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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our family, very recently started considering private school, Gilman in particular. We did not consider other private schools due to distance & religious affiliation. Having visited Gilman, I'm reconsidering our approach to not look at other schools.

While our student is very gifted, we have concerns about admissions after our visit. See, our student skipped a grade two years ago. Public school was not providing him a challenging enough environment, he was testing out of every subject and performing well above grade level for many years. At the time, private school was only a passing thought due to cost. When we mentioned our students grade elevation during our visit, we received mixed responses from the admissions team. A concern that had not crossed my mind until that conversation. Maturity & social development seemed to be a point of general concern, but I don't believe they were speaking about my child directly.

However, over the past two years our financial situation has changed and we would now be able to pay for tuition in full. While we could swing 35k, it would be a considerable amount of savings that would be sacrificed. We would still like to apply for FA.

For context, our student is very poised and mature, maintains a 3.9, is active in a handful of clubs/sports. Our student also has ADHD and requires medication to maintain focus which is well controlled. Executive functioning skills are very good and do not require any additional accommodations. Grade skipped was 6th grade.

1. What is the general consensus on students who skip a grade/gifted students. 
2. Even though the FA application is separate, will it have an impact on admissions?
3. How selective is Gilman? (No stats available online and did not feel comfortable asking directly.) [/quote]

I think you need to disabuse yourself of the mindset that private school is for gifted students.  I would argue there are proportionally more gifted students in public schools.  Private simply offers a more enjoyable educational experience and *sometimes* you may find more challenging classes than you would in private but that is rare.  You have to decide which of these two things matters to you more.  Unless your kid is going to one of the tippy top private schools, him skipping a grade is not going to be too impressive.  The administration will worry about you bugging them consistently about him “not being challenged enough” (as I am sure you were part of the impetus which caused him to skip 6th). So the potential headache may not be worth it. Maybe at a Sidwell or GDS where they want the smartest kids.   [/quote]

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