Anonymous
Post 12/24/2023 08:45     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:One interesting thing about GDS is that they limit students to 10 applications, only 3 of which may be “reaches.” And they define any school with an acceptance rate of 20% (or 25%?) or less to be a reach. That means GDS students are effectively unable to shotgun all the top 10 schools, or all Ivy League, or whatever.

(They are allowing students this year to apply to 2 more schools beyond the usual 10, but the additional ones must be “foundational” — or safety — schools. This is a response to the uncertainty created by the Supreme Court.)

I don’t know if other private schools have similar policies. But I do think that in the absence of these policies, you would probably find more “shotgunning” and thus more admissions to highly selective schools. They are quite serious about the policy — my kid got into a couple safeties in early action, but the school would not permit him to add another reach school for regular admission. He could only add “foundational” schools even with admissions in hand.


How can they restrict the number of schools a kid applies to?? That seems ridiculous


Restricted and semi controlled who applies where = greater chance of success. If the top 5 candidates apply to every T10 and get in then less room for other candidates. Your first competition is within your school, so by restricting applicants it helps all candidates and also makes the school have better yield.


This answers the question WHY they do it, but not HOW. how on earth do they control this? I would be livid if the school my kid attends tried to control or prevent their applying anywhere they wanted. They can’t withhold transcripts, can they? Do they refuse LOR once you’ve hit a certain number? I’m realty confused how it works.


Correct. If the limit is 10, they will only send transcripts/LOR to 10 schools. In our case, we had one child at a school with a 10 app limit last year and another child at a different, no-limit, school this year and vastly prefer the 10-app limit process. It focuses the kids to think about 3 reaches, 3 targets, 3 safeties and one wild card that they can throw in to any of the categories. It makes it a more thoughtful process, in our experience, and makes it easier for students who really want to go to a particular school to be considered because it takes out the kids who are applying, but have no real interest in attending. Also, the admissions offices know that this is the school’s policy so they know that the applications aren’t just one of dozens that the students have submitted.
Anonymous
Post 12/24/2023 08:17     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Worse outcome than a public high school in fairfax county. Shameful.


Unlike TJ, these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive, so it's not all that surprising or shameful.


Is TJ admissions still based on merit? I thought they changed that a few years back.

At least it hasn’t been completely shuttered yet like the Chicago mayor is planning for his best performing public schools.


Yes, it’s still based on merit, but they draw from all over the county now instead of just one region where people could afford to have their kids prep for it. It will be fine. There are similar schools across the country that follow this new model and it works fine — kids still get into top schools.
Anonymous
Post 12/24/2023 07:57     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:One interesting thing about GDS is that they limit students to 10 applications, only 3 of which may be “reaches.” And they define any school with an acceptance rate of 20% (or 25%?) or less to be a reach. That means GDS students are effectively unable to shotgun all the top 10 schools, or all Ivy League, or whatever.

(They are allowing students this year to apply to 2 more schools beyond the usual 10, but the additional ones must be “foundational” — or safety — schools. This is a response to the uncertainty created by the Supreme Court.)

I don’t know if other private schools have similar policies. But I do think that in the absence of these policies, you would probably find more “shotgunning” and thus more admissions to highly selective schools. They are quite serious about the policy — my kid got into a couple safeties in early action, but the school would not permit him to add another reach school for regular admission. He could only add “foundational” schools even with admissions in hand.


How can they restrict the number of schools a kid applies to?? That seems ridiculous


Restricted and semi controlled who applies where = greater chance of success. If the top 5 candidates apply to every T10 and get in then less room for other candidates. Your first competition is within your school, so by restricting applicants it helps all candidates and also makes the school have better yield.


This answers the question WHY they do it, but not HOW. how on earth do they control this? I would be livid if the school my kid attends tried to control or prevent their applying anywhere they wanted. They can’t withhold transcripts, can they? Do they refuse LOR once you’ve hit a certain number? I’m realty confused how it works.
Anonymous
Post 12/24/2023 07:50     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Worse outcome than a public high school in fairfax county. Shameful.


Unlike TJ, these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive, so it's not all that surprising or shameful.


