Anonymous wrote:great work on the pie charts, SAM2, but as you only got 160 responses, do you think its wise to post this as a guide. 160 respinses has to be like less tahn 1/10th of those accepted responding to your survey.

I don't see it as a guide. I'm not sure what people would want to take away from it. To me, it's just a mechanism to sum up the number of results for people who post on DCUM and choose to respond. I created it as something more efficient than reading through 20 pages of people posting things like "Girl, PK, 95%, GDS accepted, Green Acres WL."

Anonymous wrote:Curious about the results already added to the survey. Are they all fake?

All fake as far as I'm concerned.

Anonymous wrote:Question for the survey -- the question re: test scores, unless I glossed over it, asks for percentile, but not percentile within group -- for example the ranking nationally versus the ranking within the test taking group. There's always a very wide gap there. Can you illuminate what data you're looking for?

I'm unfamiliar with admissions test scores that show two different groups. My own children's scores showed only one full-scale percentile number (along with separate percentiles for subtests), but my experience is limited to their scores. Are you thinking about ERB tests? I believe those will show your child's place in different background groups. In the end, I suspect the more useful percentile would be the national ranking.

Anonymous wrote:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnukIDABt_JKdDdZYXlQbnFUQ0VfMHRpTFp1SUIxS2c&hl=en_US#gid=5

Here is the spread sheet. If the link doesn't work just try searching on the forum as I did. It says that Sidwell has a 700 average SAT which is the best in DC, but not by that much. Other schools in other cities - NY - have higher average scores. As I said before, it's consistent with my understanding of about how kids at the school perform.

That's my spreadsheet, so I'll comment. I am highly confident of the accuracy of most numbers on there, because I carefully gathered them from trustworthy sources. However, although I still have fair confidence in the SAT score averages, those are the least trustworthy of the bunch. Different schools and other sources report SAT averages, but they are often reported in varying formats. For example, one school might report the mean SAT, another reports median, and another reports a range for the middle 50%. Also, I sometimes pick and choose among non-school sources, because many have questionable credibility. For example, if someone posts a list of SAT averages on College Confidential, I won't trust it unless I can independently verify the accuracy.

That 1400 average for Sidwell has always been itchy for me. It's only based on one source, a Washington Examiner article from the early 2000s. In my experience, Sidwell simply does not release information to the public; they are more private than any other school I investigated. I find it quite frustrating, but I have grown to respect them for it. Nevertheless, I think it's reasonably accurate because it's consistent with all the other data for that school. I'm happy to see a Sidwell parent with actual inside info confirm that it seems fairly accurate.

That's all I can add. I hope it helps minimize any disagreement.

[ETA: The Sidwell college success number also has a shaky basis IMO, because it's a mathematical calculation without multiple years of data to support it. But again, it's consistent with other data on Sidwell, so I consider it reasonably accurate.]

BTW, in case anyone is interested, here is a link to last year's results. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/217240.page

Below are links to a tool for counting 2013 admissions results. The counting tool is live now, so please enter only real data. If you want to wait to enter your child's results all at one time next week, that's probably most accurate. But if you want to enter results piecemeal as you receive them, that's fine too, but try not to double-count since that just makes things confusing. As is probably obvious, this counting process is pretty free-form. Since you are the ones entering the data, it's up to you to control the accuracy of your responses.

Here is a link to a simple survey tool, so people can log their admission results for 2013. http://goo.gl/9arbT
Here is a direct link to a summary of the current results. http://goo.gl/R1h6L

You will see that I listed only a limited number of schools, and dropped some from last time. This is due to a lack of many results for those schools. If there are schools you want me to add back next year, there is a spot at the end of the form to list them. At the end of the form, there is a spot to identify waitlist spots that might open. Please use it to let other waitlisted people know what might open up.

Also, as is DCUM tradition, people of course should feel free to bypass the survey, and just post results to this thread free form.

Good luck to everyone. May all your envelopes be fat.

Our kids have been through several cameras over the years. Some were relatively nice adult cameras that we grudgingly let them borrow (and watched get broken), others were inexpensive cameras (which also got broken), and others were kid-tough cameras (which inevitable suck and sometimes got broken, but more often just got abandoned). I eventually decided that it's best simply to buy solid, moderately priced, used cameras off ebay. That way, the quality is enough to keep the kids interested, and the price is low enough that I won't feel disappointed if it breaks. I just picked whatever brand/model combo I could find for about $40-50 at the time, and it usually would last for about 2-3 years, which was satisfactory ROI for my limited purposes.

If you want to go this route, ask your friends and relatives for cast-off cameras. With the rise in iPhones, many people have old point-and-shoots just sitting in drawers. They'd probably be happy to give them to a good home.

Good luck.

ETA: For whatever it's worth, I followed this same strategy with kid ipods and other tech items, and it works there too. I buy inexpensive used ones, and while I encourage responsibility and safe use, I also don't get stressed when they inevitably get lost or broken. Works like a charm.

Anonymous wrote:Man-made structure/technology: Associated bird deaths per year (U.S.)
Feral and domestic cats: Hundreds of millions [source: AWEA]
Power lines: 130 million -- 174 million [source: AWEA]
Windows (residential and commercial): 100 million -- 1 billion [source: TreeHugger]
Pesticides: 70 million [source: AWEA]
Automobiles: 60 million -- 80 million [source: AWEA]
Lighted communication towers: 40 million -- 50 million [source: AWEA]
Wind turbines: 10,000 -- 40,000 [source: ABC]

Good post. I like it when people do the research to put data in perspective. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:Add St Andrew's.-- I can't find it on the list

OK, as far as I know, no one has requested it before. I'll try to add it.

