Asian American students at private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend who is Korean said that Asians don't believe in private school. I have heard that echoed among many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese Americans.

I'm Korean American, and I've never heard this. I certainly don't think it's true in Korea today!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you also don't see many Hispanics. My friend who is Korean said that Asians don't believe in private school. I have heard that echoed among many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese Americans. That said, you do see TONS of Asians in Montessori schools.

This is an interesting thread..I've never thought about this.

Oh, I've noticed. It seems that many Asian families are happy with their children's performance in public schools. Also, it is easy to imagine investing that money in other things, like a house in a better school district, at least in the end you have a house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you also don't see many Hispanics.

How can you "see" Hispanics if they are white Hispanics? Not all Latinos are Hispanic and not all Hispanics are brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: My friend who is Korean said that Asians don't believe in private school. I have heard that echoed among many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese Americans. That said, you do see TONS of Asians in Montessori schools.

I'm Korean American and never heard such a thing. I knew plenty of Korean Americans who went to private (Catholic) high schools.

[Anonymous]

Acc to census data, the 20016 zip code is 5.9 percent Asian "alone and in combination" and 6.5 percent African American "alone and in combination."

True, but, looking at the metro area as a whole, the Asian percentage stays pretty constant, between 5 and 10 percent, whereas the percentage of persons in the metro region who claim African American ancestry "alone and in combination" is closer for 40% and as high as 70%, depending on the county/city.

So assuming people of all races are in theory at least willing to travel to attend a private school ... where are all the African Americans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you also don't see many Hispanics.

How can you "see" Hispanics if they are white Hispanics? Not all Latinos are Hispanic and not all Hispanics are brown.

Sorry, but most, even the "White" ones, are of a slightly different hue, which I can see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My friend who is Korean said that Asians don't believe in private school. I have heard that echoed among many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese Americans. That said, you do see TONS of Asians in Montessori schools.

I'm Korean American and never heard such a thing. I knew plenty of Korean Americans who went to private (Catholic) high schools.

You could not have heard it all.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't address the private school question, but I've heard that there are more Asian student than any other identified ethnicity at Thomas Jefferson High School, the public magnet in Fairfax County. That may reflect in part what I understand to be the larger Asian population in areas of Fairfax and Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't address the private school question, but I've heard that there are more Asian student than any other identified ethnicity at Thomas Jefferson High School, the public magnet in Fairfax County. That may reflect in part what I understand to be the larger Asian population in areas of Fairfax and Arlington.

Is there the same number at Potomac School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could not have heard it all.

But you have.

[Anonymous]

The Asian families I know are all very happy at their public schools (in the MD and VA suburbs). The kids all work very hard and get great grades, so they don't need the privates to help with academic success. The families don't seem fixated on social climbing, so they don't need the privates for that either. As far as I can tell, they think DH and I are out of our minds for spending as much as we do at our private. Their kids will likely end up at a better brand name college than ours, and the 250K they save and invest will pay for the entire college education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could not have heard it all.

But you have.

I agree. It goes both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Asian families I know are all very happy at their public schools (in the MD and VA suburbs). The kids all work very hard and get great grades, so they don't need the privates to help with academic success. The families don't seem fixated on social climbing, so they don't need the privates for that either. As far as I can tell, they think DH and I are out of our minds for spending as much as we do at our private. Their kids will likely end up at a better brand name college than ours, and the 250K they save and invest will pay for the entire college education.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

I am chinese, born in the US, and my parents came to the US for grad school. When I mention private school to my mother, she tells me that it is a waste of money and to save money for college. We live in Bethesda, so public schools are excellent and she is probably right.

Asians also place a higher emphasis on science and math. Generally speaking, the private schools offer a more "liberal arts" education (focusing on the reading and writing). She also claims that going if we went to private school, we would constantly feel like we were "poor" compared to everyone else.

For asians in this area, being accepted at TJ is the ultimate dream come true. That's precisely why there are so many asians at TJ - it is a goal of many asians in NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am chinese, born in the US, and my parents came to the US for grad school. When I mention private school to my mother, she tells me that it is a waste of money and to save money for college. We live in Bethesda, so public schools are excellent and she is probably right.

Asians also place a higher emphasis on science and math. Generally speaking, the private schools offer a more "liberal arts" education (focusing on the reading and writing). She also claims that going if we went to private school, we would constantly feel like we were "poor" compared to everyone else.

For asians in this area, being accepted at TJ is the ultimate dream come true. That's precisely why there are so many asians at TJ - it is a goal of many asians in NOVA.

The emphasis on science might change. As Asian children growing up here become more comfortable with English than their parents, they may seek liberal arts educations.