New STA parent seeking advice, suggestions, or just plain "I wish I had known X" info

[Anonymous]

Do the majority of boys in HS play at least one varsity sport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the majority of boys in HS play at least one varsity sport?

Yes. Or Voyageur or Conditioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the majority of boys in HS play at least one varsity sport?

Yes. Or Voyageur or Conditioning.

It's part of the curriculum--it's not optional.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How do new C formers handle their ties? Do kids wear the pre-tied clip on kind or is that just not a thing? Do people teach their kid how to tie a tie before school starts in case it comes undone during the day? Also, do any parents of older kids have suggestions on what you've found to be the most comfortable shirts and pants to buy that will hold up to the abuse that the boys put them through (we know about the exchange shop)?

Welcome! Some wear clip ons, some learn how to tie a tie, some have parents tie their tie, and quite a few wear turtlenecks the minute there is a chill well into warm spring. As for clothes, we buy Landsend, great sales.

Your son needs to learn how to tie a tie from Day 1. YouTube can help if no one in the household can. Second Lands End. But really the best clothes are available at the STA Exchange. It is a bit jarring to see Armani and Polo and Brooks and Press ties for $5, and you can easily score blazers for $20.

Most kids don't shop at the student exchange. That is not accurate to say they do.

Correct I don't know anyone who does and the one time I went the pickings for decent stuff was vey slim. Most STA boys would never wear used clothing, it is an exceedingly wealthy school especially in many of the younger grades.

Umm I have two boys at STA and we love the exchange. Not that it matters, but we are not on FA. I always shop at the exchange. My boys don't care AT ALL, doesn't even cross their minds that their blazers, belts, etc are used. And if anything, they get really stoked to find vintage tee shirts. PP I hope you aren't really a parent and are just a troll.

To new families, the pp is not a typical parent. Never thought about being judged for going to exchange, and don't care of I am, but really its those who don't who are missing out. Used clothing makes so much sense for kids and adults. Different conversation, but I never ever pay retail for anything, if it's $2,000.00 or $20, I find it for much cheaper. Love free stuff too!

sorry---I did not mean to suggest that one shouldn't shop there. We are not wealthy which is why I went there. But I honestly don't know anyone who does--my son's classmates all spend a lot of money of clothing.
My son's grade is exceedingly wealthy. I honestly always wonder where all the down-to-earth STA posters on here are hiding during the school year. We can't seem to find you and feel chronically out-of-place at school because we're not club members, don't have a CEO level job, don't have multiple homes, etc. I'm sure I'll get trashed now but I'm being vulnerable so please be kind. The wealth there is insane (and I have another kid at another top DC private).

The timing of when you go to the exchange matters. Go early on the first day it’s open. Donations ebb and flow; depending on the time of year and when you go in, you might find lots of nice stuff or not. I don’t depend on the exchange, and we are not an FA family either. I love value, and I’ve found some great stuff through the years. New items with tags still on and near-new.

My boys prefer Vineyard Vines blazers because they stretch. Vineyard Vines pants suck if you have a boy who is rough on clothes. We go through many pairs. They develop holes in the knees easily, but the boys like the stretch cotton ones. JCrew has stretch pants but only through size 14. Lands End is more durable, but apparently less comfy.

There are many families who aren’t club members or Uber wealthy but I do know how you feel. Keep reaching out. You will find your people. Regular UMC families are in the minority at STA, but they are there.

[Anonymous]

Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

While STA’s tuition may be the highest, schools like GDS and Sidwell are not far behind. Many private school tuitions are high. Real wages for the middle class have been stagnating since the 1970s and purchasing power has decreased for most UMC.

At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000), 50% wealthy (HHI over $750,000), another 25% receive financial aid.

Not ideally diverse but no different than many privates and better than some.

Definitely not true that all UMC have been pushed out. We are double income professionals with HHI over $500,000. We are poor compared to some STA parents, but we’re there for the education, not to keep up with the STA Joneses. The school could do more to moderate the materialism is rampant in middle school, but part of that is just the age and is true at almost any middle school. By high school, the boys generally value athletic and academic talent and a sense of humor more than material things, although outrageously expensive sneakers remain a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

That’s really unfortunate. Middle and upper middle class students were the majority not that long ago, even with a fair number from the very wealthy.

For youth sports coats Hart Schaffner Marx makes the best, and very reasonable prices too at under $200. No one really cares about the brand name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

While STA’s tuition may be the highest, schools like GDS and Sidwell are not far behind. Many private school tuitions are high. Real wages for the middle class have been stagnating since the 1970s and purchasing power has decreased for most UMC.

At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000), 50% wealthy (HHI over $750,000), another 25% receive financial aid.

Not ideally diverse but no different than many privates and better than some.

Definitely not true that all UMC have been pushed out. We are double income professionals with HHI over $500,000. We are poor compared to some STA parents, but we’re there for the education, not to keep up with the STA Joneses. The school could do more to moderate the materialism is rampant in middle school, but part of that is just the age and is true at almost any middle school. By high school, the boys generally value athletic and academic talent and a sense of humor more than material things, although outrageously expensive sneakers remain a thing.

This is NO way that 25% of the families have incomes $250K to $500K. I would put this group at 10%, max, probablyl even less.
We're in this demographic and we're a social family and I can literally think of about 5 other families like us. (and also painful to pay $53K for a kid on this income).
I don't think anyone realizes how few "DC middle class" (the $250-500K) families there are in this demographic at STA unless they themselves are in it.

