Anonymous
Post 10/10/2024 04:51     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
At both schools - and all other "top" privates (and W public HSs or VA equivalent top public HSs) in metro DC, the "top" college acceptances are driven mostly by hooks (legacy donor, VIP, special art/music talent, fake non-profit run by student, college recruit for Lacrosse, etc.) not by the academics.

Unhooked students with higher GPAs often are still at a disadvantage to a legacy child of a wealthy donor to the top college.
Anonymous
Post 10/10/2024 04:45     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


Then I hope you have fun at your school where the top few kids apply to all the top schools for their ago and everyone else gets edged out bc they won’t take too many from one place. Parents love that dynamic


We don’t have that problem at my children’s school. Over half of the class goes to T25 universities and T25 SLACs. And that’s without limiting students’ applications.


BIM?


This is a private school thread, so why would you think I was talking about BIM? That’s a public school.


BASIS in DC is a public charter.

BASIS in McLean (BIM) is unrelated to the DC public charter school, and is a for-profit private school owned by a Chinese company (Primavera Capital). There are no public charter schools in NoVA.
Anonymous
Post 10/10/2024 01:24     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


Then I hope you have fun at your school where the top few kids apply to all the top schools for their ago and everyone else gets edged out bc they won’t take too many from one place. Parents love that dynamic


We don’t have that problem at my children’s school. Over half of the class goes to T25 universities and T25 SLACs. And that’s without limiting students’ applications.


BIM?


This is a private school thread, so why would you think I was talking about BIM? That’s a public school.
Anonymous
Post 10/10/2024 00:17     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Excellence
Anonymous
Post 10/10/2024 00:07     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


Then I hope you have fun at your school where the top few kids apply to all the top schools for their ago and everyone else gets edged out bc they won’t take too many from one place. Parents love that dynamic


We don’t have that problem at my children’s school. Over half of the class goes to T25 universities and T25 SLACs. And that’s without limiting students’ applications.


BIM?
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 23:53     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


Then I hope you have fun at your school where the top few kids apply to all the top schools for their ago and everyone else gets edged out bc they won’t take too many from one place. Parents love that dynamic


We don’t have that problem at my children’s school. Over half of the class goes to T25 universities and T25 SLACs. And that’s without limiting students’ applications.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 22:41     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


Then I hope you have fun at your school where the top few kids apply to all the top schools for their ago and everyone else gets edged out bc they won’t take too many from one place. Parents love that dynamic
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 22:14     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.

At what tuition level would it be acceptable for a school to "dictat[e] the number of schools" where your kid can apply?


No more than $25k/year. Max!
And that school would need to be at least at Maret or Holton’s level.

I wouldn’t accept such an edict from Burke, even at $25k.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 22:12     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.


No, it doesn’t. There are no other top area private schools that restrict college applications, and their students do the same or better than GDS students when it comes to college matriculations.

However, you’re correct that GDS is not for me—for many reasons.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 21:37     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.

At what tuition level would it be acceptable for a school to "dictat[e] the number of schools" where your kid can apply?
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 20:25     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.


It helps more kids get into their top schools. GDS believes in being a community; if that's not for you, then it's not for you.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 20:24     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:GDS - no football team - Sidwell -foot ball team:

GDS - students call teachers by first names, Sidwell - maybe a little more traditional?

GDS - reputation for meeting kid where they are/ "out of the box" thinkers; Sidwell - fits kid more into a mold (okay this is a stereotype)

GDS - not religious - maybe more quirky/social justice-y; Sidwell: quaker - more steeped in tradition

Both strong academics, etc., both probably equally great schools


This is correct but also GDS has newer (and nicer) facilities but Sidwell is working on a united campus that will have a new LS and US


GDS’ US isn’t new and it’s not that nice. What are you talking about?


They are talking about the LMS, which is very new and very nice. The OP didn't say what grade level they were looking at.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 20:23     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What?? Is this true? How can they do that? For the record, I don’t think you need to apply to anymore than 10 but it seems intrusive

The limit isn't 10. It's 12, and has the effect of making the students apply more strategically.


I don’t need Big Brother GDS dictating the number of schools my kid applies to. Especially not for $50k+.
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 20:21     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:GDS - no football team - Sidwell -foot ball team:

GDS - students call teachers by first names, Sidwell - maybe a little more traditional?

GDS - reputation for meeting kid where they are/ "out of the box" thinkers; Sidwell - fits kid more into a mold (okay this is a stereotype)

GDS - not religious - maybe more quirky/social justice-y; Sidwell: quaker - more steeped in tradition

Both strong academics, etc., both probably equally great schools


This is correct but also GDS has newer (and nicer) facilities but Sidwell is working on a united campus that will have a new LS and US


GDS’ US isn’t new and it’s not that nice. What are you talking about?
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 20:12     Subject: Sidwell vs GDS -- specific examples of what differentiates the two
My kid had the choice for 9th. Before the acceptances, we both thought he'd choose GDS, but after shadow days he chose SFS. He's a kid who likes and benefits from a fair amount of structure and predictability, and he found what people are describing as more traditional classrooms to be a better fit for him. Also he liked the lunch. So far, he's happy with his choice.