Did Walls interview invites go out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

I'm so sorry. And you are right, there are lots of kids with rights to schools like JR/BASIS/Latin/DCI where not getting into Walls is no big deal, and then there are some students for whom not getting into an application school is crushing because the feeder option is not an option at all.

This is not the case in Fairfax county with TJ, but it shows just how poor some of the schools in DC are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

I'm so sorry. And you are right, there are lots of kids with rights to schools like JR/BASIS/Latin/DCI where not getting into Walls is no big deal, and then there are some students for whom not getting into an application school is crushing because the feeder option is not an option at all.

This is not the case in Fairfax county with TJ, but it shows just how poor some of the schools in DC are.

Honestly, if you are not WOTP in the JR feeder or in middle school at the charters above, I would move out of the city into a good middle/high school pyramid. Problems solved, stress gone.

Not worth it to settle for crumbs and send your kid to some poorly performing middle school to then get shut out of high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

This really breaks my heart and angers me as a dc taxpayer. Walls is an application only school- every kid should be evaluated not just on gpa but what classes they chose to take and how they performed on tests.

[Anonymous]

When did SWW typically send out the "you aren't invited" emails? I would really love to get an official email so I can rest assured it's not me missing something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

It is frustrating and I validate your feelings, but it really is so out of your control … there is a lot we don’t know about this admissions process - kids we know with a mix of A’s and B’s are getting interviews and straight A kids are not, and I don’t think it is just coming down to recommendations. There is a piece of the puzzle missing here and none of will probably ever know what it is unless some magic DCPS fairy comes along and tells us the secret. In any event, I wish the best for you and your daughter.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting to hear (read). I've been assuming my child's recommendations were just meh because they had a 4.0. And that could be the case, but I guess I'll never know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

It is frustrating and I validate your feelings, but it really is so out of your control … there is a lot we don’t know about this admissions process - kids we know with a mix of A’s and B’s are getting interviews and straight A kids are not, and I don’t think it is just coming down to recommendations. There is a piece of the puzzle missing here and none of will probably ever know what it is unless some magic DCPS fairy comes along and tells us the secret. In any event, I wish the best for you and your daughter.

I think people deserve to know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

It is frustrating and I validate your feelings, but it really is so out of your control … there is a lot we don’t know about this admissions process - kids we know with a mix of A’s and B’s are getting interviews and straight A kids are not, and I don’t think it is just coming down to recommendations. There is a piece of the puzzle missing here and none of will probably ever know what it is unless some magic DCPS fairy comes along and tells us the secret. In any event, I wish the best for you and your daughter.

I think people deserve to know

Oh, absolutely. I’m seeing this for some of us a bullet dodged because I really don’t like the lack of transparency and the secrecy - it’s very clear that this is not just about GPA’s and recommendations. There is a reason there isn’t transparency. We just don’t have all the information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

It is frustrating and I validate your feelings, but it really is so out of your control … there is a lot we don’t know about this admissions process - kids we know with a mix of A’s and B’s are getting interviews and straight A kids are not, and I don’t think it is just coming down to recommendations. There is a piece of the puzzle missing here and none of will probably ever know what it is unless some magic DCPS fairy comes along and tells us the secret. In any event, I wish the best for you and your daughter.

I think people deserve to know

Oh, absolutely. I’m seeing this for some of us a bullet dodged because I really don’t like the lack of transparency and the secrecy - it’s very clear that this is not just about GPA’s and recommendations. There is a reason there isn’t transparency. We just don’t have all the information.

As a DC taxpayer, we deserve transparency on all aspects of the admission process. When you don’t get that, you lose faith in the system and you don’t trust the system. Why would you?

Those with options don’t engage and move on. Those with no options are at the mercy and whims of the system.

What kills me is that DCPS is cutting off its own tail and losing lots if great high performing kids because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did SWW typically send out the "you aren't invited" emails? I would really love to get an official email so I can rest assured it's not me missing something.

We never got one last year. It was just silence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's interesting to hear (read). I've been assuming my child's recommendations were just meh because they had a 4.0. And that could be the case, but I guess I'll never know.

