Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a K-12 independent school that many people on this thread want their children to attend. First, admission has gotten much harder, period. It's not necessarily the K-8's fault if fewer students are getting admitted to GDS or Sidwell or wherever. For one, there's less attrition in the independent k-12s. In part, I think people are more wary of their public options these days. Second, the students that I work with who come out of K-8s stand out to me as being quite self-possessed and especially great at advocating for themselves. They're comfortable leading as well, and contribute so much to the community and my classroom. Overall, an impressive group. It's not all about the brand name or hedging your bets for the future. You're trying to raise skilled, caring, good, well-educated human beings. It's not a zero sum game.

Do the k-8 kids have to be, by and large, stronger students than the kids they will be joining who already attend the k-12?

Yes. However, they do not have to be stronger than other applicants, such as from public schools or other private schools.

All K-12s will have some weak students from PK/K admissions but are not looking to add more in 9th grade.

Weak K-12 lifers end up in weaker colleges.

Anonymous wrote:If given the choice for starting 4th grade next year between a smaller K-8, where the grade sizes do start to shrink as you get to MS and a bigger co-ed K-12 (not top 3/5); what would you choose?
If you read the tea leaves, is MCPS in particular going to keep going down and getting into co-ed , non religious high schools just going to get harder in 5 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a K-12 independent school that many people on this thread want their children to attend. First, admission has gotten much harder, period. It's not necessarily the K-8's fault if fewer students are getting admitted to GDS or Sidwell or wherever. For one, there's less attrition in the independent k-12s. In part, I think people are more wary of their public options these days. Second, the students that I work with who come out of K-8s stand out to me as being quite self-possessed and especially great at advocating for themselves. They're comfortable leading as well, and contribute so much to the community and my classroom. Overall, an impressive group. It's not all about the brand name or hedging your bets for the future. You're trying to raise skilled, caring, good, well-educated human beings. It's not a zero sum game.

Do the k-8 kids have to be, by and large, stronger students than the kids they will be joining who already attend the k-12?

Yes. However, they do not have to be stronger than other applicants, such as from public schools or other private schools.

All K-12s will have some weak students from PK/K admissions but are not looking to add more in 9th grade.

Weak K-12 lifers end up in weaker colleges.

Anonymous wrote:If given the choice for starting 4th grade next year between a smaller K-8, where the grade sizes do start to shrink as you get to MS and a bigger co-ed K-12 (not top 3/5); what would you choose?
If you read the tea leaves, is MCPS in particular going to keep going down and getting into co-ed , non religious high schools just going to get harder in 5 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours didn’t. They say they have a 100% rate of getting kids into their top choice- and from what I hear, they have done just that.

So the strategy is to convince families their first choice is somewhere unusual they can in?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a K-12 independent school that many people on this thread want their children to attend. First, admission has gotten much harder, period. It's not necessarily the K-8's fault if fewer students are getting admitted to GDS or Sidwell or wherever. For one, there's less attrition in the independent k-12s. In part, I think people are more wary of their public options these days. Second, the students that I work with who come out of K-8s stand out to me as being quite self-possessed and especially great at advocating for themselves. They're comfortable leading as well, and contribute so much to the community and my classroom. Overall, an impressive group. It's not all about the brand name or hedging your bets for the future. You're trying to raise skilled, caring, good, well-educated human beings. It's not a zero sum game.

Do the k-8 kids have to be, by and large, stronger students than the kids they will be joining who already attend the k-12?

Anonymous wrote:I work in a K-12 independent school that many people on this thread want their children to attend. First, admission has gotten much harder, period. It's not necessarily the K-8's fault if fewer students are getting admitted to GDS or Sidwell or wherever. For one, there's less attrition in the independent k-12s. In part, I think people are more wary of their public options these days. Second, the students that I work with who come out of K-8s stand out to me as being quite self-possessed and especially great at advocating for themselves. They're comfortable leading as well, and contribute so much to the community and my classroom. Overall, an impressive group. It's not all about the brand name or hedging your bets for the future. You're trying to raise skilled, caring, good, well-educated human beings. It's not a zero sum game.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Private during K-8 years is way more important than private during high school. For many kids, they intentionally want public high school. Most people think they have it figured out though by first applying to private for 9th grade. It is almost comical.

This is true for some and not true for some. You have to know what you are trying to get out of it and what your kid is like. It's not a black or white thing.

Read the book “Middle School Matters” or any other number of research articles—actually the research is pretty clear because there is brain maturity that happens in the middle years middle (10-14). Nothing is true of every kid, of course, but by and large investing in the foundational years if you have to choose is best

The author of "Middle School Matters" was Sheridan's (K-8) school counselor until last year.

Clearly PR.

