Sidwell College Admissions This Year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Their names can go on research papers in some capacity. They get to shadow surgeons in niche specialities. They work in the medical labs of parent's friends. Just a few examples from my extended circle.

But that's hardly "real" experience or an "earned" publication. This sort of EC is just another sign of having "access" to opportunities based on your parents' income and/or professional connections. It's essentially no different that the student's ability to attend Sidwell or to be a full pay for college (which is true of many Sidwell students, but not all). There's nothing special about 3 data point on your profile pointing directly to your privilege. These days, it could be a negative....and I don't think that's necessarily bad. (I am a Sidwell parent)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a high stats kid from another private school...our college counselors made it very, very clear that all bets are off for ANY college with acceptance rates <20%. Those schools cannot be counted on for any kid. They insisted that kids have at least 3 schools with acceptance rates over 50% and at least one had to have an acceptance rate over 60%. Other than that, kids were strongly encouraged to find at least 5-6 schools in the 20-50 percent range that they could really be happy at.

This seemed to work well when the advice was followed...the ones that ended up unhappy are those who disregarded the advice and just put in a couple of safeties and shotgun 20 plus applications for schools with <15% acceptance rates. These kids and their parents are now blaming the counselor for not doing more.

I'm not saying that is what is going on at Sidwell but it is certainly the case that people are upset that the process/outcomes were different that what they were 4-5 years ago and they didn't want to hear it.

New to this thread..(at least since April surge)...the concerning part of admissions this year is that I hear of SOOO many students who are not accepted to these schools despite having great stats and activities. Maybe for yield protection? It feels very hard these days to feel confident in creating even a list of matches/safeties. Very much hoping that the CCO will be able to gain insight from what happened this year.

You still don’t get it, do you?

I absolutely DO get it. I'm saying it's really hard for a high stats, good EC kid to feel ok even with a list that has a lot of 50%+ acceptance rate schools on it. Especially, if you want to keep the number of applications to something reasonable (10-12ish).

Personally, I'm ok with the changes going on in admissions at colleges. But I also recognize these changes affect the entire range of schools, not just the Ivys, or the T10, T30.

It's simply a fact that plenty of high stats kids do not get acceptances at schools that had high acceptance rates historically. As others have noted, it's a moving target if a school that used to have a 50% acceptance rate gets flooded with applications and is suddenly no longer anywhere close to being 50%.

The trickle down effect is real and even for families who "get it", it feels like a mine field.

Well I'm sorry. If you haven't learned yet that "such is life," I don't know what to tell you. And if your's is one of the "high stats, good EC kids" who is having a hard time with a list of schools that has a lot of 50% + acceptance rates --how can I put this kindly -- you, as a parent, have failed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

[Anonymous]

OK, you do realize that Sidwell actually has a summer internship program for rising seniors and they send all the info out in March/April of junior year. One applies for particular internships, typically writing essays and attaching a resume. Many kids participated last summer. It would be very hard for your kid not to have seen all that info. Also, several kids aggressively pursued opportunities on their own by sending out mass emails and then following up. One absolutely does not need “connections” to do this, just hustle and the ability to stomach a lot of rejection. Doing something productive between junior and senior year is very important, in my opinion. Some internships were more substantive than others, but I sense broadly the kids who did them got something out of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a high stats kid from another private school...our college counselors made it very, very clear that all bets are off for ANY college with acceptance rates <20%. Those schools cannot be counted on for any kid. They insisted that kids have at least 3 schools with acceptance rates over 50% and at least one had to have an acceptance rate over 60%. Other than that, kids were strongly encouraged to find at least 5-6 schools in the 20-50 percent range that they could really be happy at.

This seemed to work well when the advice was followed...the ones that ended up unhappy are those who disregarded the advice and just put in a couple of safeties and shotgun 20 plus applications for schools with <15% acceptance rates. These kids and their parents are now blaming the counselor for not doing more.

I'm not saying that is what is going on at Sidwell but it is certainly the case that people are upset that the process/outcomes were different that what they were 4-5 years ago and they didn't want to hear it.

New to this thread..(at least since April surge)...the concerning part of admissions this year is that I hear of SOOO many students who are not accepted to these schools despite having great stats and activities. Maybe for yield protection? It feels very hard these days to feel confident in creating even a list of matches/safeties. Very much hoping that the CCO will be able to gain insight from what happened this year.

