Big 3 Nightmare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

what is your child's approx. GPA? NCS parent here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be a bit off topic, I moved to this area 30 pus years ago. I went to public school and turned out ok. However, when we looked at public schools in the DC area, we found results similar to these that were reported last year.

Fairfax County, VA public schools have an average cost per student of $16,505. Math proficiency score of 61%, and reading proficiency score of 74%.

Montgomery County Public Schools spends $20,648 per student each year. 87% of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 91% tested at or above that level for math.

DC spends $22,856 per student per year. 33% of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 20% tested at or above that level for math.

We chose to live in DC and chose to send our kid to a private. Our kid was a lifer at a Big 3. Our kid is admitted to 8 schools, all amazing in what the colleges offer. Our kid will be fine. My point is that I'm not sure if your kid went to a public school with the stats I mentioned above, they would have the same options my kid has today. I

I think it is foolish to say that public school kids can't compete with private school kids and get some of the same admission results.

Who cares what overall DCPS stats are when you only care about the stats of the specific DCPS school your own child will attend. Walls (and even Banneker), as well as all the kids taking AP classes at JR will have 100% proficiency on those tests.

You realize there are actually many marginal/poor private schools in DC...they just happen to live in Wards 7, 8, etc. If you were to average DC private school stats across ALL DC private schools, they wouldn't look great either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

Sorry to hear that. Her solid education at NCS will serve her for life.
I hope she is happy with her choices but she can always transfer to a more selective school in a year or two if she wants

I had an old colleague who used to brag about her daughter ALL the time. Daughter went to NCS. I didn’t talk to them during Covid and her daughter ended up at third tier school. I thought for sure she would be Ivy material. Now that I have kids approaching high school, I realize how competitive the college universe has become. While her daughter may have been a superstar as a child, I guess she didn’t shine at NCS.

If the kid graduated 2020-2023, the deck was stacked against her. Unfair to say she didn’t shine. Institutional priorities changed and a private school coastal kid was on the wrong side of that change. Especially a white kid, no hooks, just a a good student with solid ECs. Since 2020, that’s been a formula for lottery ticket top 30, else outcome most likely is 50-150 ranked college

Just the facts. Look at the instas for this year and last year for all private schools around here. Of course they are incomplete and we don’t know accomplishments, but take our kids who have a sport next to their name (recruits), and I’d wager the median admit is far lower ranked school than 5 years ago. It’s why none of the top privates even publicly report matriculation data by class like they used to. They bunch it into “in the last 5 years, NCS students have attended XYZ schools”

We all know what’s happening. Not fair to say kid didn’t “shine”

Plus NCS has gone grade deflationary in last few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

Sorry to hear that. Her solid education at NCS will serve her for life.
I hope she is happy with her choices but she can always transfer to a more selective school in a year or two if she wants

I had an old colleague who used to brag about her daughter ALL the time. Daughter went to NCS. I didn’t talk to them during Covid and her daughter ended up at third tier school. I thought for sure she would be Ivy material. Now that I have kids approaching high school, I realize how competitive the college universe has become. While her daughter may have been a superstar as a child, I guess she didn’t shine at NCS.

If the kid graduated 2020-2023, the deck was stacked against her. Unfair to say she didn’t shine. Institutional priorities changed and a private school coastal kid was on the wrong side of that change. Especially a white kid, no hooks, just a a good student with solid ECs. Since 2020, that’s been a formula for lottery ticket top 30, else outcome most likely is 50-150 ranked college

Just the facts. Look at the instas for this year and last year for all private schools around here. Of course they are incomplete and we don’t know accomplishments, but take our kids who have a sport next to their name (recruits), and I’d wager the median admit is far lower ranked school than 5 years ago. It’s why none of the top privates even publicly report matriculation data by class like they used to. They bunch it into “in the last 5 years, NCS students have attended XYZ schools”

We all know what’s happening. Not fair to say kid didn’t “shine”

Plus NCS has gone grade deflationary in last few years.

