school for nerdy, not super-rich kids?

[Anonymous]

Make or break indeed, LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend by bringing up income. I didn't go to private school (obviously) and I formed that impression of typical class dynamics from a different post on this forum. I'd still value recs for schools with a nerdy, quirky vibe.

There’s your mistake. Don’t form your opinions on much, but particularly class dynamics, from posts on the forum.

At 400k, you will be in the middle 50% of income at every school in the DC area, except *maybe* Madeira and Foxcroft. You wouldn’t even be the “poorest” full pay boarding family in the NE boarding schools. And these schools aren’t status symbol obsessed like this board. It will be the same scene, or maybe slightly improved, as UMC public’s when it comes to material possessions.

Not true at the Big3. We have kids at two of them and we are definitely, 100% in the bottom quartile of income with a HHI of $400K.

So much so that we receive aid. So clearly the schools themselves agree that we are in their lower income bracket. I know that people think that the aid famlies at these school are making $75K a year but no, most of us are making $200-400K.
We are the "poor" (who are not poor by any other standard).

This is why I no longer want to donate to financial aid fundraisers. Id like my money to go to those who truly struggle rather than middle class families who want all their kids in private.

Agree. We have one child in private school, HHI of 330k, and don’t apply for financial aid because we are financially responsible enough to juggle tuition now, savings goals for the future, and current expenses. I have no interest in subsidizing the debt payments of people with higher incomes and higher debt burdens than we have but want to live above their means. NMP

[Anonymous]

I feel the FCPS AAP for elementary schools from grade 3 to 6 is much watered down as compared to what it was couple of years ago. That is due to education getting mixed with politics. I think except for Math all other subjects Language arts, social studies and science are same for AAP and non AAP kids. Not challenging at all….AAP math is also not challenging. This is why I am leaning towards private for my DC who is in AAP at a center school in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

And I think some schools may want to avoid a “donut” problem where it’s only the ultra-wealthy and low/working class full scholarship kids that can afford to attend. I have zero intelligence on this, but I can see why schools may find it useful to toss a “few” dollars at, eg, dual GS-15/SES households who could easily fall into the 350-400K range, far below partner-level pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel the FCPS AAP for elementary schools from grade 3 to 6 is much watered down as compared to what it was couple of years ago. That is due to education getting mixed with politics. I think except for Math all other subjects Language arts, social studies and science are same for AAP and non AAP kids. Not challenging at all….AAP math is also not challenging. This is why I am leaning towards private for my DC who is in AAP at a center school in McLean.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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%.

Day and boarding are in separate buckets. Have heard that boarding has a higher admit rate. Hard to handicap based solely on grades -- my sense from the girls we know that were and were not admitted is that they looked at the whole girl.

[Anonymous]

There is definitely a donut hole in incomes in my child’s DC area private. We are two Feds and feel like we’re in the bottom quartile, for sure. Day to day it’s fine and has no effect on my child, but like everything these days there seems to be income stratification—more hedge funders than Big Law partners or doctors like I remember from my days in private school back in the 90s.

[Anonymous]

School for nerdy kids- basis independent McLean 😊

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before and I couldn't find it. We're in Arlington and very new to considering private school, because public isn't rigorous enough. We're poor by private school standards (upper 400s HHI), and I hate the thought of my daughters feeling "less than" or wanting designer clothes/cars/etc. to fit in. Catholic school wouldn't be ideal, because I think one of my kids is gay. Are there any schools you'd recommend with a nerdy, quirky, non-1%ter dominated vibe? Or resources you'd recommend for doing my own research? Thank you!

100% St. Anselm’s Abbey school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before and I couldn't find it. We're in Arlington and very new to considering private school, because public isn't rigorous enough. We're poor by private school standards (upper 400s HHI), and I hate the thought of my daughters feeling "less than" or wanting designer clothes/cars/etc. to fit in. Catholic school wouldn't be ideal, because I think one of my kids is gay. Are there any schools you'd recommend with a nerdy, quirky, non-1%ter dominated vibe? Or resources you'd recommend for doing my own research? Thank you!

100% St. Anselm’s Abbey school

Great school but difficult for OP’s DDs to fit in there. I’ve always wished there was a SAAS for girls. My DD would have loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before and I couldn't find it. We're in Arlington and very new to considering private school, because public isn't rigorous enough. We're poor by private school standards (upper 400s HHI), and I hate the thought of my daughters feeling "less than" or wanting designer clothes/cars/etc. to fit in. Catholic school wouldn't be ideal, because I think one of my kids is gay. Are there any schools you'd recommend with a nerdy, quirky, non-1%ter dominated vibe? Or resources you'd recommend for doing my own research? Thank you!

100% St. Anselm’s Abbey school

Great school but difficult for OP’s DDs to fit in there. I’ve always wished there was a SAAS for girls. My DD would have loved it.

We are def looking at the Abbey for our boys but do with their was a coed equivalent if not sister school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before and I couldn't find it. We're in Arlington and very new to considering private school, because public isn't rigorous enough. We're poor by private school standards (upper 400s HHI), and I hate the thought of my daughters feeling "less than" or wanting designer clothes/cars/etc. to fit in. Catholic school wouldn't be ideal, because I think one of my kids is gay. Are there any schools you'd recommend with a nerdy, quirky, non-1%ter dominated vibe? Or resources you'd recommend for doing my own research? Thank you!

100% St. Anselm’s Abbey school

I think you may need to re-read OP's ask.

[Anonymous]

You are not poor by private school standards.

I make 1/4 of your salary and my kid is 100% fine at his DC private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

[Anonymous]

“Poor” can be poor for different families. Yes but $400 k in DC area is poor as these schools are also very expensive like over $50,000 per year. And DC area has so much money…not sure how it is in NYC or LA private schools.