I've been through this process and yes, it is a big deal, but frankly, all this handwringing over emails/letters/calls and which exact date is manufactured stress. You'll know one way or another during the first week of March. Why isn't that enough?

I agree it could be a lot less stressful and easily and better managed by the schools. In the past, school letters have taken three or four days to arrive (we live in VA) versus a quicker response for area DC residents. On a few occasions we have received a call from a parent welcoming us to a school where we were still unaware DC was accepted.

Last year Field sent an email with a video in it on March 3rd. Be aware: last year some schools were messed up schedulewise because of bad weather at the end of the previous week and some snail mail packets got a bit delayed. However, we had heard from all four of our schools (three snail mail, one email) by the evening of the 3rd (1 snailmail on the 1st, the other 2 on the 3rd).

Anonymous wrote:Hmm - we didn't apply to Sidwell or St. Albans. Maybe we should have! If someone finds that information for Maret or GDS that would be very helpful.

I believe GDS AD told me March 2 when I asked. I didn't find it on their website.

Anybody know when and how Field notifies?

OP here again. I just think the schools could make a stressful process a bit less stressful by clearly communicating this information to applicants. Sidwell and St. Albans seem to do a great job of it. For the rest of the schools it is a bit of a treasure hunt to find the information and is a bit vague.

Two of our schools say by "Mid March" -- I wonder if that is in case an accepted child does not accept them back, they can quickly send out an acceptance letter to the next child on the list? Or is that never the way it works? We had two schools clearly tell us March 2 and March 7 via mail - which I appreciated.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - but none of those sites say whether they will also send an email. Why?

Because they don't send emails?

Last year, Maret sent email notification March 1. hope this helps. good luck.

from maret website Q&A

When will we hear if our child has been accepted to Maret?
A
Maret notifies all families of our admission decision by email, in early March.

OP here - but none of those sites say whether they will also send an email. Why?

Hmm - we didn't apply to Sidwell or St. Albans. Maybe we should have! If someone finds that information for Maret or GDS that would be very helpful.

For St. Albans, from website, under the admissions process heading:

http://www.stalbansschool.org/page.aspx?pid=2750

Hard copy letters, mailed "on or before" March 2. Seems pretty clear.

http://www.sidwell.edu/admissions/admissions-calendar/index.aspx

This took me one second. Maybe look a little harder!

Given how stressful the notification process is, why can't each school clearly explain when and how they are planning to notify folks with admissions decisions. How hard is it to put a note on the admissions page of the website saying "Thank you for applying to Big 3. We plan to notify applicants by email on March 1st and mail admissions decision on March 2nd" Or send an email after an application is complete with this same information. At this point in the process the schools should know how and when they will notify and no parent wants to pester them with calls about it.