Omg 😂😂 the deck was not and never has been stacked against someone attending a $50,000 A YEAR private high school in any way, shape or form. Please educate yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

what is your child's approx. GPA? NCS parent here.

GPA is 3.4. ACT is 33

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

what is your child's approx. GPA? NCS parent here.

GPA is 3.4. ACT is 33

what was highest level math? Science? Do you mind sharing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

Sorry to hear that. Her solid education at NCS will serve her for life.
I hope she is happy with her choices but she can always transfer to a more selective school in a year or two if she wants

I had an old colleague who used to brag about her daughter ALL the time. Daughter went to NCS. I didn’t talk to them during Covid and her daughter ended up at third tier school. I thought for sure she would be Ivy material. Now that I have kids approaching high school, I realize how competitive the college universe has become. While her daughter may have been a superstar as a child, I guess she didn’t shine at NCS.

If the kid graduated 2020-2023, the deck was stacked against her. Unfair to say she didn’t shine. Institutional priorities changed and a private school coastal kid was on the wrong side of that change. Especially a white kid, no hooks, just a a good student with solid ECs. Since 2020, that’s been a formula for lottery ticket top 30, else outcome most likely is 50-150 ranked college

Just the facts. Look at the instas for this year and last year for all private schools around here. Of course they are incomplete and we don’t know accomplishments, but take our kids who have a sport next to their name (recruits), and I’d wager the median admit is far lower ranked school than 5 years ago. It’s why none of the top privates even publicly report matriculation data by class like they used to. They bunch it into “in the last 5 years, NCS students have attended XYZ schools”

We all know what’s happening. Not fair to say kid didn’t “shine”

Plus NCS has gone grade deflationary in last few years.

I understand there are strange dynamics at private schools (hard to make a complaint on your own and find that others that purport to support your position in private simply melt away and leave you hanging)...but how can there not be an effort on behalf of many parents to confront the excessive homework and grade deflation.

Wasn't the "bargain" that it would result in top college admissions? I mean in all honesty..what is the point of making kids do so much homework in HS? Is there some philosophy behind this (similar to a Montessori or other educational philosophy)? Why would you then also hit them with low grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

As a parent struggling with sending our kids to private or keeping them in our strong public, I’m starting to think we may as well save our 150k per year for our 3 kids. While we can afford tuition, college is our one and main goal for secondary schools.

Of course you don’t waste your money that way!!! Save it all to pay for med school for the three of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You just had unrealistic expectations from the beginning. The locus of Ivy-bound kids in this area has always been TJ and the MCPS magnets/RMIB. If your kid wasn’t going to get in there, they weren’t going to get into an Ivy. When you pay for private school you do not actually pay for the strivers and the “smartest” - those kids have always been in public. What you pay for is getting into a namebrand SLAC of some sort, especially if your child is less impressive. In some ways your kid working hard at the private was a waste. They could have coasted with the same result - that is actually what you paid for!

This is complete bs. The smartest kids have definitely never “always been in public,” any more than they have always been in private. Most kids don’t want or try to get into TJ or RM, it has nothing to do with not being able to get in. Your scenario is a fantasy, since 30-40% of Ivy classes come from private. And what private school families pay for is a rigorous curriculum with smaller classes that teach students how (not what) to think and write, not college admissions.

Who said that 30-40% are the smartest? They certainly may be connected. But even with those stats it’s evident that the majority of Ivy kids don’t come from private. I’ll say it again - the *whole point* of private is to protect your children’s privilege to be average and still get into a great college. The brillian strivers going to MIT are in RMIB. Your “big 3” kid is not that smart and hardworking - and that is the whole point: they do not have to be. It’s the literal definition of privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

As a parent struggling with sending our kids to private or keeping them in our strong public, I’m starting to think we may as well save our 150k per year for our 3 kids. While we can afford tuition, college is our one and main goal for secondary schools.

Of course you don’t waste your money that way!!! Save it all to pay for med school for the three of them.