[Anonymous]

I would put:

25% aid
10% under 750K
65% over 750K

No exaggeration. It probably varies by grade but this is definitely our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would put:

25% aid
10% under 750K
65% over 750K

No exaggeration. It probably varies by grade but this is definitely our experience.

It does vary by grade. 10% under 750K is an exaggerated underestimate of UMCs. That would be 5 families in C Form, 6 in A Form, 8 in Form III. I have multiple kids across multiple grades at STA. It just ain’t so.

Across the entire school, it’s closer to

1/4 aid
1/3 under 750K
Around 1/2 over 750

People assume that others have more money than they do. It’s the wanna bes that brag and try to make others feel less than. Those with real wealth don’t talk about it and some are super-nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

While STA’s tuition may be the highest, schools like GDS and Sidwell are not far behind. Many private school tuitions are high. Real wages for the middle class have been stagnating since the 1970s and purchasing power has decreased for most UMC.

At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000), 50% wealthy (HHI over $750,000), another 25% receive financial aid.

Not ideally diverse but no different than many privates and better than some.

Definitely not true that all UMC have been pushed out. We are double income professionals with HHI over $500,000. We are poor compared to some STA parents, but we’re there for the education, not to keep up with the STA Joneses. The school could do more to moderate the materialism is rampant in middle school, but part of that is just the age and is true at almost any middle school. By high school, the boys generally value athletic and academic talent and a sense of humor more than material things, although outrageously expensive sneakers remain a thing.

This is NO way that 25% of the families have incomes $250K to $500K. I would put this group at 10%, max, probablyl even less.
We're in this demographic and we're a social family and I can literally think of about 5 other families like us. (and also painful to pay $53K for a kid on this income).
I don't think anyone realizes how few "DC middle class" (the $250-500K) families there are in this demographic at STA unless they themselves are in it.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

While STA’s tuition may be the highest, schools like GDS and Sidwell are not far behind. Many private school tuitions are high. Real wages for the middle class have been stagnating since the 1970s and purchasing power has decreased for most UMC.

At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000), 50% wealthy (HHI over $750,000), another 25% receive financial aid.

Not ideally diverse but no different than many privates and better than some.

Definitely not true that all UMC have been pushed out. We are double income professionals with HHI over $500,000. We are poor compared to some STA parents, but we’re there for the education, not to keep up with the STA Joneses. The school could do more to moderate the materialism is rampant in middle school, but part of that is just the age and is true at almost any middle school. By high school, the boys generally value athletic and academic talent and a sense of humor more than material things, although outrageously expensive sneakers remain a thing.

This is NO way that 25% of the families have incomes $250K to $500K. I would put this group at 10%, max, probablyl even less.
We're in this demographic and we're a social family and I can literally think of about 5 other families like us. (and also painful to pay $53K for a kid on this income).
I don't think anyone realizes how few "DC middle class" (the $250-500K) families there are in this demographic at STA unless they themselves are in it.

I’m in the DC UMC group, and I disagree. The really rich and UMCs are about evenly divided at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is NO way that 25% of the families have incomes $250K to $500K. I would put this group at 10%, max, probablyl even less.
We're in this demographic and we're a social family and I can literally think of about 5 other families like us. (and also painful to pay $53K for a kid on this income).
I don't think anyone realizes how few "DC middle class" (the $250-500K) families there are in this demographic at STA unless they themselves are in it.

You can’t be that social if you can only think of 5 families like you. There are more. You might run into them less because the parents work full time, live in the burbs, and are less interested in socializing with other STA families because they’re just there for the education.

if it’s painful to pay for tuition, maybe think about other options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular UMC families (along with many others) have, for the most part, all been pushed out. Unless they have wealthy grandparents paying the bills, they can’t afford it. Tuition is the highest in the area at $53,000 a year per child and goes up every year. A school that used to educated many in the community because tuition was more reasonable, is now a Mecca for the Uber wealthy.

While STA’s tuition may be the highest, schools like GDS and Sidwell are not far behind. Many private school tuitions are high. Real wages for the middle class have been stagnating since the 1970s and purchasing power has decreased for most UMC.

At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000), 50% wealthy (HHI over $750,000), another 25% receive financial aid.

Not ideally diverse but no different than many privates and better than some.

Definitely not true that all UMC have been pushed out. We are double income professionals with HHI over $500,000. We are poor compared to some STA parents, but we’re there for the education, not to keep up with the STA Joneses. The school could do more to moderate the materialism is rampant in middle school, but part of that is just the age and is true at almost any middle school. By high school, the boys generally value athletic and academic talent and a sense of humor more than material things, although outrageously expensive sneakers remain a thing.

This is NO way that 25% of the families have incomes $250K to $500K. I would put this group at 10%, max, probablyl even less.
We're in this demographic and we're a social family and I can literally think of about 5 other families like us. (and also painful to pay $53K for a kid on this income).
I don't think anyone realizes how few "DC middle class" (the $250-500K) families there are in this demographic at STA unless they themselves are in it.

I’m in the DC UMC group, and I disagree. The really rich and UMCs are about evenly divided at the school.

what income do you consider the "DC UMC" group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At a guess 25% of STA is UMC (HHI over $250,000)

HHIs in the 95th percentile are UMC?
https://statisticalatlas.com/metro-area/District-of-Columbia/Washington/Household-Income