Anonymous
Post 01/24/2016 17:04     Subject: Re:what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
'm not the OP, but the OP is correct on this point. If private schools didn't offer better education than public options, nobody would pay private tuition. The fact that many do pay private tuition proves the point, without a silly semantic debate over what defines "better.


Wait. So just because something is expensive, it's better? You are a salesperson's dream come true.


Is this the logic private school teaches? oh yes, money well spent. Hahahaha!
Anonymous
Post 08/06/2014 08:33     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:We are in a good public school district but chose a smaller Catholic school for our daughter. The five classes per grade were just too much for us. We like the feel of a smaller school and the late start times of public are just crazy with two working parents.

We did get some of the "What do you mean you are not going to XX elementary" from some nieghbors. I just tell them that it was a better fit for our family and leave it at that.
Frankly I find the public school moms in our neighborhood way more snobby than the moms I know at our Catholic school.

+100! That was the biggest surprise of all for me at private.
Anonymous
Post 08/06/2014 08:28     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
We are in a good public school district but chose a smaller Catholic school for our daughter. The five classes per grade were just too much for us. We like the feel of a smaller school and the late start times of public are just crazy with two working parents.

We did get some of the "What do you mean you are not going to XX elementary" from some nieghbors. I just tell them that it was a better fit for our family and leave it at that.
Frankly I find the public school moms in our neighborhood way more snobby than the moms I know at our Catholic school.
Anonymous
Post 08/03/2014 08:38     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Please know that many send kids to private schools who couldn't care less about the college choice in coming year. Its is about the learning expereince NOW not about where they can get into school.


+1. I feel like going to public school is a bit of a "hook", but I'm not going to choose 13 years of my kids's education in order to give him a possible edge for 4 years!

I went to a wonderful non-Ivy and I'm still a happy human being. It can happen.


+2. When choosing to send our per-kindergartner and 1st grader to a private school, college acceptance didn't cross our minds. We were focused on what a better overall experience they will receive every day vs. what they'd receive at our "top" MoCo elementary. By experience, I mean, ample recess, more attention from their teachers, opportunities even at PK and 1st grade to present before their class and parents, PE, drama, art and music more than once a week, being in a warm, loving environment where they are known. If these extras help them become better students and eventually give them an edge in college admissions, great. If not, I still consider the tuition money very well spent.

If you want to know the truth, we don't think our public school offers a good enough experience. However, I could never say that to one of our neighbors who send their kids there without insulting them.


+3


Totally agree. Our public option just dropped down below 30% proficiency on the DCCAS. If you can swing private and are admitted, which would you choose? My DC is five, college is not even on our radar except financially. But DC is in a great school now, not one that is limping along.
Anonymous
Post 08/02/2014 09:34     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have 20% acceptance rates to Ivies are the elite boarding schools in the NE (Andover, Choate...). Maybe some big city magnets.

Not really. Here is one example -- http://matriculationstats.org/day-schools-outside-of-nyc NCS and STA both top 20% for Ivy colleges. No data for Sidwell, but I'm betting it's well north of 20% too.

But private school =/= Big 3. There's a whole universe of private schools out there that don't send anywhere near that many kids to Ivies.

Right, but now it seems you're moving the goal posts. The original (inaccurate) claim was that only "elite boarding schools in the NE" and "maybe some big city magnets" have 20% Ivy acceptance rates. That was clearly false.

Also, the fact that many private schools do not have 20% acceptance rates to Ivy colleges does not rebut the underlying point about Ivy legacies in public schools. It's a red herring.

OK, that is 2 schools. The top privates send many more to ivies than the top publics, unless you count magnets. And there are magnets in many states so you are competing against them also. There is no guarantee of an Ivy acceptance unless your name is on a building.
Anonymous
Post 08/02/2014 09:19     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have 20% acceptance rates to Ivies are the elite boarding schools in the NE (Andover, Choate...). Maybe some big city magnets.

Not really. Here is one example -- http://matriculationstats.org/day-schools-outside-of-nyc NCS and STA both top 20% for Ivy colleges. No data for Sidwell, but I'm betting it's well north of 20% too.

Link does not work. If you define "Ivy" as any top 10 school, then yes. But there are only 8 real Ivies. And only 5 "top Ivies" Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, U Penn. there are other great schools, but they are not Ivies.
Anonymous
Post 08/02/2014 08:16     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Please know that many send kids to private schools who couldn't care less about the college choice in coming year. Its is about the learning expereince NOW not about where they can get into school.


+1. I feel like going to public school is a bit of a "hook", but I'm not going to choose 13 years of my kids's education in order to give him a possible edge for 4 years!

I went to a wonderful non-Ivy and I'm still a happy human being. It can happen.


