Anonymous wrote:
My daughter applied for 5th grade at GDS and is on the waitlist. She has the best scores in her school, strong recommendations, and is very talented in extracurricular activities. I know 5th grade is not a main entry point, but I’d like to know if she can get off the waitlist. Has anyone on the waitlist ever gotten into GDS?

Anyone ever? Of course. Likely? No.

My daughter applied for 5th grade at GDS and is on the waitlist. She has the best scores in her school, strong recommendations, and is very talented in extracurricular activities. I know 5th grade is not a main entry point, but I’d like to know if she can get off the waitlist. Has anyone on the waitlist ever gotten into GDS?

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Anonymous wrote:Waitpooled at Holton for sixth grade and feeling incredibly disappointed. Do we know if anyone was actually rejected or is everyone just respectfully placed in the waitpool?

We were waitpooled as well. I’m curious how the admissions process was for your family?

Honestly it went really well! We went to all of the events, had a great parent interview and generally had a good feeling after multiple positive interactions with the admissions team. I think this year was super competitive…but was still hoping we had a shot.

We were surprised as well! Although we did feel the admissions process felt a bit chaotic and rushed at times, but they get a ton of applicants so understandable. Hoping the waitpool moves for both of us. We felt the language in the letter was promising but I’m sure they use the same language in all letters.

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Anonymous wrote:Waitpooled at Holton for sixth grade and feeling incredibly disappointed. Do we know if anyone was actually rejected or is everyone just respectfully placed in the waitpool?

We were waitpooled as well. I’m curious how the admissions process was for your family?

Honestly it went really well! We went to all of the events, had a great parent interview and generally had a good feeling after multiple positive interactions with the admissions team. I think this year was super competitive…but was still hoping we had a shot.

Poster who asked about FA — fwiw, I’d suggest trying to make sure your kid doesn’t feel too stressed/distressed about the outcomes. We know plenty of families at our K-8, likely full pay, who are disappointed with results. It was a tough year. Remind your kid that the schools have few spots and are looking to balance their classes a certain way — along gender or specific athletic/extracurricular lines — so a rejection does not speak to his or her actual abilities and potential. There is some randomness inherent all this.

I do think the reality is that (all things being equal) needing FA can be an obstacle and certainly would be easier to be full pay. But the important thing to emphasize to your kid is that it’s no reflection on their abilities or potential.

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Anonymous wrote:Do FA families have a harder time getting in? Wondering why we struck out this year and if needing FA was a factor. Is there a threshold of a certain percentage of aid needed that makes it harder?

I would assume so. Most of these schools don't have a large endowment and the non-super rich full pays don't donate a lot of money because tuition costs $50,000 a year per child.

But when schools advertise the average award, it seems significant. Some around 50% of tuition. I'm just trying to understand, they seem to welcome FA students but then won't accept them?

If you're an FA family getting 50% or more, what kind of student do you have? They can't all be straight A students and world class athletes.

We received this award at four competitive schools and DC is a very impressive child. I would share their qualities, but for privacy reasons I am limited.

Basically, if you are going for FA you need to bring something to the table to elevate the class

Would love to know how a kid elevates the class. Please tell.

If you have to ask…

Sounds bogus. Not getting a reply confirms that.

Our packages speak for themselves. I was just giving hope to the poster who asked because if I was in their shoes I would want to know. On the other hand, I am not entertaining snarky like yours. Enjoy squabbling among each other, trolls! We’ve got exciting decisions to make.

Getting financial aid doesn’t mean your kid is elevating the class.

It means you are the recipient of charity that was donated to the school to help less fortunate families.

You are lucky enough to be getting a bailout from the parents at that school who donate towards financial aid.

Show some gratitude and lose the entitlement. You are just getting financial aid.

