Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:29     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


+1

The selective Chicago bashing on here puzzles me. Harvard has a Z-list and all of the Ivies admit wealthy legacies, public figures, and insane donors who have unremarkable kids. IMO, that’s a worse practice than admitting full pay private school kids who haven’t donated.

I think many on DCUM see Sidwell kids as a social group that’s “closer” or more “attainable” to them — whereas the wealthy donors and celebrities exist in circles they can’t even imagine. It’s easier to feel intense jealousy and hatred for people who could be your neighbor than people who seem so distant from you.


Nobody is jealous over U Chicago.


Exactly. My kids mental health is more important. Joyless.


It depends on what brings you joy. Being challenged is what makes my DC happy.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:28     Subject: Re:12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:U Chicago is still test optional. With most of the Ivies/T10s now test required, it could be why you are seeing more head to U Chi.


Per SCOIR, need 1500+ for Chicago from Sidwell. No TO kids have been admitted.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:28     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Smart academic kids choose Chicago at our private Down South. A little lower and more fun types choose UPenn / Brown. These 3 are very popular for top guys


BS. Brown and UPenn are such harder admits. They don’t have ED0 and ED2.


Are you so narrow-minded that you cannot accept that different kids like different schools?

This year, at our private, 2 are going to Brown, 2 to UChicago, and 2 to UPenn. The Brown and UChicago admits are all in the top 10 percent of the class; the UPenn admits are not. From the point of view of stats, ECs etc, you really couldn’t distinguish between the UChicago and Brown admits from our school.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:28     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


Fully agree.


So Chicago has this reputation for being intellectual and “not for people who run with the herd” but there is a whole herd of them at sidwell? The herd happens to be clustered at private schools?
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:25     Subject: Re:12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
U Chicago is still test optional. With most of the Ivies/T10s now test required, it could be why you are seeing more head to U Chi.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:23     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


+1

The selective Chicago bashing on here puzzles me. Harvard has a Z-list and all of the Ivies admit wealthy legacies, public figures, and insane donors who have unremarkable kids. IMO, that’s a worse practice than admitting full pay private school kids who haven’t donated.

I think many on DCUM see Sidwell kids as a social group that’s “closer” or more “attainable” to them — whereas the wealthy donors and celebrities exist in circles they can’t even imagine. It’s easier to feel intense jealousy and hatred for people who could be your neighbor than people who seem so distant from you.


Nobody is jealous over U Chicago.


Exactly. My kids mental health is more important. Joyless.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:22     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:Not another chicago bashing thread. I just don't get it.


NOVA public school moms, who struggle to get their kids into UVA, are jealous that Sidwell has an established pipeline to an elite school.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:22     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Chicago needs the money. Smart move to feast on people from overpriced private schools.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:20     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


+1

The selective Chicago bashing on here puzzles me. Harvard has a Z-list and all of the Ivies admit wealthy legacies, public figures, and insane donors who have unremarkable kids. IMO, that’s a worse practice than admitting full pay private school kids who haven’t donated.

I think many on DCUM see Sidwell kids as a social group that’s “closer” or more “attainable” to them — whereas the wealthy donors and celebrities exist in circles they can’t even imagine. It’s easier to feel intense jealousy and hatred for people who could be your neighbor than people who seem so distant from you.


Nobody is jealous over U Chicago.


Tell that to the ~47,000 who didn’t get in this year.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:17     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Smart academic kids choose Chicago at our private Down South. A little lower and more fun types choose UPenn / Brown. These 3 are very popular for top guys


BS. Brown and UPenn are such harder admits. They don’t have ED0 and ED2.


Imagine being so duped by the admit rate and ED obsession that you don’t believe smart kids could prefer one of the top schools in the country over other top schools in the country.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:16     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


+1

The selective Chicago bashing on here puzzles me. Harvard has a Z-list and all of the Ivies admit wealthy legacies, public figures, and insane donors who have unremarkable kids. IMO, that’s a worse practice than admitting full pay private school kids who haven’t donated.

I think many on DCUM see Sidwell kids as a social group that’s “closer” or more “attainable” to them — whereas the wealthy donors and celebrities exist in circles they can’t even imagine. It’s easier to feel intense jealousy and hatred for people who could be your neighbor than people who seem so distant from you.


Nobody is jealous over U Chicago.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:14     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
I don’t see any bashing at all. Everyone is just stating the FACTS.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:10     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:Smart academic kids choose Chicago at our private Down South. A little lower and more fun types choose UPenn / Brown. These 3 are very popular for top guys


BS. Brown and UPenn are such harder admits. They don’t have ED0 and ED2.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:10     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:This board is full of people who either never played in the big leagues or who went to elite universities before embarking on painfully mediocre careers. Anybody knocking Chicago on here is out of their mind. And anybody who thinks there is a material difference among top 20-30 schools for the vast majority of undergrads is also out of their mind. Chicago is a very risky and respectable choice for anybody. It is not for people who run with the herd intellectually, which, unfortunately, describes most of the talented but perfectly average parents who raise their kids in the DMV. Now go back to the NYT Books section to find out what you should be reading this week.


Fully agree.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2026 14:09     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Not another chicago bashing thread. I just don't get it.