+2. When choosing to send our per-kindergartner and 1st grader to a private school, college acceptance didn't cross our minds. We were focused on what a better overall experience they will receive every day vs. what they'd receive at our "top" MoCo elementary. By experience, I mean, ample recess, more attention from their teachers, opportunities even at PK and 1st grade to present before their class and parents, PE, drama, art and music more than once a week, being in a warm, loving environment where they are known. If these extras help them become better students and eventually give them an edge in college admissions, great. If not, I still consider the tuition money very well spent.

If you want to know the truth, we don't think our public school offers a good enough experience. However, I could never say that to one of our neighbors who send their kids there without insulting them.


+3
Anonymous
Post 08/01/2014 22:54     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Please know that many send kids to private schools who couldn't care less about the college choice in coming year. Its is about the learning expereince NOW not about where they can get into school.


+1. I feel like going to public school is a bit of a "hook", but I'm not going to choose 13 years of my kids's education in order to give him a possible edge for 4 years!

I went to a wonderful non-Ivy and I'm still a happy human being. It can happen.


+2. When choosing to send our per-kindergartner and 1st grader to a private school, college acceptance didn't cross our minds. We were focused on what a better overall experience they will receive every day vs. what they'd receive at our "top" MoCo elementary. By experience, I mean, ample recess, more attention from their teachers, opportunities even at PK and 1st grade to present before their class and parents, PE, drama, art and music more than once a week, being in a warm, loving environment where they are known. If these extras help them become better students and eventually give them an edge in college admissions, great. If not, I still consider the tuition money very well spent.

If you want to know the truth, we don't think our public school offers a good enough experience. However, I could never say that to one of our neighbors who send their kids there without insulting them.
Anonymous
Post 08/01/2014 22:32     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:Please know that many send kids to private schools who couldn't care less about the college choice in coming year. Its is about the learning expereince NOW not about where they can get into school.


+1. I feel like going to public school is a bit of a "hook", but I'm not going to choose 13 years of my kids's education in order to give him a possible edge for 4 years!

I went to a wonderful non-Ivy and I'm still a happy human being. It can happen.
Anonymous
Post 08/01/2014 19:54     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Please know that many send kids to private schools who couldn't care less about the college choice in coming year. Its is about the learning expereince NOW not about where they can get into school.
Anonymous
Post 08/01/2014 13:51     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have 20% acceptance rates to Ivies are the elite boarding schools in the NE (Andover, Choate...). Maybe some big city magnets.

Not really. Here is one example -- http://matriculationstats.org/day-schools-outside-of-nyc NCS and STA both top 20% for Ivy colleges. No data for Sidwell, but I'm betting it's well north of 20% too.

But private school =/= Big 3. There's a whole universe of private schools out there that don't send anywhere near that many kids to Ivies.

Right, but now it seems you're moving the goal posts. The original (inaccurate) claim was that only "elite boarding schools in the NE" and "maybe some big city magnets" have 20% Ivy acceptance rates. That was clearly false.

Also, the fact that many private schools do not have 20% acceptance rates to Ivy colleges does not rebut the underlying point about Ivy legacies in public schools. It's a red herring.


When you're comparing raw numbers of kids from Whitman who go to Ivies vs. kids in privates, it's absolutely valid to bring in a few other privates besides the Big 3. We all know that the Big 3 select for high test scores and achievement-orientation in a way that Whitman can't.

Not sure what you mean about legacies - this particular conversation doesn't seem to be addressing legacies although other posts have done.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2014 22:38     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have 20% acceptance rates to Ivies are the elite boarding schools in the NE (Andover, Choate...). Maybe some big city magnets.

Not really. Here is one example -- http://matriculationstats.org/day-schools-outside-of-nyc NCS and STA both top 20% for Ivy colleges. No data for Sidwell, but I'm betting it's well north of 20% too.

But private school =/= Big 3. There's a whole universe of private schools out there that don't send anywhere near that many kids to Ivies.

Right, but now it seems you're moving the goal posts. The original (inaccurate) claim was that only "elite boarding schools in the NE" and "maybe some big city magnets" have 20% Ivy acceptance rates. That was clearly false.

Also, the fact that many private schools do not have 20% acceptance rates to Ivy colleges does not rebut the underlying point about Ivy legacies in public schools. It's a red herring.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2014 21:40     Subject: what do you say to neighbors about why you are choosing private vs the local public?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have 20% acceptance rates to Ivies are the elite boarding schools in the NE (Andover, Choate...). Maybe some big city magnets.

Not really. Here is one example -- http://matriculationstats.org/day-schools-outside-of-nyc NCS and STA both top 20% for Ivy colleges. No data for Sidwell, but I'm betting it's well north of 20% too.


But private school =/= Big 3. There's a whole universe of private schools out there that don't send anywhere near that many kids to Ivies.