The Death of Private School As We Know It

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a public school and have seen the behind the curtain. It’s just pathetic. We basically beg students to come to school at this point. When they show up, they sleep, play on their phones, socialize. They pass the vast majority of them because it would look bad if too many kids failed. It was bad before the pandemic but it’s really bad now. My kid could go to my school and be the #1 student in the grade. I’d never send him to a public school. I agree that the expectations in private school are so much higher. I work two jobs to send him to private school. I’d work a third job if I needed to.

+1. I spent almost two decades teaching in a public high school. My own children attend a private.

Yes. We went private after some public school teachers confided that their own kids were in private.

and many teachers send their kids to public, in the school district they work at.

If my kid needed smaller class sizes and more hand holding, I would definitely do private, though.

I’m one of the teachers who posted above. It’s not the smaller class sizes and my children don’t need hand holding. We chose private for the strong emphasis on writing and the higher expectations. To comment on the purpose of this thread: college acceptances did not weigh into our decision at all. I know my children be well prepared and they’ll get into good schools.

[Anonymous]

I just got the annual fundraising issue of a k-8 school I used to work at, listing where their recent high school grads are headed to college. It looks very similar to the list of the top grads of my local middling public high school. This has to affect these private schools eventually.

What’s funny to me is that people are assuming the public school kids are being admitted unfairly, because their GPAs are inflated or something. No one even imagines that these public school students may be stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got the annual fundraising issue of a k-8 school I used to work at, listing where their recent high school grads are headed to college. It looks very similar to the list of the top grads of my local middling public high school. This has to affect these private schools eventually.

What’s funny to me is that people are assuming the public school kids are being admitted unfairly, because their GPAs are inflated or something. No one even imagines that these public school students may be stronger.

Because… why? Private school parents, who are actually shelling out for school right now, keep telling you it’s about the quality of education and not because of Ivy fantasies. Why can’t you believe that? Why are you so invested in believing that private school parents are lying to you about their motivations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Husband and I graduated from our state flagship and the private and Catholic school kids ran circles around everyone in the classroom and socially. I went to "one of the best" public schools in the state and could not keep up. They were on a different level. Anyone pinching pennies when it comes to kindergarten through 12th education for an alleged better roll of the dice with Ivies is frankly an idiot.

They're an idiot because there is no better roll at a DMV public. If you ever review the admits from Whitman, Wilson, Mclean, etc. something like 98% of the Ivy admits are legacy, athletes or URM. THE SAME FREAKING demographics as the private school admits. THERE IS NO MAGIC IVY-BOUND HIGH SCHOOL FOR WHITE OR ASIAN KIDS. Except many some of the NE boarding schools?
But actually I'm sure it's the same story there. More admits but they're probably also legacies, URM, athletes plus some Ivy faculty kids thrown in.

Coming from the DMV, public or private, is frequently detrimental for applicants.

Why would coming from the DMV be detrimental? I would think that would be a huge advantage.

[Anonymous]

Geographic distribution

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early admissions decisions coming out of NCS and STA right now are very impressive so I am not sure that things have changed that much.

NCS has 5 in at Columbia. 4 ED, one athlete.
That's all I know.

Congrats to those five girls! What a nice bit of cheer before the holidays.

yes and one to Stanford, one to Dartmouth, 2 at Cornell, 1 at UNC (crew(, these are just the ones I have heard of. One at STA that we know of going to Yale. These kids have all worked extremely hard and it is the end of a long academic journey. Congratulations to them all, and all kids, public or private that have the news they want and good luck to those still waiting. However, to the OP's point, I don't see anything that points to the end of private school. If the playing field has been leveled up for public school then that is a great thing that benefits everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got the annual fundraising issue of a k-8 school I used to work at, listing where their recent high school grads are headed to college. It looks very similar to the list of the top grads of my local middling public high school. This has to affect these private schools eventually.

What’s funny to me is that people are assuming the public school kids are being admitted unfairly, because their GPAs are inflated or something. No one even imagines that these public school students may be stronger.

The stats speak for themselves
Students at independent schools score higher in all areas - writing, reading comprehension and math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im sounding the alarm. The end is near.

For any one of you paying full tuition at a Private School for college admissions purposes (hoping you'll get into a better college), you are 100% wasting your money. I have several children in Big 3's and unless you are URM, QuestBridge, Athlete or Legacy - you are completely wasting your money. No one cares that your school is tough. That a 3.7 is really great. No one cares about ACT/SATs anymore.

