anyone's child who has sibling at sidwell rejected for K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your premise that a 6 percent Quaker student body is a problem at a Quaker school because its not reflective of the national average is absurd on its face.

11:31 posting again. Your premise that I actually care how many Quakers are at Sidwell is erroneous. I don't care whether the school is 6% Quaker, 6% Catholic, or 6% Pastafarian (FSM!). I just got curious about the actual facts, and posted them. The key point (as I see it) is that Sidwell has a fairly sizable number of Quakers, at least relative to the general population. I suspect most schools have fewer Quakers, and I'm sure there are some (Penn Charter in Philadelphia, for example) who have more. I don't see it as a positive or a negative -- it's just part of the fabric of that particular school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smart Quakers should get every opportunity to attend Sidwell, including lots of financial aid. Getting Quakers in to the school should always be a priority. I'm a non quaker Sidwell parent.

I agree that Quakers should have priority, but not necessarily any more financial aid than any other needy family.

As for why this would be different than for AfAm families or rich families or whatever--it's because Sidwell claims to be a QUAKER school--not a non-denominational private school. It's founded upon Quaker principles (even if people think that it has strayed), students still attend meeting, and Quaker values supposedly inform the governance of the school.

[Anonymous]

The more Quakers we have the school, the more reflective of the community will be of Quaker thought.

[Anonymous]

I can see a lot of DC parents converting to Quakerism all of a sudden. Are there many kids who go from Sidwell to Earlham College in IN because its Quaker I wonder?

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of great Quaker colleges, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, Guilford, Earlham.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]There are a lot of great Quaker colleges, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, Guilford, Earlham. [/quote]

Don't forget the University of Pennsylvania

[Anonymous]

All this arguing ignores the fact that Quakers are given preference in Sidwell admissions; just not guaranteed admission (much like siblings and legacies). Which is as it should be, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No, but Quaker denied for K..with wppsi in 90's (no up or downs in subsets, etc). Also AA but we don't have a lot of money although did not ask for financial aid. Hope this doesn't give me away![/quote]

We are in the same boat. Extensive Quaker background that extends multiple generations. Similar scores. Great recommendations from a top preschool. Outright rejected with our DC's name merged into the same form letter sent to everyone else. It only confirms our feelings that Sidwell is not true to its Quaker roots and is a Friends school in name only. It is very sad that the few Quakers that live in DC cannot educate their children in the city's only Quaker school. [/quote]

Do you seriously expect a hand written/personally tailored note just because you are Quaker? Couldn't the same be said for minority applicants? Or any other applicant that claims "special attention"? This would require the office to write personal notes to almost all of the 1000+ applicants, which would delay letters coming, and in turn would get the school ripped apart on DCUM.[/quote]

Reply:

We attend Quaker meeting of Washington, DC. There are about 16 kids there total and I'd venture the same is true for other meeting houses in area ( 2 or 3 at most) and of those 16 kids maybe 1 or 2 would be a pre-k or KDG applicant in a given year so ,no, I don't think it is a lot to ask to expect a Quaker school to extend the courtesy of t maybe 8 handwritten letters or 8 phone calls. I think a little extra tact would go a long way. It would at least be consistent with the way Quakers handle their business.Question: is the current AD a Quaker? How many members of the current Board are Quaker and what do they think about the way the honor code at the school is being completely ignored.

[Anonymous]

PP, I don't know the reason why your kid wasn't accepted, but I have friends whose kids were legacies AND minorities and didn't get in, and know of at least one sibling that didn't get in, and they all got the form letter as well. Are you suggesting that anyone in a slightly preferred group should get a handwritten note or just Quakers? I'm inclined to be sympathetic to your situation, but the whining tone is irritating. Face it; Sidwell is a Quaker school that is extremely popular right now. Although Quaker, your kid didn't make the cut. That clearly stings, but it's time to move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, I don't know the reason why your kid wasn't accepted, but I have friends whose kids were legacies AND minorities and didn't get in, and know of at least one sibling that didn't get in, and they all got the form letter as well. Are you suggesting that anyone in a slightly preferred group should get a handwritten note or just Quakers? I'm inclined to be sympathetic to your situation, but the whining tone is irritating. Face it; Sidwell is a Quaker school that is extremely popular right now. Although Quaker, your kid didn't make the cut. That clearly stings, but it's time to move on.

ITA. Time to turn the page and get on with your life.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote]If you are a Quaker school admit the Quakers 1st, then fill your school up with who is left over. [/quote]
So you'd probably argue that Beauvoir/NCS/StA should admit all the Episcopalians first, and then fill up the rest of the school with whoever is left over? And Georgetown University should admit all the Catholics first? Would the non-denominational schools then admit non-religious applicants first too? I'm not sure you've considered this particular plan carefully enough.
Reply:
You do this when there are like 2 or 3 Quaker meeting members applying a year whose families have always sent their kids to Quaker schools, yes you do this if you are true to your school's mission. The University of Pennsylvania for example does this when it admits close to 30% of Penn Charter grads. Doubt that is purely based on SAT scores and grades.That is a Quaker University staying true to its mission. If Penn can do it ; why can't Sidwell? This is simply a disgrace. Perhaps Penn's endowment is a little deeper???

