Well done Field! Impressive list of colleges.

It often just boils down to the simple fact that there are far more applicants than spaces available for 9th grade. If your child seems like a student who will get into a "more competitive" school then sometimes a less competitive school with lots of applications for that year (covid has changed this drastically) will not offer a spot to a strong student because they want to admit students who have said, or their application implies though "fit", that they are definitely coming if accepted. Don't take it personally at all.

Anonymous wrote:Got in but wasn't given FA, so they couldn't have been too surprised when we declined.

If they didn’t offer aid, it’s likely because you didn’t qualify. Not wanting to pay is not the same thing as not being able to pay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids I know who didn’t get into Burke or Field usually had underlying learning challenges that weren’t well suited for the schools.

Good students but needed more help — kids who are thriving at Lab and Sienna and Commonwealth.

Agree! Often admissions finds out whatever the previous school is trying to hide. Most K-8’s are known to hide challenges and other issues in their letters of recommendation and other materials. So schools like Burke will now go the extra mile to comb through this information and read between the lines for any potential academic or social challenges. They don’t want to accept a student they would have to kick out in the future.

OP, you never described your “solid student”. There has to be something you’re not sharing as to why your kid wasn’t accepted. Yes, it could be the grade was already pretty full and there were few open spots. But I’m guessing it’s something else.

What’s the basis for your statement PP? Do you work in admissions at Burke?

Most K-8’s are known to hide challenges and other issues in their letters of recommendation and other materials.

Can you explain how you know this for most of the K-8 schools in the DMV? How did you obtain this knowledge?

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily true. For example, if you look at Field’s college matriculation list, it’s actually pretty good. Not pretending that it’s at parity with STA or GDS, but the top 15-20% of kids end up at top tier schools. When you consider that they likely did 20% of the work of STA kids, it’s a pretty significant life hack if the end game is to get into as good a school as possible without being crushed in a pressure cooker.

Curious about this so I actually looked: https://www.fieldschool.org/academics/college-counseling

This is an impressive and varied matriculation list for 2021 and clearly reflects that Field graduates a class with diverse goals (ie, Oberlin <-> Rochester Tech). Lots of excellent schools on this list.

However .... 15=20% of this list is not comprised of "top tier" schools as that tier is conventionally understood. That's a misleading statement. Sidwell, GDS and the Cathedral schools actually do graduate a class year after year with 20% matriculating to top tier schools. They do, however, probably graduate more jocks than Field that will attend top tier schools on basketball, football, crew and possibly lacrosse admits. Field hockey for NCS, track/cross country for GDS


American University
Bryn Mawr College
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Catholic University of America
Chapman University
Clemson University
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of William and Mary
Dickinson College
Drew University
Drexel University (2)
Eckerd College
Emory University
Fordham University (5)
Franklin and Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Haverford College
High Point University
Indiana University-Bloomington
Ithaca College
Johnson & Wales University
Lewis & Clark College
Loyola University New Orleans
Maryland Institute College of Art
Miami University-Oxford
New York University
Northwestern University (2)
Oberlin College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Santa Clara University
Savannah College of Art and Design (2)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Scripps College
St. Mary's College of Maryland (2)
The New School: Parsons Paris
The University of the South
Tufts University (2)
Tulane University (2)
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver
University of Miami (2)
University of Rochester
University of Virginia (4)
Ursinus College
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Washington University in St Louis
Wesleyan University
Williams College

Anonymous wrote:Kids I know who didn’t get into Burke or Field usually had underlying learning challenges that weren’t well suited for the schools.

Good students but needed more help — kids who are thriving at Lab and Sienna and Commonwealth.

Agree! Often admissions finds out whatever the previous school is trying to hide. Most K-8’s are known to hide challenges and other issues in their letters of recommendation and other materials. So schools like Burke will now go the extra mile to comb through this information and read between the lines for any potential academic or social challenges. They don’t want to accept a student they would have to kick out in the future.

OP, you never described your “solid student”. There has to be something you’re not sharing as to why your kid wasn’t accepted. Yes, it could be the grade was already pretty full and there were few open spots. But I’m guessing it’s something else.

Anonymous wrote:I think it is like job hunting and dating. You don't get a job or a second call from your date not necessarily because you are not "solid" or a good person. It is a matter of fit in many cases.

Yes, this. Although it's admittedly difficult not to take it personally when it's your kid.

The schools know when they are “safeties”. They want kids who want their schools.

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily true. For example, if you look at Field’s college matriculation list, it’s actually pretty good. Not pretending that it’s at parity with STA or GDS, but the top 15-20% of kids end up at top tier schools. When you consider that they likely did 20% of the work of STA kids, it’s a pretty significant life hack if the end game is to get into as good a school as possible without being crushed in a pressure cooker.

Not the same schools are regularly attended by both field students and sta/NCS students. True Field has an impressive list( for the top students) but the top students at sta/NCS and the top students at field are not going to the same schools.
College should not be the point if these schools anymore anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field was our kid’s top choice for 9th grade and probably ours too. Mostly a straight A student with a handful of small stumbles, great extracurriculars and recognitions. We thought our interview with the school went well. He is a bit shy - so no telling how he did. He did tell them it was his top choice.

We were really impressed by the school and thought it was the best fit for him. Maybe we underestimated how competitive it would be, but we (and he) were quite sad when he was not even waitlisted - just not admitted.

I'd call them tomorrow and have an honest conversation expressing your sincere disappointment and ask why, explain that you would have accepted if offered a spot and ask if they would consider the application in the second round after March 18th or next year.

Do this if you’re waitlisted, but not if rejected.

Anonymous wrote:If so, do you believe it is because the school did not think you would enroll?

Yes and yes. Other schools higher on preference list and DC was admitted.

Not necessarily true. For example, if you look at Field’s college matriculation list, it’s actually pretty good. Not pretending that it’s at parity with STA or GDS, but the top 15-20% of kids end up at top tier schools. When you consider that they likely did 20% of the work of STA kids, it’s a pretty significant life hack if the end game is to get into as good a school as possible without being crushed in a pressure cooker.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field and Burke are looking for different kinds of students.

People on DCUM seem to think that these schools are for kids who cannot gain admission to the more competitive area independent schools. It is not true.

They don’t care as much about test scores and GPA’s.

+1. Also, they are really small schools, so there just aren't that many spots to be had and they are trying to find a mix of students.

I agree with the above to a point. Part of what you say contradicts.
You say that Burke and Field are schools not concerned with test scores and GPA (there were no test scores to look at the past two years at really any independent school, btw) but have previously imply that these students could likely get into more competitive area schools, schools which do care about these things. The same child is not usually admitted to both types of schools.

Anonymous wrote:Field and Burke are looking for different kinds of students.

People on DCUM seem to think that these schools are for kids who cannot gain admission to the more competitive area independent schools. It is not true.

They don’t care as much about test scores and GPA’s.

+1. Also, they are really small schools, so there just aren't that many spots to be had and they are trying to find a mix of students.