Academic Difference Between GDS and Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Do they tell you which percentage of students take any APs or typical number of APs per student?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Is there an academic difference between either school? It seems like GDS is easier to graduate from with an Ivy-worthy GPA than Sidwell. I'm not insulting GDS, nor am I trolling. My kid is applying to both of these schools and is an athlete the coaches are interested in.

If we are shooting for a 3.9+ GPA, would GDS be a better fit? I think he like Sidwell's facilities and culture better, but GDS may be an easier journey for someone looking to get stellar grades.

What does this forum think?

Based on this year’s IG posts, 2023 Sidwell students had better luck gaining admission to Ivy+ colleges than GDS students. It may vary from year to year though.

All hooked except one or two.

The vast majority of Sidwell and GDS parents are college graduates. Therefore, their children are “hooked” (legacies) at some college(s). If you or your spouse didn’t graduate from an Ivy+, that’s too bad for your child. They can always use the hook his/her parents provided. But that’s not good enough for you, is it?

Pls don’t conflate one of the 400,000 Harvard alums with real legacies whose families are wealthy, successful, and has donated millions over the years.

Every alums kid cannot get a seat as said parent’s alum. Stop pretending that’s a “leg up.”

I agree with you. Posters on this board act as if legacies from Sidwell (and other elite privates) who are admitted to T20 colleges are unqualified. There’s been loads of research on this issue and the findings are that most of these legacies have equivalent or better stats than “unhooked” admits. I know several high stats, double Harvard legacies that were denied admissions. Many people don’t understand that legacy status is not determinative without a lot of other things working in your student’s favor.

False. Legacies in the 3.5 to 3.7 range with less rigorous classes got into HYP while 3.9+ students with rigorous classes did not at Sidwell this year.

USA college system has never looked purely at GPA and test scores.

Go alumni interview and learn something yourself.

Harvard wants intellect, type A “leaders” not bookworms.

Harvard does not want leaders. They want the children of the rich and powerful because these children will be rich and powerful.

Harvard college is a quirky place.
Maybe you should go check it out for yourself- take a tour, talk to the students, sit in some classes and listen.

It is interesting how many Harvard alumni fail and do not become leaders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both schools are hard. Your child is very unlikely to get into an Ivy from either of them without hooks.

I suspect the reason so many kids from GDS go to Ivies is because they have hooks - most likely of the legacy variety. They also have the resources to hire independent college counselors who know how to game the system.

Also admissions counselors evaluate students based their school’s unique profile. So your kid won’t be compared to kids from other schools - they’ll be compared to kids from their own school. If a 3.5 is considered high achieving at GDS, college counselors will know that.

[Anonymous]

find a joyful learning community, go with wherever your kid would be happy; it is about the process of learning not the result; your kid will be fine at either school. go where they find their people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

My unhooked 3.75 Sidwell graduate CURRENTLY attends a T15 university (not U of C).

The bolded sentence is true, until it isn’t.

[Anonymous]

The matriculation differences between any 7 of the Big-3 schools is not academics. The college difference at that level is hooks.

[Anonymous]

When you look at the CDS of a lot of popular, private colleges, you will not find data on average GPAs. There is a reason for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

My unhooked 3.75 Sidwell graduate CURRENTLY attends a T15 university (not U of C).

The bolded sentence is true, until it isn’t.

can you share what you think helped get your kid in?

[Anonymous]

The main difference is Sidwell is better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

My unhooked 3.75 Sidwell graduate CURRENTLY attends a T15 university (not U of C).

The bolded sentence is true, until it isn’t.

can you share what you think helped get your kid in?

To answer your question, my 3.75 Sidwell grad had two rather unique (and genuine) passions that she pursued inside and outside of school, from middle school until now. She distinguished herself in those areas on a national level (awards). Although she played one varsity sport all 4 years, she was not a recruited athlete and the sport was not basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The main difference is Sidwell is better

I’m the PP with the Sidwell grad that had a 3.75. I did not make the comment above.

PSA: Sidwell students, please stop posting comments like this here. I don’t think Sidwell parents are posting things like this on DCUM (at least I hope not).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

False.

I have 2 so ask me how I know.


(and no hooks)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:find a joyful learning community, go with wherever your kid would be happy; it is about the process of learning not the result; your kid will be fine at either school. go where they find their people.

This^^ and these two schools can vary widely on this dimension (and this varies by kid, so this is not saying one over the other).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges know the academic rigor involved at both schools, so getting less than a 3.9 may not be a dealbreaker. What it really comes down to is whether your kid prefers a progressive approach or a traditional one.

Anyone with experience in prep schools knows this isn't true. Expectations are that you still maintain a 3.9+ GPA. These schools are challenging, but there are definitely kids in the top 2 deciles that maintain a 3.9+ average. Elite universities select unhooked applicants almost-exclusively from this tier. The 3.7 Sidwell kid is not getting in a T20.

My unhooked 3.75 Sidwell graduate CURRENTLY attends a T15 university (not U of C).

The bolded sentence is true, until it isn’t.

Sure - but it's also true that many very high stats (3.85<3.9 with rigor) kids aren't getting accepted in T25. This is all variable by year and by person - but it was not that common for an unhooked 3.75 kid to get into T10 (but some people are also not great at "owning" a hook either). Lesson is - apply where you want - spread net wide. Maybe you win the lottery, but don't expect to.