"Unconventional" or "Remarkable" Applicant Families

[Anonymous]

Newbie here. I have seen many comment that a certain type is over represented (or seen with a "dime a dozen" frequency) in private school applications: Lawyers, World Bank/IMF types, Doctors and so on. Which professions are seen as different and interesting then? Artists? Journalists? Academics?

[Anonymous]

Hijack: And how much does this weigh in the decision? If you have watched Nursery University, it seems to be an important factor esp in the younger grades (preK and K).

[Anonymous]

I think the younger the child, the harder it is to make decisions based on the child so maybe that is where the parents come into play.

[Anonymous]

True. For the lower grades, I would imagine that this is important. But, DC seems to be largely populated conventional types (unlike say NY which I imagine to have more professional diversity). I would think there would be relatively few artists here and can journalists and academics really afford private school tuitions?

[Anonymous]

I would say journalists and academics are mildly interesting but only in comparison to attorneys. What gets you attention is probably the same stuff that would get you attention anywhere. Like being the cousin of a movie star, or playing professional sports, or having your name on the side of a department store. Being a high profile sculptor wouldn't hurt either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say journalists and academics are mildly interesting but only in comparison to attorneys. What gets you attention is probably the same stuff that would get you attention anywhere. Like being the cousin of a movie star, or playing professional sports, or having your name on the side of a department store. Being a high profile sculptor wouldn't hurt either.

do you know this or are you guessing?

[Anonymous]

to set the record straight, a journalist of any kind (NPR, Wash Post, CNN, Newsweek) is not remarkable in DC. Not bad, mind you, just not unusual per se.

to answer a question above about affording tuition if you're an academic or a journalist ... financial aid.

And lastly, looking around my son's class, the parents who aren't lawyers, developers (never forget the developers!), lobbyists, bankers or regulators tend to be in the non-profit and/or 'white hat' type of professions. Getting aid to Cambodians or studying water systems in rural India or preserving habitat for winking warblers.

[Anonymous]

Professional athletes, college or professional coaches, sports owners kids are considered cool because they can provide entre to tickets, facilities, scholarships, etc. I know when JTIII's kids were applying to some schools, for example, everyone wanted them. I think they ended up at NCS

[Anonymous]

We have been told by someone involved with the Admissions Committee that in this time of economic uncertainty, they really like families with solid, stable jobs that are experiencing growth. Over the past year, too many families have lost income and have either had to leave or ask for more aid.

Media people are seen as risks given their industry's woes while people connected to government get high marks along with lobbyists and consultants.

[Anonymous]

I have heard it really helps if one or both parents have some unusual skills. With one couple, the husband learned to recite the bible backwards in Aramaic while his wife would juggle 6 Riedel glasses. Their child was accepted. Is there anything along these lines you could work on?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Smile. Lets see, PP, I used to be able to juggle two balls at once, but that was at the peak of my abilities. Maybe I have a video recording somewhere though -- is it kosher to send in a DVD with the application package?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard it really helps if one or both parents have some unusual skills. With one couple, the husband learned to recite the bible backwards in Aramaic while his wife would juggle 6 Riedel glasses. Their child was accepted. Is there anything along these lines you could work on?

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Looking at the parents list at some of the schools, it looks as if theer is a fair mix of types. Lawyers, doctors, politicos, lobbyists, developers, economists, bankers, academics, journalists etc...