If your private high school child was accepted at an elite college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m told that at least in high school STA publishes the ranking of boys on each exam, every class and cumulatively. The rankings are not anonymous. Every boy knows where they stand among their classmates at all times. This practice surely generates competition among the boys, but it also pushes them to excel. To my knowledge, this is a rather unusual practice and I imagine that it would highly beneficial for some boys and very counterproductive for other boys.

My concern would be that the uber competition would undermine cooperation within the school – the opposite of schools that emphasize team sports to develop cooperation within the school while competing outside the schools.

I am a current Upper School (high school) teacher at St. Albans. The practice you describe does not happen -- the school does not even generate class rank. Nor have I ever heard of any individual teacher engaging in such a practice (and it's a small place). I'm not sure where you are getting your information -- could it be from an alumnus who graduated one or more generations go?

(Generally I just lurk on the site and appreciate the fireworks but this was so inaccurate that I had to jump in.)

Thank you, PP from a STA parent. I'm aware that the boys do share test scores, etc. but had never heard anything about classroom ranking practices. I would be interested in STA's tracking practices, can you share that, thanks!

Hi, STA parent. I'm not an expert on tracking so I wouldn't want to steer you wrong. It definitely varies by department, so for a general overview I might try your son's Form Advisor, and for a department-specific answer I'd think you could talk to a teacher in that department or the department chair. Sorry not to be more helpful -- I would hate to give inaccurate information out.

Thanks, very helpful!

[Anonymous]

The best kept secret in terms of strong academic upper school program, small classes and many top notch teachers- McLean School of Md. Kids this year are getting into Johns Hopkins, Brandeis, Vanderbilt, Emory and U of Md Honors Banneker Key scholar among other schools. The education is there for the students who take advantage of it. Call admissions if you want to confirm this. Highly recommend McLean.

Current McLean parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear


LD usually means learning disability

Learning difference means you learn differently, not due to a diagnosis. Boys learn differently than girls or a student works better in groups than lecture, or prefer lecture to independent study, or many other different ways to learn.

In practice people use the terms "learning disability" and "learning difference" interchangeably. I've never heard the term "learning difference" apply to style or preference of learning, I've only heard it in terms of accommodations, whether or not there's a diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear


LD usually means learning disability

Learning difference means you learn differently, not due to a diagnosis. Boys learn differently than girls or a student works better in groups than lecture, or prefer lecture to independent study, or many other different ways to learn.

In practice people use the terms "learning disability" and "learning difference" interchangeably. I've never heard the term "learning difference" apply to style or preference of learning, I've only heard it in terms of accommodations, whether or not there's a diagnosis.

Educators refer to differential learning for all types of kids. What is the best way to teach all kids in the classroom. Worksheet and lecture or other ways like group activities, and hands on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear


LD usually means learning disability

Learning difference means you learn differently, not due to a diagnosis. Boys learn differently than girls or a student works better in groups than lecture, or prefer lecture to independent study, or many other different ways to learn.

In practice people use the terms "learning disability" and "learning difference" interchangeably. I've never heard the term "learning difference" apply to style or preference of learning, I've only heard it in terms of accommodations, whether or not there's a diagnosis.

I had thought that "learning differently" was an updated euphemism for "learning disability" -- that's how I've generally heard it use. Similar to the use of "differently abled" rather than disabled. When it's about visual vs. aural learning, or boys vs. girls in terms of pedagogy, I hear people more talk about different "learning styles."

I'm sure people could be using defined terms incorrectly, but that's how I've heard them used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes my kid went to a top three and went to and Ivy. Yes, got there on her own speed. Would have had the same result anywhere.

No doubt. Did she ever mention that she valued her many writing-intensive classes at her private school? That's what I hear most often -- it's about the preparation and that boils down to lots of writing because of small class sizes.

