbridge-scholars-to-join-yales-class-of-2028/


And questbridge acceptances are up 28% overall. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/12/16/colleges-accept-record-number-of-low-income-students-via-questbridge/?sh=789694ef6cd3

So, no, I don’t think you can say these spots are not given more freely to minority students nor can you say they don’t have an easier process for admissions. Equal grades will not result in equal outcomes.

Yes, colleges take into account how far a student has come to get to the point of applying to their school. Rich, private school kids come from third base. First gen, Pell grant and Questbridge kids started in the dugout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

??? Compare scores with whom? And how does this relate to your assertion of "lots?" And, why are you focused on test scores? Even at schools the prefer or require them, they are not the end-all be-all. Also, what is you idea of "lots?" More than the handful that exist? How generous.

Again, you've made it clear you don't have any experience with these campuses. Stop the disinformation.

See where the low test score admits come from.

Going deep into the application pool to hit targets. It is just more DEI based discrimination.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you out of area? Because i don’t know of any local ‘elite’ private schools with February acceptance dates? You can obviously have great college outcomes from public and private, but you’ll need to be top of the pack. If you’re getting a 3.9 at sidwell you’ll have great options. If you have an unweighted 3.9 from TJ you’ll have great options. If you have a 3.3 with no APs at either i don’t know if your options will be as good. I suspect (and am banking on) that profile doing better from private. At least 50% of the graduating class at my kids’ privates go to schools I’d be thrilled with (ivy, SLAC, etc.). That’s not the case in public. All i think I’ve done with private is narrow the range of possibilities, but we chose the school for the fit, not for the college outcomes.

This 50% rule was important to us…..it why we chose our private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you really think a ton of the kids getting in are 1st gen? They are being sought because they have mire hurdles and are underrepresented. Do you get what underrepresented means? There aren't that many of them. I wish people would stop focusing on the underrepresented few. Those kids are not "beating out" some private school kid for the same spot. That's not how it works.

In fact, there are lots of URMs and FGLIs.

Not really. You just telegraphed that you have no experience with these schools.

We probably have a different idea of what "lots" means. Just compare test scores.

??? Compare scores with whom? And how does this relate to your assertion of "lots?" And, why are you focused on test scores? Even at schools the prefer or require them, they are not the end-all be-all. Also, what is you idea of "lots?" More than the handful that exist? How generous.

Again, you've made it clear you don't have any experience with these campuses. Stop the disinformation.

See where the low test score admits come from.

Going deep into the application pool to hit targets. It is just more DEI based discrimination.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

Actually, there is really no good excuse why you would lower admission standards for a select group.