Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Junior with solid B's at big 3, 31 ACT, dedicated athlete on travel team but probably not good enough for division 1 maybe division 3, nice charming kid, teachers love him, will have good rec's, ok EC's.
Where do these kind of kids end up? We don't have super high goals - just want to make sure he ends up somewhere he is happy. He wants somewhere will school spirit and a fun campus life. Counselor says Wisconsin, Vermont, UNC but those seem like reaches based on this board. HELP!

UVA, William and Mary,

I don't think so. B students are not going to either school (unless the top 3 Naviance says otherwise). The bottom 25th percentile of entering students at both UVA and W&M is around a 4.04 . . .and that's the bottom 25th median. Schev reports students at 4.43 for the 75th percentile for W&M and 4.47 for UVA. (UVA stats are slightly higher than W&M, meaning slightly more difficult to get in)

Once again, the grading school at top privates is completely different, and the colleges know it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Junior with solid B's at big 3, 31 ACT, dedicated athlete on travel team but probably not good enough for division 1 maybe division 3, nice charming kid, teachers love him, will have good rec's, ok EC's.
Where do these kind of kids end up? We don't have super high goals - just want to make sure he ends up somewhere he is happy. He wants somewhere will school spirit and a fun campus life. Counselor says Wisconsin, Vermont, UNC but those seem like reaches based on this board. HELP!

UVA, William and Mary,

I don't think so. B students are not going to either school (unless the top 3 Naviance says otherwise). The bottom 25th percentile of entering students at both UVA and W&M is around a 4.04 . . .and that's the bottom 25th median. Schev reports students at 4.43 for the 75th percentile for W&M and 4.47 for UVA. (UVA stats are slightly higher than W&M, meaning slightly more difficult to get in)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SMU, Tulane, USC, Michigan, NYU

Michigan won't take a B student unless they are a recruited athlete, who likely isn't coming from a Big3 to play there.

This is just not true.

Go on the EA thread of college confidential and look at the stats, in state and out-of-state, of the admitted and deferred applicants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Yes I could have if I hadn't been so intimidated by them. I was from a small town and these were kids with famous parents. I'm not sure I could have done much except made the situation worse. I'm sure these beautiful multi-generational social climbers from NYC and LA would have woken up from their nasty stupor when I told them not to be so cruel, or, probably, they would have laughed and doubled down on the poor kid.

Perhaps you could have been a friend to an awkward kid. Or at least display some sort of regret rather than using them now to denigrate a school. I am no fan of Sidwell but you suffer in comparison to those kids.

I did become their friend actually and helped them join an organization that I was in. I don't think they ever knew what the other kids were doing.

Or did not care. it sounds like middle school nonsense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SMU, Tulane, USC, Michigan, NYU

Michigan won't take a B student unless they are a recruited athlete, who likely isn't coming from a Big3 to play there.

This is just not true.

Anonymous wrote:Junior with solid B's at big 3, 31 ACT, dedicated athlete on travel team but probably not good enough for division 1 maybe division 3, nice charming kid, teachers love him, will have good rec's, ok EC's.
Where do these kind of kids end up? We don't have super high goals - just want to make sure he ends up somewhere he is happy. He wants somewhere will school spirit and a fun campus life. Counselor says Wisconsin, Vermont, UNC but those seem like reaches based on this board. HELP!

UVA, William and Mary,

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Yes I could have if I hadn't been so intimidated by them. I was from a small town and these were kids with famous parents. I'm not sure I could have done much except made the situation worse. I'm sure these beautiful multi-generational social climbers from NYC and LA would have woken up from their nasty stupor when I told them not to be so cruel, or, probably, they would have laughed and doubled down on the poor kid.

Perhaps you could have been a friend to an awkward kid. Or at least display some sort of regret rather than using them now to denigrate a school. I am no fan of Sidwell but you suffer in comparison to those kids.

I'm hardly using them to denigrate a school! I'm pointing out that these kids may not be as cosmopolitan as they think they are, and not to get in over their heads when it comes to college choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Yes I could have if I hadn't been so intimidated by them. I was from a small town and these were kids with famous parents. I'm not sure I could have done much except made the situation worse. I'm sure these beautiful multi-generational social climbers from NYC and LA would have woken up from their nasty stupor when I told them not to be so cruel, or, probably, they would have laughed and doubled down on the poor kid.

Perhaps you could have been a friend to an awkward kid. Or at least display some sort of regret rather than using them now to denigrate a school. I am no fan of Sidwell but you suffer in comparison to those kids.

I did become their friend actually and helped them join an organization that I was in. I don't think they ever knew what the other kids were doing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Really? Apparently not bad enough to stop being an a$$.

I actually didn't understand what they were doing until about a week in to the whole thing when someone explained it to me. They called the student "Chafe" because evidently said student was really annoying. So whenever said student tried to hang around with them, they would find clever ways to fit the word into conversations, like "this shirt is chafing me!"

I did stop hanging around them soon after that because their whole world was above my pay grade. I am good-looking-ish so they initially drew me into their group, but I realized I was in a whole 'nother world and found some people that made sense to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Yes I could have if I hadn't been so intimidated by them. I was from a small town and these were kids with famous parents. I'm not sure I could have done much except made the situation worse. I'm sure these beautiful multi-generational social climbers from NYC and LA would have woken up from their nasty stupor when I told them not to be so cruel, or, probably, they would have laughed and doubled down on the poor kid.

Perhaps you could have been a friend to an awkward kid. Or at least display some sort of regret rather than using them now to denigrate a school. I am no fan of Sidwell but you suffer in comparison to those kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Yes I could have if I hadn't been so intimidated by them. I was from a small town and these were kids with famous parents. I'm not sure I could have done much except made the situation worse. I'm sure these beautiful multi-generational social climbers from NYC and LA would have woken up from their nasty stupor when I told them not to be so cruel, or, probably, they would have laughed and doubled down on the poor kid.

Anonymous wrote:SMU, Tulane, USC, Michigan, NYU

Michigan won't take a B student unless they are a recruited athlete, who likely isn't coming from a Big3 to play there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Really? Apparently not bad enough to stop being an a$$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.

Shame you weren’t a better person. You could have told them to stop being d*cks and talking about people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fellow elite private school parent here. Remember guys this is a long term play. Private has smaller classes so our kids get more attention even if they end up at the same colleges. Writing skills, etc. tend to be stronger from private. As a lawyer, I have seen this at firms.

+1. Also soft skills and social network. Sidwell kids, for example, aren't hanging with middle class public schoolers in college. But of course all of this is over the head of hoi polloi who think their kid is the EXACT same as everyone they go to a certain college with. Campuses are stratified as hell. The playing field is never level.

Clearly not a parent of a Sidwell alum or Ivy student. Since 60%+ of my DC's Ivy classmates are public school graduates and about an equal proportion receive financial aid, most of DC's friends at college are "middle class public schoolers." Some are the first in their families to go to college, some are immigrants, half aren't white.

There was a student from Sidwell at my Top 10 uni and they were constantly talked about behind their back, and actually not behind their back, because they were so odd. I felt so bad for them. It's tough out there in the world socially for awkward DC kids when you add kids from NYC, LA, etc.