She was responding to me when I asked about FA making for more competitive admissions. We're trying to make sense of what happened and why my DC was not offered a place anywhere. Wondering if we have any hope of getting off a waitlist and also receiving FA we need. I guess seflishly I want to be able to tell him that it was the FA that did it so the fault isn't on him. We're confused, we were told that FA was need based and all the letters on Friday all said he would make a great addition to the school and they hope a spot will open up for him but that he was put on the waitlist until one does.

Hate to tell you this. But the school is saying your kid is not good enough. Try somewhere else.

This is mean. This PP's kid was WL everywhere and was asking if her needing FA had to do with that. There is no "somewhere else" unless they get off the WL.

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Anonymous wrote:Do FA families have a harder time getting in? Wondering why we struck out this year and if needing FA was a factor. Is there a threshold of a certain percentage of aid needed that makes it harder?

I would assume so. Most of these schools don't have a large endowment and the non-super rich full pays don't donate a lot of money because tuition costs $50,000 a year per child.

But when schools advertise the average award, it seems significant. Some around 50% of tuition. I'm just trying to understand, they seem to welcome FA students but then won't accept them?

If you're an FA family getting 50% or more, what kind of student do you have? They can't all be straight A students and world class athletes.

We received this award at four competitive schools and DC is a very impressive child. I would share their qualities, but for privacy reasons I am limited.

Basically, if you are going for FA you need to bring something to the table to elevate the class

Would love to know how a kid elevates the class. Please tell.

If you have to ask…

Sounds bogus. Not getting a reply confirms that.

Our packages speak for themselves. I was just giving hope to the poster who asked because if I was in their shoes I would want to know. On the other hand, I am not entertaining snarky like yours. Enjoy squabbling among each other, trolls! We’ve got exciting decisions to make.

Getting financial aid doesn’t mean your kid is elevating the class.

It means you are the recipient of charity that was donated to the school to help less fortunate families.

You are lucky enough to be getting a bailout from the parents at that school who donate towards financial aid.

Show some gratitude and lose the entitlement. You are just getting financial aid.

She was responding to me when I asked about FA making for more competitive admissions. We're trying to make sense of what happened and why my DC was not offered a place anywhere. Wondering if we have any hope of getting off a waitlist and also receiving FA we need. I guess seflishly I want to be able to tell him that it was the FA that did it so the fault isn't on him. We're confused, we were told that FA was need based and all the letters on Friday all said he would make a great addition to the school and they hope a spot will open up for him but that he was put on the waitlist until one does.

Hate to tell you this. But the school is saying your kid is not good enough. Try somewhere else.

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Anonymous wrote:Do FA families have a harder time getting in? Wondering why we struck out this year and if needing FA was a factor. Is there a threshold of a certain percentage of aid needed that makes it harder?

Yes, of course.

And I don't mean to sound sarcastic or mean, but this should make sense to you. However, I know how the schools present the FA situation and I think it can be very misleading and unfair.

If you can't afford to pay for the tuition and other families can, they are going to have the upper hand. No matter what the schools say about how generous they are with FA, requiring it automatically puts you at a disadvantage.

I can't afford a $5,000,000 home. Someone else is going to pay cash. Who do you think the sellers want to work with?

I wish this was true at my school but it’s not. We are need blind and it’s actually need blind. The kids get their acceptance and then - if they applied for aid, they find out separately if they got it and how much. This is fine for lower school but for middle and upper it shouldn’t be this way. If you’re getting aid as a 7th grader and older, you should be bringing something specific to the school - athletics, academics, arts, diversity. No average white kids please, those should be the ones paying full freight.

What does race of the kids have anything to do with it?

Kids have no control over their race and it should have no impact on admissions or financial aid.

Financial aid is charity. Plain and simple. Based on the financial status of the parents. Kids also have no control over this.

While I wish the financial aid kids stood out as exceptional, the reality is that they do not. The exceptional kids tend to be full pay, with some exceptions. The financial aid kids are usually just treading water after arriving.