Yes, she valued the writing intensive courses, although she would not put it that way. English and history were very good. Science and math less so but still good. She got an overall great education. She would have gotten to the same place without her private. 100% sure of that. That was the question.

Tuition at a big 3 is around 37k. How much tutoring in writing will that pay for? Quite a bit I should think. js

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes my kid went to a top three and went to and Ivy. Yes, got there on her own speed. Would have had the same result anywhere.

No doubt. Did she ever mention that she valued her many writing-intensive classes at her private school? That's what I hear most often -- it's about the preparation and that boils down to lots of writing because of small class sizes.

Yes, she valued the writing intensive courses, although she would not put it that way. English and history were very good. Science and math less so but still good. She got an overall great education. She would have gotten to the same place without her private. 100% sure of that. That was the question.

Tuition at a big 3 is around 37k. How much tutoring in writing will that pay for? Quite a bit I should think. js

Well, it's sad you don't seem to value her secondary school education from the school she attended. Did the tuition keep you from buying stuff you wanted? Seems like an odd case of buyers' remorse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes my kid went to a top three and went to and Ivy. Yes, got there on her own speed. Would have had the same result anywhere.

No doubt. Did she ever mention that she valued her many writing-intensive classes at her private school? That's what I hear most often -- it's about the preparation and that boils down to lots of writing because of small class sizes.

Yes, she valued the writing intensive courses, although she would not put it that way. English and history were very good. Science and math less so but still good. She got an overall great education. She would have gotten to the same place without her private. 100% sure of that. That was the question.

Tuition at a big 3 is around 37k. How much tutoring in writing will that pay for? Quite a bit I should think. js

Well, it's sad you don't seem to value her secondary school education from the school she attended. Did the tuition keep you from buying stuff you wanted? Seems like an odd case of buyers' remorse.

This response is odd. It's too bad you don't like her answer, but there's no need to suggest PP wanted to buy "stuff" instead. That makes you sound like a jerk with poor reading comprehension. It seems you're upset that PP thinks the elite college acceptance would have been possible without ANY private school. PP reiterated for you she was answering the acceptance question, not the preparation question, but we do all know that public schools do teach writing, and that some public schools teach writing very well, even without the tutor PP referred to. But heck, PP explicitely said she valued the small classes and good writing instruction at her kid's private school. You can't accept that? Her opinion differs from yours: accept it without insulting her.

[Anonymous]

Thank you 9:59.
What I meant to stress and did not is that these private schools are extraordinarily expensive and are really out of reach for all but the wealthy. If you have a good public option, go for it and do not look back.

For the very limited question of college placement, many would make the argument that a child is disadvantaged coming from an elite private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes my kid went to a top three and went to and Ivy. Yes, got there on her own speed. Would have had the same result anywhere.

No doubt. Did she ever mention that she valued her many writing-intensive classes at her private school? That's what I hear most often -- it's about the preparation and that boils down to lots of writing because of small class sizes.

Yes, she valued the writing intensive courses, although she would not put it that way. English and history were very good. Science and math less so but still good. She got an overall great education. She would have gotten to the same place without her private. 100% sure of that. That was the question.

Tuition at a big 3 is around 37k. How much tutoring in writing will that pay for? Quite a bit I should think. js

Well, it's sad you don't seem to value her secondary school education from the school she attended. Did the tuition keep you from buying stuff you wanted? Seems like an odd case of buyers' remorse.

This response is odd. It's too bad you don't like her answer, but there's no need to suggest PP wanted to buy "stuff" instead. That makes you sound like a jerk with poor reading comprehension. It seems you're upset that PP thinks the elite college acceptance would have been possible without ANY private school. PP reiterated for you she was answering the acceptance question, not the preparation question, but we do all know that public schools do teach writing, and that some public schools teach writing very well, even without the tutor PP referred to. But heck, PP explicitely said she valued the small classes and good writing instruction at her kid's private school. You can't accept that? Her opinion differs from yours: accept it without insulting her.

Thanks, Preachy.