Can't commit. Tuition is scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again: I totally agree with the assessment that certain NE prep schools carry status (Exeter, Andover) that day schools don't have. Maybe it's because in later life you can mention "boarding school" in a way you can't refer to "my private high school." (Mentioning an old "high school roommate" for example ). When I arrived at my Ivy League college, it was clear that the large group of kids from Exter and Andover had a social advantage (for one, they already knew 15-20 other kids in the class). I met a kid from Maret and a kid from GDS, but I'm not from the DC area and the school names meant nothing to me (nor did anybody else seem impressed). Sidwell carried a little status because of Chelsea, but the Sidwell kids I knew could've gone to BCC HS. Perfectly nice kids, but no glamour or intrigue attached to them.

Oh god, who cares. Get over it. I don't even know why you can remember this sort of stuff.

I nearly married someone from one of those NE schools and I really never found any of it memorable.

Well, good for you. But this is relevant to the q of what benefits you and your kids might derive from private DC day schools.

Just remember, you are probably passing along your insecurities to your children.

Speak for yourself.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there is an answer here, so much depends on the individual. We are public school parents, considering private. In part, to be honest, because there does seem to be a club that we don't and didn't belong to. But was that a bad thing? We are successful, worked hard, are happy, honest people who are raising terrific kids. What did we miss? Not sure, and not sure that we should think we missed anything. We had proms, football teams, tons of AP classes, and scholarships to great colleges. While our highschool friends are not paramount in our lives currently, does that really matter? We have many friends from other schooling and from our professional and neighborhood lives. I am conflicted on many levels about the private school v. public school thing when the choices are excellent public and excellent private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there is an answer here, so much depends on the individual. We are public school parents, considering private. In part, to be honest, because there does seem to be a club that we don't and didn't belong to. But was that a bad thing? We are successful, worked hard, are happy, honest people who are raising terrific kids. What did we miss? Not sure, and not sure that we should think we missed anything. We had proms, football teams, tons of AP classes, and scholarships to great colleges. While our highschool friends are not paramount in our lives currently, does that really matter? We have many friends from other schooling and from our professional and neighborhood lives. I am conflicted on many levels about the private school v. public school thing when the choices are excellent public and excellent private.

Do parents really send kids to private schools b/c they want them to have friends "paramount" in their lives far into adulthood? Cannot that also happen in public schools?

[Anonymous]

I'm a writer for The Washingtonian magazine working on a story about private school tuitions. I'd love to talk to parents about some of the topics discussed in this forum. If you have a story to tell about putting your kids through private schools in Washington—why you do it, what your children have gotten out of it, the financial sacrifices you've made to pay tuition—please feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to leave names out of the article.

Mary Clare Fleury
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

personally I would have loved to send my children to private school, hands down. however the fact is we can not afford it without sacrificing in a way that makes us uneasy. as a result, we are in our local public school and very, very pleasantly happy. would i still prefer private if i won the lottery, sure! that is primarily because i think private schools DO have much more flexibility in every aspect--from sports and extracurriculars to curriculum. however, i have no doubt my children will still thrive.

[Anonymous]

"I'm only at the nursery level, but my child's school has already claimed $10k from us - no walking away now for us!

I know how you feel though. I bet there are lots of people second-guessing themselves, esp. in this economy. "

Posted on 5/16/2008.

Please give us an update.

[Anonymous]

Actually, Hockaday is one of the finest private schools for girls in the country. For academics, athletics, arts - it rivals any school - coed or single-gender - anywhere.

There is obviously a group of individuals here who aren't exploring private school education for the benefit of their children - they're in it due to their own issues with self-esteem and social climbing.

Hockaday is already the school of choice for the daughters of many of the Masters of The Universe (the people you want to hang with, apparently). They just dont make a big deal out of it. Their "doors" are already opened -

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America is a meritocracy. . . . Somewhat. George W. Bush did not attend Andover, Yale, and Harvard on merit. He was not elected to the governorship of Texas or the presidency on merit. Patrick Kennedy was not elected to Congress on merit.

However, I agree that most private day schools aren't sure tickets to the ruling class. Not to the extent that the top northeastern boarding schools are (as another PP noted). The original poster who mentioned this was probably talking about Hockaday vs. Highland Park and I get that, being from Texas, but I also don't think a school like Hockaday compares to one like Andover. Unless, of course, you're living in Texas.

Hockaday?????

Yep, I'm sure that's not going to open any doors for you in NYC or southern CT.