Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had no hook last year for K. DC applied to 5 schools and got into all of them, but it didn’t include “Big 3,” so maybe this forum doesn’t think it counts.

It counts. Apparently privates across the board are "overwhelmed" with a surge in applicants because of a sudden trend of choosing privates over publics.

This. They all count.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had no hook last year for K. DC applied to 5 schools and got into all of them, but it didn’t include “Big 3,” so maybe this forum doesn’t think it counts.

It counts. Apparently privates across the board are "overwhelmed" with a surge in applicants because of a sudden trend of choosing privates over publics.

Thanks. FWIW, it was Bullis, Norwood, SSFS, Green Acres, and Seneca Academy. We are full pay, but otherwise no hook. DC is a typical Jewish kid … a dime a dozen around here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else just have absolutely no clue what to think in terms of chances? We applied for PK and thought the interviews and playdates went well, but we do not have any hooks and understand the spots are very limited. It’s just kind of funny to me - normally when applying for something in my own life I’ve at least had a sense of whether I had a chance. With this I have absolutely no idea what to think. It’s a strange feeling.

Your chances are almost 0 at the top schools unless you're a very wealthy, a famous person or have connections to the school.
Almost everyone is in the same boat especially for the youngest kids when you don't have grades and an academic and extracurricular track record.

It's not a good feeling because it's so random and the criteria are not clearly laid out.

This simply isn't true. We are none of these things and got into multiple highly regarded schools. Now, at one of them, I see that this myth above isn't the reality at these schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else just have absolutely no clue what to think in terms of chances? We applied for PK and thought the interviews and playdates went well, but we do not have any hooks and understand the spots are very limited. It’s just kind of funny to me - normally when applying for something in my own life I’ve at least had a sense of whether I had a chance. With this I have absolutely no idea what to think. It’s a strange feeling.

Your chances are almost 0 at the top schools unless you're a very wealthy, a famous person or have connections to the school.
Almost everyone is in the same boat especially for the youngest kids when you don't have grades and an academic and extracurricular track record.

It's not a good feeling because it's so random and the criteria are not clearly laid out.

Chances are not almost 0. We have no wealth, fame or connections. Two kids got into 3 different schools at different times.

How recently? Things have really changed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone has a chance. Just like I have a chance of winning the DC lottery if I buy a ticket.
I keep seeing your posts about how your kids got into so many great schools but didn't they come from K8s which itself is a hook?
There's a second poster who talks about her child getting in everywhere who came from a public but I think she may have only one kid.

This was my point to the poster that stated chance was 0. Everyone has a chance.

It said "almost zero" and that's a fact at those schools.

Anonymous wrote:I’m not nervous because I don’t expect my child to get in. Applying for 4th.

Do you have back-ups? Public?

Anonymous wrote:We had no hook last year for K. DC applied to 5 schools and got into all of them, but it didn’t include “Big 3,” so maybe this forum doesn’t think it counts.

It counts. Apparently privates across the board are "overwhelmed" with a surge in applicants because of a sudden trend of choosing privates over publics.

We had no hook last year for K. DC applied to 5 schools and got into all of them, but it didn’t include “Big 3,” so maybe this forum doesn’t think it counts.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone has a chance. Just like I have a chance of winning the DC lottery if I buy a ticket.
I keep seeing your posts about how your kids got into so many great schools but didn't they come from K8s which itself is a hook?
There's a second poster who talks about her child getting in everywhere who came from a public but I think she may have only one kid.

This was my point to the poster that stated chance was 0. Everyone has a chance.

My kid is applying for HS out of a K-8, so we have a very good idea of where he will likely get in and where it is not so certain. Our school’s outplacement team gave us their sense of this at the beginning of the process based on our child’s profile, and it is consistent with the feedback they received from the admissions teams when they spoke with them about our child’s application.

Who knows what will happen tomorrow, but applying to private HS out of a private K-8 has felt like less of a lottery than the K admissions cycle we did with our oldest kid.

Everyone has a chance. Just like I have a chance of winning the DC lottery if I buy a ticket.
I keep seeing your posts about how your kids got into so many great schools but didn't they come from K8s which itself is a hook?
There's a second poster who talks about her child getting in everywhere who came from a public but I think she may have only one kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else just have absolutely no clue what to think in terms of chances? We applied for PK and thought the interviews and playdates went well, but we do not have any hooks and understand the spots are very limited. It’s just kind of funny to me - normally when applying for something in my own life I’ve at least had a sense of whether I had a chance. With this I have absolutely no idea what to think. It’s a strange feeling.

Your chances are almost 0 at the top schools unless you're a very wealthy, a famous person or have connections to the school.
Almost everyone is in the same boat especially for the youngest kids when you don't have grades and an academic and extracurricular track record.

It's not a good feeling because it's so random and the criteria are not clearly laid out.

Chances are not almost 0. We have no wealth, fame or connections. Two kids got into 3 different schools at different times.

Most of the top schools have single digit admission rates. That's almost 0. Your children are exceptional or lucky. The average child is not that lucky or exceptional. If you're not talking about the Big 5 then that's different.

Children neither exceptional or lucky. I think they're amazing but see plenty of amazing kids among their friends. Talking Big 5.point is some get in and everyone has a chance

My kid is amazing to me, just like all your kids are likely amazing to you and I have zero clue where or if he'll get in anywhere. He has great recommendations and an impressive academic record. But we have no hook. And we need significant FA. Just doing my best to ride it out until tomorrow and hope against hope that things will work out for him.

Anonymous wrote:We don't have a clue. I think my kid is a great student/person and thought he would get accepted somewhere at the start of this. But partner thinks we'll be waitlisted everywhere. He's probably right.

There are just really few spots for a lot of amazing kids and the criteria they use don't necessarily line up with great student/person. They might take an average student who is a great sports star or plays viola in the all-state orchestra or they might not care that the star sports kid is actually a jerk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else just have absolutely no clue what to think in terms of chances? We applied for PK and thought the interviews and playdates went well, but we do not have any hooks and understand the spots are very limited. It’s just kind of funny to me - normally when applying for something in my own life I’ve at least had a sense of whether I had a chance. With this I have absolutely no idea what to think. It’s a strange feeling.

Your chances are almost 0 at the top schools unless you're a very wealthy, a famous person or have connections to the school.
Almost everyone is in the same boat especially for the youngest kids when you don't have grades and an academic and extracurricular track record.

It's not a good feeling because it's so random and the criteria are not clearly laid out.

Chances are not almost 0. We have no wealth, fame or connections. Two kids got into 3 different schools at different times.

Most of the top schools have single digit admission rates. That's almost 0. Your children are exceptional or lucky. The average child is not that lucky or exceptional. If you're not talking about the Big 5 then that's different.