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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You’ll be lucky to get into Sidwell or GDS, although PK/ K is your best shot. [/quote]
Maybe. Certainly there are a lot of spots open for the initial entry years. There no way for the general public to know, but my sense is that PK/K is the right time to apply if you're connected somehow -- legacy, sibling, child of faculty/staff, came from a so-called feeder preschool -- because at that point the child has minimal on-paper credentials and it's mostly about the parents. Of course it's possible to get in with no connections too, given the large number of spots, but pretty hard relative to the latter years when your child's credentials become a larger factor in admissions (and anyone with a hook was likely admitted in earlier years already). By 6th/7th/9th, the competition is too stiff with applicants coming from both public and other private schools and my theory is that Sidwell/GDS is looking really to admit academic/athletic superstars and those who add to the diverse student body in a very specific way, if not both.

My gut says that 3rd/4th is the best time to apply for those who are unconnected. Fewer spots available but also way fewer applicants (especially those who have hooks). From what I can tell, there were not that many legacies, siblings, and children of faculty/staff who first joined our school in 3rd/4th. The new students mostly came from smaller private schools, public, or out of town. That's when our unconnected DD was admitted.

I'm not including URM or parent(s) went to HYPS or full-pay among the hooks because they're helpful in any entry year but almost certainly not enough on their own for admission.[/quote]

Third and fourth are actually hard years too for these two schools. There are some families with hooks in other privates that end in third. Others who were comfortable having their kids in public for early elementary but are now ready to move them before middle school. No harm in applying and you should if you think it's a good fit, but definitely apply elsewhere as well if a private option is important for your family. [/quote]

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