What do you get for tuition

[Anonymous]

Lurker here due to our impending move to the DC area, where we plan to enroll our children in private middle and high school. We are coming from a smaller city, and our children have always attending strong independent schools with tuition being about $15-20K/year. I just read the previous post about Sidwell's tuition and would like to hear from parents what they are expecting from a school where tuition is $50K/year? How is that different from some of the less prestigious independents that are more like $30K/year?

[Anonymous]

A set of luggage, guaranteed entrance to Harvard, top shelf liquor at events, valet parking and seasonal access to beach a and ski retreats.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell's bumper sticker alone is worth 50k.

[Anonymous]

The less prestigious schools around here are meant for kids who have not great public schools. I doubt that the $50k/year schools are that much better than your $15-$20k school in your other city. People just make more here so they can afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The less prestigious schools around here are meant for kids who have not great public schools. I doubt that the $50k/year schools are that much better than your $15-$20k school in your other city. People just make more here so they can afford it.

Wow. I hope you were being sarcastic.

[Anonymous]

ego and country club boasting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell's bumper sticker alone is worth 50k.

hahahahaha this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The less prestigious schools around here are meant for kids who have not great public schools. I doubt that the $50k/year schools are that much better than your $15-$20k school in your other city. People just make more here so they can afford it.

A lot of it is supply and demand, as well as input costs.

As you point out, there is significant demand and limited supply, which combined with a market with the ability to pay drives up tuition costs. But there are also very different cost factors associated with operating an independent school in a high cost area like DC versus a low cost area. Salary and wages would be the most prominent and the biggest input cost for any school. After that, there is possibly other cost factors that drive different expectations that are also associated. Budget needs related to FA to improve diversity are more important for all schools in DC over schools in low cost areas. Programs, such as a broad mix of foreign languages, STEM labs, etc will all be expected and cost more. Item by item, a school in DC is just going to run at a much higher cost factor than a school in Des Moines, IA.

Despite what people imagine, I can guarantee that the schools are very cost conscious and don’t raise tuition without careful consideration of budget and financial needs. The Boards of these schools, where it’s Sidwell, GDS or St Albans, are filled with professionals who care about the schools and their long-term sustainability. They work very hard for no compensation and lend their professional expertise in real estate, law and finance to ensure that these schools stay “elite”.

[Anonymous]

Cost of living in DC is likely much higher than where you currently live so the tuition at the most rigorous and competitive private schools is as well.

[Anonymous]

It's a good question, OP.

It never occurred to us to send our kids to private here in the DMV even though we easily could have afforded it and probably had good enough connections to get the kids into top schools. Parents here will say they don't send their kids to these schools for college admissions -- "we're here for the education!" -- but come college admissions time they're all over this board talking about their edge.

That's why they do it. It's all about (a) keeping their kids away from poor kids and POC and (b) college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lurker here due to our impending move to the DC area, where we plan to enroll our children in private middle and high school. We are coming from a smaller city, and our children have always attending strong independent schools with tuition being about $15-20K/year. I just read the previous post about Sidwell's tuition and would like to hear from parents what they are expecting from a school where tuition is $50K/year? How is that different from some of the less prestigious independents that are more like $30K/year?

Connections. Social Capital. Experiences.

I'm happy with our $15k school, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The less prestigious schools around here are meant for kids who have not great public schools. I doubt that the $50k/year schools are that much better than your $15-$20k school in your other city. People just make more here so they can afford it.

A lot of it is supply and demand, as well as input costs.

As you point out, there is significant demand and limited supply, which combined with a market with the ability to pay drives up tuition costs. But there are also very different cost factors associated with operating an independent school in a high cost area like DC versus a low cost area. Salary and wages would be the most prominent and the biggest input cost for any school. After that, there is possibly other cost factors that drive different expectations that are also associated. Budget needs related to FA to improve diversity are more important for all schools in DC over schools in low cost areas. Programs, such as a broad mix of foreign languages, STEM labs, etc will all be expected and cost more. Item by item, a school in DC is just going to run at a much higher cost factor than a school in Des Moines, IA.

Despite what people imagine, I can guarantee that the schools are very cost conscious and don’t raise tuition without careful consideration of budget and financial needs. The Boards of these schools, where it’s Sidwell, GDS or St Albans, are filled with professionals who care about the schools and their long-term sustainability. They work very hard for no compensation and lend their professional expertise in real estate, law and finance to ensure that these schools stay “elite”.

You have got to be kidding me. You really think that diversity is not of importance in low cost areas? I just perused the site of the largest independent school in my "low cost" hometown as well as one of the private K-8s and the photos/missions are very similar to Big 3s, etc. here. Your observation is just not accurate.

[Anonymous]

We are at a $50k school, and what my child gets is in person school, small class size (8-15 v 30+ in public), and teachers who care about tham and actually know and ask about their extra curricular activities. Uniforms, activity fees, annual gala, etc all cost extra. Don't care - it is worth it

[Anonymous]

I think all private schools are charging similar tuitions, of course excluding religious schools that charge less.

[Anonymous]

We are at a $50k school, and what my child gets is in person school, small class size (8-15 v 30+ in public), and teachers who care about tham and actually know and ask about their extra curricular activities. Uniforms, activity fees, annual gala, etc all cost extra. Don't care - it is worth it

That's alot to pay for that. You could train Alexa to ask them about this.