Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is why the applications to UMD are so high from the Bethesda/Potomac public schools. Over 40% of Whitman students apply to UMD, and it looks like even higher percentages do from the other schools. The admission rate from Whitman is over 75% so these are qualified kids applying. I know some/many have gotten generous aid packages. I think more people are really starting to consider the public options much more seriously than in the past because the cost of private college has gotten just too high relative to the product, given that there are much less expensive options.

Agreed. On a related note, a top student at our private school went to University of Maryland Baltimore County, over a number of highly rated SLACs, because the student received a full merit scholarship for all four years.

Same. A friend of ours daughter is in at an Ivy for next year already. Mom is thinking hard about UMBC instead. That this is even a question is interesting.

She may have an interest in information technology. I know Towson's program is considered one of the best in the nation by people that actually work in the inducstry. I am hearing rumblings about UMBC also. People in the know don't just head for an Ivy because it is an Ivy. They look for the best step to where they are trying to go. For example, I bet a lot of the students headed to Michigan are going for business. For people in the know, there is a large network to Wall Street out of Ann Arbor (hedge fund fast forward).

Really? I work in the field, am a hiring manager and have heard nothing about Towson. UMBC is getting a pretty good reputation, but still not close to UMCP. When I think of "best in the nation" I think of Berkeley, CMU, MIT etc.

I knew Thomas Jefferson. TJ was a friend of mine. And Walt Whitman, you're no TJ (or New Trier HS either).

Anonymous wrote:These boards can be annoying. For all the snobs out there who are hung up on the big three, let's remember that those schools are weak compared to the top prep schools in New England and NYC. There was a list that I remember seeing in Forbes that ranked the top schools by what % of the student body placed in the Ivy League, MIT and Stanford. Guess what, not a single DC school made the list.

Way to add a little positive energy to the mix. Keep it up, sunshine.

These boards can be annoying. For all the snobs out there who are hung up on the big three, let's remember that those schools are weak compared to the top prep schools in New England and NYC. There was a list that I remember seeing in Forbes that ranked the top schools by what % of the student body placed in the Ivy League, MIT and Stanford. Guess what, not a single DC school made the list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is why the applications to UMD are so high from the Bethesda/Potomac public schools. Over 40% of Whitman students apply to UMD, and it looks like even higher percentages do from the other schools. The admission rate from Whitman is over 75% so these are qualified kids applying. I know some/many have gotten generous aid packages. I think more people are really starting to consider the public options much more seriously than in the past because the cost of private college has gotten just too high relative to the product, given that there are much less expensive options.

Agreed. On a related note, a top student at our private school went to University of Maryland Baltimore County, over a number of highly rated SLACs, because the student received a full merit scholarship for all four years.

Same. A friend of ours daughter is in at an Ivy for next year already. Mom is thinking hard about UMBC instead. That this is even a question is interesting.

She may have an interest in information technology. I know Towson's program is considered one of the best in the nation by people that actually work in the inducstry. I am hearing rumblings about UMBC also. People in the know don't just head for an Ivy because it is an Ivy. They look for the best step to where they are trying to go. For example, I bet a lot of the students headed to Michigan are going for business. For people in the know, there is a large network to Wall Street out of Ann Arbor (hedge fund fast forward).

NP here. Here's the 4-5th post in on the thread. It may or may not be OP. Even if you doubt OP was trying to slam publics (Ithink she was trying to slam publics, because otherwise why post public exmissions in the private school forum?), the post below definitely sets the tone for the rest of the thread.

Anonymous wrote:For Whitman - arguable one of the top 5 public schools in the country. Billed as the best public high school in the area.

Yale - 17 applied - 1 got in
Harvard - 25 applied - 2 got in
Princeton - 22 applied - 2 got in

That is about the same as the broader admissions pool.

Not impressive and not the same as the Big 3.

Public schools parents rant as rave - save your money -- in this case - it appears money was saved and the results were nowhere near the same.

Anonymous wrote:Really? Is that what this thread is about? It sure doesn't seem to be developing that way.

Another PP here. I think there are two parallel tracks in this thread. There is the private/public thing which I read the OP to be taking a dig at public schools while boosting privates. People tried to dispel the OP's point by providing and discussing numbers.

The other track is the "obsession with HYP" on which I was commenting. I have the kid at Mich who is a big 3 alum and I was pointing out what you were saying - that there are excellent schools outside of the Ivies (and the supposed "1st Tier"). The numbers will not support most of these kids going to Ivies so I thought the obsession was misplaced.

