Is "Big 3" the entire world? In various posts, there are always some dingbats jumping out saying "in our big 3" ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forgive my ignorance but what are the “big 3?”

That’s a question that has never been definitively answered since the beginning of DCUM.

It’s like DCUM needs a legend so at least when someone uses the term it means 3 specific schools to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way works in your "big 3" does not necessarily apply to every school in the world.

And they seem to dominate this forum. It's an experience for such a few people, yet it always seems to be the focus here. Wish they'd keep it on the private school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure College admission counselors see a DMV Big 3 app and think "cha-ching", here's a full pay.

Bingo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

Yep. ‘Nother rich cracker doing rich cracker things. Thank goodness!

sorry if the truth hurts! the big3 is a wonderful experience for most kids, and provides clear and tangible lifetime benefits - but so does the grit and perseverance that successful public school kids are required to develop - neither path is “better”, only different

DP You lead off with such an off target slam. "Sorry if the truth hurts?" You're not sorry. What is this "truth?" PP dies not seem hurt. You're just trying too hard to be a snob. Why would anyone listen to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forgive my ignorance but what are the “big 3?”

Pandora’s box here: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/99579.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

Yep. ‘Nother rich cracker doing rich cracker things. Thank goodness!

sorry if the truth hurts! the big3 is a wonderful experience for most kids, and provides clear and tangible lifetime benefits - but so does the grit and perseverance that successful public school kids are required to develop - neither path is “better”, only different

Let’s not overstate the Big3 benefits…poor kids that go to a Big3 really don’t get much lifetime benefit unless they are able to cross the demographic divide (which most don’t). Even UMC get few lasting benefits.

It’s the same complaint about the poor kids going to Ivy schools and can never fully benefit because they just don’t have the ability to jump the income chasm.

Do you have data to support this assertion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

Yep. ‘Nother rich cracker doing rich cracker things. Thank goodness!

sorry if the truth hurts! the big3 is a wonderful experience for most kids, and provides clear and tangible lifetime benefits - but so does the grit and perseverance that successful public school kids are required to develop - neither path is “better”, only different

Let’s not overstate the Big3 benefits…poor kids that go to a Big3 really don’t get much lifetime benefit unless they are able to cross the demographic divide (which most don’t). Even UMC get few lasting benefits.

It’s the same complaint about the poor kids going to Ivy schools and can never fully benefit because they just don’t have the ability to jump the income chasm.

Do you have data to support this assertion?

This is DCUM…stop with these stupid data requests. If you don’t want to research it that’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure College admission counselors see a DMV Big 3 app and think "cha-ching", here's a full pay.

Bingo

Why is it a bad thing if our family pays full tuition for our kids? Where does financial assistance come from? Tax dollars, donations to the college? Why the hate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if

Let’s not overstate the Big3 benefits…poor kids that go to a Big3 really don’t get much lifetime benefit unless they are able to cross the demographic divide (which most don’t). Even UMC get few lasting benefits.

It’s the same complaint about the poor kids going to Ivy schools and can never fully benefit because they just don’t have the ability to jump the income chasm.

Do you have data to support this assertion?

Really? You make this claim based on what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if

Let’s not overstate the Big3 benefits…poor kids that go to a Big3 really don’t get much lifetime benefit unless they are able to cross the demographic divide (which most don’t). Even UMC get few lasting benefits.

It’s the same complaint about the poor kids going to Ivy schools and can never fully benefit because they just don’t have the ability to jump the income chasm.

Do you have data to support this assertion?

Really? You make this claim based on what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure College admission counselors see a DMV Big 3 app and think "cha-ching", here's a full pay.

Bingo

Why is it a bad thing if our family pays full tuition for our kids? Where does financial assistance come from? Tax dollars, donations to the college? Why the hate?

No hate. Plenty of amusement, though, when private school parents brag about the great admissions results without acknowledging the fact that being full pay gets their kids into good colleges where equally “qualified” kids who need aid are not admitted or cannot attend due to the cost.

Kids who go to expensive private schools get admitted to expensive private colleges. Quelle surprise!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

I have a big 3 graduate and yes great preparation, but the connections are for only those who happen to make friends within the inner circle. Very hard to do this. No connections for my DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

Having had friend's kids go to all 8 of the Big 3, this isn't even close to true.

It's a high quality education in a more relaxed environment than someplace like TJ but if your kid goes from any of these local private schools to a highly competitive school (especially in a hard major like engineering, math or hard science), they are more likely to struggle compared to the kids from TJ, so academic preparation-wise, TJ is probably better.

When it comes to social connections, the graduating class at these schools are so tiny that these connections are not really any better than at any other rich school with tuition higher than UVA. I mean take a school like Flint Hill, definitely not one of the "Big 3" but still an expensive private school and the connections there are probably similar to Potomac. The academic preparation is better at Potomac but that is probably more the result of a more selective screening process at Potomac than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if you can afford it, hands down the best academic preparation for a young man or woman. Additionally, the social connections my children developed attending Big3 schools (at 2 of the 3) have continuously provided a significant life benefit, both professionally and in social circles. Really prepared them for life in ways a public school never could..

The trade-off? An average student at big 3 with a 3.5 gpa goes to T100 colleges. They could have been a straight A+ student in a public school.

But then they would struggle with writing three consecutive sentences or reading a whole big book. Not a risk our family was willing to take.

There’s one born every minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it a bad thing if our family pays full tuition for our kids? Where does financial assistance come from? Tax dollars, donations to the college? Why the hate?

No hate. Plenty of amusement, though, when private school parents brag about the great admissions results without acknowledging the fact that being full pay gets their kids into good colleges where equally “qualified” kids who need aid are not admitted or cannot attend due to the cost.

Kids who go to expensive private schools get admitted to expensive private colleges. Quelle surprise!
Bethesda families whose kids attend Whitman and don't spend tons of money on private school tuition have less money saved to be full pay?