When will Private Schools' bubble burst ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, Sidwell's tuition for 2013-14 is $35,228. That's an increase of $960 (2.8%) from this year's tuition of $34,268. Still a lot of money, but not even close to the 4-6% increase someone keeps claiming here.

Thanks, the more specifics the better in this discussion!

wow, I'm jealous, your increase is only 2.8% ! Curious, was that low increase ( realtibe to other years) emphasized in the mailing you received with your re-enrollment contract ?

Such as" the board is pleased to announce a tuition increase of ONLY 2.8%, the lowest in the last 6 years" Heck, what's a $1,000 amomg millionaires, right ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools compete by offering progressively more expensive "services" which go far beyond providing a solid college preparation. You are paying for those "services" like multiple sports teams, performing arts course, travel budgets to exotic places, etc. These schools become a status symbol and less a cost effective place to prepare the students for college.

My son went to a prep school in NJ that cost less than $15K/year and a third of the class went to the top 2% colleges. Sports were bare bones and the curriculum focused on non exotic subjects matter and small classes.

Parents here did not want to pay extra for the bourgeois acoutrements only for the important academics.

Let me guess, St Peter's Prep? I'm not aware of any NJ independent prep schools that charge under 28k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, I got bored enough to actually research some of the tuition claims being made here. I focused on Sidwell because it's the most high profile school, and so easiest to find information for. Here's what I found ...

Anonymous wrote:... this year every school hiked tuition 4-6 % again, just like they did the year before and the year before , and the year before. ...

False. Here are actual Sidwell tuition figures for 2008-2014, with the % increase over each prior year.
2008-09 $29,442
2009-10 $30,842 4.76%
2010-11 $32,069 3.98%
2011-12 $32,960 2.78%
2012-13 $34,268 3.97%
2013-14 $35,228 2.80%
I guess PP was correct 1 out 5 times. A more accurate -- but less exciting -- statement would be "Sidwell hiked tuition 2-4% for the last four years!" But PP seems to have doubled the rate of tuition increase.

Anonymous wrote:... these figures are based on LAST YEARS Tuition, and next year it will be $2,000- $3,000 more at every school. ...

False. As revealed by the data above, Sidwell's tuition is increasing by $960 next year, not $2,000-3,000. PP seems to have tripled the rate of tuition increase.

Anonymous wrote:seriously, why has tuition quintupled in last 20 years and doubled in the last 6 years? ...

False and false. Over the last 6 years, Sidwell's tuition did not double. It increased $5,786, a 19.7% increase. Here, PP quintupled the rate of increase (19.7% versus 100%). Over the past 20 years, Sidwell's tuition did not quintuple. Sidwell tuition for 1992-93 was $10,885. Compared to the 2012-13 tuition (20 years later), that's a little more than double, and certainly not quintuple.

These tuition costs are incredibly high, and it's a legitimate conversation to discuss whether they're justified. However, PP has continuously exaggerated and falsified the rate of increase, which prevents any meaningful conversation from occurring. I hope this data can help advance the conversation.

Sam2

So Sidwell has the LOWEST tuition increases in town, big f'ing deal. They should. With the Clinton and Obama effect they are rolling in it....not to mention the lot they take in in application fees alone. Heck, they have 6-7 FTE for their admissions department alone, plus supplemental staff. I'd like to see how big their "Advancement team" is .

Again, PP picks one stat that fits his argument and tries to pull the wool over EVRYONE's eyes that it is like taht everywhere. Parents who ACTUALLY have kids in Private know differently, and are hurting. It is not an intellectual debate to us, PP. Its a fact of our lives which you would do well to butt out of , since you clearly do not have a kid in Private.

So

[Anonymous]

Dear OP,

Sorry that whatever you were trying to accomplish in this thread did not work out for you, but you're embarrassing yourself at this point. The thread has proven worthwhile overall -- some interesting analysis and thought-provoking entries -- but you don't seem interested in any kind of meaningful exchange of ideas. This is a public online forum, not your personal soapbox, so please stop trying to silence the debate. (You would also be more credible if you could ever admit you were wrong on a factual issue.)

