Reply to DC White flight - what will it mean for education?

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[quote=Anonymous]Look, there are 2 completely separate things at play here:  (1) the quality of education that a school provides and (2) how the school that a student attends affects college admission.

I think it is fair to say that the most selective schools want to see kids who are taking the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and are getting straight As in those classes.  If you are at a school that offers a lot of APs and advanced classes (eg, a "W" school), in some ways that is going to be harder for you from an admissions perspective than it would be if you went to Eastern which does not offer as much.  On the other hand, very selective classes understand this and are probably willing to go deeper into the class at a W school. Also colleges might be willing to take a chance on an Eastern student who they know might not be as well prepared, for diversity or equity purposes.  That Eastern student will have to work harder when he/she arrives at college, however.  Whether that student is able to overcome how behind they are as a result of having graduated from Eastern is a valid question.  I think there are examples of kids having both experiences.  College admissions are not an exact science and, like with many things in life, grit and determination can overcome some lack of academic preparation at times, while academic preparation and intelligence can also compensate for laziness.

If you are a more average student aiming for a less selective college, these factors might balance out.  At a W school you will have lots of academic opportunities and might learn more than you would at Eastern, but your class rank would likely not be as high.  At Eastern you might be able to take the most rigorous classes they offer and get straight As without breaking much of a sweat.    It is hard to say what type of student the colleges might prefer, and it probably depends a lot on the college and its priorities for admission.

The "real world" aspects of the education are also relevant.  I'd argue that private school provides an education into the "real world" of the wealthy that you aren't going to get at a place like Eastern.  Eastern offers an education into the "real world" of impoverished urban areas that you aren't going to get from a private school.  Diverse public schools such as W and Wilson probably are somewhere in the middle, with Ws closer to the private end of the spectrum than Wilson.  All experiences have value.  Those of us with means who value diverse experiences try to find ways for their kids to experience at all, through a combination of school, sports, other ECs, volunteerism, etc.  Every family is going to strike a different balance there.  Luckily, living in the DMV, all of these experiences are possible in ways that they would not be in other areas of the country.  [/quote]

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