Reply to What is it like to be a family at an elite NWDC Private who can just barely afford it?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I find the post interesting and puzzling all at the same time. I don't have a child in one of these schools yet, but we are applying. We will need substantial FA to send your DC to whichever school we are lucky to get into. This fact has not discouraged me from applying for a few reasons. One, we require FA simply because of the careers we have chosen to pursue. Both my husband and I graduated from a top 25 college and have advanced degrees. Nonetheless, we are both lifetime public servants by choice. Despite our annual income we have a deep commitment to making sure our children get the absolute best education possible. Part of that education is teaching them that life is about the choices you make including your income. Given my profession I certainly could be making 10 times more than I do had I chosen to not work in the public sector. I'm a lawyer, but a long time government lawyer by choice. I valued a commitment to public service and the flexibility of a less demanding work week so that I could be a present mother over earning a high salary. With that choice came certain consequences. We wont be buying a new car every year, we wont be taking lavish vacations every year, and they wont be wearing shoes and clothes that cost $500. However, we plan on working hard to instill in them IF they want those material things they are being provided an excellent education so that they can pursue whatever career choice they want and earn however much they want to provide those things FOR THEMSELVES! Does that mean they may not feel slighted as they grow and see other kids with all of the material things? No, it doesn't and of course they will. However, adversity builds character. Period. It isn't my job to protect them from all of the ills of the world, its to instill in them skills to handle any obstacle they face.

Heck I was on FA in college and never took a lavish Spring Break vacation and had to hear all about my roommates and dorm mates fancy vacations. Guess what? That's life. Unless you are in the 1% there will always be someone who can afford more than you. More importantly, while money can certainly make you more comfortable it doesn't define happiness. I don't want to suggest the OP concerns are valid, but I think the response should be -- yeah there may be challenges, but you have to decide why you want this education for your child...and THAT has to be your focus.

...you do realize that you aren't avoiding materialistic things (aka. An expensive education), you are just having someone else pay for it.  FA doesn't mean it's free, it just means that people who pay full freight are paying for you.

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+1.  That was the reaction I had when I read this post.  So this person is a lawyer and could make a better income.  But she chooses to do a lower-paying job, and have others pay for her children's tuition.  I might like to have a lower-paying job that was less stressful or more fun, but I figure that, if I want my kids in private school, I need to pay the tuition.  I can completely understand FA for people who genuinely don't have the ability to pay the tuition because of lack of education etc.  But I think it's a bit much for a lawyer to be applying for FA.  (Granted, there are lots of unemployed and underemployed lawyers out there, so perhaps that profession is not the best example.)[/quote]

Yes I am committed to public service and I make no apologies for it, and I certainly won't risk my children's ability to get a good education because I didn't want to slave at a private firm while a nanny raised my kids so I can afford to send them
to a private school. Somebody has to be willing to prosecute criminals...dare I children be subjected to a crappy education because of it? [/quote]

I guess FA is the only way the children of privileged, well-educated parents can learn. If only this country had free education for children. Oh wait, it does! And the public schools in and around this area are consistently ranked high and sending thousands of kids to top ranking colleges every year!  Next time you brag about the work you do, you should also praise the big law parents who are subsidizing your kid's education.  [/quote]

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