Reply to Bottom Half at Sidwell - How is college placement?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Bottom Half at Sidwell - How is college placement?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]And then you have to ask yourself if you think it makes sense to work harder in high school than college.  I went to a Big 3 here and found it interesting to recently talk to some friends from school and learn that most of us felt like we showed up at college burnt out and wish we had done more to take advantage of what college had to offer.  College has become the prize for all the competitive parenting so that all that matters is bragging rights.  Maybe we should all step back and think about what we want for our kids along the way.[/quote]

Agree. I went to Sidwell, my kids do not, and they are having markedly better high school experiences than I did. And I think they will be just as well prepared for college academically. [/quote]

I guess this depends on the individual. I went to a Big3-type school in another city, where all students worked very hard and the top 20% or so went to Ivy or Ivy-equivalent colleges.  My friends and I all were jealous during high school of our friends in local public schools who did not work nearly as hard (and also because we were stuck in a single-sex school).  But when we talked after high school was over, we were all acknowledged that we really appreciated what the school taught us and how it prepared us for college, no matter how much we had complained during high school.

Maybe part of the difference in attitude stems from the fact that I grew up in a part of the country where it was less common to attend top-ranked colleges than it is around here.  So when my friends and I earned spots in top colleges through hard work, we were proud of where the hard work got us and excited to press further.  Around here, it seems many more people simply see top colleges as the norm, so perhaps they are less likely to appreciate their success, and more likely to remember negatively the struggles it took to get there.

None of that is meant as snarky criticism; just speculation on one possible reason for the difference.  I know many people around here work very hard and appreciate the opportunities they receive as a result.  I have nothing but respect for them all.[/quote]

This thread is about the bottom half though, not the ivy bound top 15%. Being in the bottom half of a school like that is not necessarily a fabulous experience. And there are lots of great schools in the area, including public schools, where you can have the same college outcome and a more fulfilling HS experience. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics