Why can't non top tier privates just increase rigor and test prep to remove the perceived gap?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was common knowledge that private schools in general aren't known for their "rigor"? If rigor is your sina qua non, there are any number of terrific public high schools around here with boatloads of AP classes.

Huh?

Of course not. The best private schools go beyond AP, for one. Look at the course catalog for Sidwell, Andover, and Exeter. Then tell me about how they don’t have rigor. I mean this with no disrespect, but you honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.

Are you serious? Those are all great schools that you mention, and undoubtedly more “rigorous” than many public high schools, but if “rigor” is what one is seeking, then you should be looking at top magnet schools. With all due respect, none of those schools - Sidwell, Andover, or Exeter - hold a candle to TJ in that regard, for instance.

Uh huh. Sure.

On STEM they are the same. Otherwise Andover and Exeter are miles ahead.

They aren’t remotely the same on STEM. Are you kidding me? The top 10% of students at any of those top privates would struggle to be in the top 50% at TJ. There is simply no comparison when it comes to math and science - and that holds for both the ability of the kids as well as the STEM-oriented resources and range of classes available at those schools.

Prove it.

DP -Only on private made the top 10: the Harker School. Public schools dominate.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneron_Science_Talent_Search

I went to one of Andover/Exeter. Kids didn’t tend to enter those sorts of competitions, and yet we send about 30% of the class to the Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT every year, so colleges don’t seem to care.

LOL. I love it when people post things that they are clueless about.
Explain to me how they had semi-finalists this year and a finalist last year if kids don't enter those sorts of competitions?
They do participate, they just cannot compete the the public schools.
https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/science-talent-search-2019/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was common knowledge that private schools in general aren't known for their "rigor"? If rigor is your sina qua non, there are any number of terrific public high schools around here with boatloads of AP classes.

Huh?

Of course not. The best private schools go beyond AP, for one. Look at the course catalog for Sidwell, Andover, and Exeter. Then tell me about how they don’t have rigor. I mean this with no disrespect, but you honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.

Are you serious? Those are all great schools that you mention, and undoubtedly more “rigorous” than many public high schools, but if “rigor” is what one is seeking, then you should be looking at top magnet schools. With all due respect, none of those schools - Sidwell, Andover, or Exeter - hold a candle to TJ in that regard, for instance.

Uh huh. Sure.

On STEM they are the same. Otherwise Andover and Exeter are miles ahead.

They aren’t remotely the same on STEM. Are you kidding me? The top 10% of students at any of those top privates would struggle to be in the top 50% at TJ. There is simply no comparison when it comes to math and science - and that holds for both the ability of the kids as well as the STEM-oriented resources and range of classes available at those schools.

Prove it.

DP -Only on private made the top 10: the Harker School. Public schools dominate.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneron_Science_Talent_Search

I went to one of Andover/Exeter. Kids didn’t tend to enter those sorts of competitions, and yet we send about 30% of the class to the Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT every year, so colleges don’t seem to care.

LOL. I love it when people post things that they are clueless about.
Explain to me how they had semi-finalists this year and a finalist last year if kids don't enter those sorts of competitions?
They do participate, they just cannot compete the the public schools.
https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/science-talent-search-2019/

Cool. So you think that means they’re inferior to the public schools? They still send more kids to the Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.

Given that, who cares about some competition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that STA and Sidwell are schools that are as well known as Andover and Exeter in the top echelons of this country. Other than that, there are a handful of schools in the DC area that are well regarded outside of the area (basically the list a PP posted of the top tier) but not at that same level.

I never heard of St. Albans (or any of the DC privates) before moving here.

That says more about you and your background than it does about STA. As to other posts, they are just wrong, STA has never been considered just a nice day school. It has a small boarding component and has been considered one of the top privates in the country for generations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was common knowledge that private schools in general aren't known for their "rigor"? If rigor is your sina qua non, there are any number of terrific public high schools around here with boatloads of AP classes.

Huh?

Of course not. The best private schools go beyond AP, for one. Look at the course catalog for Sidwell, Andover, and Exeter. Then tell me about how they don’t have rigor. I mean this with no disrespect, but you honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.

Are you serious? Those are all great schools that you mention, and undoubtedly more “rigorous” than many public high schools, but if “rigor” is what one is seeking, then you should be looking at top magnet schools. With all due respect, none of those schools - Sidwell, Andover, or Exeter - hold a candle to TJ in that regard, for instance.

Uh huh. Sure.

On STEM they are the same. Otherwise Andover and Exeter are miles ahead.

They aren’t remotely the same on STEM. Are you kidding me? The top 10% of students at any of those top privates would struggle to be in the top 50% at TJ. There is simply no comparison when it comes to math and science - and that holds for both the ability of the kids as well as the STEM-oriented resources and range of classes available at those schools.

