Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 19:11     Subject: Re:Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is bizarre, including OPs post. I don't know why a question about a school someone is considering would be juxtaposed by boosters v haters, when for most schools it's a lot of in between. DCUM is a place of extremes and not one I'd go to for actual feedback on a school.

These Walls posts are so predictable. You could play a drinking game off of them. Key phrases include: admissions are a lottery/crapshoot, the school is going downhill, crew team woes, and bonus points for the amazing kid who got into every selective private school but rejected from Walls.


+1

Meanwhile all these parents are upset their kid didn’t get into Walls. If it’s going downhill and so on, why would you want your kid to go there?
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 18:16     Subject: Re:Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
This whole thread is bizarre, including OPs post. I don't know why a question about a school someone is considering would be juxtaposed by boosters v haters, when for most schools it's a lot of in between. DCUM is a place of extremes and not one I'd go to for actual feedback on a school.

These Walls posts are so predictable. You could play a drinking game off of them. Key phrases include: admissions are a lottery/crapshoot, the school is going downhill, crew team woes, and bonus points for the amazing kid who got into every selective private school but rejected from Walls.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 17:14     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:We just showed up. No interview prep at all. Mom could not even make it to the parent interview. Kid got in. Not particularly interested in Walls either. It seems pretty random


An alternative takeaway is that some kids might interview well without prep and some might never do so. Or they need to mature. You can think what that might mean for the overall process. In my opinion, it’s not fair but I would admit a kid who’s ready for an interview over one who’s not even if that doesn’t reflect who prepared more.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 16:35     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
We just showed up. No interview prep at all. Mom could not even make it to the parent interview. Kid got in. Not particularly interested in Walls either. It seems pretty random
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 14:47     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:OK, this is an interview. Do you know anybody who doesn't try to get ready for an interview and expects to succeed? I am on the equity side rather than the "my CTY kid should eat your lunch" side here, but if you didn't spend 10 minutes with your kid double checking they had a couple reasons they could get out of their mouth about why they should go to the school, I don't think you should expect much.


This is what I say. Of course some kids are shy and not real out spoken. But by 8th grade they should be able to answer basic questions about likes and dislikes. It doesn't matter if it's a 5 or 10 min chat. The real issue is that parents have done everything and they haven't been allowed to grow and develop.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 14:33     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:OK, this is an interview. Do you know anybody who doesn't try to get ready for an interview and expects to succeed? I am on the equity side rather than the "my CTY kid should eat your lunch" side here, but if you didn't spend 10 minutes with your kid double checking they had a couple reasons they could get out of their mouth about why they should go to the school, I don't think you should expect much.


It doesn't sound like you're on the equity side!
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 14:24     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
OK, this is an interview. Do you know anybody who doesn't try to get ready for an interview and expects to succeed? I am on the equity side rather than the "my CTY kid should eat your lunch" side here, but if you didn't spend 10 minutes with your kid double checking they had a couple reasons they could get out of their mouth about why they should go to the school, I don't think you should expect much.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 13:02     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Post above is just Bitter Betty again


This, um, Bitter Betty, Bronx Science and Ivy grad, POC from immigrant family, has a sophomore at Walls.

I couldn't agree more that ditching the entrance exam and standardized test score to apply during the pandemic and failing to reinstate them was a terrible mistake, even though my family might have accrued the benefit (my kid might have not have done well enough on the entrance exam's math section).

I predict that college admissions by Walls students will take a hit in the coming years, and not just a blip on the screen. Pushing Walls students out of JR crew (long a pathway to Ivy admissions) won't help either.

Say what you like, but soft skills and middling academics aren't going to cut it at Ivies, top 10 SLACs, military academies and elite college abroad in most cases. A few exceptional, and exceptionally lucky, Walls grads will still clear the bar.


Why assuming everyone wants to go to Ivies, top 10 SLACs, etc.? I mean, I guess it's OK for some but I think many would be happy with scholarships in decent colleges. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few years... Definitely an interesting experiment.


Why assume that nobody in DCPS wants to go? My kid is a double Ivy legacy who scored in the high 600s on the SAT in 8th grade to attend Johns Hopkins CTY from a DCPS middle school. Kid rejected by Walls and Banneker. We're not IB for J-R and are looking at suburban real estate. Sobering experiment of no interest to us now.


Sounds like you didn't prepare. We did mock interviews and writing assignments based on what friends went thru. Just showing up with a smart kid never works when there are other smart kids(and parents). Kid has to be able to explain why they want attend a school. Otherwise is a wrap.


We didn’t do any of those things; we “just showed up.” Which is why it’s A CRAPSHOOT Y’ALL
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 11:34     Subject: Re:Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
My Walls kid is now rowing crew with TBC, which is more convenient than rowing through J-R.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 08:54     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Post above is just Bitter Betty again


This, um, Bitter Betty, Bronx Science and Ivy grad, POC from immigrant family, has a sophomore at Walls.