As an aside, you're not doing Sandy Springs School any favors. I'd heard good things about Sandy Springs, but this post reflects poorly on the parent community at that school. Maybe you were just having a bad day; I hope tomorrow is better. [/quote]

Reply: I am not a Sandy Springs parent. I just know many Quakers who send their kids there and they don't feel the community is as schizo as they feel Sidwell is.I would also say that you find an atmosphere where Quakers would feel more comfortable ie: egalitarian, non-pretentious, welcoming of all ( irrespective whether the parents work for the Obama admin., write for the Post or DON"T) at schools like: GDS, Maret, Beauvoir. I have never experienced a school where parents cut each other out based on career contacts and money like Sidwell today.In my opinion, Sidwell is a victim of its own success in that it attracted one very high profile family 20 some years ago and then in true Washington fashion people who "just have to have what they have to have" worked there way into that school with $$$$ for the name and now the school is filled with them.This is purely my opinion, but I hope it consoles Quaker families who may feel crushed by what they thought was their own community rejecting their child.

[Anonymous]

I think the amount of preference given to members of the religion or sect affiliated with a school should be proportional to the amount of money or other tangible support that the church gives to the school. For a long time, the catholic church gave a heavy subsidy to their schools by providing nuns, monks, etc as teachers. Thus, catholics should get a large preference in admissions. The catholics are essentially paying for this school through their tithes. I do not think the Quaker church gives much direct support to Friends schools. I think they serve on the board, and "hold them in the light", but not much else?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote]If you are a Quaker school admit the Quakers 1st, then fill your school up with who is left over. [/quote]
So you'd probably argue that Beauvoir/NCS/StA should admit all the Episcopalians first, and then fill up the rest of the school with whoever is left over? And Georgetown University should admit all the Catholics first? Would the non-denominational schools then admit non-religious applicants first too? I'm not sure you've considered this particular plan carefully enough.

Reply: Oh really, can we imagine the uproar if Jewish Day started rejecting Jewish children to take "new families" who were Quaker, Protestant, Catholic etc.. who just wanted their kids at Jewish Day so bad because of "the rigorous education" ??? Come on . Be honest .

As an aside, you're not doing Sandy Springs School any favors. I'd heard good things about Sandy Springs, but this post reflects poorly on the parent community at that school. Maybe you were just having a bad day; I hope tomorrow is better. [/quote]

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]I think the amount of preference given to members of the religion or sect affiliated with a school should be proportional to the amount of money or other tangible support that the church gives to the school. For a long time, the catholic church gave a heavy subsidy to their schools by providing nuns, monks, etc as teachers. Thus, catholics should get a large preference in admissions. The catholics are essentially paying for this school through their tithes. I do not think the Quaker church gives much direct support to Friends schools. I think they serve on the board, and "hold them in the light", but not much else? [/quote]

Reply: In response to your statement," I think the amount of preference given to members of the religion affiliated with a school should be proportional to the amount of money or other tangible support the church gives to the school" I would like say that if you truly believe this then perhaps you should reflect on a few things that you seem to be ignorant of:

The land that Sidwell's Upper School sits on and some of the original buildings that still comprise the school were the gifts of an actual Quaker , which if the current parent community wanted to purchase outright today , they might find it prohibitive to have the school at Wisconsin& Porter . Perhaps it would be out past Holton or in Virginia.There is also the tax exempt status of that nice little "technical" Quaker religious affiliation, which again ,given the land's location, is quite a pretty penny that those "old dying Quakers" are saving the current school community.

So, even by your own argument in which,"the amount of preference given to a member of the religion should be proportional to the amount of money the church gives to the school" , I guess the Quaker kids should still be "in" for their asset contribution. BTW,I am aware of at least one religion that requires payment to attend services of the"congregation" and perhaps this is where this idea got its foot hold, but most people find this offensive and in most religions tithing is voluntary and a private matter. As in noone asked you for a said amount of money to join EVER and what you put in the basket is your business alone.Quakers are special in that the one thing they do require of those who wish to join is volunteer work within the meeting and outside it and adherence to the Quaker principles.You can't simply write a check. Ironic , no, that these very same people would find themselves squeezed out of the school they themselves created.I think any Quaker family rejected from Sidwell Friends school whose child had good scores has a real gripe here, but they are generally too insightful too not see the righting on the wall and simply go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

To 19:34: I am struggling to understand why anyone for whom Quaker values are important would want their DC to attend Sidwell in the first place. Your complaint seems to be that Sidwell has lost its way and no longer prioritizes Quaker principles. However, you must have realized that before you received the rejection letter, right? Even as a non-Quaker, that seemed pretty obvious to me during the admissions process. This is one of the many reasons we chose not to send DC there even though s/he was accepted. So I imagine that a Quaker who takes his or her religion seriously would not want to send their DC to a school like that anyway. So why all the anger about your DC being rejected? I honestly don't understand...