Will top privates ever put a cap on tuition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the so called second and third tiers fail, it will make the "first tiers" even harder to get in as the pool of good schools become smaller. This will increase the monopoly power of the remaining schools and they will charge even more because they can get away with it.

I don't think you understand what "monopoly power" (or market power) is. By definition, there can be only one entity with monopoly power/market power in a market.... so by definition if there are several competing "first tier" schools there is no monopoly power for any of them.

[Anonymous]

OK, so s/he meant oligopoly. I'm sure you got the general idea.

[Anonymous]

15:01 - Why such negativity towards Catholic (and Jewish) schools. If they are such a different "product" why do STA and Prep grads get into the same colleges? Seems to me the Prep kids and families who paid a lots less for their education win in the end when they all end up at the same college.

http://www.gprep.org/page.cfm?p=1142

http://www.stalbansschool.org/Page/Academics/College-Counseling/College-Matriculations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. The top NYC privates (the most expensive in the country) are hitting 45k and there are no shortage of applicants.

We're in SF. I know of at least one school here that is 44K and has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard, so I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:01 - Why such negativity towards Catholic (and Jewish) schools. If they are such a different "product" why do STA and Prep grads get into the same colleges? Seems to me the Prep kids and families who paid a lots less for their education win in the end when they all end up at the same college.

http://www.gprep.org/page.cfm?p=1142

http://www.stalbansschool.org/Page/Academics/College-Counseling/College-Matriculations

Sports scholarships for GP.

[Anonymous]

Don't be ridiculous 22:54. Not everyone gets a sports scholarship at Prep. They earn their way into those schools. But, hey, if they did then everyone better jump on the Prep band wagon. Your son could be guaranteed an athletic scholarship to a top college - wow, a great education and a scholarship. Quick....run, don't walk, to Prep!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tuition will keep going up, though see the trends -- some schools have significantly higher tuition than others. E.g., Catholic schools are quite a bit lower. Maret has been noted as having a lower tuition than other top schools (by several thousand dollars).

Financial aid will likely become more and more the norm. At top DC private schools, about 25% of kids receive some financial aid. I can see that number continuing to rise (at many private colleges, the % of kids getting FA is around 50%, as a somewhat analogous example of where we could be going).

So, there may be no cap in sight, though I can see FA amounts and percentages going up bit by bit.

Catholic schools are a separate category, funded completely differently and also not the same product. See also, Jewish schools

Why don't you tell us just how Catholic schools are funded. And in what ways the "product" is significantly different.

The only real difference is who attends them. (Catholics).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Plus, teachers all get sent abroad for the summer at sidwell for continuing Ed. Families-you cannot afford to go on vacation, but don't sweat it, our teachers can.

Don't worry, the teachers can't afford to go on vacations either, even if their employers do cover the cost if work-related travel.

WTF.

[Anonymous]

If you need a new car each year you have issues.

[Anonymous]

A cap, no. They will respond to market forces like anything else.

Sometimes I look around and wonder how families afford kids in private. Some really are making bank in their careers, but I think it's easy to underestimate the number of families who don't save for retirement or anything else to make the tuition payment. And lots of grandparent subsidies--some of which seem ill advised.

[Anonymous]

Wow 10:00, you are not very smart are you? Is it embarrassing when you don't ever get what people are saying? To break it down for you, OP was saying the cost of tuition is equivalent to a new car every year (which of course is not something people do, but it is the same cost). It was used as an example to put the outrageous cost of tuition into perspective. Now do you get it?

[Anonymous]

At some price point (probably close to $35-$40K) it makes more sense to hire a private teacher to homeschool your kids for you.

[Anonymous]

A school like GDS or Sidwell (pref Sidwell) could try putting a 4 year cap on tuition once they hit 40K (or maybe 39k) to send a strong message (quaker values or progressive inclusiveness). Not sure how much that would set them back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At some price point (probably close to $35-$40K) it makes more sense to hire a private teacher to homeschool your kids for you.

True. As long as you can provide benefits too, this is very close to the entry level teacher salary already. Not much higher and you can offer a teacher a similar salary for just one or two kids instead a whole class!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A school like GDS or Sidwell (pref Sidwell) could try putting a 4 year cap on tuition once they hit 40K (or maybe 39k) to send a strong message (quaker values or progressive inclusiveness). Not sure how much that would set them back.

Um the three best schools are already there or damn close. STA and NCS have already passed $40,000, and Sidwell isn't far behind.