Search the forum. Year over year so many 4.0 kids (even in the vaunted wards , 7, 8 5 do not get interviews.) My kids ELA teacher admitted didn't max out her recommendations for any kid. So kids who had the other accelerated ELA teacher all got 5of 5s. My kids teacher said she did not max all kids. The thumb on the scale is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's interesting to hear (read). I've been assuming my child's recommendations were just meh because they had a 4.0. And that could be the case, but I guess I'll never know.

Search the forum. Year over year so many 4.0 kids (even in the vaunted wards , 7, 8 5 do not get interviews.) My kids ELA teacher admitted didn't max out her recommendations for any kid. So kids who had the other accelerated ELA teacher all got 5of 5s. My kids teacher said she did not max all kids. The thumb on the scale is real.

And what is the thumb giving the advantage to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

It is frustrating and I validate your feelings, but it really is so out of your control … there is a lot we don’t know about this admissions process - kids we know with a mix of A’s and B’s are getting interviews and straight A kids are not, and I don’t think it is just coming down to recommendations. There is a piece of the puzzle missing here and none of will probably ever know what it is unless some magic DCPS fairy comes along and tells us the secret. In any event, I wish the best for you and your daughter.

I think people deserve to know

Oh, absolutely. I’m seeing this for some of us a bullet dodged because I really don’t like the lack of transparency and the secrecy - it’s very clear that this is not just about GPA’s and recommendations. There is a reason there isn’t transparency. We just don’t have all the information.

As a DC taxpayer, we deserve transparency on all aspects of the admission process. When you don’t get that, you lose faith in the system and you don’t trust the system. Why would you?

Those with options don’t engage and move on. Those with no options are at the mercy and whims of the system.

What kills me is that DCPS is cutting off its own tail and losing lots if great high performing kids because of it.

Yes, we deserve transparency as tax payers, but I’ve never had faith in systems because corruption is rampant and there is rarely accountability (this is not just DC, but everywhere). I just don’t want kids to take this stuff personally and to think something is wrong with them, or that their teacher didn’t write them a strong recommendation when we don’t have the full picture.

[Anonymous]

It all comes down to whether or not you have a teacher who maxes out the recommendation form. When my kid went through this a few years ago at Deal there was one English teacher who didn't max it out for any students on that team and zero kids from that team got in despite many of them having a 4.0 and being school leaders.

It's a deeply flawed process but it's DCPS and that's what they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid who has a whole lot going for them and is also extroverted did not get a Walls interview. So you move on. End of story.

This. My kid did not get an interview, but he applied to a handful of the selective schools and wound up at one that has been a terrific fit. If he'd gone to our IB (J-R), I'm sure he would have been just fine there, too. I'm not bitter about Walls; I'm happy he's doing well and likes where he is, now. I know parents who are bitter about their kid not getting in, and it is so annoying.

It is harder to take when your kid has a 4.0 and doesn't even get an interview, and you don't have J-R as a perfectly acceptable backup option. I am hoping that Banneker or Duke works out -- if one does or my kid lucks into one of the very few slots at Latin or DCI, then I promise not to be bitter; until then, I am a little bitter that the process is sufficiently random that my kid who has a 4.0 in the hardest classes on offer at her school, is very involved in many aspects of school, and got recommendations that the recommenders deemed as good as they gave didn't even get an interview. It's easier not to be bitter if your alternative is J-R. And no, we aren't in a financial position to move.

A 4.0 is par for the course and not at all unusual. Get used to it as it will be the same when your kid is applying to colleges. A 4.0 actually meant something 25 years ago but grade inflation is rampant.

The point honestly isn't that I think my kid is super special, it's that she could not have done better. So maxing out what was within her control, she still couldn't even get an interview. Yes, that makes me bitter.

This really breaks my heart and angers me as a dc taxpayer. Walls is an application only school- every kid should be evaluated not just on gpa but what classes they chose to take and how they performed on tests.

My kid doesn't get to choose her classes at a DCPS middle school. Other than which language and math acceleration, which is determined the first two weeks of 6th grade, it's all set. (She was deeply annoyed to discover that there is no advanced English option.)