Yes - private schools limit applications. I have also heard firsthand that they also limit which schools certain kids apply to -- e.g., if they four stellar kids and one wants Harvard, another Stanford, the third Princeton, the fourth Yale, they will try hard to keep all those kids from applying to each other's schools to avoid what happens if one of those kids gets in everywhere -- but only really wanted one spot --- and the other three are left out in the cold.

Anonymous wrote:Is it true most independent school college counselors limit the number of applications to around 8?

I think it varies by school. However, the average number of college applications per student may have dropped, for a couple reasons I'd think.

First, probably 80 - 90% of a class at your basic strong DMV area independent school (of which there are many) applies Early (whether Early Action or Early Decision). This is because there is a quantifiable advantage in applying early in terms of a markedly better shot at getting into a school. For kids who get into Early Decision schools, obviously they are not then applying to any more schools. For kids who get into an Early Action school (so, non-restrictive early admissions), they will probably only do 2-3 additional applications at most and maybe no additional applications if they are dead set on the EA school.

Second, even with the increasing number of Common Application schools, many schools still have their own "supplements" -- translation: they require additional essays. Those can add up, so applying to an incredible raft of schools means watering down the effort that goes into the essays.

Third, many families are pretty focused on the college process earlier in high school than used to be the case. Lots of visits to colleges in the summer after junior year and sometimes the summer after sophomore year. There's also a lot of very specific information out there about schools, so kids can often make big choices -- urban or rural, big or small, public or private university -- relatively early on.

At our school, it is very uncommon for somebody to apply to 10 or more schools as far as I can tell. But if they want to they can do it -- there's no prohibition.

NCS counseling. Not great.

kids and families know the two schools at least in HS are academically pretty much identical. As a result kids move from one to the other between 8th and 9th with some frequency, based on specific interests (sports, arts) or the social makeup at the class of one or the other. And rarely are these kids also considering NCS or St A, just a different group of kids/families interested in those schools. Anyway, just silly to argue about academic level between Sidwell, GDS, NCS and St A, and probably Maret. All have plenty of really high achieving kids, stimulating classes, and excellent record of college admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a very good experience at GDS. Advice spot-on, really spent time getting to know my kid, had a team approach which decreased angst over whether assigned the strongest or newest person, and really tried very hard to put the responsibility, decision making etc on the kid and not the parents or the counselor. A clear schedule, set of expectations. No matter what not everyone is going to be happy if they are not admitted to their first choice, but an amazing number of kids seemed to be going where they wanted, and most others to their 2nd or 3rd choice.

So true. GDS has a simply amazing record at getting students into first choice schools, including the Top Ivies.

That is good to know since we can pretty much assume that the vast majority of GDS grads did NOT get into their first choice high school. I've yet to meet anyone who said GDS was their top choice BEFORE it became apparent that Sidwell, STA, NCS we're not in the cards.

If GDS is sending lots of kids to top schools, they must be struggling in or after college because there are so few prominent GDS grads.

Both my children were accepted at Sidwell and chose GDS instead, like many other students at GDS. Both schools are great, but they have different strengths.

Is it true most independent school college counselors limit the number of applications to around 8?

Anonymous wrote:No need to be snarky. GDS today is academically comparable to the others you mention.

09:43 an obvious troll, just ignore.

No need to be snarky. GDS today is academically comparable to the others you mention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a very good experience at GDS. Advice spot-on, really spent time getting to know my kid, had a team approach which decreased angst over whether assigned the strongest or newest person, and really tried very hard to put the responsibility, decision making etc on the kid and not the parents or the counselor. A clear schedule, set of expectations. No matter what not everyone is going to be happy if they are not admitted to their first choice, but an amazing number of kids seemed to be going where they wanted, and most others to their 2nd or 3rd choice.

So true. GDS has a simply amazing record at getting students into first choice schools, including the Top Ivies.

That is good to know since we can pretty much assume that the vast majority of GDS grads did NOT get into their first choice high school. I've yet to meet anyone who said GDS was their top choice BEFORE it became apparent that Sidwell, STA, NCS we're not in the cards.

If GDS is sending lots of kids to top schools, they must be struggling in or after college because there are so few prominent GDS grads.

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question, I have a rising senior at Burke and so far we are very happy (obviously no results, so that doesn't color it). His counselor knows him well, has made intelligent suggestions about course selection, scores, and schools to look at, and has a strong enough relationship with him that he was comfortable calling over the summer when he had questions.

Bonus: DS spent last week at Burke in a workshop writing his primary application essay, and is spending this week in another workshop filling out the common app and working on supplements! By the first day of school, much of this will be complete, and the rest getting close!

This sounds like a really good program; very different from our past experience with Sidwell's college counseling, though there are signs that it is improving. Best wishes to you and your son, PP!

Not thrilled with STA Counseling. They seem to concentrate on the top ten percent. Also, there are several counselors and some are significantly better than others. If you get one of the more dynamic ones, that's fine, but the less dynamic ones don't cut it.

To answer the original question, I have a rising senior at Burke and so far we are very happy (obviously no results, so that doesn't color it). His counselor knows him well, has made intelligent suggestions about course selection, scores, and schools to look at, and has a strong enough relationship with him that he was comfortable calling over the summer when he had questions.

Bonus: DS spent last week at Burke in a workshop writing his primary application essay, and is spending this week in another workshop filling out the common app and working on supplements! By the first day of school, much of this will be complete, and the rest getting close!

Anonymous wrote:Proof?

Don't fall for it. One person, whom I'm guessing does not even have a connection with GDS, has posted on every remotely related thread that GDS has an "amazing record" of admissions to the top Ivies/Harvard, etc. Clearly they enjoy the responses their unsupported assertion stirs up.

GDS doesn't publish matriculations. They tend to have a lot of National Merit Semifinalists so I'm sure they do well in college admissions, but there's no reason to think they do better at the high end of admissions than schools like Sidwell, STA/NCS, Holton, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As our child is entering high school, I hear so much dissatisfaction from parents at most schools with their respective school's college advising program. I suspect much of this is due to unrealistic expectations from a generation of parents who came up in a different era. But I am wondering if there are any local private schools with well respected college counseling programs that seem to satisfy the parents/students at their school?

This. I would just advise you to keep an open mind and make up your own mind.

College counseling can help some at the margins, but mostly it's about factors (grades, scores, possible X factor like athletic recruit status) that are wholly out of the counselors' control.

The greatest predictor of where a kid will go to college is to look at where her/his parents went to college. If the parents went to the Ivies, the kid likely will, etc. The college counselors real role is to help kids identify a college that is best suited for them, not to use their " connections" or "influence" to get a kid into a certain school. Many parents are simply unreasonable about their kids likelihood of getting into highly competitive colleges and get angry when the CC is honest with them.

Proof?