Anonymous
Post 04/02/2016 09:24     Subject: Re:Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Correlating a single number that is self-calculated (Sidwell does not calculate GPAs nor does it provide class ranking) with college acceptance success is impossible in this context. Perhaps it tells you exactly what the college counseling departments have long argued; that the following factors count equally as much:

1. Difficulty of coursework and performance in the most rigorous academic courses
2. Upward trajectory of grades
3. Strong teacher evaluations (this really matters, as I have seen lackluster evaluations crater otherwise seemingly strong candidacies)
4. Particularly strong demonstrated performance in one area can be bonus


How would you know it was the teacher rec that cratered a kid? Never get to see them so how would you know this? Asking not to be rude but because I'm very curious.
Anonymous
Post 04/02/2016 00:08     Subject: Re:Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Let me guess -- your kid is male? It's much easier to get into LACs if you're male.


Interesting. I didn't know this, but as a mother of boys, I'm glad to know this. It's nice to hear that something in education actually favors boys.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 21:46     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:A 3.5 is an excellent GPA at Sidwell, and makes for a great applicant if the student has good test scores, recommendations, and ECs. It's not the tippy top GPA at Sidwell, but I'd say it's tough to get beyond a 3.75 or so if you are active outside of the classroom. In my years of observing this as a parent, I think a 3.5 with extras trumps a 3.8 with not much else.


PP with the 3.5 kid with many acceptances. You are absolutely right. He had some incredible ECs involving awards for foreign travel, awards for essays, etc. And despite what people think, Sidwell does help; his teachers who wrote his recommendations know him very very well and have helped him grow intellectually and as a person.We got FA and are so thankful to Sidwell and proud of him.

Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 14:23     Subject: Re:Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Correlating a single number that is self-calculated (Sidwell does not calculate GPAs nor does it provide class ranking) with college acceptance success is impossible in this context. Perhaps it tells you exactly what the college counseling departments have long argued; that the following factors count equally as much:

1. Difficulty of coursework and performance in the most rigorous academic courses
2. Upward trajectory of grades
3. Strong teacher evaluations (this really matters, as I have seen lackluster evaluations crater otherwise seemingly strong candidacies)
4. Particularly strong demonstrated performance in one area can be bonus


Spot on. Our kids' experiences in applying to college reflect this more wholistic approach to admissions.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 13:23     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
A 3.5 is an excellent GPA at Sidwell, and makes for a great applicant if the student has good test scores, recommendations, and ECs. It's not the tippy top GPA at Sidwell, but I'd say it's tough to get beyond a 3.75 or so if you are active outside of the classroom. In my years of observing this as a parent, I think a 3.5 with extras trumps a 3.8 with not much else.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 09:29     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Perhaps what it shows is that college admissions officers realize a 3.5 at Sidwell or other low-inflation schools is essentially the same as 4.2 at a MCPS.


No, my DC had a 4.6 in MCPS and was WL at places like Dartmouth. Congrats to the posters kid though, he's got something going for him.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 09:24     Subject: Re:Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Correlating a single number that is self-calculated (Sidwell does not calculate GPAs nor does it provide class ranking) with college acceptance success is impossible in this context. Perhaps it tells you exactly what the college counseling departments have long argued; that the following factors count equally as much:

1. Difficulty of coursework and performance in the most rigorous academic courses
2. Upward trajectory of grades
3. Strong teacher evaluations (this really matters, as I have seen lackluster evaluations crater otherwise seemingly strong candidacies)
4. Particularly strong demonstrated performance in one area can be bonus



Standardized tests?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 08:28     Subject: Re:Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Correlating a single number that is self-calculated (Sidwell does not calculate GPAs nor does it provide class ranking) with college acceptance success is impossible in this context. Perhaps it tells you exactly what the college counseling departments have long argued; that the following factors count equally as much:

1. Difficulty of coursework and performance in the most rigorous academic courses
2. Upward trajectory of grades
3. Strong teacher evaluations (this really matters, as I have seen lackluster evaluations crater otherwise seemingly strong candidacies)
4. Particularly strong demonstrated performance in one area can be bonus
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 07:50     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
A 3.5 at a school like Sidwell is bordering on truly outstanding. It means, likely, that the student is straight A in math/science OR history/english with B+ in the others and A's in electives (arts/theater etc).

I think most colleges understand deflated and unweighted grade points of schools like this.

Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 07:22     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Perhaps what it shows is that college admissions officers realize a 3.5 at Sidwell or other low-inflation schools is essentially the same as 4.2 at a MCPS.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2016 06:55     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have any top private 3.5s gotten college results yet?


3.5 Big 3 kid: accepted Amherst, Wesleyan, Sarah Lawrence, UMCP Scholars, University of Miami( with merit aid); deferred Harvard: Waiting on three other ivies plus final form Harvard.


I am glad you posted – – with 20 pages, clearly people are interested in this issue and like hearing specific anecdotes. Sounds like a great outcome for your child, congrats. Don't worry about all the grumps.


+1 With a DS with similar profile--though a few years out still--I find it quite encouraging to hear results. Thank you.


Now Dartmouth is added to this list? I'm sorry, but this kid is clearly jumping off the page in college admissions offices. So anyone who thinks that an unhooked acceptance from Amherst and Dartmouth is the likely result of their otherwise unexceptional DC getting a 3.5 GPA at Sidwell is setting themselves up for crushing disappointment. I guess if grading is so tough that 3.5 really represents the very top tier of students, then maybe I would reconsider, but without any class ranking, who knows.

What this shows is that 3.5 is by no means disqualifying, nothing more.
Anonymous
Post 03/31/2016 22:49     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have any top private 3.5s gotten college results yet?


3.5 Big 3 kid: accepted Amherst, Wesleyan, Sarah Lawrence, UMCP Scholars, University of Miami( with merit aid); deferred Harvard: Waiting on three other ivies plus final form Harvard.
;

I am glad you posted – – with 20 pages, clearly people are interested in this issue and like hearing specific anecdotes. Sounds like a great outcome for your child, congrats. Don't worry about all the grumps.



kid above got into Dartmouth today. It will be a hard choice.
Anonymous
Post 03/31/2016 20:06     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
God how things change. I remember when Duke JHU and Columbia were easy to get into.. another generation ago. Congratulations though! Have no idea where my kids will be! I'll give them to money to travel and they can use MIT or Yale's free online program.

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Big 3, 3.5, 33 ACT accepted at Vanderbilt, University of WI-Madison, University of Michigan, Georgetown, Cornell, UMCP Scholars, and U of Miami with merit $$$.

Duke, JHU and Columbia were nos.

We are very happy for her.


She was an unhooked applicant (white, full pay, not recruited athlete), although she did have a few national awards if that counts?
Anonymous
Post 03/31/2016 19:56     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Anonymous wrote:Big 3, 3.5, 33 ACT accepted at Vanderbilt, University of WI-Madison, University of Michigan, Georgetown, Cornell, UMCP Scholars, and U of Miami with merit $$$.

Duke, JHU and Columbia were nos.

We are very happy for her.


She was an unhooked applicant (white, full pay, not recruited athlete), although she did have a few national awards if that counts?
Anonymous
Post 03/31/2016 19:55     Subject: Where does a 3.5 Sidwell kid end up going to college?
Big 3, 3.5, 33 ACT accepted at Vanderbilt, University of WI-Madison, University of Michigan, Georgetown, Cornell, UMCP Scholars, and U of Miami with merit $$$.

Duke, JHU and Columbia were nos.

We are very happy for her.