You'll know in a month whether you're in or not. In the meantime, it's pointless to obsess about the process which is already over. I honestly wonder what goes on behind closed doors and the pool of applicants more than what the admissions staff was like the day you met them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell's admissions process has always been that way. It's partially a numbers game, but I honestly think they do not want to get personal with the applicants because they don't want to lead anyone on. As for continued contact, the admissions staff works on the upper school campus, so students in the lower school are unlikely to have much continued contact in the first 4-5 years. It's different if you are accepted in middle or upper school.

I have certainly over the years read posts from people with a child rejected at another school very upset because they felt they were shoo-ins because the admissions staff seemed SOOOOO enthusiastic and friendly. Damned if they do, damned if they don't, I'd say.

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell's admissions process has always been that way. It's partially a numbers game, but I honestly think they do not want to get personal with the applicants because they don't want to lead anyone on. As for continued contact, the admissions staff works on the upper school campus, so students in the lower school are unlikely to have much continued contact in the first 4-5 years. It's different if you are accepted in middle or upper school.

I have certainly over the years read posts from people with a child rejected at another school very upset because they felt they were shoo-ins because the admissions staff seemed SOOOOO enthusiastic and friendly. Damned if they do, damned if they don't, I'd say.

The admissions director is the member of the senior administration reporting to the head of school. They have more to do with culture and student experience than one may think. If the admissions team is off-putting in a noticeable way, I view it as a red flag

10:18 again. Just to be clear, I'm not talking about Sidwell or any other specific school here. I'm just generally saying your perception of an admissions team is a pretty poor indicator of how a school's substance will be for your child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this like saying you won't drink Starbucks coffee because some of the baristas are annoying?

Of course I would still drink Starbucks, but I would more than likely pick a location with friendlier baristas. Which is in line with what everyone is saying here. If the experience was that bad, there are other options for a good private school education.

Fair enough response, but I think you're ducking the point of my analogy. The presenter is not the product.

If you consider several independent schools essentially identical, then I suppose differentiating them based on the perceived friendliness of the admissions team is a valid approach -- just like you can choose to avoid the crowded Starbucks with brusque baristas by walking an extra couple blocks down the street to a quieter location. But if you're comparing schools, it seems more important to focus on substance rather than presentation.

Maybe this is a slightly better analogy -- If you're picking a fancy restaurant experience in DC for your anniversary, do you choose the one with the best food/service/ambiance? Or do you choose the one with the friendliest guy who takes your phone reservation?

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this like saying you won't drink Starbucks coffee because some of the baristas are annoying?

Of course I would still drink Starbucks, but I would more than likely pick a location with friendlier baristas. Which is in line with what everyone is saying here. If the experience was that bad, there are other options for a good private school education.

Sidwell's admissions process has always been that way. It's partially a numbers game, but I honestly think they do not want to get personal with the applicants because they don't want to lead anyone on. As for continued contact, the admissions staff works on the upper school campus, so students in the lower school are unlikely to have much continued contact in the first 4-5 years. It's different if you are accepted in middle or upper school.

Isn't this like saying you won't drink Starbucks coffee because some of the baristas are annoying?

Anonymous wrote:If the warm fuzzies from admissions staff are a determining factor at a school where your kid will literally never interact with those individuals, I don't know what to tell you.

General statement not directed at Sidwell.

It's not about the individuals...admissions staff is literally the "face" of a school to applicants who can't gauge otherwise. Although I do agree that you should make sure to look past admissions to determine whether the school may be a better fit for your child than you. I am in the same boat with lower school admissions. Two schools, similar philosophy, vastly different admissions experiences. The likely more in-demand school admissions staff a bit standoffish, the other probably less in-demand school super warm and inviting. I am trying to look past my own experience to decipher which would work best for my child.

If the warm fuzzies from admissions staff are a determining factor at a school where your kid will literally never interact with those individuals, I don't know what to tell you.

General statement not directed at Sidwell.

Admissions is the face of the school and also the enrollment management team. If you don't get a good vibe from them, definitely trust your gut.