I couldn't agree more that ditching the entrance exam and standardized test score to apply during the pandemic and failing to reinstate them was a terrible mistake, even though my family might have accrued the benefit (my kid might have not have done well enough on the entrance exam's math section).

I predict that college admissions by Walls students will take a hit in the coming years, and not just a blip on the screen. Pushing Walls students out of JR crew (long a pathway to Ivy admissions) won't help either.

Say what you like, but soft skills and middling academics aren't going to cut it at Ivies, top 10 SLACs, military academies and elite college abroad in most cases. A few exceptional, and exceptionally lucky, Walls grads will still clear the bar.


Why assuming everyone wants to go to Ivies, top 10 SLACs, etc.? I mean, I guess it's OK for some but I think many would be happy with scholarships in decent colleges. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few years... Definitely an interesting experiment.


Why assume that nobody in DCPS wants to go? My kid is a double Ivy legacy who scored in the high 600s on the SAT in 8th grade to attend Johns Hopkins CTY from a DCPS middle school. Kid rejected by Walls and Banneker. We're not IB for J-R and are looking at suburban real estate. Sobering experiment of no interest to us now.


Sounds like you didn't prepare. We did mock interviews and writing assignments based on what friends went thru. Just showing up with a smart kid never works when there are other smart kids(and parents). Kid has to be able to explain why they want attend a school. Otherwise is a wrap.


I can definitely see why this process would be great for equity.


Lol
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 18:20     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Post above is just Bitter Betty again


This, um, Bitter Betty, Bronx Science and Ivy grad, POC from immigrant family, has a sophomore at Walls.

I couldn't agree more that ditching the entrance exam and standardized test score to apply during the pandemic and failing to reinstate them was a terrible mistake, even though my family might have accrued the benefit (my kid might have not have done well enough on the entrance exam's math section).

I predict that college admissions by Walls students will take a hit in the coming years, and not just a blip on the screen. Pushing Walls students out of JR crew (long a pathway to Ivy admissions) won't help either.

Say what you like, but soft skills and middling academics aren't going to cut it at Ivies, top 10 SLACs, military academies and elite college abroad in most cases. A few exceptional, and exceptionally lucky, Walls grads will still clear the bar.


Why assuming everyone wants to go to Ivies, top 10 SLACs, etc.? I mean, I guess it's OK for some but I think many would be happy with scholarships in decent colleges. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few years... Definitely an interesting experiment.


Why assume that nobody in DCPS wants to go? My kid is a double Ivy legacy who scored in the high 600s on the SAT in 8th grade to attend Johns Hopkins CTY from a DCPS middle school. Kid rejected by Walls and Banneker. We're not IB for J-R and are looking at suburban real estate. Sobering experiment of no interest to us now.


Sounds like you didn't prepare. We did mock interviews and writing assignments based on what friends went thru. Just showing up with a smart kid never works when there are other smart kids(and parents). Kid has to be able to explain why they want attend a school. Otherwise is a wrap.


I can definitely see why this process would be great for equity.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 18:14     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Crew as an avenue to Ivy admissions is several flavors ofbullshit


Wish this were true. Many Walls Ivy admissions in the last decade have come from varsity crew members who are also top students. That's no secret.


This is laughable. What are you actually talking about? I can think of 10 Ivy admissions off the top of my head in the past few years that didn’t row crew. What an absurd stance to take.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 17:31     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:I don't get the question above. Nobody in this world who isn't a mega-donor buying a college tens or hundreds of millions in endowed chairs of facilities by prior arrangement knows which competitive college(s) their kids will get into. Unless your unhooked kid is a gold medal Olympian with a 4.0 GPA and perfect SAT scores, how could you know?


^^ 100%. These schools with super low admission rates are basically lotteries among academic overachievers. They could fill their classes many times over with deserving kids.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 15:08     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
I don't get the question above. Nobody in this world who isn't a mega-donor buying a college tens or hundreds of millions in endowed chairs of facilities by prior arrangement knows which competitive college(s) their kids will get into. Unless your unhooked kid is a gold medal Olympian with a 4.0 GPA and perfect SAT scores, how could you know?
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 14:59     Subject: Any Walls boosters / haters these days?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Post above is just Bitter Betty again


This, um, Bitter Betty, Bronx Science and Ivy grad, POC from immigrant family, has a sophomore at Walls.

I couldn't agree more that ditching the entrance exam and standardized test score to apply during the pandemic and failing to reinstate them was a terrible mistake, even though my family might have accrued the benefit (my kid might have not have done well enough on the entrance exam's math section).

I predict that college admissions by Walls students will take a hit in the coming years, and not just a blip on the screen. Pushing Walls students out of JR crew (long a pathway to Ivy admissions) won't help either.

Say what you like, but soft skills and middling academics aren't going to cut it at Ivies, top 10 SLACs, military academies and elite college abroad in most cases. A few exceptional, and exceptionally lucky, Walls grads will still clear the bar.


Do you think your kid will be one of them? Because it sounds like you don't.