Patrick is fantastic. Some parents at Big 3 privates are nuts.

Anonymous wrote:SFS better get its act together. Of course counseling is important — guidance counselors need to use their networks and relationships too, not simply manage the traffic.

Has anyone seen the new college counseling office rules? Bizarre.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a student at an Ivy League college who went to public school in DC. There are four kids in my class from the Big 3. Two are incredibly smart and the other two are dumbasses (i.e. bottom 20% in smarts, but excellent at partying). I doubt they would haven't gotten into this school without their Big 3 connection (and one has a relatively famous parent.)

So of course counselors matter. And, yes, connections can turn a dumbass into an Ivy Leaguer.

What is some self-described Ivy Leaguer doing reading a mommy blog?!

I have a child at Sidwell—not a senior. I have no expectation that a college counselor can “get my kid in.” To me, a good counselor helps a child identify the most appropriate schools for them and helps them craft the most competitive application (in terms of how they position themselves, who they ask for rec’s, etc.) And yes, someone who helps them if they find themselves on a waitlist. I’d hope a public school counselor would help with that scenario too! Patrick Gallagher is the head of college counseling and was beloved at Georgetown Prep. I think Sidwell parents are happy with him too. If there’s someone else who is a dud, then I’m glad they’re not renewing his contract. There are a lot of legacies in my kid’s class but they’re super bright and accomplished. They likely could get in without the hook. Who knows whether they will—or will even want to apply! But of course it will help them if they do. My kid has a lot of senior friends who got into schools early. I heard several mentions of Penn, one of Harvard, two of Dartmouth, etc. I’d imagine that the class did well overall. But yes, Sidwell parents don’t really talk about this stuff with each other, and they generally tell their kids to be low key because others might be disappointed or feel anxious because they won’t know until spring where they’re going. It’s insensitive to focus on these stats with each other now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, anyone who thinks that there's zero difference in the quality of the average applicant from the legacy and non-legacy pools is delusional.

I agree. Legacy applicants are better.

"Amy Reitz, general manager of Intersect, a division of Hobsons, said the data raise interesting ideas but do not demonstrate the kind of bias many assume exists -- at least on a national level.

"There may be an underlying correlation regarding parent education and how that manifests itself in student performance," she said via email. "But by and large, the data appears to be indicating that admission of legacy applicants based on qualifications is in line with nonlegacy applicants. If anything, we’re seeing overrepresentation of overqualified applicants -- meaning legacy applicants are more likely to be academically overqualified for the same institution their parent(s) attended than the general population."

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2017/08/21/data-provide-insights-advantages-and-qualifications-legacy-applicants

Cited upthread

I'm a student at an Ivy League college who went to public school in DC. There are four kids in my class from the Big 3. Two are incredibly smart and the other two are dumbasses (i.e. bottom 20% in smarts, but excellent at partying). I doubt they would haven't gotten into this school without their Big 3 connection (and one has a relatively famous parent.)

So of course counselors matter. And, yes, connections can turn a dumbass into an Ivy Leaguer.

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry. What?

Yup. It leaves one speechless.

Anonymous wrote:If you think a college counselor can “work their connections” and get an undeserving kid into a top school, you’re on crack and are delusional about how the whole process works.

"Underdeserving"? No. But tip someone over the finish line ahead of other as deserving kids...for sure. College admission, as in life, can often be all about connections and relationships.

If you think a college counselor can “work their connections” and get an undeserving kid into a top school, you’re on crack and are delusional about how the whole process works.

Agree with PP

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/13/making-harvard-feeder-schools/?page=single

Maybe for a year but not over the long term. It can't be that performance in the role is irrelevant.

Sounds like the counseling staff gets none of the credit if things go well and all of the blame if things go badly.

SFS better get its act together. Of course counseling is important — guidance counselors need to use their networks and relationships too, not simply manage the traffic.

It sounds like you are denying counselors do anything at all. Surely they get evaluated as well. Just because college admission may be a challenge doesn't mean the counselor could not do a better job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as a Sidwell parent, and has one who has had 2 older children graduate from Sidwell, the College Counseling office is the strongest it’s ever been. There are unique years when the caliber of the students + the make-up of the class (legacy + recruited athletes) result in seemingly phenomenal ED results (the class of 2017 comes to mind when ED results were off the charts positive.) That was one of the “best years” in recent memory (8-10 to Yale, 4-5 to Harvard, 7-8 to Penn, 3-4 Stanford, 7-8 Northwestern, multiple to Columbia, Princeton, etc.) The SAME head of counseling (who is fantastic, btw) was there for that killer year, is there this year. The class make-up at any school has an enormous amount to do with ED results.

Sad to say, the quality of the staff varies tremendously from B- to F. That is indefensible.

If you are really a SFS parent, pick up the phone and call the Head of School. This is the least effective way to share your perspective in an attempt to encourage change that I can think of.

The ‘F’-grade will be gone at the end of the school year, but too late for one third of the senior class.

It sounds like you are blaming the counselor for not magically getting unqualified students into elite schools. The counselor can only work with what the students bring to the table. You can’t paint a turd and sell it as art.