Pp here. I know some people can afford or prioritize the learning experience and consider that worth 50k per year. I also want my children to have a positive school experience. My children are getting good grades, have lots of friends and are happy. I’m not sure the extra commute and 50k per year is worth it for a potentially worse college outcome. We are relatively new to the DC area. Dh and I are public school kids. DH graduated top 5 of his regular high school and I attended a magnet high in another state. I go back and forth between just keeping my kids where they are or which private school to strategically send them to. DH only cares about college outcome so not sold on shelling out the money. He has friends who did attend top colleges and their children are not getting j to their parents’ alma maters even with legacy status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

As a parent struggling with sending our kids to private or keeping them in our strong public, I’m starting to think we may as well save our 150k per year for our 3 kids. While we can afford tuition, college is our one and main goal for secondary schools.

If you have a strong public, save your $$ for college and grad school. Give the kids a debt free education and a new car and possibly a downpayment when they graduate college. Smart kids will do just as well at a public school and will also be surrounded by a wider variety of students on many levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

As a parent struggling with sending our kids to private or keeping them in our strong public, I’m starting to think we may as well save our 150k per year for our 3 kids. While we can afford tuition, college is our one and main goal for secondary schools.

Of course you don’t waste your money that way!!! Save it all to pay for med school for the three of them.

Pp here. I know some people can afford or prioritize the learning experience and consider that worth 50k per year. I also want my children to have a positive school experience. My children are getting good grades, have lots of friends and are happy. I’m not sure the extra commute and 50k per year is worth it for a potentially worse college outcome. We are relatively new to the DC area. Dh and I are public school kids. DH graduated top 5 of his regular high school and I attended a magnet high in another state. I go back and forth between just keeping my kids where they are or which private school to strategically send them to. DH only cares about college outcome so not sold on shelling out the money. He has friends who did attend top colleges and their children are not getting j to their parents’ alma maters even with legacy status.

Meant that colleagues’ children are not getting into their parents’ alma maters from their top dc/md privates. I don’t know if the kids were bottom of their class but these kids are going to schools outside of T100. Sorry, I would be pissed if I spent all that money and my kid ends up at some school that I would consider third or even fourth tier.

[Anonymous]

I went to a public high school you all would sneer at it, took 6 AP classes & had TONS of homework. It was endless. That is not at all unique to private schools!

[Anonymous]

For every private school who got snubbed, there are many more public school kids who also got rejected. The difference is the private school kid probably had far better counseling, a professional who helped with their college essay, better fluffy extracurricular activities, better written recommendations, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“You may have more data at NCS but there are plenty of unhappy parents and students regarding college outcomes at NCS. Yes, the education is outstanding but it is hard for students not to question why they worked so hard in HS to end up at a school like Bates or Wisconsin. “

I am an NCS parent of a senior. We would be dancing on the rooftops if our DD got into Wisconsin. It was a rejection. We are looking at options much, much lower on the USNWR list. Think 75-120.

As a parent struggling with sending our kids to private or keeping them in our strong public, I’m starting to think we may as well save our 150k per year for our 3 kids. While we can afford tuition, college is our one and main goal for secondary schools.

Of course you don’t waste your money that way!!! Save it all to pay for med school for the three of them.

Pp here. I know some people can afford or prioritize the learning experience and consider that worth 50k per year. I also want my children to have a positive school experience. My children are getting good grades, have lots of friends and are happy. I’m not sure the extra commute and 50k per year is worth it for a potentially worse college outcome. We are relatively new to the DC area. Dh and I are public school kids. DH graduated top 5 of his regular high school and I attended a magnet high in another state. I go back and forth between just keeping my kids where they are or which private school to strategically send them to. DH only cares about college outcome so not sold on shelling out the money. He has friends who did attend top colleges and their children are not getting j to their parents’ alma maters even with legacy status.

+1000

My children are in private high schools because I want them to love learning and to look back on high school with good memories. I don't want to usher them to tutoring or supplemental whatever after school hours so that they can claw their way to a college admission. My kids will not attend Ivies. I'm okay with this. My graduating senior is choosing a school which isn't in the T20-T50 schools. We are celebrating and happy he has had an amazing four years.

Not all private school parents have their priorities based in a college admission.