The Death of Private School As We Know It

[Anonymous]

I'm another one that has no intention of sending my child to an Ivy. They are in 3rd grade now and that is absolutely not the goal.

The goal is for DC to be a well-rounded, independent person who will contribute something to society.

Of course, they will go to college, but definitely not Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:50K a year?

How about free and 5K of tutors. You all are idiots.

Why would I send my kid to an inadequate school all day so they can come home and learn again with tutors? WTF sense does that make?

Right?!? Hardly a ringing endorsement - send your kid to public school so they can spend hours with tutors after being at school all day! Yay for you?

[Anonymous]

Yes, some aspects of the reckoning are here and are hitting the private high schools hard, and the complicit test prep companies and college admissions coaches.

The old formula from 5 years ago just doesn't work anymore. The goals of the colleges have changed (more diversity) and the inputs have forever changed (test optional).

My guess is that the private high schools in the DC area will all hire more college admissions staff to help personalize the process more and to do much more advocacy.

Some of these schools have over 40 seniors assigned to each college counselor and those paying the tuition will demand a much better ratio of counselors to students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:50K a year?

How about free and 5K of tutors. You all are idiots.

When you can afford the 50K, it's not a big deal. No need to spend all your spare time on cheap tutors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, some aspects of the reckoning are here and are hitting the private high schools hard, and the complicit test prep companies and college admissions coaches.

The old formula from 5 years ago just doesn't work anymore. The goals of the colleges have changed (more diversity) and the inputs have forever changed (test optional).

My guess is that the private high schools in the DC area will all hire more college admissions staff to help personalize the process more and to do much more advocacy.

Some of these schools have over 40 seniors assigned to each college counselor and those paying the tuition will demand a much better ratio of counselors to students.

I'm sorry but you're completely talking out of your *ss here. Private school acceptance lists look the same now as they have. It's the public schools that have kids grind their way in with test scores who are negatively impacted.

[Anonymous]

This thread is an interesting contrast to of all the threads bemoaning the poor admissions from the top publics in the area (Wilson, BCC, Whitman, etc) and the constant drumbeat on the public school threads that the only way to get your kid into a top college is to go private.

Looks like there are no easy answers! No one is happy with their kids' schools right now

[Anonymous]

The quality of education my child receives at his private so far exceeds that my public school nieces and nephews it is startling. We know that he is not likely to get into ivy but he wasn’t likely to get into ivy from public either. He is however so far advanced in his education I feel cheated having gone to public school. In 6th and 7th grades he was using the same textbooks that his high school cousins were using. It was sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe we're not sending our kids to private school for a guaranteed admission at an ivy

Not OP. But you obviously can't read. OP said IF you're sending your kids to the Big 3 for college admissions purposes.

If you're not, the warning doesn't apply to you. Although I bet you're lying to yourself about why you are sending your kid there.

No, I know my kid wouldve done great in public and would probably have stood out more. I preferred the small class size and sense of community at the private she attends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im sounding the alarm. The end is near.

For any one of you paying full tuition at a Private School for college admissions purposes (hoping you'll get into a better college), you are 100% wasting your money. I have several children in Big 3's and unless you are URM, QuestBridge, Athlete or Legacy - you are completely wasting your money. No one cares that your school is tough. That a 3.7 is really great. No one cares about ACT/SATs anymore.

You are wasting your money. 100%

The college admissions process is now washed of achievement. And there is backlash against wealth and privilege.

Dont do it. Dont waste your time. And your money. And stop perpetuating the dummying down of our system.

I wish someone would have told me 3 years ago before I enrolled my kids. Total waste of money.

K-12 at private school and college at a respected place like UMich, UVA, USC, Wake Forest, or LAC > K-12 at public school with a CHANCE at a top 20 university. I sincerely mean that with every bone in my body. We simply could not care less if our children don't get into an "elite" college; we aren't status obsessed strivers who need that validation. We are confident the prep and polish they receive as private lifers ensures they will be successful wherever they land at college. Honestly, the public strivers I know who scraped and crawled or lucked into an elite college almost always felt like they were the dullest on a campus full of hyper-competitive overachieving sharks.

[Anonymous]

Removing test scores is just so they can continue to admit the same amount of under-qualified URMS as before without the paper trail to keep getting sued for it -- and without it dinging what they submit to US News for rankings purposes. Let's be honest, the white, Indian and Asian kids still have to submit SAT/ACT and AP scores for a fair chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're right -- good. It's a long time coming. Private schools are for the privileged, and the privileged already have enough advantages.

Right? Cry me a river OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe we're not sending our kids to private school for a guaranteed admission at an ivy

Not OP. But you obviously can't read. OP said IF you're sending your kids to the Big 3 for college admissions purposes.

If you're not, the warning doesn't apply to you. Although I bet you're lying to yourself about why you are sending your kid there.

No, I know my kid wouldve done great in public and would probably have stood out more. I preferred the small class size and sense of community at the private she attends.

God, so arrogant. The publics in this area are stuffed with top flight students. I think my kid stands out more in private because it's not a sea of a million super striver kids.

[Anonymous]

I think Privates work better with athletes since colleges can see that the athlete can handle more rigorous course work, but for everyone else private schools don’t give much of an advantage with admissions.

[Anonymous]

I send mine because of the much higher expectations. He went to public school, got straights As for just showing up and handing work in. Ridiculously low expectations there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I send mine because of the much higher expectations. He went to public school, got straights As for just showing up and handing work in. Ridiculously low expectations there.

Agree here. There are many smart kids in public but we found the expectations to be incredibly low. it worried us that EVERYONE got As. That's not a good thing for college admissions. Also, the only kids getting in to the Ivys from the DMV publics are legacy, URMs and athletes. It's the exact same story as privates. have you actually looked down the list of a large DMV public's admit and tracked the Ivy admits? i have. It's the same story as private. the exact same story. only legacies, URMs almost to a person.