So for the record, I fully support the private school choice but I did not choose private school for my kids because I saw it as a gateway to HYP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? Is that what this thread is about? It sure doesn't seem to be developing that way.

Go back and read the OP. That's exactly what it is about.

Yeah, I saw OP. Repeated below for your convenience.

Im a Libertarian when it comes to Public v Private. But wow. It seems that Whitman is extremely overrated. Looks like Montgomery Blair is underrated and Churchill is the top of the heap. It is clear that public vs private is not the same if you want to go to top 15 US News and World Report top ranked school or top 10 SLAC. The admissions to college from elite private schools is materially better. For a B+ or below student - it may be the same - but I for one was shocked how little success people had getting into top schools from Whitman.

I'll let OP speak to her/his own intentions. Seems mainly to express surprise Whitman doesn't do better. There's a similar discussion on the MD public school thread, asking why Blair did not do better. But as far as slams go, it's pretty mild. OTOH, it doesn't belong on the private school thread at all, so maybe OP was trying to start a food fight. I was referring mainly to the other 8 pages of the thread, which include many attacks on private schools and private school parents. Perhaps that all was just retaliation for some perceived slight against against public schools by OP.

I just commented because the description by 22:14 that "this thread is about private school parents slamming the public schools" seems inaccurate. You're entitled to a different opinion of course.

Anonymous wrote:Really? Is that what this thread is about? It sure doesn't seem to be developing that way.

Go back and read the OP. That's exactly what it is about.

Really? Is that what this thread is about? It sure doesn't seem to be developing that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell families paying big bucks for their kids to end up at Michigan (no offense to the Maize and Blue). Wouldn't it be cheaper just to move to Michigan and matriculate as an in-state student vs. $390,000 ($30,000 x 13 years of private schooling).

Might it ever occur to people that some parents sacrifice for private education for the educational experience and not as part of some strategic calculation to improve a child's HPY admission odds ever so slightly? High school is a very important part of a child's academic and social development and not just a halfway house in the college application process. The obsession with the "Ivies" on this board is really something, considering all the other colleges and universities that offer such rich educational experienc in this country. Plus I wonder how many of those who are so fixated on the Ivies would truly take full advantage of the great opportunities for scholarship there, rather than just viewing an Ivy undergraduate degree as a mere waystation and steppingstonea to, what, a "top" law school?!

Well this thread is about private school parents slamming the public schools for not producing "enough" Ivy League students. The educational experience hasn't been mentioned by the "sacrificing" parents.

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell families paying big bucks for their kids to end up at Michigan (no offense to the Maize and Blue). Wouldn't it be cheaper just to move to Michigan and matriculate as an in-state student vs. $390,000 ($30,000 x 13 years of private schooling).

Might it ever occur to people that some parents sacrifice for private education for the educational experience and not as part of some strategic calculation to improve a child's HPY admission odds ever so slightly? High school is a very important part of a child's academic and social development and not just a halfway house in the college application process. The obsession with the "Ivies" on this board is really something, considering all the other colleges and universities that offer such rich educational experienc in this country. Plus I wonder how many of those who are so fixated on the Ivies would truly take full advantage of the great opportunities for scholarship there, rather than just viewing an Ivy undergraduate degree as a mere waystation and steppingstonea to, what, a "top" law school?!

Most of the families living on my block are government workers or NIH employees or nonprofit employees. That's also true of the parents of most Whitman kids we know. The wealthy families exist but hardly dominate--perhaps because many send their kids to private school

It's true that far too few low income kids apply to Ivies. That's why I mention it whenever possible. Its also true that 2 of my daughters best friends and a boyfriend were on full financial aid which meant leaving with only $4000 to $10000 in debt so it does happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is why the applications to UMD are so high from the Bethesda/Potomac public schools. Over 40% of Whitman students apply to UMD, and it looks like even higher percentages do from the other schools. The admission rate from Whitman is over 75% so these are qualified kids applying. I know some/many have gotten generous aid packages. I think more people are really starting to consider the public options much more seriously than in the past because the cost of private college has gotten just too high relative to the product, given that there are much less expensive options.

Agreed. On a related note, a top student at our private school went to University of Maryland Baltimore County, over a number of highly rated SLACs, because the student received a full merit scholarship for all four years.

Great - they will enjoy having a job flipping burgers. No top graduate schools and no top employers. What a waste of hard work - I guess the world needs ditch diggers too.

You're an ass.

Double ass.

PP here. And let me add double stupid. No education is a waste. I probably manage your division, one of 10 internationally. You sound familiar. Btw, I went to the U. of Maryland.