You are wasting your money. 100%

The college admissions process is now washed of achievement. And there is backlash against wealth and privilege.

Dont do it. Dont waste your time. And your money. And stop perpetuating the dummying down of our system.

I wish someone would have told me 3 years ago before I enrolled my kids. Total waste of money.

Private school enrollment soars during pandemic
By Noelle Olson/Staff Writer Jul 20, 2021 Updated Aug 17, 2021

https://www.presspubs.com/shoreview/news/private-school-enrollment-soars-during-pandemic/article_954e60a2-e9b5-11eb-87bb-e35f5128a593.html

One sector is flourishing during the pandemic: K-12 private schools

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tremendous challenge for America's K-12 education system. Schools have struggled to balance the health needs of their communities with the educational needs of their students. But one corner of the K-12 education landscape has shown resilience and, in many cases, has actually managed to thrive - America's independent, or private, school sector.

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/527623-one-sector-is-flourishing-during-the-pandemic-k-12-private-schools


Private school families more satisfied with schools during pandemic, survey finds

Nearly a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began and reshaped the nation’s education system, parents of private and charter school students are more likely to be satisfied with their schools and less likely to report a negative effect on learning than their public school counterparts. That’s a key finding in the latest survey from Education Next.

https://www.reimaginedonline.org/2021/01/private-school-families-more-satisfied-with-schools-during-pandemic-survey-finds/

[Anonymous]

I've been around long enough to know people convinced private schools is the answer and people convinced public schools is the answer are never going to mix.

Pragmatically, as someone who went to private school and then an Ivy and with Ivy classmates from both private and public schools, and with friends and family and coworkers at both public and private, and both in the DMV and elsewhere, there are too many blanket assumptions being made. Every school is different. Every child is different.

Take the DC schools. The Big 3 are filled with prominent families who are extremely connected. A legacy at a Big 3 with parents who are famous in their professions or industry and generous donors are in a different category than your bright UMC kid who isn't a legacy. The DC schools draw from a big pool of connected families due to the status of Washington, DC as the nation's capital. Compare that to, say, Baltimore or Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Kansas City. Their top privates are at a disadvantage because these cities have far fewer of the connected families, which affects the matriculation records. NCS isn't better than Bryn Mawr in Baltimore, but NCS has families that Bryn Mawr doesn't, so NCS will have more girls going to elite universities. Same for St. Albans versus Gilman. An unconnected applicant from NCS with parents who aren't legacies and who aren't connected in some capacity and who doesn't tick off the fashionable diversity boxes these days has no better chances of admissions to the Ivy of her dreams than had she been at Whitman.

Private schools often have the great advantage of selecting their students and can weed out the troublesome and unwanted, which publics can't. But high performing public schools in UMC suburbs are still excellent schools and still send kids to great colleges. I don't kid myself otherwise. I see it all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been around long enough to know people convinced private schools is the answer and people convinced public schools is the answer are never going to mix.

Pragmatically, as someone who went to private school and then an Ivy and with Ivy classmates from both private and public schools, and with friends and family and coworkers at both public and private, and both in the DMV and elsewhere, there are too many blanket assumptions being made. Every school is different. Every child is different.

Take the DC schools. The Big 3 are filled with prominent families who are extremely connected. A legacy at a Big 3 with parents who are famous in their professions or industry and generous donors are in a different category than your bright UMC kid who isn't a legacy. The DC schools draw from a big pool of connected families due to the status of Washington, DC as the nation's capital. Compare that to, say, Baltimore or Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Kansas City. Their top privates are at a disadvantage because these cities have far fewer of the connected families, which affects the matriculation records. NCS isn't better than Bryn Mawr in Baltimore, but NCS has families that Bryn Mawr doesn't, so NCS will have more girls going to elite universities. Same for St. Albans versus Gilman. An unconnected applicant from NCS with parents who aren't legacies and who aren't connected in some capacity and who doesn't tick off the fashionable diversity boxes these days has no better chances of admissions to the Ivy of her dreams than had she been at Whitman.

Private schools often have the great advantage of selecting their students and can weed out the troublesome and unwanted, which publics can't. But high performing public schools in UMC suburbs are still excellent schools and still send kids to great colleges. I don't kid myself otherwise. I see it all the time.

