Anonymous wrote:Don’t be embarrassed

Please tell me more about this code.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a private school lifer: the only reason these private school kids have so much confidence and poise is because they have more money.

If you have more money and your kids have more activities and the ability to be involved, they will be fine.

Yeah that’s what I can’t separate. Will our kid have that air of self possession because we have a beach house and insist on manners and French lessons? Or bc he was in school somewhere? I’m genuinely wondering.

Oh my god, OP. If you go public, my guess is you’re going to find a reason to feel disappointed in how this poor kid turns out no matter what. I’d insist on private so at least you’ll never have to wonder if that was the one missing thing in his life. Because he’s not going to turn out perfect either way.

Anonymous wrote:I find private school kids have a sense of confidence that public school kids just don’t embody

Anonymous wrote:We moved our kids out of private. We found our values weren’t reflected in our kids peers. Kids are in DCPS and it’s a better fit. We are able to pay cash for whatever college they attend and we are confident they will get into any school they want.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I appreciate your post. I think it was articulated honestly and with grace.

I came from humble beginnings but with a mother and father that had a sophisticated taste in arts, culture, learning, food and travel. I grew up surrounded by an appreciation and knowledge of these things.

However I was solidly lower middle class. Everyone went to public school. I didn’t know you could hire someone to paint your house. I didn’t know what landscaping was. I didn’t know that people owned ski gear. I didn’t know that braces weren’t a huge deal/expense. I could go on and on.

I went to college and did a study abroad program in South Africa that brought people from all different schools together. The girls from Colby, Bates, Claremont McKenna, Tufts were what you describe. They travelled *before* the semester even started hiking Kilimanjaro or going to Madagascar. They had high end hiking boots I had never even heard of and they were broken in. Their teeth and skin was perfect. Etc etc And not only could you spot them, you could spot us middle class kids a mile away. Our clothes, sunglasses, ability to pick languages, confidence, maturity - just wasn’t as elevated or refined.

Fast-forward 30 years. I am UMC but not them. I never will and my children won’t either. However they do still have sophisticated exposure to culture, travel, art just like I did as a lower class kid 😎

Anonymous wrote:You’ll never get an unbiased answer because those that attended public will never know what it’s like to go private and those who attended private will never know what it’s like to go public. And different people have different needs. If you care so much, and have the means, just send your kid to private and be done with it!

Anonymous wrote:You’ll never get an unbiased answer because those that attended public will never know what it’s like to go private and those who attended private will never know what it’s like to go public. And different people have different needs. If you care so much, and have the means, just send your kid to private and be done with it!

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public and then a big three. I sort of understand what you mean in terms of code. However, I think the experience of and ability to interact with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds is more valuable. Not sure if you get that much at, say, Whitman, but you might at many other public schools.

Best mix may be public middle and private high school.

iMO the main benefit to a private school education is writing skills.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to prep school.

The code is 78462. Good, now everybody has it.

LOL.