It's not new; it just feels new every year to the people going through it for the first time [cue the annual "no, it's really different this time" posters].

Part of the reason is that the handful of people who choose a school believing it would change their child's college application outcomes look at the matriculations and only see the colleges on the list that they want to see, and knowing nothing about the students or why those chose the schools they chose or why they got into the schools they got into, naively assume this means their kid will get into the school of their choice. Also, they probably don't appreciate how great the other schools on the list actually are and how much fit matters to individual kids. It is completely naive to assume all students choose a college based on where it lands on the USNWR list. Once you dig in, if you are really doing your homework, that list goes out the window.

Anonymous wrote:College matriculation at our private is still much better than our local public schools. This may not be the case if your local public is a “W” school but probably that parity has existed for a long time. Colleges are less interested in umc white or Asian kids generally, it is not specific to private schools.

Well...it's not that they're less interested in UMC white and Asian kids, it's just that there are so many in the applicant pool.

I've been watching this closely and matriculations are definitely better this year (and really last too) for kids from similar socio-economic demographics from DCPS vs kids from the Big3 DC privates (I.e. kids from upper middle class professional class families).

it's kind of nuts because the private kids work about 5 times harder and come out far better educated. I know as I currently have high school kids in both.

It is what it is in 2023. you do not send you kids to private school for better college matriculations and you need to be prepared for worse results than your kid's public school friends.

College matriculation at our private is still much better than our local public schools. This may not be the case if your local public is a “W” school but probably that parity has existed for a long time. Colleges are less interested in umc white or Asian kids generally, it is not specific to private schools.

Anonymous wrote:We did not choose private for college admissions, but we also don't want DC who has high stats to be penalized for being at a private. How big of a negative do you think it is? Would a kid with the same stats in public have gotten into better places?

Private families think their little johnny can't get it because he went to a "top" private (or any private really). Public families think their little mary couldn't get in because she went to a public school. Same nonsense every year OP.

If you’re at a top private, you need to be more strategic about what elite sport your kid can get recruited for and showing that they care a lot about the poor and less fortunate. They probably should be starting their nonprofit serving the poor by 8th grade at the latest. Obviously sports needs to start from toddlerhood.

Anonymous wrote:Given that kids from private schools are disproportionately represented at the most selective colleges, coming from private school doesn't hurt you. It just isn't the massive advantage that it used to be and that feels like a loss.

To the extent students with less good credentials are getting in from certain public schools, that's because colleges recognize that it's harder for them to get those credentials.

This. You're not being "penalized," you're just not getting as much of an advantage as someone in your posistion maybe did in the past. Parents who whine that their kids are being penalized because they attend a private school are ridiculous. If you think public schools offer such advantages, you can send your kid to one anytime, and save $50K+ a year while you're at it.

Anonymous wrote:It seems bizarre the college AOs want to incentivize families to send their kids to bad public schools and/or ones in podunk nowhere.

Huh?

It seems bizarre the college AOs want to incentivize families to send their kids to bad public schools and/or ones in podunk nowhere.

Given that kids from private schools are disproportionately represented at the most selective colleges, coming from private school doesn't hurt you. It just isn't the massive advantage that it used to be and that feels like a loss.

To the extent students with less good credentials are getting in from certain public schools, that's because colleges recognize that it's harder for them to get those credentials.

My kid is in a Top 3 equivalent not in DC but in another geographically competitive area. There are multiple unhooked kids in at T1-30 schools. It does not seem as bad as everyone says.

You’re competing with the other kids from your school. If your kid is at the top, being at a top private is a good thing as it shows rigor. If they’re not, it’s worse.

Again?

The thread from the college admissions board is scary.

We did not choose private for college admissions, but we also don't want DC who has high stats to be penalized for being at a private. How big of a negative do you think it is? Would a kid with the same stats in public have gotten into better places?