Did your parents attend your Ivy? We’re they big donors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been around long enough to know people convinced private schools is the answer and people convinced public schools is the answer are never going to mix.

Pragmatically, as someone who went to private school and then an Ivy and with Ivy classmates from both private and public schools, and with friends and family and coworkers at both public and private, and both in the DMV and elsewhere, there are too many blanket assumptions being made. Every school is different. Every child is different.

Take the DC schools. The Big 3 are filled with prominent families who are extremely connected. A legacy at a Big 3 with parents who are famous in their professions or industry and generous donors are in a different category than your bright UMC kid who isn't a legacy. The DC schools draw from a big pool of connected families due to the status of Washington, DC as the nation's capital. Compare that to, say, Baltimore or Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Kansas City. Their top privates are at a disadvantage because these cities have far fewer of the connected families, which affects the matriculation records. NCS isn't better than Bryn Mawr in Baltimore, but NCS has families that Bryn Mawr doesn't, so NCS will have more girls going to elite universities. Same for St. Albans versus Gilman. An unconnected applicant from NCS with parents who aren't legacies and who aren't connected in some capacity and who doesn't tick off the fashionable diversity boxes these days has no better chances of admissions to the Ivy of her dreams than had she been at Whitman.

Private schools often have the great advantage of selecting their students and can weed out the troublesome and unwanted, which publics can't. But high performing public schools in UMC suburbs are still excellent schools and still send kids to great colleges. I don't kid myself otherwise. I see it all the time.

Did your parents attend your Ivy? We’re they big donors?

Were ^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are the 2021 admissions from a Big3 (does not included multiple admits at many of the schools). Is there one college on this list that you wouldn't be happy that your kid is attending?
Personally I think it's awesome and guarantee that my kid will attend a decent college---never mind that they are also learning to to write well and think critically.

Boston College
Boston University
Brown
Bucknell
Colby
Colgate
William and Mary
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Davidson
Duke
Emory
Georgetown
Georgia Tech
Harvard
Johns Hopkins
NYU
Northwestern
Oberlin
Princeton
SMU
Stanford
Syracuse
Tufts
Tulane
UCLA
Chicago
Michigan
Penn
Richmond
Sewanee
USC
St. Andrews
UVA
Wisconsin
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest
Washington and Lee
Wash U
Yale

Sewanee. But other than that, a perfectly fine list.

Sewanee is a perfectly good college. One of my HS friends is in the administration there. They may not send a bunch of grads to Wall Street, but plenty of them are professionals in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im sounding the alarm. The end is near.

For any one of you paying full tuition at a Private School for college admissions purposes (hoping you'll get into a better college), you are 100% wasting your money. I have several children in Big 3's and unless you are URM, QuestBridge, Athlete or Legacy - you are completely wasting your money. No one cares that your school is tough. That a 3.7 is really great. No one cares about ACT/SATs anymore.

You are wasting your money. 100%

The college admissions process is now washed of achievement. And there is backlash against wealth and privilege.

Dont do it. Dont waste your time. And your money. And stop perpetuating the dummying down of our system.

I wish someone would have told me 3 years ago before I enrolled my kids. Total waste of money.

For about the fifth thread on this topic -- we do not send kids to private to get into a better college. That factors into it zero. Probably would do better if at public. Not why we are there.

DP.. so if you spent $$ on private school, and your kid ends up going to some place like... Salisbury univ, you won't mind at all? Not knocking on Salisbury Univ. I went to a B rated state univ myself. I find it hard to believe that private school parents don't have some minimum expectations for their kids and what colleges they end up at after having spent over a 100K on private school.

NP. I would be fine with it.

[Anonymous]

We like private for the vibe. It surrounds you as you stroll across the campus and radiates from everyone and everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got the annual fundraising issue of a k-8 school I used to work at, listing where their recent high school grads are headed to college. It looks very similar to the list of the top grads of my local middling public high school. This has to affect these private schools eventually.

What’s funny to me is that people are assuming the public school kids are being admitted unfairly, because their GPAs are inflated or something. No one even imagines that these public school students may be stronger.

Those of us with kids in both know the public school GPAs are inflated. It's not really debated in a covid world. I think there are plenty of excellent public schools where kids are getting great educations, and as someone who sent kids to public, I support public schools wholeheartedly. But the fact that in the pandemic there was rampant public school grade inflation isn't really debatable. Admissions is well aware of this.