Lots of people uptight about private school admissions right now?

[Anonymous]

We just finished with our third child in all private high school here. All I would like to add is that I remember the angst about acceptances into the school of our choice. However, now that we've raised three boys (college senior, college sophomore, college freshman) as two working parents, I am just thankful for the reasonable voices along the way who helped us understand that we couldn't get stressed about everything. If you have little children, believe me, acceptance into the school of your choice (or not) is only the beginning. Life happens - whether it is health, not being a starter on the sports team, having a place on a team or in a class taken by a transfer student.............
Just try not to lose it.
Be gracious.
There is always another path........
Sometimes the kids are better off if their parents are calmer..........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just finished with our third child in all private high school here. All I would like to add is that I remember the angst about acceptances into the school of our choice. However, now that we've raised three boys (college senior, college sophomore, college freshman) as two working parents, I am just thankful for the reasonable voices along the way who helped us understand that we couldn't get stressed about everything. If you have little children, believe me, acceptance into the school of your choice (or not) is only the beginning. Life happens - whether it is health, not being a starter on the sports team, having a place on a team or in a class taken by a transfer student.............
Just try not to lose it.
Be gracious.
There is always another path........
Sometimes the kids are better off if their parents are calmer..........

Good advice. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
For the people who are weighing only the "ultimate outcome" for their kids, public school probably makes the most sense. But there are many people who care as much about the process of getting to the end result as the result itself. I assure you that my parents don't consider their money for private PK-12, private college then private grad school wasted on my social worker sister who will probably never break $50k/year in salary. She's a happy, confident, well-round adult who is contributing positively to our society. Much of who she has become, and the values she picked up along the way, come from our private schooling. I had the same educational experience she did and I am a lawyer. I don't know if the "ultimate outcome" for us career-wise would have been much different had we gone to public school. However, we both feel very grateful for having experienced the loving, nurturing, community of our school and for all the extras (from classes to trips) that were incorporated into our educational experience. I was never just a number or just another kid in the class. I was always made to feel like an important and valued member of our school community. I believe that this really helped me overcome the extreme shyness I faced as a child and to become the self-assured person I am today.

I appreciate this response. (I was the one you are responding to.) It's interesting how each perspective on this depends upon her own education. I did not find my private school nurturing or loving; I found it ruthlessly competitive and I found my fellow students selfish and entitled. I think my own perspective comes from the fact that if I had stayed in public school I would have reached a similar outcome in my life without nearly as much heartache and stress. So I guess it really depends WHICH public school and WHICH private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buys a great fit for the child

It better be a pretty good fit for $30,000 per year. I'm not opposed to the idea entirely (which is why I look at this board) but in this economy it seems fairer to my child in the long term to save that money for college. I went to private school and private college, both of which were an excellent "fit," and my sister went to public school and public college, and is now light-years ahead of me in terms of status, income, etc. She happened to choose to become a doctor and I happened to choose the humanities. Those choices matter more than "fit" to the ultimate outcome.

For the people who are weighing only the "ultimate outcome" for their kids, public school probably makes the most sense. But there are many people who care as much about the process of getting to the end result as the result itself. I assure you that my parents don't consider their money for private PK-12, private college then private grad school wasted on my social worker sister who will probably never break $50k/year in salary. She's a happy, confident, well-round adult who is contributing positively to our society. Much of who she has become, and the values she picked up along the way, come from our private schooling. I had the same educational experience she did and I am a lawyer. I don't know if the "ultimate outcome" for us career-wise would have been much different had we gone to public school. However, we both feel very grateful for having experienced the loving, nurturing, community of our school and for all the extras (from classes to trips) that were incorporated into our educational experience. I was never just a number or just another kid in the class. I was always made to feel like an important and valued member of our school community. I believe that this really helped me overcome the extreme shyness I faced as a child and to become the self-assured person I am today.

I would.... did she at least marry well?

[Anonymous]

Gross

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
For the people who are weighing only the "ultimate outcome" for their kids, public school probably makes the most sense. But there are many people who care as much about the process of getting to the end result as the result itself. I assure you that my parents don't consider their money for private PK-12, private college then private grad school wasted on my social worker sister who will probably never break $50k/year in salary. She's a happy, confident, well-round adult who is contributing positively to our society. Much of who she has become, and the values she picked up along the way, come from our private schooling. I had the same educational experience she did and I am a lawyer. I don't know if the "ultimate outcome" for us career-wise would have been much different had we gone to public school. However, we both feel very grateful for having experienced the loving, nurturing, community of our school and for all the extras (from classes to trips) that were incorporated into our educational experience. I was never just a number or just another kid in the class. I was always made to feel like an important and valued member of our school community. I believe that this really helped me overcome the extreme shyness I faced as a child and to become the self-assured person I am today.

I appreciate this response. (I was the one you are responding to.) It's interesting how each perspective on this depends upon her own education. I did not find my private school nurturing or loving; I found it ruthlessly competitive and I found my fellow students selfish and entitled. I think my own perspective comes from the fact that if I had stayed in public school I would have reached a similar outcome in my life without nearly as much heartache and stress. So I guess it really depends WHICH public school and WHICH private school.

PP( above) Where did you go to school ? As the parent of a 4th grade applicant, I would like to know which school you had this experience at and what decade?