to PP - May I ask, do you currently have a child in one of these schools? How many children do you have? Just wondering based on your strong position on deferring/rejecting sibs. I dont actually agree or disagree, I think a balance is necessary but how to balance it is tough.

Actually, its not just anecdotal but it certainly is subjective. Frankly, we were so underwhelmed by Sidwell's lower school as opposed to many others that we did not apply there. I think its a chaotic mess. I just dont get the whole Siodwell lower school fervor on these boards.

Oh, I forgot, did the Beauvoir child (CONGRATS!) also get accepted elsewhere? At St Patrick's? Was this for PK?

The 9 new families for PK (not including N or K or other grades) was a RUMOR I said I heard - a RUMOR. I was told it was a bad year for applicants all around. I agree that would be too bad for new families but once one has a child in a school that parent often sings a different tune when applying child 2, 3, etc.... The questions about preference for new families or current ones has great arguments on both sides. So, say, if a school has 18 spots open for PK and gives 9 to sibs and 9 to new families, what do you think of that? That would be what the rumor would be basically suggesting. Isn't it more disturbing the types of people the rumor is suggesting got in ONLY? It should be.

As for judging N-4 schools, I base it on observations of skills, both social and academic abilities, in kids I know; comments from many, many parents at the schools that I know; and personal observations of the children in these schools.


Did I get to everyone's question?

To PP, where did your child get in/decide to go.

What do you mean by alternative school?

Perhaps the test will be once St Patrick's, which is never mention on these posts as a top 3 school, starts to be labeled as one once it has a high school (next 5 or so years). Beauvoir is sometimes labeled as one due to the strong preference the students are given at NCS and St Alban's (80% get in). I do actually think the label "top 3" is directly related to the college exmissions process and will never be applied to any school without grades 8-12 on these boards. At least IMHO Sidwell's lower school, graded alone, would definietly not be a top school based on its own academics. I do not know enough about Maret to comment but I do think GDS' lower school is very good, although not the right one for my child(ren). Should be interesting to watch what happens at St Patrick's. (I have heard that they took only 9 new familes for PK this year so it may already be starting as people find out about the proposed high school). The upper-school factor is a big plus to a lot of people because even if your child is interested in switching schools, they have a slot regardless.

St Patrick's tries to accept sibs but its not always possible. Sometimes the child is not ready for school or is not a good fit. I would say its safe to say most sibd get in but there is no guarantee. Pretty much the same as most schools although I have heard that St Pats and Beauvoir have the best record on trying to accept sibs when hey first apply.