You still don’t get it, do you?

I absolutely DO get it. I'm saying it's really hard for a high stats, good EC kid to feel ok even with a list that has a lot of 50%+ acceptance rate schools on it. Especially, if you want to keep the number of applications to something reasonable (10-12ish).

Personally, I'm ok with the changes going on in admissions at colleges. But I also recognize these changes affect the entire range of schools, not just the Ivys, or the T10, T30.

It's simply a fact that plenty of high stats kids do not get acceptances at schools that had high acceptance rates historically. As others have noted, it's a moving target if a school that used to have a 50% acceptance rate gets flooded with applications and is suddenly no longer anywhere close to being 50%.

The trickle down effect is real and even for families who "get it", it feels like a mine field.

Well I'm sorry. If you haven't learned yet that "such is life," I don't know what to tell you. And if your's is one of the "high stats, good EC kids" who is having a hard time with a list of schools that has a lot of 50% + acceptance rates --how can I put this kindly -- you, as a parent, have failed.

I think you are reading way more into this than I am actually stating. I know it's life and I am ok with it. So it my kid.

I am simply stating (admittedly, the obvious) that it's a fast changing landscape and as we enter it, it feels uneasy. I think that is a normal feeling.

Furthermore, the reason it's hard to find schools is because the information changes dramatically from year to year, not because there are not enough schools that are deemed acceptable outcomes.

But maybe you are already feeling feisty towards other posters that you feel the need to attack. Maybe go out for a walk and enjoy the day before the rain claims the rest of the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a high stats kid from another private school...our college counselors made it very, very clear that all bets are off for ANY college with acceptance rates <20%. Those schools cannot be counted on for any kid. They insisted that kids have at least 3 schools with acceptance rates over 50% and at least one had to have an acceptance rate over 60%. Other than that, kids were strongly encouraged to find at least 5-6 schools in the 20-50 percent range that they could really be happy at.

This seemed to work well when the advice was followed...the ones that ended up unhappy are those who disregarded the advice and just put in a couple of safeties and shotgun 20 plus applications for schools with <15% acceptance rates. These kids and their parents are now blaming the counselor for not doing more.

I'm not saying that is what is going on at Sidwell but it is certainly the case that people are upset that the process/outcomes were different that what they were 4-5 years ago and they didn't want to hear it.

New to this thread..(at least since April surge)...the concerning part of admissions this year is that I hear of SOOO many students who are not accepted to these schools despite having great stats and activities. Maybe for yield protection? It feels very hard these days to feel confident in creating even a list of matches/safeties. Very much hoping that the CCO will be able to gain insight from what happened this year.

You still don’t get it, do you?

I absolutely DO get it. I'm saying it's really hard for a high stats, good EC kid to feel ok even with a list that has a lot of 50%+ acceptance rate schools on it. Especially, if you want to keep the number of applications to something reasonable (10-12ish).

Personally, I'm ok with the changes going on in admissions at colleges. But I also recognize these changes affect the entire range of schools, not just the Ivys, or the T10, T30.

It's simply a fact that plenty of high stats kids do not get acceptances at schools that had high acceptance rates historically. As others have noted, it's a moving target if a school that used to have a 50% acceptance rate gets flooded with applications and is suddenly no longer anywhere close to being 50%.

The trickle down effect is real and even for families who "get it", it feels like a mine field.

Well I'm sorry. If you haven't learned yet that "such is life," I don't know what to tell you. And if your's is one of the "high stats, good EC kids" who is having a hard time with a list of schools that has a lot of 50% + acceptance rates --how can I put this kindly -- you, as a parent, have failed.

I think you are reading way more into this than I am actually stating. I know it's life and I am ok with it. So it my kid.

I am simply stating (admittedly, the obvious) that it's a fast changing landscape and as we enter it, it feels uneasy. I think that is a normal feeling.

Furthermore, the reason it's hard to find schools is because the information changes dramatically from year to year, not because there are not enough schools that are deemed acceptable outcomes.

But maybe you are already feeling feisty towards other posters that you feel the need to attack. Maybe go out for a walk and enjoy the day before the rain claims the rest of the week.

You need to step away from the keyboard, mom. You are WAY too invested in this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

There are kids in science research programs that have reached out to a hundred scientists to find a mentor. They just need one yes to create some kind of project. The ones don't actually get to do so something on a lab have done statistical surveys, retrospective projects using existing data, etc. Where there is a will, there is a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a high stats kid from another private school...our college counselors made it very, very clear that all bets are off for ANY college with acceptance rates <20%. Those schools cannot be counted on for any kid. They insisted that kids have at least 3 schools with acceptance rates over 50% and at least one had to have an acceptance rate over 60%. Other than that, kids were strongly encouraged to find at least 5-6 schools in the 20-50 percent range that they could really be happy at.

This seemed to work well when the advice was followed...the ones that ended up unhappy are those who disregarded the advice and just put in a couple of safeties and shotgun 20 plus applications for schools with <15% acceptance rates. These kids and their parents are now blaming the counselor for not doing more.

I'm not saying that is what is going on at Sidwell but it is certainly the case that people are upset that the process/outcomes were different that what they were 4-5 years ago and they didn't want to hear it.

New to this thread..(at least since April surge)...the concerning part of admissions this year is that I hear of SOOO many students who are not accepted to these schools despite having great stats and activities. Maybe for yield protection? It feels very hard these days to feel confident in creating even a list of matches/safeties. Very much hoping that the CCO will be able to gain insight from what happened this year.

You still don’t get it, do you?

I absolutely DO get it. I'm saying it's really hard for a high stats, good EC kid to feel ok even with a list that has a lot of 50%+ acceptance rate schools on it. Especially, if you want to keep the number of applications to something reasonable (10-12ish).

Personally, I'm ok with the changes going on in admissions at colleges. But I also recognize these changes affect the entire range of schools, not just the Ivys, or the T10, T30.

It's simply a fact that plenty of high stats kids do not get acceptances at schools that had high acceptance rates historically. As others have noted, it's a moving target if a school that used to have a 50% acceptance rate gets flooded with applications and is suddenly no longer anywhere close to being 50%.

The trickle down effect is real and even for families who "get it", it feels like a mine field.

Well I'm sorry. If you haven't learned yet that "such is life," I don't know what to tell you. And if your's is one of the "high stats, good EC kids" who is having a hard time with a list of schools that has a lot of 50% + acceptance rates --how can I put this kindly -- you, as a parent, have failed.

I think you are reading way more into this than I am actually stating. I know it's life and I am ok with it. So it my kid.

I am simply stating (admittedly, the obvious) that it's a fast changing landscape and as we enter it, it feels uneasy. I think that is a normal feeling.

Furthermore, the reason it's hard to find schools is because the information changes dramatically from year to year, not because there are not enough schools that are deemed acceptable outcomes.

But maybe you are already feeling feisty towards other posters that you feel the need to attack. Maybe go out for a walk and enjoy the day before the rain claims the rest of the week.

You need to step away from the keyboard, mom. You are WAY too invested in this.

You should take your own advice. PP's response was IMO a great response to a rude and argumentative know-it-all who was distorting PP's comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a high stats kid from another private school...our college counselors made it very, very clear that all bets are off for ANY college with acceptance rates <20%. Those schools cannot be counted on for any kid. They insisted that kids have at least 3 schools with acceptance rates over 50% and at least one had to have an acceptance rate over 60%. Other than that, kids were strongly encouraged to find at least 5-6 schools in the 20-50 percent range that they could really be happy at.

This seemed to work well when the advice was followed...the ones that ended up unhappy are those who disregarded the advice and just put in a couple of safeties and shotgun 20 plus applications for schools with <15% acceptance rates. These kids and their parents are now blaming the counselor for not doing more.

I'm not saying that is what is going on at Sidwell but it is certainly the case that people are upset that the process/outcomes were different that what they were 4-5 years ago and they didn't want to hear it.

New to this thread..(at least since April surge)...the concerning part of admissions this year is that I hear of SOOO many students who are not accepted to these schools despite having great stats and activities. Maybe for yield protection? It feels very hard these days to feel confident in creating even a list of matches/safeties. Very much hoping that the CCO will be able to gain insight from what happened this year.

Here is an example... The University of Wisconsin has long been seen as a fantastic "safety" for high stats kids. This year, not only did they delay notification for EA until the end of January, but they also waitlisted tens of thousands of applicants, admitting only a half the incoming class (plus yield) on EA, deferring the rest to the RD pool. Add to it, that kids with over 1500 and over 3.6 UW MCPS were part of the deferred or denied group. So all of the sudden, applicants in the 3.2-3.6 range with say 1450 are no longer shoe-ins there. That means applicants start having to look at - I am just making up names - Kansas, Clemson, Indiana, iowa etc for that 100% admission somewhere else.

Right...so you can't put all of your eggs in Wisconsin anymore. Find another >50% (or ideally, >60%) school that has things your kid loves. Preferably one that not everyone in the DMV is fixated on. This is the problem...when only Wisconsin or one or two other schools are deemed as acceptable "safety" schools, they get flooded with applications.

There is nothing special about Wisconsin--it's a great school but it is a flagship state school...so is Ohio State and Indiana and there are (approximately) 47 others. Also some amazing SLACs out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

There are kids in science research programs that have reached out to a hundred scientists to find a mentor. They just need one yes to create some kind of project. The ones don't actually get to do so something on a lab have done statistical surveys, retrospective projects using existing data, etc. Where there is a will, there is a way.

These scientists that agree to advise a HS student on a research project are unsung heros of out educational system. They are very valuable and charge nothing IME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

There are kids in science research programs that have reached out to a hundred scientists to find a mentor. They just need one yes to create some kind of project. The ones don't actually get to do so something on a lab have done statistical surveys, retrospective projects using existing data, etc. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Please don't encourage this as the norm! This is unsustainable for scientists and professors! I have never gotten more emails from high school students. There are research protections/institutional review boards that do not make this a viable approach. Have your kid find a data set--there are public ones available and do the science themselves. We have more college, graduate, post-doc, and early career people to mentor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Their names can go on research papers in some capacity. They get to shadow surgeons in niche specialities. They work in the medical labs of parent's friends. Just a few examples from my extended circle.

But that's hardly "real" experience or an "earned" publication. This sort of EC is just another sign of having "access" to opportunities based on your parents' income and/or professional connections. It's essentially no different that the student's ability to attend Sidwell or to be a full pay for college (which is true of many Sidwell students, but not all). There's nothing special about 3 data point on your profile pointing directly to your privilege. These days, it could be a negative....and I don't think that's necessarily bad. (I am a Sidwell parent)

I can’t imagine any hospital or outpatient surgical center would allow this. Liability and HIPPA issues abound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

Where are you? Because here, even fast food places want experience and more availability than a high school student can offer. It’s 100% true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a hard message to deliver and I apologize in advance. A 3.7 just isn’t all that compelling and neither is a 34 ACT relatively speaking for top 15 universities even coming from a great school like Sidwell. If your kid isn’t a NMF and/or Presidential Scholar candidate and done some substantive internships or academic research outside of school, and hit > 3.9 overall GPA having taken the Math I — Math IV sequence plus all the accelerated 1A sciences plus four years of language, plus a >1560 SAT or 35/36 ACT, you really don’t get on the radar screen of the top 15 schools. Exception is the hooked kids — namely athletes, legacies and URM, but a couple of those hooked kids have the former qualifications, too, making them spectacularly attractive applicants. These schools really know Sidwell and for example understand that a solid A from Math III is a pretty powerful academic signal. I just cannot sit by and continue to watch the Sidwell CCO get trashed the way it is by some folks on this forum. In the aggregate, they are doing a good job in a very challenging and competitive environment. The reality is, putting aside the “branding” element, the top 30 - 50 schools offer a great education. Sidwell parent of senior.

This is a bizarre expectation of any high school student, regardless of what high school they attend. My college student hasn’t had either of those yet, and not for lack of trying.

It is very hard for a regular kid to get those opportunities. But you have a contingent of kids whose parents are academics, doctors, researchers or C suite in Universities, who are able to access these ECs and stand out in college applications.

Ok, so I am a researcher at NIH and my boss calls and says there is a high school kid who wants an internship. What responsiblities am I seriously giving this kid, other than to clean test tubes and MAYBE prep some slides? It is ridiculous to think that I am putting my grant research or academic standing on the line for this.

Still loads better than the zero opportunities my kid has as an unconnected kid. My kid who is great on paper and in person, couldn’t even get a job at the mall.

Then he didn't try very hard. Sorry, but I don't believe this.

Where are you? Because here, even fast food places want experience and more availability than a high school student can offer. It’s 100% true.

Really? In the DMV every kid I knew found a summer place to work just fine. It was just the ones whose families wanted more flexibility for vacations that couldn't find a job. Also, in NoVA very easy to find weekend work. No one gives a thought about experience for these jobs.