Anonymous wrote:You can't bet on any of these schools. We know our kid is vying for one of maybe 5 spots, we will see.

Exactly. The numbers are pretty depressing at many schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trinity is exclusive because they screen for plutocrats. Thats who got in from our preschool- the signal among other things is giving tons to the preschool for reporting up the chain.

We gave almost nothing monetarily to preschool and we’re definitely not plutocrats. Sometimes normal people get into Trinity (and we’re not the only normal family in the community).

Sometimes normal people get in - but how often? Did they another attractive aspect of their family that made them more special, if not money and connections? How many of those are there? Maybe 5 per year? Out of hundreds applicants. So sure it happens but can’t necessarily bet on…

Many more than 5 in our grade.

As a kindergarten applicant, you can't bet on any "TT" school. It is simply a numbers game. Trinity is tough because lower school is small (compared to peer schools), it is co-ed and prioritizes qualified siblings, and it gets 500+ applications every year. But to say it is filled with plutocrats and the doorway opens wider if you donate heavily to your preschool-- that just hasn't been my experience. And I'm sorry that it is what you witnessed at your preschool.

You can't bet on any of these schools. We know our kid is vying for one of maybe 5 spots, we will see.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trinity is exclusive because they screen for plutocrats. Thats who got in from our preschool- the signal among other things is giving tons to the preschool for reporting up the chain.

We gave almost nothing monetarily to preschool and we’re definitely not plutocrats. Sometimes normal people get into Trinity (and we’re not the only normal family in the community).

Sometimes normal people get in - but how often? Did they another attractive aspect of their family that made them more special, if not money and connections? How many of those are there? Maybe 5 per year? Out of hundreds applicants. So sure it happens but can’t necessarily bet on…

Anonymous wrote:Trinity is exclusive because they screen for plutocrats. Thats who got in from our preschool- the signal among other things is giving tons to the preschool for reporting up the chain.

We gave almost nothing monetarily to preschool and we’re definitely not plutocrats. Sometimes normal people get into Trinity (and we’re not the only normal family in the community).

Trinity is exclusive because they screen for plutocrats. Thats who got in from our preschool- the signal among other things is giving tons to the preschool for reporting up the chain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Trinity. They don't even allow everyone to apply; they pick the families that can continue with tours, interviews, etc. If all boys, it would be Collegiate and for all girls it would be Brearley. Dalton is next to Trinity, but I would say Trinity would still be #1.

We're nobodies, and our kid is at a UPK and we interviewed this season. I think what helps is the ability to send a video with your submission. If your kid has ways they can stand out you can show it.

I think Trinity is exclusive due to its strong sibling and alumni policy in comparison to other schools. It may be most “exclusive” because of it. As to whether it is the most elite one, I am not sure. It is one of the elite schools.

Berkeley Carroll

You were told by whom? Its blind. The kids get numbers. The parent essays your not even allowed to write their name in the response. At round 2, they get numbers on their shirts....

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Trinity. They don't even allow everyone to apply; they pick the families that can continue with tours, interviews, etc. If all boys, it would be Collegiate and for all girls it would be Brearley. Dalton is next to Trinity, but I would say Trinity would still be #1.

We're nobodies, and our kid is at a UPK and we interviewed this season. I think what helps is the ability to send a video with your submission. If your kid has ways they can stand out you can show it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting...

But I don't consider this an elite school.

Honestly even most of the critical reviews of Hunter acknowledge that the kids are amazing, and the alumni and matriculations will easily stand up against any TT private school, so unless your definition of elite involves ivy-covered buildings and competitive squash teams I'm not sure how Hunter falls short.

Some low IQ, low self-esteem losers get their jollies out of being controversial. Just ignore them.

But don't knock squash...

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting...

But I don't consider this an elite school.

Honestly even most of the critical reviews of Hunter acknowledge that the kids are amazing, and the alumni and matriculations will easily stand up against any TT private school, so unless your definition of elite involves ivy-covered buildings and competitive squash teams I'm not sure how Hunter falls short.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The hardest k-12 to get into by a wide margin is HCES. If admissions rates are what makes a place exclusive then Hunter, with its 1.6% acceptance rate and strange black box admissions system, takes the prize. If exclusivity is measured by the percentage of elite families with kids attending, then Hunter is far, far down the list.

Very interesting...

But I don't consider this an elite school.

Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one. Thanks for sharing. I don't consider you an elite poster (and I say this as someone who is skeptical about HCES). Only someone without a kid at an elite school would make an ignorant comment like that.

Anonymous wrote:The hardest k-12 to get into by a wide margin is HCES. If admissions rates are what makes a place exclusive then Hunter, with its 1.6% acceptance rate and strange black box admissions system, takes the prize. If exclusivity is measured by the percentage of elite families with kids attending, then Hunter is far, far down the list.

Very interesting...

But I don't consider this an elite school.

1. Things might have changed but Hunter is not blind. They very carefully curate a diverse class. And their test, at least 10 years ago when my kid took it, was very arbitrary and was far from a test of brilliance. Kids were definitely above average who did well, but many very smart kids (including mine) bombed it while doing great on all other metrics.

2. Agree that G&T, which was already somewhat questionable, has been almost completely diluted. The irony is that many G&T parents (particularly Anderson) still act like having their kids in these programs confirms that their kids are flawless geniuses. To head off the inevitable complaints, yes, there are plenty of great, humble families and kids in these programs, but there are way too many whose self-worth depends on their child being in G&T, and this trickles down to the kids.

G&T should have been reserved for families whose kids were zoned for under-performing schools. If your kid was zoned for PS6, 87, etc., you should not have been taking a spot.