Reply to FAQ: What is the "Big 3"? (or "Big 5", or "Big 10", etc)

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Reply to "FAQ: What is the "Big 3"? (or "Big 5", or "Big 10", etc)"

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[quote=Anonymous]Having skimmed this entire thread I think a few people have too much time on their hands. Some seem downright mean spirited, and incredibly OCD with regard to their particular spin on school prestige and attending a "Big" school.

There is an absolute plethora of great schools in the Metro Area, private and public. Be proud wherever your child attends. But it's the kids stupid that get themselves into the universities of their choice. Not the schools. A school does not manufacture SAT's and grades or talent or character. The student does. So it happens that many inherently bright well-motivated affluent students concentrate themselves within a few small student body private schools (or TJ) and make the schools look great. But the credit belongs to each and every individual student. Not the schools! Skim the top 10%'s of any group and put them in one place and of course you have fantastic results. As a parent we should be more focused on the happiness of our child and their fit in the context of an educational environment, and less with prestige and self-gloating.

By a fluke accident our child does happen to attend one of these highly-regarded schools. We are happy for him that he is there, as we would have been for him at many other schools. But he would have done well anywhere. The credit belongs to him and his hard work, not to us, and not to the school. He brings his high SAT score and good grades to the school and the school should be grateful. This particular school has not manufactured his academic achievement any more than any other particular school would have. He did the work! It's misguided to think otherwise. On the other hand his school selection [u]has[/u] improved his general happiness because it has been a good fit. This is what it's all about. For this we are grateful.

I am also sure most of the students in the mythical Big 3 would do well in any other school too, including public. I believe there's a way to get a good education in most schools - hopefully an education that inspires the student to be a good person who is of benefit to the world he lives in. Unfortunately from this thread it seems to me there are far too many parents concerned with their own perceived status than about their child being happy, working hard, and getting a good honest education wherever that may be.

This message does not apply to many of you. You know who you are, and the others know who they are. To those in the first category thank you for your erudite and enlightened comments. I learned a lot from you.

The notion of a local Big 3 is for the BIG HEADED. It is not a notion for the well educated. [/quote]

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