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Anonymous wrote:If it weren't for the reference about distance, I would think Norwood. They did awful last year based on their own web page.

I really don't know what you're talking about. My child was an 8th grader at Norwood last year and they had a very good year. Multiple matriculations at all of the Big 3 (including GDS, which was very difficult last year), Holton, Georgetown Prep, Potomac, and Maret.

Let's be clear to everyone not in the know. There were 2 GDS admits last year of which both were admitted in spite of Langley. They excelled elsewhere. There were no Sidwell's. The Potomac admits were 1) admitted to GDS and attended GDS 2) sibling 3) unclear hook or no hook.

80%+ did not get into their first choice.

Again, I really don't know what you're talking about so yes, let's be clear to everyone not in the know. There are 3 at Sidwell from last year's Norwood class- feel free to check the website that you are citing. re: GDS, what does "in spite of Langley mean"? I'm not sure what your point about being admitted to both Potomac and GDS and choosing GDS means. Most kids are accepted at multiple schools and all of them only chose one to attend. But there are still multiple kids attending Potomac from last year's Norwood class.

It is 100% not true that 80% didn't get into their first choice. I can think of more than 20% off the top of my head that got into their first choice and that doesn't include the kids who matriculated at Bullis and St. Andrews, which were many kids first choice given their location and/or interests.

PP here - the comments were regarding Langley School placement. You seem to be mixing up things between Norwood (https://www.langleyschool.org/academics/high-school-placement) and Langley. Langley school outplacement were atrocious

Your information is just wrong--ie there are 5 Langley grads from 2023 at GDS, the year that supposedly no-one got in. Sorry your child didn't do better, but kids got into great schools from that grade. One strength of the k-8s is getting kids off the wait lists.

Reading comp is an issue here . There are 2 class of 2023 at gds. just ask gds

There are 0 at Sidwell

Class of 2022 did well but that was mostly former HOS recommendations . The new HoS is fine also , the middle school head is in above her head

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it weren't for the reference about distance, I would think Norwood. They did awful last year based on their own web page.

I really don't know what you're talking about. My child was an 8th grader at Norwood last year and they had a very good year. Multiple matriculations at all of the Big 3 (including GDS, which was very difficult last year), Holton, Georgetown Prep, Potomac, and Maret.

Let's be clear to everyone not in the know. There were 2 GDS admits last year of which both were admitted in spite of Langley. They excelled elsewhere. There were no Sidwell's. The Potomac admits were 1) admitted to GDS and attended GDS 2) sibling 3) unclear hook or no hook.

80%+ did not get into their first choice.

Again, I really don't know what you're talking about so yes, let's be clear to everyone not in the know. There are 3 at Sidwell from last year's Norwood class- feel free to check the website that you are citing. re: GDS, what does "in spite of Langley mean"? I'm not sure what your point about being admitted to both Potomac and GDS and choosing GDS means. Most kids are accepted at multiple schools and all of them only chose one to attend. But there are still multiple kids attending Potomac from last year's Norwood class.

It is 100% not true that 80% didn't get into their first choice. I can think of more than 20% off the top of my head that got into their first choice and that doesn't include the kids who matriculated at Bullis and St. Andrews, which were many kids first choice given their location and/or interests.

PP here - the comments were regarding Langley School placement. You seem to be mixing up things between Norwood (https://www.langleyschool.org/academics/high-school-placement) and Langley. Langley school outplacement were atrocious

Your information is just wrong--ie there are 5 Langley grads from 2023 at GDS, the year that supposedly no-one got in. Sorry your child didn't do better, but kids got into great schools from that grade. One strength of the k-8s is getting kids off the wait lists.

Reading comp is an issue here . There are 2 class of 2023 at gds. just ask gds

There are 0 at Sidwell

Class of 2022 did well but that was mostly former HOS recommendations . The new HoS is fine also , the middle school head is in above her head

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WES 8th grade admissions this year also on the weak side from what I’ve heard from parents in that grade. They were also weak last year. It will be interesting to see the sustainability of the model of schools like WES, Norwood, and Langley once it becomes more common knowledge how difficult admissions is for unhooked smarter kids.

WES 8th grade parent here. Your source definitely does not speak for the entire grade. Our DC was accepted at their first-choice school and is very excited. And I am aware of at least a couple of others who feel the same way.

I’m sorry to hear that some are disappointed with their options. But I would not characterize the class’s results as weak.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The days of admission with a handshake or a call from ...are long gone.

When and why did outplacement from a good K8 to a better K12 change to become harder ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours didn’t. They say they have a 100% rate of getting kids into their top choice- and from what I hear, they have done just that.

So the strategy is to convince families their first choice is somewhere unusual they can in?