What do you wish you had thought of or considered before applying and/or accepting an offer?

[Anonymous]

Compare apples to apples. Some schools look less expensive until you realize what they don't offer. Some schools don't let kids keep the books so they don't learn how to highlight in them/take notes (they use the same editions of books year after year, some are very old), some schools have school nurses, others don't, etc. make sure you know what you're getting for what you're paying when you compare and what is and isn't covered in tuition.

[Anonymous]

I actually wish I had thought/agonized less about it. Our choices (not all of which were first choices) have turned out well for our kids and our family. In one case, we've gotten used to a commute that seemed like it would terrible, but isn't. We've fit in and found friends at schools where we thought we would be completely out of water as parents. The whole application process and quest for best/perfect fit was craziness and I'll approach it differently if we have to do it again.

[Anonymous]

factor in the costs of camp/childcare for the shorter school year than public school and the additional 1/2 days and school holidays.

also my son attends a school that does not have alot of onsite classes so i'm spending more $$ on music, sports, etc. might have made the same decision but with my eyes open wider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually wish I had thought/agonized less about it. Our choices (not all of which were first choices) have turned out well for our kids and our family. In one case, we've gotten used to a commute that seemed like it would terrible, but isn't. We've fit in and found friends at schools where we thought we would be completely out of water as parents. The whole application process and quest for best/perfect fit was craziness and I'll approach it differently if we have to do it again.

You will have to do it again -- when your kids apply to college. Having gone through that process twice, I can tell you that you'll be so far ahead of the game having learned this lesson already.

[Anonymous]

I wish I would have realized how many days off private school have compared to public schools. It is infuriating really considering tuition rates.

I wish I would have realized how much the social hierarchy comes into play. Everyone is pleasant enough but there is a clear distinction between the big money players and the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I would have realized how many days off private school have compared to public schools. It is infuriating really considering tuition rates.

Exactly how many days difference is it? How would you go about calculating that? What private school?

I wish I would have realized how much the social hierarchy comes into play. Everyone is pleasant enough but there is a clear distinction between the big money players and the rest of us.

Totally not my experience. What school are you describing?

I'm starting to wonder if some of these posts are really from private school parents, or are instead from public school parents hoping to take shots at private schools.

[Anonymous]

@16:09 do you people ever quit? Yes I'm really a private school parent and no I won't tell you our school.

Are YOU really a private school parent? Otherwise a simple calendar will tell you private schools start later, end later and have longer winter and spring breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@16:09 do you people ever quit? Yes I'm really a private school parent and no I won't tell you our school.

Are YOU really a private school parent? Otherwise a simple calendar will tell you private schools start later, end later and have longer winter and spring breaks.

I meant the school year ends earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I would have realized how many days off private school have compared to public schools. It is infuriating really considering tuition rates.

I wish I would have realized how much the social hierarchy comes into play. Everyone is pleasant enough but there is a clear distinction between the big money players and the rest of us.

Funny, not my experience on either observation. It feels like my kid is in school MORE days in private school that she was at her DC charter. Perhaps that's not quite right once you count in the later start to the school year, but as a working parent I definitely felt like I had fewer days to cover during the school year itself. And as far as the big money players ... well, maybe I am so far out of it that I don't feel the distinction!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@16:09 do you people ever quit? Yes I'm really a private school parent and no I won't tell you our school.

Are YOU really a private school parent? Otherwise a simple calendar will tell you private schools start later, end later and have longer winter and spring breaks.

So you're frustrated with these aspects of your school, but refuse to name the school. Sounds to me like you're making it up.

Also, FWIW on school calendars, I just compared MCPS with NCS to get a sense of this differential in days. It seems MCPS starts a week earlier and ends a week later, but MCPS also has more days off during the year. Lots of random teacher days. By my count, MCPS is in school for a total of 9 days more than NCS over the course of a year. But in counting days for NCS, I ignored the days of awards ceremonies, closing events, and commencement. I don't see those on the MCPS calendar, so I'm not sure if they're done during the "school year," or just not listed on the calendar. If they are done during MCPS's calendar days, then I should have included those for NCS too, and the differential shrinks more.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else think it's weird that multiple posters are wringing their hand over the cost of two whopping weeks of camp, plus a few half days?

How do you come up with the THIRTY GRAND for tuition? Or SIXTY GRAND.

Seriously, the $400 x 2 kids x two weeks of camp over break is super small potatoes.

Or are your kids at an inexpensive parochial school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was applying for K I sort of thought it was all or nothing.

Now I realize that so many people after a few years realize their children's personality and learning styles and move, adjust, etc.

My children did k-3 in one school, 4- middle in another school and will probably go to a different high school.

People move from private to public, public to private, private to private, public to public, etc.

You can only make the best decision you can when choosing a school for somebody going into K because really you are going on so little information.

I didn't think people thought that far into the future?! How could anyone know what your child will be like 10 years from now? Maybe I am too short-sighted?

The school we originally attended was K-8 so that is 9 years. We left in 3rd. Our current school goes up through 12th so that is 10 years.

My point is no I can't plan 10 years of my kids life in one choice of schoo. I did not choose the 2nd school thinking we will go through 12th. I actually evaluate each year when is a good time to maybe switch or move. Maybe in HS so go 3-8, 6 years and try somthing else for HS. I like the change and seeing how different each school is, but I would not want to change just to change it would have to fit our needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@16:09 do you people ever quit? Yes I'm really a private school parent and no I won't tell you our school.

Are YOU really a private school parent? Otherwise a simple calendar will tell you private schools start later, end later and have longer winter and spring breaks.

So you're frustrated with these aspects of your school, but refuse to name the school. Sounds to me like you're making it up.

Also, FWIW on school calendars, I just compared MCPS with NCS to get a sense of this differential in days. It seems MCPS starts a week earlier and ends a week later, but MCPS also has more days off during the year. Lots of random teacher days. By my count, MCPS is in school for a total of 9 days more than NCS over the course of a year. But in counting days for NCS, I ignored the days of awards ceremonies, closing events, and commencement. I don't see those on the MCPS calendar, so I'm not sure if they're done during the "school year," or just not listed on the calendar. If they are done during MCPS's calendar days, then I should have included those for NCS too, and the differential shrinks more.

I forgot to mention, I wish I'd known about the level of paranoia in the Koolaid drinkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I would have realized how many days off private school have compared to public schools. It is infuriating really considering tuition rates.

I wish I would have realized how much the social hierarchy comes into play. Everyone is pleasant enough but there is a clear distinction between the big money players and the rest of us.

I all BS on the social hierarchy quip. DS are at a top private and we are real middle class with SAHM and everyone we know is nice. This may have been posted by a troll trying to project what it may be like at private. If we were talking parochial like blessed sacrament school I mover believe it with the cadre of old line Irish Catholics or something but privates draw from so wide and far and DC so transient you would be hard pressed to say there is some kind of pecking order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I forgot to mention, I wish I'd known about the level of paranoia in the Koolaid drinkers.

And I wish I'd known the lengths trolls and liars will go to attack parents who choose private schools.