Which K-8 has the best high school placement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another takeaway is that one’s views of their K-8 experience likely turn on how happy they were with outplacement. The families that are happy of course think the K-8 model worked well for them. But are families whose kids were not admitted to their school of choice (whatever it was) still happy they chose the K-8 model?

I don’t think it’s quite that simple. We loved our k-8 and always planned to go to public HS, so we didn’t even go through the HS application process. But it was striking how stressful it seemed and how some great kids we were close to didn’t get into their first or second choices. I felt like there was so much propaganda during the whole k-8 experience about how great the exmissions were, and seeing it up close took off the rose colored glasses. The transition at 8th was also much more difficult socially than I had anticipated when my oldest was in elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another takeaway is that one’s views of their K-8 experience likely turn on how happy they were with outplacement. The families that are happy of course think the K-8 model worked well for them. But are families whose kids were not admitted to their school of choice (whatever it was) still happy they chose the K-8 model?

I don’t think it’s quite that simple. We loved our k-8 and always planned to go to public HS, so we didn’t even go through the HS application process. But it was striking how stressful it seemed and how some great kids we were close to didn’t get into their first or second choices. I felt like there was so much propaganda during the whole k-8 experience about how great the exmissions were, and seeing it up close took off the rose colored glasses. The transition at 8th was also much more difficult socially than I had anticipated when my oldest was in elementary.

PP here. My point was not that everyone wants to go to a Big 3 HS as the goal. Some want the K-8 foundation and then go public for high school and that is your goal, so you are pleased with the K-8 experience. My point was only that if you’re happy or not happy with the outcome (whether it was public, Catholic, big 3, whatever) that will color your view of the K-8 experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love K-8s and think they are great, but there are absolutely no guarantees about where you'll land in HS. You have to know that. Ninth grade admissions can be unpredictable and challenging, no matter how great your school is.

If you are do or die about a particular high school, you should apply there at every possible opportunity and not leave it to ninth grade. If you are willing to be open minded and consider other schools, you'll be fine applying out in ninth.

Sent kids to a k-8. This is VERY good advice. Kids left early for harder-to-get-into schools, stayed if they didn’t and thus had multiple chances. We wish we had done this. I bet all the k-12s would assert they support their k-8 grades.

[Anonymous]

St Pats always sends a group of kids to top NE boarding schools too. Think it’s only K-8 with a long tradition of this.

[Anonymous]

OP, with the HS you mentioned wanting later on, I’d only go K8 if you are okay with your public option too. They talk a good game about “best fit” exmissions at K8s but there are no guarantees unless you are a huge donor or legacy/sibling applicant, or have a big hook for 9th grade. If you have a very smart kid I’d apply to k-12 schools too so perhaps you have those choices. It isn’t fun watching less qualified applicants from a K8 get in for 9th at your kids’ first and second (and maybe even third choice)--just because they are legacy and your kids are not. But it really does happen, and not infrequently. The schools will not say this at admissions events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, with the HS you mentioned wanting later on, I’d only go K8 if you are okay with your public option too. They talk a good game about “best fit” exmissions at K8s but there are no guarantees unless you are a huge donor or legacy/sibling applicant, or have a big hook for 9th grade. If you have a very smart kid I’d apply to k-12 schools too so perhaps you have those choices. It isn’t fun watching less qualified applicants from a K8 get in for 9th at your kids’ first and second (and maybe even third choice)--just because they are legacy and your kids are not. But it really does happen, and not infrequently. The schools will not say this at admissions events.

+2 My DC was one of 4 kids at their small k-8 accepted to a Big3. Of the 4 accepted, 3 had a sibling hook. The one non-sibling admit had a parent that was head of the board at the k-8. Connections drive this process. It worked out for us, but go in with your eyes open.

[Anonymous]

If the K-8s are implying an elite high school acceptance is possible for everyone, they're not being honest.

Space just doesn't allow it. There are probably 8 popular k-8 schools around here. Each Big3 has about 20-40 spots for 9th. Let's say you give 25% of Big3 spots to public school kids. Maybe 10% to parochial school kids or kids coming from out-of-town. That leaves maybe 65% of spots for K-8 kids.

Let's say there are 100 Big3 spots total (if you include 4 schools). That's 60 for K-8 kids kids or 7.5 per school. That sound about right. 7-8 kids combined admitted per K-8 to NCS/STA/Sidwell/GDS.

It's not a giant conspiracy--it's a space/numbers issue. The only issue is if the K-8s are implying admission is routinely possible.

[Anonymous]

It's not a giant conspiracy--it's a space/numbers issue. The only issue is if the K-8s are implying admission is routinely possible.

A PP here. The k-8 outplacement director at DS's school was crystal clear, as was the head of school, that our kid should apply to several schools because the odds are so low for admission to his target school. The director said it multiple times, in multiple personal family meetings. It was said throughout the year in blast emails, it was clearly stated in a PowerPoint at the mandatory all-parent meeting.

I have no doubt it was said repeatedly to each family at our school and I'm also certain that the same message is made clear at all the other non-parochial K-8s.

If/when a family claims 'shut out' on March 3rd, that's wholly their own fault. You can be disappointed that your actual best option was not your top choice going in, but you cannot be bitter and say with a straight face that you were misled about acceptance odds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the K-8s are implying an elite high school acceptance is possible for everyone, they're not being honest.

Space just doesn't allow it. There are probably 8 popular k-8 schools around here. Each Big3 has about 20-40 spots for 9th. Let's say you give 25% of Big3 spots to public school kids. Maybe 10% to parochial school kids or kids coming from out-of-town. That leaves maybe 65% of spots for K-8 kids.

Let's say there are 100 Big3 spots total (if you include 4 schools). That's 60 for K-8 kids kids or 7.5 per school. That sound about right. 7-8 kids combined admitted per K-8 to NCS/STA/Sidwell/GDS.

It's not a giant conspiracy--it's a space/numbers issue. The only issue is if the K-8s are implying admission is routinely possible.

I suppose it depends on what you are defining as "elite high school" but since you are later referring to "Big 3" let's take Sidwell, GDS, NCS/StA. And we could even add Maret and Potomac into the mix as your definition of elite high schools.

Given those 6 schools, it is also not true, as many on this thread have already stated, that everyone at a K-8 wants those destinations for their kids or that all K-8 8th graders themselves want to go to those schools. Some want public school. Others want independent schools that are considered less intense, even if the student would be great a candidate at those elite schools (we certainly know many kids from our K-8 who would fit that description). It's kind of the beauty of a K-8 in the first place, that not everyone is fixed on a narrow definition or understanding of what the desired next step is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not a giant conspiracy--it's a space/numbers issue. The only issue is if the K-8s are implying admission is routinely possible.

A PP here. The k-8 outplacement director at DS's school was crystal clear, as was the head of school, that our kid should apply to several schools because the odds are so low for admission to his target school. The director said it multiple times, in multiple personal family meetings. It was said throughout the year in blast emails, it was clearly stated in a PowerPoint at the mandatory all-parent meeting.

I have no doubt it was said repeatedly to each family at our school and I'm also certain that the same message is made clear at all the other non-parochial K-8s.

If/when a family claims 'shut out' on March 3rd, that's wholly their own fault. You can be disappointed that your actual best option was not your top choice going in, but you cannot be bitter and say with a straight face that you were misled about acceptance odds.

And carry that same message with you all the way through to college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Why has WES not been mentioned? I have no affiliation with any K-8, but I'm wondering why it isn't included in q discussion with St. Pat's, Norwood, Sheridan, and Lowell?

[Anonymous]

WES is just as good as the others. Possibly stronger than one or two PP referred to.

Finding the best fit for our graduates.

WES graduates are accepted, attend, and seamlessly transition to a wide variety of secondary schools including private, public, single-sex, religiously affiliated, and boarding schools. There are 138 graduates at 34 secondary schools in the US:

20 Independent Day Schools
8 Public Schools
6 Boarding Schools
Three or more alumni currently attend the following independent area secondary schools (in alphabetical order):

Bullis School
Connelly School of the Holy Child
Field School
Georgetown Day School
Georgetown Preparatory School
Gonzaga College High School
Holton-Arms School
Landon
The Madeira School
The Potomac School
Sidwell Friends
St. Albans School
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
St. Johns College High School
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Finding the best fit school for our graduates is the number one priority for the secondary school admission process. Of the WES graduates currently in secondary schools in the United States, only two students have changed high schools for reasons other than moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another takeaway is that one’s views of their K-8 experience likely turn on how happy they were with outplacement. The families that are happy of course think the K-8 model worked well for them. But are families whose kids were not admitted to their school of choice (whatever it was) still happy they chose the K-8 model?

I don’t think it’s quite that simple. We loved our k-8 and always planned to go to public HS, so we didn’t even go through the HS application process. But it was striking how stressful it seemed and how some great kids we were close to didn’t get into their first or second choices. I felt like there was so much propaganda during the whole k-8 experience about how great the exmissions were, and seeing it up close took off the rose colored glasses. The transition at 8th was also much more difficult socially than I had anticipated when my oldest was in elementary.

NP. Why did you make the decision from the beginning to go public for HS? Was it finances or other reasons? Asking because we are considering the same (partly but not wholly motivated by finances)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another takeaway is that one’s views of their K-8 experience likely turn on how happy they were with outplacement. The families that are happy of course think the K-8 model worked well for them. But are families whose kids were not admitted to their school of choice (whatever it was) still happy they chose the K-8 model?

I don’t think it’s quite that simple. We loved our k-8 and always planned to go to public HS, so we didn’t even go through the HS application process. But it was striking how stressful it seemed and how some great kids we were close to didn’t get into their first or second choices. I felt like there was so much propaganda during the whole k-8 experience about how great the exmissions were, and seeing it up close took off the rose colored glasses. The transition at 8th was also much more difficult socially than I had anticipated when my oldest was in elementary.

+1 we are also considering this option for our family, mostly for financial reasons. How was the transition?

NP. Why did you make the decision from the beginning to go public for HS? Was it finances or other reasons? Asking because we are considering the same (partly but not wholly motivated by finances)

[Anonymous]

Following up on the question about WES above, we have a ninth grader who just went through the application process last year and who is very happy with where she landed.

WES did an amazing job of thinking with us--bolstered by discussions the head of school and head of middle school had with the teachers in preparation--about the best fit for our daughter. In a year when the entire admissions process was completely kerfluey, and no one knew what would happen, we got thoughtful advice, and they were helpful and supportive at each step of the way.

It's notable that that list of where the recent grads are includes so many great schools, but what's even more important is that the students who are at each of those places are there for the right reasons. "Fit" isn't jut lip service at WES--they really did help us think smartly and strategically, and DD is having a great year.