Anonymous wrote:so i guess, psychologically, you like to think about being at a high status school to justify the tuition. got it. i would encourage you to think about what this sort of thing does to your child--who is just a pawn -- in your self esteem boosting game.. what are you going to do when your child gets into only an "ok" colllege? or gets an "ok" job?

Only an o.k. college? Impossible, I have clearly sent them on the path to the Ivy Leagues. If they screw it up, I will disown them of course. This is tongue in cheek. You are ignoring my earlier point which was to say that the quality of the education is the most important factor. I also admitted that I enjoy the status but never said that the status was the reason for choosing the school. I also said the kid is oblivious to all of it. And if my child were just a pawn in my self esteem building game, I can think of worse indignities than being sent to a really good school. The horror, the horror, the horror.

so i guess, psychologically, you like to think about being at a high status school to justify the tuition. got it. i would encourage you to think about what this sort of thing does to your child--who is just a pawn -- in your self esteem boosting game.. what are you going to do when your child gets into only an "ok" colllege? or gets an "ok" job?

Anonymous wrote:YOU like the status. does your child? do you tell your child that they are "big three" big deal? how does that work?

Of course not. It exists only in my mind and on anonymous message boards. I don't brag about it and my kid is totally oblivious to it. I am actually a little sheepish about where my kid goes to school when people ask because of how much money it costs.

Raised in this private school system and have been teaching in it for 15 years and never heard the term except on DCUM. It isn't used in the school system, just parents on this forum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, this board is follish. Second, Sidwell, STA and NCS are in a league of their own based on college placement and NMSF. GDS and Maret, although great schools, are not in the same league.

So you're saying it would be follish to send a child to GDS or Maret?

Since English is not your native language, please let me know what language you speak and I will write my post in that language.

Anonymous wrote:i get the whole big three label. these schools are intense and rigorous and really hard to get into. what about the kids though? do they act entitled? better than other people? smarter, richer? and how do you raise nice, hard working people that fend for themselves and overcome obstacles..because in the end, isnt that what breeds success? the parents seems smug and self satisfied-- how does this translate into parenting? how do you teach humility, honor and plain old manners in these environments. i guess most of that has to come from home anyway....

I know I was turned off watching the Chopped TV show for teens (Food Network) and the Sidwell teen's first thing out of his mouth was that he attends the school the Obama girls attend. He also said this made the school very rigorous.

I grew up in NW DC and went to Lafayette. Some of my peers went off to Deal/Wilson and others went to independents, entering any time between 4th and 9th grade. I have never once heard the term "Big Three" in any context besides this forum (then again, does anyone say "JKLM" in real life? I was aware that all of those schools were strong with a good community, though). Sidwell, NCS, and STA were all known as great prep schools that the Clintons and Gores sent their kids to, and were known as college prep, highly competitive, and just all around strong schools. Maret and GDS were also considered very competitive, rigorous schools, although perhaps they had slightly less clout because it wasn't the choice of recent presidents/vice presidents for their kids.

YOU like the status. does your child? do you tell your child that they are "big three" big deal? how does that work?

Anonymous wrote:PP - glad you like the status, hope you're equally pleased with what matters most - the education.

Yes, but the two are not mutually exclusive. I am the one that said I like the status but the quality of the education was always most important. I am just admitting I like the status too.

i get the whole big three label. these schools are intense and rigorous and really hard to get into. what about the kids though? do they act entitled? better than other people? smarter, richer? and how do you raise nice, hard working people that fend for themselves and overcome obstacles..because in the end, isnt that what breeds success? the parents seems smug and self satisfied-- how does this translate into parenting? how do you teach humility, honor and plain old manners in these environments. i guess most of that has to come from home anyway....

Big three is definitely only a DC thing, not even DC metropolitan area thing.

PP - glad you like the status, hope you're equally pleased with what matters most - the education.

I will admit this regarding big 3. My son goes to one that is always mentioned and while I don't personally post about these phantom rankings, I do take some satisfaction in the status that the school has that I am paying through the nose for.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, come on, everybody knows the Big 3 are Larry, Moe and Curly.

What happened to the father, son, and the holy spirit?

Aren't they one and the same? (Tho' I slept through transubstantiation in CCD.)

Ha ha. I actually don't know and I went to Catholic school for 7 years. That sounds right. When my very religious mom wanted to curse when I was growing up, the most she could muster was Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Maybe those are the big 3.

Lowell, Kingsbury, and Ballou is what I heard from a very knowledgeable source. And since you just read this on DCUM, it must be true!!