For every Plank, there are numerous C students with untapped potential who struggle financially. The good students have a statistically better chance of a financially comfortable life, even if they are a "faceless harmless law firm partner".

Plank is not an anomoly, he is just fortunate to be who he was. A lesser student from a working class Kensington family who had no white shoe law firm job waiting for him so long as he kept a pulse long enough. If Plank were a great student at GP or at STJ, he'd have been in that herd and would be another faceless and harmless law firm partner. Instead he needed to throw his chops into the world and make something of it that way. That is brutal but absolute truth.

Anonymous wrote:What Plank has done is amazing, but he is an anomaly. Do you encourage your kids to be "C" students so they can "run the world"?

The beauty of this country is that there opportunities for life success regardless of your academic prowess.

Of course Plank is an anomaly.

But the idea floated on here above that very high academic achievement is some sort of ticket to wealth and success is a faulty one. In Washington, DC there are lots of places where "credentials" are very important (Government, Law, Consulting, etc). But in the rest of the world, its performance that counts. It turns out that attributes like toughness and willingness to take risk and imagination and the ability to work with and through people are much more important. Very smart people are often put into jobs as experts (e/g. Insurance Actuary) while others not so gifted run the company.

What Plank has done is amazing, but he is an anomaly. Do you encourage your kids to be "C" students so they can "run the world"?

The beauty of this country is that there opportunities for life success regardless of your academic prowess.

who cares what Plank did as an 17 - 18 year HS student.

He walked onto the UMD football team

And is a self made Billionaire.

To shut all you Sidwell, Maret, and STA parents up, just another example, "C" Students run the world

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics are a real meritocracy. I think you are much better off in a school filled with really smart kids with bright competitive futures in diverse intellectual pursuits over a school filled with people who peak athletically when they are 18. But hey the real estate industry isn't going away any time soon.

What misguided snobbery.

Two words for you: Kevin Plank

St John's High School Class of 1990

A famous bit of advice to new college professors. "Be nice to your "A" students as they will become your colleagues. Be nice to your "C" students because they will be donating buildings to the university".

And it seems to me that the real estate people were the only ones in DC to have the money to bring a baseball team to DC.

Genuinely curious. Did Plank win any prizes for his athletics in HS and set any records, or was he meh in both academics and sports?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12 pages and still nobody can compare the academics. Trust funds babies for the L.

That's because its a near impossible task and as a result it's an incredibly stupid question.

How does one "compare academics"? What are these "academics" anyway"? Be precise in what you are asking for.

Are you asking about the level or difficulty of the classes? Are you concerned about all students or the just the top students? And how would one measure and compare the difficulty of courses outside of math and science?

Is this about the amount of homework assigned?

Are "academics" measured by test scores?

And what poster on DCUM would have the kind of data that would be needed to respond to this question? That is, for those areas of this ill-defined topic that even have data associated with them.

The question itself seems intellectually lazy. The questioner wants a comparison but offers no definitions or framework for a response.

What level Math/Science classes do they have?
Do the teachers teach or lecture? do they have experts guest lecture?
is it rote memorization or class discussion with lots of opportunity to learn how to present to a group?
Do they use technology?
Do kids have computer/ipads/etc?
Do kids have opportunities to take college classes at local colleges?
Do they travel abroad, how often, where, when?
What languages do they offer that are different, what level?
Are teachers able to teach in a mutisensory way or do they just lecture and expect kids to do all the reading on their own?
What is their English department philosophy? Do they just read as many book as possible and consider those who can't keep up failure? Do they deep dive into books with lots of discussion and analysis?
How are the arts? drama?
What is the computer science department like, do they have one? Do kids learn to program or design systems?
Do they have STEM or IB?
What exactly do they do for character development, do they volunteer, just volunteer hours after school, is it integrated into their curriculum?
What is the club scene like?

Anonymous wrote:I thought Plank flunked out of GP and went to SJC.

Yes, that's true much to the chagrin of the Prep Development office.

Plank wasn't the best student in the world. But not being a good student doesn't seem to be a barrier to financial success.

I thought Plank flunked out of GP and went to SJC.

Anonymous wrote:12 pages and still nobody can compare the academics. Trust funds babies for the L.

That's because its a near impossible task and as a result it's an incredibly stupid question.

How does one "compare academics"? What are these "academics" anyway"? Be precise in what you are asking for.

Are you asking about the level or difficulty of the classes? Are you concerned about all students or the just the top students? And how would one measure and compare the difficulty of courses outside of math and science?

Is this about the amount of homework assigned?

Are "academics" measured by test scores?

And what poster on DCUM would have the kind of data that would be needed to respond to this question? That is, for those areas of this ill-defined topic that even have data associated with them.

The question itself seems intellectually lazy. The questioner wants a comparison but offers no definitions or framework for a response.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, I thought we were talking about Georgetown Prep. Wasn't st.johms a military school with mediocre athletics when plank went there?

And snob? I read through the this stupid gp comments and what comes through is that the parents are insular "business leaders" who are more concerned about trashing Gonzaga than answering the question on the table. But I like that gp, when highlighting it's culture o' success turns to a graduate of another school. How little can the little Hoyas really be?

Are you drunk? This post leads me to believe you are.

Try again tomorrow when you are sober.

12 pages and still nobody can compare the academics. Trust funds babies for the L.

Wait, I thought we were talking about Georgetown Prep. Wasn't st.johms a military school with mediocre athletics when plank went there?

And snob? I read through the this stupid gp comments and what comes through is that the parents are insular "business leaders" who are more concerned about trashing Gonzaga than answering the question on the table. But I like that gp, when highlighting it's culture o' success turns to a graduate of another school. How little can the little Hoyas really be?

Anonymous wrote:Academics are a real meritocracy. I think you are much better off in a school filled with really smart kids with bright competitive futures in diverse intellectual pursuits over a school filled with people who peak athletically when they are 18. But hey the real estate industry isn't going away any time soon.

What misguided snobbery.

Two words for you: Kevin Plank

St John's High School Class of 1990

A famous bit of advice to new college professors. "Be nice to your "A" students as they will become your colleagues. Be nice to your "C" students because they will be donating buildings to the university".

And it seems to me that the real estate people were the only ones in DC to have the money to bring a baseball team to DC.

Academics are a real meritocracy. I think you are much better off in a school filled with really smart kids with bright competitive futures in diverse intellectual pursuits over a school filled with people who peak athletically when they are 18. But hey the real estate industry isn't going away any time soon.