Do these sports limit the schools one applies to?

Yes, an all-star.

Can one make it as a university star water polo player if one was involved in club swimming in middle school?

don't forget water polo

What types of "athlete"? Track and field, wrestling ... or are you referring squash, crew, lacrosse, swimming, diving, golf, yatching, soccer, volleyball ....

Athletic recruitment is much better out of the private schools into college save for men's football and men's basketball. If your kid is a star athlete...they should go private.

We talked to our friend on the school board, and immediately my kid's test scores jumped over the magnet threshold! We have a friend who offered to pay MoCo three times her property tax assessment, and her kid got into their first-choice magnet.

Another lie. This poster lost credibility a longtime ago. She can't even fake it.

Public schools also factor it in if the child's parent works for the school system. Nothing in life is totally fair.

Some private school don't seem to welcome parents speaking with their teachers and/or classroom visits by parents. It almost feels if these schools are insulted that someone would question their program. We are surprised by the direction in which our decision may turn. Has anyone else turned down a prestigious name school for a magnet program (and cost is not a factor)? Would appreciate understanding your thought process.

22:20

While i agree with many of your points regarding public vs private, the one I don't is the accessibility of teachers in private schools. I have never experienced a teacher in my DS school who I couldn't email or set up an appointment to discuss what I needed to. The teachers know my son well, his strengths and weaknesses and work to help him overcome any issues he has.


By the end of HS, the recommendations will be substantial having known him well. By contrast, many of my friends with kids in public school are told to ask for teacher recommendations in the year they have the teacher so the teacher does not forget who they are.


I have seen the benefits of the ability to really get to know teachers and have them work with you to develop skills. That fo us is the main reason for private HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, connections and wealth have nothing to do with admissions to magnet programs. At all. Ever.

Clearly, you know NOTHING whatsoever about the politics involved in the inner circles!

Clearly, you are making this up. Your ignorance about the magnet application process doesn't bode well for your knowledge of the so-called "inner circles."

We talked to our friend on the school board, and immediately my kid's test scores jumped over the magnet threshold! We have a friend who offered to pay MoCo three times her property tax assessment, and her kid got into their first-choice magnet.

Anonymous wrote:First, connections and wealth have nothing to do with admissions to magnet programs. At all. Ever.

Clearly, you know NOTHING whatsoever about the politics involved in the inner circles!

Clearly, you are making this up. Your ignorance about the magnet application process doesn't bode well for your knowledge of the so-called "inner circles."

OP,
Why do you ask? If you're happy with public, what's it to you? If you're considering private, it's a family decision.
We sent our one and only to DCPS through Grade 6 then went to private. We our child stays there through graduation.

First, connections and wealth have nothing to do with admissions to magnet programs. At all. Ever.

Clearly, you know NOTHING whatsoever about the politics involved in the inner circles!

I agree with 19:50 -- our child has been accepted into a magnet program and a few prestigious private schools. Originally, our plan was that if admitted into one of these private schools our child would attend. However, having looked closer at the academic programs, extra-curricular offerings, teacher credentials and college placements we are seriously considering the magnet program because it appears to offer as much if not more than the private schools. There are many great things about the privates that public schools can't/don't offer, but when everything is considered I'm not sure it's a better choice not even considering tuition and cost of $30,000+ per year. In addition, the public schools are more transparent with how well their students are performing and making teachers available to prospective parents. Some private school don't seem to welcome parents speaking with their teachers and/or classroom visits by parents. It almost feels if these schools are insulted that someone would question their program. We are surprised by the direction in which our decision may turn. Has anyone else turned down a prestigious name school for a magnet program (and cost is not a factor)? Would appreciate understanding your thought process.