Rich kids from highly educated parents whose grandparents pay for tuition and who have the means to play the violin and ride horses will have an easier time getting into these elite schools.

That is all that matters.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is very good academic and extra curriculum activity. She is super talented. However we were not even waiting listed for holton. Is it possible that I waived the application fee. That could have back fired. Just want an opinion for future reference.

no, nothing to do with waiving registration.

Any possibility that your child isn't socially pleasant?

What is "super talented"?

Parent A: "My kid is a genius; he is bored in his math class in his school".
Hypothesis 1: Yes, he is pretty good at math.
Hypothesis 2: American school math is so easy that most kids might be bored.

My parent B" My kid is super talent. He can read Harry Potter at age 5".
Hypothesis 1: Yes, he is a good reader
Hypothesis 2: Harry Porter is made for kids to read early.

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah, this is a private school forum, but talking about acceptances for 4th and 5th graders is kind of silly IMO. 9th grade? Makes sense.

Waiting to apply until 9th grade is the crazy part. Serious private school families get in much earlier.

“Serious” is one way to put it. Another is terrified that your child won’t make the cut when the decision isn’t wholly based on YOU and your career and money. We live in a wealthy are with excellent public schools so we weren’t fearful our child wouldn’t go to a good HS. Our child had developed into a very mature and strong student by 8th grade with some passions and some opinions. We were able to select a private high school that suits this child right now at this stage of their life.

It doesn't really matter at the end of the day. There are excellent people graduating from all schools, private and public. The most important is the peer group, the home environment, and the child.

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Anonymous wrote:I got waitlisted for boarding in Madeira anyone knows the chances of me getting in or how fast the WL moves?

Why are you posting the same question in multiple threads? It is unlikely that your kid will get off the waitlist. If they do, it would likely be around June 1, though could be any time.

The schools are very good at managing and predicting yield and don't typically have to go to their waitlist. If they do, it might only be for a kid or two and they typically put dozens or more on the WL (they think it's nicer than saying "no.")

It’s not allowing me to see the other responses, so I’m trying to post it everywhere.. I could only see this one.

Anonymous wrote:I got waitlisted for boarding in Madeira anyone knows the chances of me getting in or how fast the WL moves?

Why are you posting the same question in multiple threads? It is unlikely that your kid will get off the waitlist. If they do, it would likely be around June 1, though could be any time.

The schools are very good at managing and predicting yield and don't typically have to go to their waitlist. If they do, it might only be for a kid or two and they typically put dozens or more on the WL (they think it's nicer than saying "no.")

I got waitlisted for boarding in Madeira anyone knows the chances of me getting in or how fast the WL moves?

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Anonymous wrote:Waitpooled at Holton for sixth grade and feeling incredibly disappointed. Do we know if anyone was actually rejected or is everyone just respectfully placed in the waitpool?

They do reject. My DD was rejected several years ago, but I have no idea about the size and movement of their waitpool. Did you apply/get in anywhere else?

I am sorry to hear that. Reapply for 7th. It's an expansion year. The lower school applications were up 60% this year and 6th is the last year of lower school at Holton so not a big expansion year. They let in a lot of girls for 7th!

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Anonymous wrote:Do FA families have a harder time getting in? Wondering why we struck out this year and if needing FA was a factor. Is there a threshold of a certain percentage of aid needed that makes it harder?

I would assume so. Most of these schools don't have a large endowment and the non-super rich full pays don't donate a lot of money because tuition costs $50,000 a year per child.

But when schools advertise the average award, it seems significant. Some around 50% of tuition. I'm just trying to understand, they seem to welcome FA students but then won't accept them?

If you're an FA family getting 50% or more, what kind of student do you have? They can't all be straight A students and world class athletes.

We get more than 50% for DC in K. No idea why they chose to give us so much, but we are extremely grateful and do what we can to participate and be meaningful members of the school community. We applied to multiple schools and the three that gave us aid all gave us about 50% or more.