Whittle School?

[Anonymous]

I'd stay away and would not trust them with my child. Check out the track record (e.g., results) of the local leadership team before making that investment.

[Anonymous]

I thought the brochure (“book”) was very superficial and ineffective for an educational institution. There was no real explanation that Whittle is even a school until page 12 or so. The materials were beautiful to look at, full-color even on the inside of the envelope, amazing drawings — however no real substance.

[Anonymous]

It is probably another version of a Ponzi scheme.

[Anonymous]

If I read the Town and Country article correctly, the Edison Schools Inc was one of Whittle's "big ideas" and failed miserably in TWO years after the first school opened... Now he wants to open FOUR schools per year starting 2012 thru 2026! What a joke! If it smells like a Ponzi scheme, looks like a Ponzi scheme, and feels like a Ponzi scheme...well, IT IS! The tuition from the initial schools will be paying for the opening of the new schools until one year the money is no longer flowing and he will be forced to close due to lack of funds.

[Anonymous]

It definitely sounds like a scheme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I strongly suspect the primary base of students will be Chinese nationals who wish to study in the USA prior to university. It is one of the fastest growing sectors (US high school / prep schools) for Chinese students who want to get 'ahead' of their peers and avoid the dreaded Chinese university entrance exam.

Indeed, this is the case here. In China, government has commercialized the "Education Industry" (commonly used term in China). The key investors for this new school are wealthy experienced businessmen in this Commercialized Education Industry. They know that millions Chinese families want to send their kids to the US because a US education is highly coveted, and considered very prestigious to Chinese people. Those who have a US education in their resume, if they go back to China, have easier time to find girlfriends or boyfriends, are held much higher regard, and commend much higher salaries, etc. If they stay in the US, their families would be so proud and also held higher regard, and could eventually immigrate here.

Because all of these benefits, Chinese families are eager to send their kids to the US to study (even from 8 years old on). Whittier School is so shrewd. It really rides on this hottest trend in China. It builds a school in DC, and draws most students from China, these Chinese families can proudly proclaim that they kids are studying in a very expensive private school in the capital of the "Imperial Superpower USA" (that's what Chinese people typically refer America)! Chinese people equate "expensive" to being the best and the high tuition only shows and demonstrates they are wealthy and can afford the best.

Whittier will have no short of students from China. While this new school may not affect much the current big 3, 5, 8, hundreds of hard working and academically excellent Chinese students graduating each year in the same area will likely alter the landscape of college application and admission very soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I strongly suspect the primary base of students will be Chinese nationals who wish to study in the USA prior to university. It is one of the fastest growing sectors (US high school / prep schools) for Chinese students who want to get 'ahead' of their peers and avoid the dreaded Chinese university entrance exam.

Indeed, this is the case here. In China, government has commercialized the "Education Industry" (commonly used term in China). The key investors for this new school are wealthy experienced businessmen in this Commercialized Education Industry. They know that millions Chinese families want to send their kids to the US because a US education is highly coveted, and considered very prestigious to Chinese people. Those who have a US education in their resume, if they go back to China, have easier time to find girlfriends or boyfriends, are held much higher regard, and commend much higher salaries, etc. If they stay in the US, their families would be so proud and also held higher regard, and could eventually immigrate here.

Because all of these benefits, Chinese families are eager to send their kids to the US to study (even from 8 years old on). Whittier School is so shrewd. It really rides on this hottest trend in China. It builds a school in DC, and draws most students from China, these Chinese families can proudly proclaim that they kids are studying in a very expensive private school in the capital of the "Imperial Superpower USA" (that's what Chinese people typically refer America)! Chinese people equate "expensive" to being the best and the high tuition only shows and demonstrates they are wealthy and can afford the best.

Whittier will have no short of students from China. While this new school may not affect much the current big 3, 5, 8, hundreds of hard working and academically excellent Chinese students graduating each year in the same area will likely alter the landscape of college application and admission very soon.

yes, this is what i wonder about. There aren't that many "top" students graduating in DC each year. Ultimately it's a pretty small place. What happens to college admissions for the entire population of the District when you put down hundreds (how many students per class will be at Whittle?) of academic over-achievers into the District college race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I strongly suspect the primary base of students will be Chinese nationals who wish to study in the USA prior to university. It is one of the fastest growing sectors (US high school / prep schools) for Chinese students who want to get 'ahead' of their peers and avoid the dreaded Chinese university entrance exam.

Indeed, this is the case here. In China, government has commercialized the "Education Industry" (commonly used term in China). The key investors for this new school are wealthy experienced businessmen in this Commercialized Education Industry. They know that millions Chinese families want to send their kids to the US because a US education is highly coveted, and considered very prestigious to Chinese people. Those who have a US education in their resume, if they go back to China, have easier time to find girlfriends or boyfriends, are held much higher regard, and commend much higher salaries, etc. If they stay in the US, their families would be so proud and also held higher regard, and could eventually immigrate here.

Because all of these benefits, Chinese families are eager to send their kids to the US to study (even from 8 years old on). Whittier School is so shrewd. It really rides on this hottest trend in China. It builds a school in DC, and draws most students from China, these Chinese families can proudly proclaim that they kids are studying in a very expensive private school in the capital of the "Imperial Superpower USA" (that's what Chinese people typically refer America)! Chinese people equate "expensive" to being the best and the high tuition only shows and demonstrates they are wealthy and can afford the best.

Whittier will have no short of students from China. While this new school may not affect much the current big 3, 5, 8, hundreds of hard working and academically excellent Chinese students graduating each year in the same area will likely alter the landscape of college application and admission very soon.

yes, this is what i wonder about. There aren't that many "top" students graduating in DC each year. Ultimately it's a pretty small place. What happens to college admissions for the entire population of the District when you put down hundreds (how many students per class will be at Whittle?) of academic over-achievers into the District college race?

Aren't international students in a separate pile? If they all are here as boarding students on education visas, they will have to reapply for same for college and apply to college as foreign nationals. They wouldn't check the "DC Box" in regional admissions, they'd check the international one.

[Anonymous]

International students will be applying for spots outside of the regular admissions group. I would not be too worried unless I am in the same boat with the International group. Then, I will need to re-eval if my educational investment is worth the money if all I can get into are community colleges after graduation from private school. Local community colleges are a magnet for a lot of these "foreign" students and most transfer to other schools afterwards.

[Anonymous]

I’m gonna guess these kids won’t be going to community college.

Just a hunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m gonna guess these kids won’t be going to community college.

Just a hunch.

You never know...most "foreign kids" are here because their families have the means to pay for their education and not necessarily their academic skill set. Then, of course, you have these multi-millionaire donations, so I guess you may be correct. They will go to the school of their choice but based on their family's donation amount...$10-20 million for an Ivy League education

[Anonymous]

Not sure if there are quotas for DC area privates but if these same kids advance through to middle and high school then apply out to the legacy privates, then I am sure there will be competition for spots in the top privates in the area..Big 3 etc. Also, depends on the education received at Whittle. I'm sure some will go to boarding schools elsewhere in the US and use the Whittle school as a stepping stone for boarding schools. Families will appreciate boarding schools more than traditional privates for high school.

[Anonymous]

They may end up with lots of “problem” kids who get asked to leave other privates for one reason or another.

[Anonymous]

Yes US universities like full-pay foreign students, but only up to a certain point. Their base still is and always will be US kids. Especially the full-pay US kids. They take enough full pay US and foreign kids to cover their financial aid requirements, and pretty much stop with the foreign kids after that.

[Anonymous]

With all this anti China sentiment I don't think they are going to have the applications from China they expect.