What schools would Obama consider for her daughters?

[Anonymous]

So I guess they picked Sidwell after all http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27846312

[Anonymous]

Sidwell it is.

After reading this thread, I feel compelled to post.

I attended one of these schools. I have multiple Ivy League degree. I have taught students who attended these schools at elite universitites. I have found that variation in their attitudes, abilities, and skills has little to do with which super-elite secondary schools they attended and almost everything to do with the kids. Year-to-year variation in college admissions is, also, more a function of variation in the student populations than the secondary schools themselves. And I regulary see kids from non-prestigious public schools outperforming their Sidwell, GDS, NCS, etc. peers.

Choose a school that provides an environment that you think will make your kid happy and allow them to thrive. Ignore the noise of insecure parents who need to justify their decisions, the options they actually had, and their own views of what a "good" school does or should look like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell it is.

After reading this thread, I feel compelled to post.

I attended one of these schools. I have multiple Ivy League degree. I have taught students who attended these schools at elite universitites. I have found that variation in their attitudes, abilities, and skills has little to do with which super-elite secondary schools they attended and almost everything to do with the kids. Year-to-year variation in college admissions is, also, more a function of variation in the student populations than the secondary schools themselves. And I regulary see kids from non-prestigious public schools outperforming their Sidwell, GDS, NCS, etc. peers.

Choose a school that provides an environment that you think will make your kid happy and allow them to thrive. Ignore the noise of insecure parents who need to justify their decisions, the options they actually had, and their own views of what a "good" school does or should look like.



Thank-you for this post1

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it came down to Mahlia. Michelle Obama favored GDS, yet the girls favored Sidwell because of their relationship with Biden's granddaughters. How could they go wrong with either? Have a great year girls! GDS keep your head up!

[Anonymous]

Where do you get that Mrs. Obama favored GDS?

[Anonymous]

Mrs. Obama did NOT favor GDS. She thought it was far too "relaxed". That's from the horse's mouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like it came down to Mahlia. Michelle Obama favored GDS, yet the girls favored Sidwell because of their relationship with Biden's granddaughters. How could they go wrong with either? Have a great year girls! GDS keep your head up!

The Obamas seem like better parents than that. Letting the kids pick the puppies, yes. Letting the kids pick their own school, no.

[Anonymous]

why not tho? If Michelle O had already narrowed it down to 2, why NOT let the kids pick?
No point to the kids visiting more than one school if the choice were not dependent on the kids' impressions

[Anonymous]

I had also heard that Obama favored GDS.

[Anonymous]

And from whom did you hear this, PP? The GDS admissions director?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why not tho? If Michelle O had already narrowed it down to 2, why NOT let the kids pick?
No point to the kids visiting more than one school if the choice were not dependent on the kids' impressions

But there's a difference between taking the kids' opinions into consideration and letting them have the final say, especially if the parants' preference is the opposite. The former is entirely sensible, the latter ceding too much power to kids who, after all, are ages 7 and 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why not tho? If Michelle O had already narrowed it down to 2, why NOT let the kids pick?
No point to the kids visiting more than one school if the choice were not dependent on the kids' impressions

But there's a difference between taking the kids' opinions into consideration and letting them have the final say, especially if the parants' preference is the opposite. The former is entirely sensible, the latter ceding too much power to kids who, after all, are ages 7 and 10.

If the parents dislike a school, usually there is no playdate...

[Anonymous]

I heard from sources close to the Obamas that Sidwell was the first choice from the beginning and that both Michelle and Malia were turned off by the atmosphere at GDS when they visited. Great school with a great history, but not the learning environment they wanted for their children. They never really considered Maret, which surprises me.

[Anonymous]

Apparently the Secret Service had a part in this too - they know Sidwell and are comfortable about having the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard from sources close to the Obamas that Sidwell was the first choice from the beginning and that both Michelle and Malia were turned off by the atmosphere at GDS when they visited. Great school with a great history, but not the learning environment they wanted for their children. They never really considered Maret, which surprises me.

This doesn't surprise me (GDS). Michelle Obama doesn't strike me as a typical liberal parent.