Is TJ admissions still based on merit? I thought they changed that a few years back.

At least it hasn’t been completely shuttered yet like the Chicago mayor is planning for his best performing public schools.


TJ admission is still based on merit but URMs get 'preference' indirectly you know like how Harvard still gives 'preferences' to URMs indirectly.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 20:28     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:Why do you think that Q is on the preK/K application?

Since when?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 20:03     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:9th grade has a lot of siblings and faculty kids - some of whom are also awesome students.

I knew they limited to 12 but really only 3 with less than 25% admission rates? What’s the point of that?


Would love to see a list of how many GDS students are accepted to college because of legacy. (If the parent went to a top 10 college does GDS look upon that favorably in the child’s application process?)


Why do you think that Q is on the preK/K application?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 15:16     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive

What is 9th grade admissions based on at these schools, if not merit?

For most kids, 9th grade admissions is based on having attended the same school for 8th.

Admissions != re-enrollment, or are you being deliberately obtuse?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:40     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/gdsseniors2024?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==


wow. I find Gds boosters a bit much, but that's an impressive list.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:33     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:9th grade has a lot of siblings and faculty kids - some of whom are also awesome students.

I knew they limited to 12 but really only 3 with less than 25% admission rates? What’s the point of that?


Would love to see a list of how many GDS students are accepted to college because of legacy. (If the parent went to a top 10 college does GDS look upon that favorably in the child’s application process?)
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:29     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Worse outcome than a public high school in fairfax county. Shameful.


Unlike TJ, these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive, so it's not all that surprising or shameful.


Is TJ admissions still based on merit? I thought they changed that a few years back.

At least it hasn’t been completely shuttered yet like the Chicago mayor is planning for his best performing public schools.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:20     Subject: GDS - Wow!
9th grade has a lot of siblings and faculty kids - some of whom are also awesome students.

I knew they limited to 12 but really only 3 with less than 25% admission rates? What’s the point of that?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:14     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive

What is 9th grade admissions based on at these schools, if not merit?


For most kids, 9th grade admissions is based on having attended the same school for 8th.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 13:02     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:One interesting thing about GDS is that they limit students to 10 applications, only 3 of which may be “reaches.” And they define any school with an acceptance rate of 20% (or 25%?) or less to be a reach. That means GDS students are effectively unable to shotgun all the top 10 schools, or all Ivy League, or whatever.

(They are allowing students this year to apply to 2 more schools beyond the usual 10, but the additional ones must be “foundational” — or safety — schools. This is a response to the uncertainty created by the Supreme Court.)

I don’t know if other private schools have similar policies. But I do think that in the absence of these policies, you would probably find more “shotgunning” and thus more admissions to highly selective schools. They are quite serious about the policy — my kid got into a couple safeties in early action, but the school would not permit him to add another reach school for regular admission. He could only add “foundational” schools even with admissions in hand.


How can they restrict the number of schools a kid applies to?? That seems ridiculous


Restricted and semi controlled who applies where = greater chance of success. If the top 5 candidates apply to every T10 and get in then less room for other candidates. Your first competition is within your school, so by restricting applicants it helps all candidates and also makes the school have better yield.


Yes! NCS has had several 3.95-4.0 girls in recent years who were not admitted to their ED so they applied to all the Ivies (and Ivy equivalents) in RD and then ran the table while everyone else was shut out in this round.
The colleges don't have a firm quota per private high school but they're generally not going to admit more than 1 or 2 kids.
And they're generally not going to admit the 3.89 (or what not) when there is a 4.0 on the table---it makes the 3.89 look like a slacker even if this kid worked phenomenally hard, is totally capable of Ivy level work, has fantastic extracurriculars and would have received a spot if they were not compared to the 4.0.
I think the same thing is going to happen this year, given what I know about who is still in the mix.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 12:53     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive

What is 9th grade admissions based on at these schools, if not merit?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2023 12:11     Subject: GDS - Wow!
Anonymous wrote:Worse outcome than a public high school in fairfax county. Shameful.


Unlike TJ, these schools mostly cater to the wealthy, and entry isn't based on merit or drive, so it's not all that surprising or shameful.