Prove it.

DP -Only on private made the top 10: the Harker School. Public schools dominate.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneron_Science_Talent_Search

I went to one of Andover/Exeter. Kids didn’t tend to enter those sorts of competitions, and yet we send about 30% of the class to the Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT every year, so colleges don’t seem to care.

LOL. I love it when people post things that they are clueless about.
Explain to me how they had semi-finalists this year and a finalist last year if kids don't enter those sorts of competitions?
They do participate, they just cannot compete the the public schools.
https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/science-talent-search-2019/

Cool. So you think that means they’re inferior to the public schools? They still send more kids to the Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.

Given that, who cares about some competition?

More kids to Ivies from families where generations have family members at Ivies. It’s called legacy and big donors. The admissions at these schools also have an in. Again, brillusnt kids without $ are not attending these schools. A lot of basic reasoning is missing on this thread.

[Anonymous]

*brilliant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*brilliant

DP. You obviously have no first-hand knowledge of these schools but by all means, continue to trot out your tired tropes and meaningless generalizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And prepared to graduate on time or even early versus taking five or six years to finally complete a BA.

Because taking time off to save for next semester’s tuition is a bad thing. OK.

[Anonymous]

On the "rich kid" issue, many middle class families neither qualify for financial aid nor have the resources to pay over $40,000 in tuition. Kids from such families are vastly more likely to go to public school than an elite day school in DC or an elite boarding school in New England. There are also lots of super smart upper middle class (and wealthier) kids and many super smart poor kids who do end up at the expensive schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the "rich kid" issue, many middle class families neither qualify for financial aid nor have the resources to pay over $40,000 in tuition. Kids from such families are vastly more likely to go to public school than an elite day school in DC or an elite boarding school in New England. There are also lots of super smart upper middle class (and wealthier) kids and many super smart poor kids who do end up at the expensive schools.

Around here —due to cost of living/housing prices (over 1 million for most homes)—many UMC buy in suburbs in great public school pyramids so you also have a majority of UMC (not MC) choosing public over private for financial reasons. There is hardly a middle class in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that STA and Sidwell are schools that are as well known as Andover and Exeter in the top echelons of this country. Other than that, there are a handful of schools in the DC area that are well regarded outside of the area (basically the list a PP posted of the top tier) but not at that same level.

I never heard of St. Albans (or any of the DC privates) before moving here.

That says more about you and your background than it does about STA. As to other posts, they are just wrong, STA has never been considered just a nice day school. It has a small boarding component and has been considered one of the top privates in the country for generations.

We and our "backgrounds" are a part of the wide, wide world outside your bubble. But we get it. You like your bubble and only really care about those who have been born inside of it and will remain isolated there forever. I'm sure your school is very popular inside that vacuum. But it is also true that it simply does not register a blip for most of the world. I'm also sure you will disdain this post and find some way to show it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that STA and Sidwell are schools that are as well known as Andover and Exeter in the top echelons of this country. Other than that, there are a handful of schools in the DC area that are well regarded outside of the area (basically the list a PP posted of the top tier) but not at that same level.

I never heard of St. Albans (or any of the DC privates) before moving here.

That says more about you and your background than it does about STA. As to other posts, they are just wrong, STA has never been considered just a nice day school. It has a small boarding component and has been considered one of the top privates in the country for generations.

We and our "backgrounds" are a part of the wide, wide world outside your bubble. But we get it. You like your bubble and only really care about those who have been born inside of it and will remain isolated there forever. I'm sure your school is very popular inside that vacuum. But it is also true that it simply does not register a blip for most of the world. I'm also sure you will disdain this post and find some way to show it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Sidwell and St. Albans appear downright provincial compared with the NYC private schools such as the Dalton school and Horace Mann. Their social circles are connected to the elite New England boarding schools. The DC privates are their own little micro-bubble. It is what it is I guess.

[Anonymous]

Most of these posts just reek of outright insecurity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and St. Albans appear downright provincial compared with the NYC private schools such as the Dalton school and Horace Mann. Their social circles are connected to the elite New England boarding schools. The DC privates are their own little micro-bubble. It is what it is I guess.

Seriously, who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and St. Albans appear downright provincial compared with the NYC private schools such as the Dalton school and Horace Mann. Their social circles are connected to the elite New England boarding schools. The DC privates are their own little micro-bubble. It is what it is I guess.

Seriously, who cares?

Who cares? Likely someone whose child didn’t get in. The WSJ did an an analysis of high schools who got the most students into HYPS and IIRC STA was eleventh in the country which was behind the elite NYC schools but obviously not by much.