[Anonymous]

hmm...idk, PP. The OP's fact may not have been dead on accurate but, seems to have proven his/her point of drawing attention to the problem.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. The PP has no dog in this fight yet hovers on this thread, posts distortions and tries to pass them off as fact( such as posting 990's that were 5-6 years old as if they were reflective of current situation or his recent post in which he culls data from the one school in town that is absolutely rolling in it, and tries to convince us all that Sidwell 's financial picture is "typical" LOL.

When he is called out on these distortions, he engages in ad homonym attacks

PP, you do NOT have a kid in private so you have NO IDEA the kind of strain this ever sky rocketing hiking of tuition is causing family's who do. Take your egoism elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, you do NOT have a kid in private so you have NO IDEA the kind of strain this ever sky rocketing hiking of tuition is causing family's who do. Take your egoism elsewhere.

What private school do YOUR children attend, PP? You never answered that question.

[Anonymous]

Your question is intrusive, the answer is irrelevant to the point, again you fall back on personal attacks. Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. Your efforts to attack me personally will not distract me.

This thread has over 4,000 views in just a few days for the very reason that this issue is widespread and concerns A LOT of families, including kids who wish their parents weren't so stressed out and working late into evening every night .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your question is intrusive, the answer is irrelevant to the point, again you fall back on personal attacks. Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. Your efforts to attack me personally will not distract me.

So just tell us what tuition was at your child's school for the past 6 years. That way, we all can see how big the hikes you're facing really are. You say tuition doubled in the past six years; I'd like to see the numbers.

Your refusal to provide info is baffling to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. .

This is the most important part of this thread to me. We are upper middle class but have not had raises in 3-4 years. Meanwhile tuition goes up annually. I just wish the boards and admin of our DC's school would tighten their belts instead of hitting us up again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your question is intrusive, the answer is irrelevant to the point, again you fall back on personal attacks. Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. Your efforts to attack me personally will not distract me.

So just tell us what tuition was at your child's school for the past 6 years. That way, we all can see how big the hikes you're facing really are. You say tuition doubled in the past six years; I'd like to see the numbers.

Your refusal to provide info is baffling to me.

You are baiting.

Which is weird behavior since you do not have a child in private school and so the price gushing does not affect you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. .

This is the most important part of this thread to me. We are upper middle class but have not had raises in 3-4 years. Meanwhile tuition goes up annually. I just wish the boards and admin of our DC's school would tighten their belts instead of hitting us up again. [/quote

My point exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your question is intrusive, the answer is irrelevant to the point, again you fall back on personal attacks. Suffice it to say, that yearly uition hikes are pricing out the mc and umc and, worse, stressing the families who are trying to hold on. Your efforts to attack me personally will not distract me.

So just tell us what tuition was at your child's school for the past 6 years. That way, we all can see how big the hikes you're facing really are. You say tuition doubled in the past six years; I'd like to see the numbers.

Your refusal to provide info is baffling to me.

You are baiting.

Which is weird behavior since you do not have a child in private school and so the price gushing does not affect you.

I have a child in private school; I pay tuition bills; and I don't see tuition doubling every 6 years, or increasing 4-6% every year, or all the other horrible increases you assert. I'm beginning to think YOU don't have a child in private school, because you clearly don't have a grasp of what tuition numbers actually look like.

If the increases at your child's school are really so bad that you feel compelled to prolong this thread for 10 pages, then surely you can name the school. If the school's tuition increases are so ridiculous, then shame it publicly. After 10 long pages, let's see you put your money where your mouth is. Back up your claims with a name.

[Anonymous]

PP, what school do you send your child to? What are the kinds of increases you are seeing?

I ask b/c I am seeing b/t 3-4% increase annually at a Big 3 and I would love to know what others are seeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, what school do you send your child to? What are the kinds of increases you are seeing?

I ask b/c I am seeing b/t 3-4% increase annually at a Big 3 and I would love to know what others are seeing.

I'm seeing 3-4% most years too.