Why am I paying for private when Wilson HS (DCPS) admits are this good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're paying for private solely to improve college admissions chances, you're not understanding the point of private school.

This. I care about a solid education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

Do you really think that kids coming from private are less likely to party their way through college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

Do you really think that kids coming from private are less likely to party their way through college?

Kids who are serious in high school will be serious in college, regardless of the HS they go to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How’d the bottom quarter do?

I think you mean “how’d the bottom three quarters do”.

jail

[Anonymous]

just my experience but i went to a private high school in CT and went to Princeton. I found that I was INCREDIBLY burnt out by my high school's work load by the time I got to college. My peers who ended up in the same place went to so so high schools- some w/ a great school rates in the 3s and did just fine at Princeton, if not better than me and are now doing great career wise. I know for sure that my husband who went to a midwestern public school that is a 2 on great schools did just as well as me at Princeton (exact same GPA) and is a successful lawyer. I struggle with the idea of private vs public because I was so conditioned to think private was better growing up but I feel that its likely more about the parents and the person's own motivations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just my experience but i went to a private high school in CT and went to Princeton. I found that I was INCREDIBLY burnt out by my high school's work load by the time I got to college. My peers who ended up in the same place went to so so high schools- some w/ a great school rates in the 3s and did just fine at Princeton, if not better than me and are now doing great career wise. I know for sure that my husband who went to a midwestern public school that is a 2 on great schools did just as well as me at Princeton (exact same GPA) and is a successful lawyer. I struggle with the idea of private vs public because I was so conditioned to think private was better growing up but I feel that its likely more about the parents and the person's own motivations.

Similar here...I also came out feeling very entitled. I almost wish Wilson was a little more ragged around the edges. Sigh...the good old days when you could get jumped in a bathroom there.

[Anonymous]

I thnk there is a "grittiness" factor especially with the emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The kids at Wilson can craft good narratives about social justice.

Schools like Maret, GDS and Sidwell have tough competition from Wilson. They just don't want to admit it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

Do you really think that kids coming from private are less likely to party their way through college?

Kids who are serious in high school will be serious in college, regardless of the HS they go to.

I’d argue it takes a more serious student to succeed at Wilson and be admitted to a top college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I thnk there is a "grittiness" factor especially with the emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The kids at Wilson can craft good narratives about social justice.

Schools like Maret, GDS and Sidwell have tough competition from Wilson. They just don't want to admit it.

Schools like Maret, GDS and Sidwell focus on their curriculum and running their schools per their mission. They don't care about 'competition" from Wilson, BCC, Potomac, St Albans or anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How’d the bottom quarter do?

So you’re concerned about how your kid will fare because they’ll likely be in the bottom quarter? Is that it?

Yes, I understand about 25% of the class at each of the Big 3 ends up in th bottom quarter. Go figure.

Yes, 25% is equal to one quarter! Good job!

Whoosh, look up - that went over your head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

Do you really think that kids coming from private are less likely to party their way through college?

Kids who are serious in high school will be serious in college, regardless of the HS they go to.

I’d argue it takes a more serious student to succeed at Wilson and be admitted to a top college.

So much depends upon the kid. The reality is that at Wilson there are really only two tracks - standard and all advanced. Very few take a mix of APs and standard classes so by junior year the advanced kids are taking full AP loads and it’s extremely competitive while the standard classes have a very broad range of learners, without the teaching resources to address the needs of all, which quite honestly can hold a skilled but non Advanced student back. If your kid excels in the advanced environment they are set for the elite colleges. If they don’t and end up as B students with 3s they don’t place well my sense is at private’s a child has more variety in tracks in multiple subjects, but I don’t have direct experience with privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How’d the bottom quarter do?

So you’re concerned about how your kid will fare because they’ll likely be in the bottom quarter? Is that it?

Yes, I understand about 25% of the class at each of the Big 3 ends up in th bottom quarter. Go figure.

Yes, 25% is equal to one quarter! Good job!

Whoosh, look up - that went over your head.

Do you mean the bottom quarter of colleges? Measured how? Your language was completely muddled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah they learned garbage so they'll struggle in college

+1. Colleague brags about her daughter being at an Ivy then during happy hour always admits her kid is struggling academically. Her d’s instagram is open, she’s constantly partying and hanging with townies.

Do you really think that kids coming from private are less likely to party their way through college?

Kids who are serious in high school will be serious in college, regardless of the HS they go to.

I’d argue it takes a more serious student to succeed at Wilson and be admitted to a top college.

So much depends upon the kid. The reality is that at Wilson there are really only two tracks - standard and all advanced. Very few take a mix of APs and standard classes so by junior year the advanced kids are taking full AP loads and it’s extremely competitive while the standard classes have a very broad range of learners, without the teaching resources to address the needs of all, which quite honestly can hold a skilled but non Advanced student back. If your kid excels in the advanced environment they are set for the elite colleges. If they don’t and end up as B students with 3s they don’t place well my sense is at private’s a child has more variety in tracks in multiple subjects, but I don’t have direct experience with privates.

OP here. This is interesting. My kid was at the top of the Deal cohort—all As, top math track, 95%+ SSAT, takes studies very seriously, etc—which is why she/he was accepted by a Big3 high school to begin with. Ironic that this type of kid might have assured of better college outcomes from Wilson. Obviously it’s not just about college but it does factor in-as evidenced by the many threads on college acceptance on the private school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at Deal and we’re about to pay $$ for a big3 school instead of Wilson. However, this week is DCPS spring break and many people I know are taking their kids around to accepted schools to make their college decisions. These kids from Wilson were accepted at Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, Michigan, UCLA, NYU, Vassar, Pomona, Cornell, Brown, Oberlin and Swarthmore. Typical smart white kids. Nothing out of the ordinary. And this is just the handful of kids I know from my block and/or siblings of kids from our DCPS elementary. So why am I paying for private next year again? I’ve found Deal to be uneven at best but it doesn’t seem to make one bit of difference (if college admission is the end game).

It is your last line that answers your question---"uneven at best." You have to decide what matters to you. My kid moved from DCPS and is a lot happier and is getting a better education, sports, arts, no bullying. So that is why we are doing it.