Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Any idea when waitlist will start to move. I understand the whole acceptance to yielding numbers thing. But every year kids get off the waitlist, so just curious when to expect movement if there is any?? Anyone have past experience from last year at one of the top independent schools?

I mean May 1st has passed. Sidwell reached out to see if we still want to maintain on the waitlist. Don't they know that means we have to pay double tuition if there is a spot? Of course we won't change anymore. Or is there any trick people willing to share with us to get out of the tuition if we accept another school in case a spot is open?

That is them literally checking to see if you would be willing to try to get out of paying the tuition of your own school. The trick is to be reasonable in your approach, make it a win for the school you are leaving (they can give the spot to a family that truly wants to be there) and keep your fingers crossed there is someone moving to the area or dying for the spot.

The schools do check ins with the waitlist because they know some families ARE willing to pay double to secure the spot and some are coming from a school where either there is no tuition or it is low enough to not really matter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Any idea when waitlist will start to move. I understand the whole acceptance to yielding numbers thing. But every year kids get off the waitlist, so just curious when to expect movement if there is any?? Anyone have past experience from last year at one of the top independent schools?

I mean May 1st has passed. Sidwell reached out to see if we still want to maintain on the waitlist. Don't they know that means we have to pay double tuition if there is a spot? Of course we won't change anymore. Or is there any trick people willing to share with us to get out of the tuition if we accept another school in case a spot is open?

You have until June 1 to be fully committed, PP. I think that's what they meant by the question. If something opens up in the next 3 to 4 weeks, do you want it?

Anonymous wrote:
Any idea when waitlist will start to move. I understand the whole acceptance to yielding numbers thing. But every year kids get off the waitlist, so just curious when to expect movement if there is any?? Anyone have past experience from last year at one of the top independent schools?

I mean May 1st has passed. Sidwell reached out to see if we still want to maintain on the waitlist. Don't they know that means we have to pay double tuition if there is a spot? Of course we won't change anymore. Or is there any trick people willing to share with us to get out of the tuition if we accept another school in case a spot is open?

Anonymous wrote:We know it happens in “rare” circumstances. How widespread it was this year vs prior years? (Previous Sidwell comment..)

No more widespread than normal. When someone knows someone or two people who come off a waitlist, the assumption is that it’s a seismic change. It rarely is and this year does not seem to be any kind of exception.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You heard that” Sidwell’s yield rate was down? From whom? How did they know? Schools don’t report the stats so obviously you are well connected to someone in the admissions office? Or perhaps it’s made up?

Heard it too. Word gets around. But apparently not to everyone.

I heard the opposite.

It is far easier for the opposite to come through the grapevine than that there has been some movement.

Anecdotally, kids at our k8 turned down Sidwell this year. This is a departure from the past where typically those admitted almost always accepted. Not sure why apart from perhaps the pressure cooker reputation is losing its appeal.

Curious which K-8 this is?

It might not be that Sidwell is losing appeal so much as it is no longer the only obvious answer. There are enough strong options in DC that families are choosing based on fit, whether that is learning style, global vs. local focus, internal culture, or overall experience, so decisions feel less one-directional than when the "kids of the president" were keeping Sidwell top of mind via the natural PR boost. Now that has calmed and parents look closer at other schools with similar metrics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You heard that” Sidwell’s yield rate was down? From whom? How did they know? Schools don’t report the stats so obviously you are well connected to someone in the admissions office? Or perhaps it’s made up?

Heard it too. Word gets around. But apparently not to everyone.

I heard the opposite.

It is far easier for the opposite to come through the grapevine than that there has been some movement.

Anecdotally, kids at our k8 turned down Sidwell this year. This is a departure from the past where typically those admitted almost always accepted. Not sure why apart from perhaps the pressure cooker reputation is losing its appeal.

We know it happens in “rare” circumstances. How widespread it was this year vs prior years? (Previous Sidwell comment..)

As usual, the waitlist conversations go from certainty that their kids will get off the waitlist (in March and April) to understand that most schools use waitlists as a soft “no” (in May). It’s the same dance every year and the same handful of stories (that I genuinely believe but are still anecdotal) that give so many families false hope rather than allowing them to come to closure.

Any updates on waitlist movements now that the May 1 deadline has passed? (School & grade please)

The sad reality is the list moves, pretty quick! You did not hear about it because you are not in the moving waiting list. You are in the other one. Sorry! Get over it, your child will do fine, may be even better.

[quote=Anonymous]Any hope of getting off the WL for 1st at any of these schools? Non entry year but holding out hope. Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, BVR. [/quote]
Do students ever get off the waitlist? Yes. Does any one student have a significant chance? No. Feel free to hold out hope, but make alternate arrangements and try to get excited about them.

Any hope of getting off the WL for 1st at any of these schools? Non entry year but holding out hope. Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, BVR.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You heard that” Sidwell’s yield rate was down? From whom? How did they know? Schools don’t report the stats so obviously you are well connected to someone in the admissions office? Or perhaps it’s made up?

Heard it too. Word gets around. But apparently not to everyone.

I heard the opposite.

It is far easier for the opposite to come through the grapevine than that there has been some movement.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Sidwells acceptance rate this year was not what they expected and they have already moved to the waitlist for some grades.

Does anyone know which grades? Do you know or heard anything about kindergarten?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You heard that” Sidwell’s yield rate was down? From whom? How did they know? Schools don’t report the stats so obviously you are well connected to someone in the admissions office? Or perhaps it’s made up?

Heard it too. Word gets around. But apparently not to everyone.

I heard the opposite.