Anonymous wrote:Are you asking us to go ahead and fill out the survey forms now? Just seeking clarification. Might just wait until after application deadlines.

If you know which schools you're applying to, there's no reason I can see to wait on posting data. If you're still deciding and unsure about whether you're applying, then maybe you want to wait on listing those schools. But ultimately, it's your choice on what and when you post. The form is there whenever you're ready to use it.

Here is the survey form for 2012-13. This tracks only applications, and not results. Please be considerate of others. Sorry it took so long to bring this live; real life intruded.

-- Survey Form
-- Results

Good luck to everyone this season.

See update below.

Sam2 wrote:Assuming there's still interest, I'll post a survey of where people are applying for the 2012-13 cycle. Here is a link to last year's survey and the resulting discussion, in case you want to read the history - http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/208468.page . Before I finalize the survey, I need some input.

1. A few people made the good suggestion to break up the results by grade, because they really are different cohorts. I'm planning to break them into three groups: PK-K, 1-8, and 9-12.

2. I'm planning to adjust the list of schools per the lists below. Let me know if you really want to save one of the ones I'm planning to drop.

Here are schools I'm planning to include:

GDS
Sidwell Friends
Beauvoir
St. Patrick's
Maret
Potomac
Washinton International School (WIS)
Sandy Springs Friends
St. Albans
Washington Episcopal School (WES)
Lowell School
Norwood
Primary Day
Sheridan
Stone Ridge
Langley School
Nat'l Presbyterian School
Concord Hill
Green Acres
Holton-Arms
NCS
Burgundy Farm
Flint Hill
Grace Episcopal
British School
Capitol Hill Day School
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
Edmund Burke
Field School
Gonzaga
Landon
Mclean School of MD
St Stephen & St Agnes
Alexandria County Day

And here are ones I'm planning to drop, because no one responded for them last year:

Bullis
Edlin
Emerson Prep
Feynman School
Friends Community School
G'town Prep
G'town Visi Prep
Madeira
Nysmith
St. Anselm's
St. John's
Woods Academy
Browne School
Congressional Schools of VA
Green Hedges School
Maddux School

Other suggestions welcome, so long as they don't make the project too complicated.

Update: Here is the survey form for 2012-13. This tracks only applications, and not results. Please be considerate of others. Good luck this season.
-- Survey Form
-- Results

I've grown tired of the public vs. private debate hijacking so many threads lately, so I decided to create this thread. Also, I remember from years past that this public vs. private debate always gets more vicious around this time of year, perhaps because it's when people are applying to public magnet programs and private schools. Maybe all the people who want to argue this issue can keep their bickering on this thread. Also, when the public vs. private debate threatens to disrupt an ongoing thread, maybe someone can post a link to this thread, and encourage the combatants to take it over here.

Since I like keeping things organized, I'll even update this opening post periodically to summarize the best reasons in support of public and private schools, respectively.

Reasons Public School Education is Better than Private School Education
1. It's free!
2.
3.

Reasons Private School Education is Better than Public School Education
1.
2.
3.

Personally, I think there's no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the particular schools you're comparing, and maybe even the particular grades. It definitely depends heavily on the particular student, and what she needs out of a school, and also on what her family is able to provide her. But if people really want to fight about this stuff, here's a place you can do it without annoying everyone else.

Thanks. I hope this is helpful.

From what I've read, the reaction is a typical "circular firing squad." Moderates blame the Tea Partiers. Social Conservatives say Romney did not stay true to his Conservative principles. Blame Chris Christie, blame the people who voted for Obama, blame dirty tricks, blame pollsters, blame Nate Silver, blame, blame, blame, blame.

Seems like they have a ways to go before they can regroup for 2016.

Hello everyone. Since a new application season is here, I will review and update the original FAQ posts over the next couple of weeks. If anyone sees links that are not working, or other information that should be added, please post here or send me a PM (personal message) so I can be sure to fix those items.

Student:teacher ratios. I did not make much progress on adding a page on student:teacher ratios. But part of the problem is that I can see only what is on the schools' websites, and that's only marginally helpful because it includes all teachers and all students. So for example, even though many classrooms are really something like 10:1 or 12:1, many schools will list a ratio like 7:1, because they include in the teacher count all the special resource teachers the school employs. I suppose that's legitimate in some respects, but it only tells part of the story, since it does not show what's happening in the primary classroom.

Survey of admissions success at particular schools. Something I've considered doing a few times is creating a survey that will allow people to report on what their admissions results were at particular schools, and cross-reference those results against applicant characteristics. For example, we might be able to see that younger siblings of current Lowell students are admitted 50% of the time, while non-sibling applicants are admitted only 25% of the time. Or as another example, we might see that applicants with scores in the 70th percentile are admitted 40% of the time, while scores in the 90th percentile are admitted 50% of the time. If you think this is a worthwhile project, let me know. If you think it's a waste of time, I'd appreciate hearing why, because I don't want to waste time. Here is an old thread where I floated the idea, and included a sample survey form: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/221436.page

If anyone has other suggestions, post them here. I'm happy to sift other data, but only if people will find it useful (and if I have the time).

Best wishes to everyone this season.

Sam2