Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret admissions acted as if they could not care less (we ended up not completing our application, we were so put off), both in group info sessions and one-on-one. GDS and Burke admissions were wonderful and engaged.

Had a similar experience with Maret for our DC applying for 9th--disinterested faculty interviewer, disorganized (albeit pleasant) admissions staff. Sense we got was that admissions had been largely (if not entirely) pre-selected...just going through the motions so to speak. That said, they could at least do a better job concealing their process.

Exact same experience. Left us feeling antipathy toward the school. I wish I could have the time back that we spent on that place.
Much better experiences everywhere else (Sidwell, GDS, Holton).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied DD for Kindergarten, our impressions:

GDS - judgmental and I felt uncomfortable in the interview. The AO didn’t crack a smile and it felt like she was rushing us out of there.

Maret - Very warm and inviting. Our parent interview was very engaging and felt like they wanted to get to know us. The overall process felt less organized than the other schools we applied to.

WIS - very responsive throughout the process and engaging. It was well planned, warm, and able to answer questions as they popped up.

Sidwell — very well organized, more perfunctory - going through the motions - but on top of every step. Admissions did answer but a bit slower at times.

Where are you going?

We were delighted that our DD was accepted at WIS and Sidwell. After a lot of thought and debate we enrolled our at Sidwell for the fall.

Anonymous wrote:Applied DD for Kindergarten, our impressions:

GDS - judgmental and I felt uncomfortable in the interview. The AO didn’t crack a smile and it felt like she was rushing us out of there.

Maret - Very warm and inviting. Our parent interview was very engaging and felt like they wanted to get to know us. The overall process felt less organized than the other schools we applied to.

WIS - very responsive throughout the process and engaging. It was well planned, warm, and able to answer questions as they popped up.

Sidwell — very well organized, more perfunctory - going through the motions - but on top of every step. Admissions did answer but a bit slower at times.

Where are you going?

Applied DD for Kindergarten, our impressions:

GDS - judgmental and I felt uncomfortable in the interview. The AO didn’t crack a smile and it felt like she was rushing us out of there.

Maret - Very warm and inviting. Our parent interview was very engaging and felt like they wanted to get to know us. The overall process felt less organized than the other schools we applied to.

WIS - very responsive throughout the process and engaging. It was well planned, warm, and able to answer questions as they popped up.

Sidwell — very well organized, more perfunctory - going through the motions - but on top of every step. Admissions did answer but a bit slower at times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stone Ridge:

-Had a herd-like open house - very disorganized.
-Also interviewed my daughter with the interviewer's camera turned off.

With the camera off??

Yes. I was really bothered by this. Not a fun experience for a kid.

Not cool, especially for a child.

Maret was the worst

Best ones: CES - warm and welcoming. My kid loved her shadow day - you understand the warm vibe of the school as soon as you walk in and it’s the same in the classrooms.
Woods - very friendly and down to earth, loved the grounds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stone Ridge:

-Had a herd-like open house - very disorganized.
-Also interviewed my daughter with the interviewer's camera turned off.

With the camera off??

Yes. I was really bothered by this. Not a fun experience for a kid.

Love both of the GDS hs admissions officers. They were wonderful in connecting with my child.

Fingers crossed!

Anonymous wrote:Stone Ridge:

-Had a herd-like open house - very disorganized.
-Also interviewed my daughter with the interviewer's camera turned off.

With the camera off??

DS and DD applying -

Landon: warm and welcoming. Always pretended to remember me and DS. Very encouraging.

Prep: same-ish. Although it’s clear since we are not Catholic and not from Mater Dei, less encouraging.

Sidwell: nope. We are not going to make the cut (they made it clear) so did not bother.

SAES: this was our best admissions experience. My kids didn’t love it but we did. They could not have been more lovely and made us feel right at home.

Holton: honestly, I don’t know why we even applied. The admissions officer was incredibly unprofessional and rude. DD loves it though.

Maret: same as others have said. Simply did not feel welcome. Was made very clear of the admissions percentage.

[quote=Anonymous]I have had a dynamic and evolving experience with the schools I recently interacted with. Now that it is all over, I think the experience can vary partially based on biases (unconscious or not) that any individual admissions staff may have about your parent statement, social media, educational/professional background, family situation (SAHM, Single Parents…) etc. The shade and bad vibes seem to have nothing to do with the capabilities, character or credentials of your children. At the end of the day, admissions professionals are people who are not perfect and there are characteristics that they are looking for and if your family doesn’t fit that criteria there can often times be a lack of empathy. The families are filled with humans too.[/quote]

As a single parent and in need of aid, I felt dismissed at a few parent interviews. I wonder if full pay had better experiences.

Sidwell- Impersonal
Washington Episcopal- Welcoming
GDS- Rushed
Maret - Dull and seemed uninterested

Anonymous wrote:Stone Ridge:

-Had a herd-like open house - very disorganized.
-Also interviewed my daughter with the interviewer's camera turned off.

this was our experience. we decided not to apply

I have had a dynamic and evolving experience with the schools I recently interacted with. Now that it is all over, I think the experience can vary partially based on biases (unconscious or not) that any individual admissions staff may have about your parent statement, social media, educational/professional background, family situation (SAHM, Single Parents…) etc. The shade and bad vibes seem to have nothing to do with the capabilities, character or credentials of your children. At the end of the day, admissions professionals are people who are not perfect and there are characteristics that they are looking for and if your family doesn’t fit that criteria there can often times be a lack of empathy. The families are filled with humans too.