school for nerdy, not super-rich kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP - also in 400k HHI range. We have one child who currently is in fifth grade, and he has applied to private middle schools for next year because our public middle school and high school are not very good. Of course he might not get in, but we've applied pretty widely and hopefully will get in somewhere.

Now I'm starting to second-guess the financial wisdom of spending 50k/year for the next seven years. Our mortgage is about $3,900/month. We currently have been saving about $4,000/month outside of our 401Ks. We have about 170k in liquid savings (only recently started making 400k - had been closer to 250k until two years ago).

Is it crazy for us to spend so much money on private school at our income level? We had decided to do it, but now that we'll only have two weeks to decide for sure, we're getting cold feet.

Can't answer this without stating your:

1) total retirement savings
2) parents age
3) 529 savings and savings rate
4) prospect for income increases
5) one or two incomes
6) home equity

Different Poster but I'm having the same thoughts. We just started making in the 400k range and have always been huge public school proponents but after dealing with DCPAS for a number of years am considering private but keep getting cold feet.

I'll provide this info but please don't eviscerate me. I was raised blue collar and never had money growing up so it's a different feeling for me at least.

1. 1.7 mil retirement and investment bt me and my partner
2. Partner and I are 35 and 40
3. 529 savings 60k for 2 kids
4. 2 incomes - 1 can go up, 1 is about maxxed out
6. About 600k home equity

Also can't decide if private school is "worth it". Also, I'm pretty anti-catholic but the closest school is a Catholic school and so trying to negotiate my feelings about that.

There are some decent DCPS clusters, if you’re having cold feet and prefer to save more for college and retirement. But if you really dislike DCPS now, but are still very pro public-schooling as a philosophy, then maybe move into a close-in Maryland or Va suburb with good public schools.

Agree with the immediate PP. Move to Md and stay public. Do not go to a Catholic school if you are anti-Catholic.

[Anonymous]

This is the wildest thread I've ever read.

Wow to make that much and have absolutely zero financial education is crazy to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the wildest thread I've ever read.

Wow to make that much and have absolutely zero financial education is crazy to me.

Very helpful

[Anonymous]

Contrary to posts above, $400K HHI will not put you in the bottom quartile at Madeira. Your daughter would likely fit in just fine as a quirky and possibly gay child. There is merit aid available.

[Anonymous]

I know that this is out of OP’s geographical area, but for others who may be looking for similar, I would recommend SSFS.

[Anonymous]

OP, how old is your kid and what do you mean by not rigorous enough?

[Anonymous]

You are super rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, how old is your kid and what do you mean by not rigorous enough?

OP. Thank you for all the advice in this thread! I feel like I have a lot of good leads. Only my older daughter is school-aged, and she's in elementary now - so I take the point that option schools might work, in addition to exploring private for middle school.

By not rigorous enough, I mean that she doesn't get teacher support for working above grade level. Recently, she asked for help practicing a new math skill, and her teacher said no, that's next year's math. The gifted cluster program does help, but it's not like what I experienced attending magnet schools, which APS doesn't offer. I suppose we could move to MCPS; we like where we live though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Nysmith?

Heck of a long commute from Arlington.

BiM (Basis independent McLean) -- suggested by someone else in the thread -- would meet rigor and 400k would definitely be in the upper 50. However, the couple paragraphs I've read from OP suggest that type of rigor is not what is being looked for. In case I am wrong, do check them out, because they are nearby and less expensive than some of the other options being bruted about.

[Anonymous]

I would say you can afford to send your child to a private school based on your income however, don’t send them just because you can afford to. Instead, send them because it’s the best fit for your child. If the best fit for your child to the public school send them there. We moved our child from public to private, and while it’s financially a stretch for us, It’s a much better place for my child to be. we have a younger child and will have to make the same decision for them when the time comes. We will make her decision based on what is best for the younger child at the time

[Anonymous]

How hard is it to get in Madeira? We are also “poor” with upper $400k income. We are in Langley high school pyramid. My daughter is excited about Madeira but she is a “B” grade honors student in grade 7 now. We do not plan to apply for any kind of financial aid if that can increase her chances of getting in. I saw the accept rate is 54%.

[Anonymous]

Heck of a long commute from Arlington.

BiM (Basis independent McLean) -- suggested by someone else in the thread -- would meet rigor and 400k would definitely be in the upper 50. However, the couple paragraphs I've read from OP suggest that type of rigor is not what is being looked for. In case I am wrong, do check them out, because they are nearby and less expensive than some of the other options being bruted about.

OP. Would you mind elaborating on that? From a quick look at the BiM website, the curriculum looks great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be receiving financial aid and still be in the middle 50%

Seriously? That’s ridiculous.

You make it sound like they're getting a full ride or anything close to it. They're not.

In our experience, middle 50% families, if they get FA, are getting more like 5 or 10 percent off. Hardly ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be receiving financial aid and still be in the middle 50%

Seriously? That’s ridiculous.

You make it sound like they're getting a full ride or anything close to it. They're not.

In our experience, middle 50% families, if they get FA, are getting more like 5 or 10 percent off. Hardly ridiculous.

Because that $3k-$6k is going to be make-or-break for a family with $400,000 HHI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, how old is your kid and what do you mean by not rigorous enough?

OP. Thank you for all the advice in this thread! I feel like I have a lot of good leads. Only my older daughter is school-aged, and she's in elementary now - so I take the point that option schools might work, in addition to exploring private for middle school.

By not rigorous enough, I mean that she doesn't get teacher support for working above grade level. Recently, she asked for help practicing a new math skill, and her teacher said no, that's next year's math. The gifted cluster program does help, but it's not like what I experienced attending magnet schools, which APS doesn't offer. I suppose we could move to MCPS; we like where we live though.

My Arlington kid went to TJ for high school, and they were not behind in math (or any other subject) the Fairfax County kids who had been in gifted centers since elementary school. As someone who was in gifted centers my whole life, and then raised my own gifted children, the most important things for your child to get out of elementary school are developing friendships and good academic habits, like reading books for pleasure and being able to get their homework done without any nagging. Having some other things they enjoy outside of school, like sports or art, is also important.

Red flags are your child is hopelessly bored at school or has no friends. If that's the case I'd look at other schools. I hear good things about Basis McLean. One of my kids who was more a humanities kid and had a great experience at one of the Big 3 privates.

Her teacher this year could be a bit of a dud, and I've found that it can help to be a bit of squeaky wheel with the gifted coordinator if your child isn't getting the support they need.