Reply to Questions about College Placement

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If you're considering private HS because of college placement, you are doing it wrong.

At best, private schools can help your child thrive academically - whether that means more rigor, more support, smaller class sizes, new and different clubs and ECs, etc.

And if your child reaches their academic potential, you're in the same boat as every other public and private HS parent  - scrambling with an extremely dysfunctional and competitive college admissions landscape. [/quote]

OP here - to clarify, we are already in a Big 3 private in 7th grade.  We are weighing staying there vs moving to another private.   We are not considering public.[/quote]

[b]If your goal is college placement, you need to be brutally honest with yourself and ask if your kid has what it takes to get in the top 10% of the class (preferably top 5%). Can they get a 3.9+ GPA or equivalent at Sidwell/GDS/NCS/STA? Do they have the work ethic or natural ability?

If not, then switch to an easier private with less competitive students.[/b] A 3.4-3.5 Big 3 student would almost-certainly get a 3.95+ UW at Burke, Field, SJC, etc. Top grades at a mediocre private will open far more college doors than being middle-of-the-pack in the elite private schools.[/quote]

This!!

And to do this they will need to be skilled in all subjects and near perfect through 4 years of high school.  No academic hiccups or things they don't get. 
Brilliant in advanced math as well as highly skilled at literary analysis.  Because there will be kids who are highly gifted in one of these areas but your child (if they are to be top 5% in the Big3 class and get that unhooked Ivy spot) will have to be the best in all.  And believe me, there will be kids admitted in 9th grade who are academic powerhouses (selected from across the DMV) but your child will have to be better than them as well.

It's not easy to rise to the top at these schools.

[/quote]

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