Anonymous wrote:I think you may be overestimating some of the families' wealth at DC privates. I was shocked to read that Ketanji Jackson's net worth is "only" $2 million. She's early 50s and her husband is a surgeon, and her kids went to GDS. Very high prestige, not much wealth. Maybe they spent all of their money on tuition? I think there are a fair number of families like that at DC privates.

Do you truly believe that is their net worth?

I think you may be overestimating some of the families' wealth at DC privates. I was shocked to read that Ketanji Jackson's net worth is "only" $2 million. She's early 50s and her husband is a surgeon, and her kids went to GDS. Very high prestige, not much wealth. Maybe they spent all of their money on tuition? I think there are a fair number of families like that at DC privates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Poor” can be poor for different families. Yes but $400 k in DC area is poor as these schools are also very expensive like over $50,000 per year. And DC area has so much money…not sure how it is in NYC or LA private schools.

No, even in DC, $400,000.00 is not poor. Pop that bubble. Get some perspective.

I don't want perspective. I want a full ride to St. Albans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

Those figures are quite modest in DC to be honest. We have an HHI well over 400K and house valued at over 1M but still drive an 11 y/o Honda Accord - and it’s our only car.

That you own one old Honda doesn't change the fact that you could afford multiple new cars.

I think this was in response to someone suggesting that folks in the 400K HHI and 1M house range are necessarily riding around in multiple high-end late-model cars. And this is all quite relative. In Alabama and most other parts of America, 400K is almost unimaginably wealthy. In DC, with its concentration of wealth -- yeah, that's just modest if you're talking about middle-aged professionals. But nothing is wrong with modest in DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be receiving financial aid and still be in the middle 50%

Seriously? That’s ridiculous.

You make it sound like they're getting a full ride or anything close to it. They're not.

In our experience, middle 50% families, if they get FA, are getting more like 5 or 10 percent off. Hardly ridiculous.

Because that $3k-$6k is going to be make-or-break for a family with $400,000 HHI?

To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

And I think some schools may want to avoid a “donut” problem where it’s only the ultra-wealthy and low/working class full scholarship kids that can afford to attend. I have zero intelligence on this, but I can see why schools may find it useful to toss a “few” dollars at, eg, dual GS-15/SES households who could easily fall into the 350-400K range, far below partner-level pay.

We make under $200 and can afford private for one child. You are living in lala land and need to look at your spending if you cannot comfortably live off of $350-400K with a kid or two in private.

You misunderstood the point. The point is that I can see why a private school might find it worthwhile to toss a few thousand dollars at certain families in that income range and why those families might be enticed by it. I didn't say that schools are in fact doing that along those lines (because I honestly don't know), much less suggest that I support such an approach. Nor did I state or suggest that families making $400K can't live comfortably in DC while affording private school for a couple kids.

I see this topic has folks on edge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

Those figures are quite modest in DC to be honest. We have an HHI well over 400K and house valued at over 1M but still drive an 11 y/o Honda Accord - and it’s our only car.

That you own one old Honda doesn't change the fact that you could afford multiple new cars.

One of the oddest threads in the past 12 months, to claim that HHI of $400k is not well off financially.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be receiving financial aid and still be in the middle 50%

Seriously? That’s ridiculous.

You make it sound like they're getting a full ride or anything close to it. They're not.

In our experience, middle 50% families, if they get FA, are getting more like 5 or 10 percent off. Hardly ridiculous.

Because that $3k-$6k is going to be make-or-break for a family with $400,000 HHI?

To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

And I think some schools may want to avoid a “donut” problem where it’s only the ultra-wealthy and low/working class full scholarship kids that can afford to attend. I have zero intelligence on this, but I can see why schools may find it useful to toss a “few” dollars at, eg, dual GS-15/SES households who could easily fall into the 350-400K range, far below partner-level pay.

We make under $200 and can afford private for one child. You are living in lala land and need to look at your spending if you cannot comfortably live off of $350-400K with a kid or two in private.

+1

Good grief. This thread is kind of sickening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be receiving financial aid and still be in the middle 50%

Seriously? That’s ridiculous.

You make it sound like they're getting a full ride or anything close to it. They're not.

In our experience, middle 50% families, if they get FA, are getting more like 5 or 10 percent off. Hardly ridiculous.

Because that $3k-$6k is going to be make-or-break for a family with $400,000 HHI?

To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

And I think some schools may want to avoid a “donut” problem where it’s only the ultra-wealthy and low/working class full scholarship kids that can afford to attend. I have zero intelligence on this, but I can see why schools may find it useful to toss a “few” dollars at, eg, dual GS-15/SES households who could easily fall into the 350-400K range, far below partner-level pay.

We make under $200 and can afford private for one child. You are living in lala land and need to look at your spending if you cannot comfortably live off of $350-400K with a kid or two in private.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

Those figures are quite modest in DC to be honest. We have an HHI well over 400K and house valued at over 1M but still drive an 11 y/o Honda Accord - and it’s our only car.

O good grief.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

Those figures are quite modest in DC to be honest. We have an HHI well over 400K and house valued at over 1M but still drive an 11 y/o Honda Accord - and it’s our only car.

O good grief.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Poor” can be poor for different families. Yes but $400 k in DC area is poor as these schools are also very expensive like over $50,000 per year. And DC area has so much money…not sure how it is in NYC or LA private schools.

No, even in DC, $400,000.00 is not poor. Pop that bubble. Get some perspective.

$400K isn’t poor in any metro area in America.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest - a few thousand dollars discount could easily be meaningful for “middle income” 400K families and might be enough to get them to enroll.

Okay, now that's ridiculous. These are the same families who mostly own million-dollar homes and cars that cost over $50,000.

Those figures are quite modest in DC to be honest. We have an HHI well over 400K and house valued at over 1M but still drive an 11 y/o Honda Accord - and it’s our only car.

Anonymous wrote:“Poor” can be poor for different families. Yes but $400 k in DC area is poor as these schools are also very expensive like over $50,000 per year. And DC area has so much money…not sure how it is in NYC or LA private schools.

As always, this is as nonsensical as claiming that millionaires are poor compared to billionaires.

Anonymous wrote:“Poor” can be poor for different families. Yes but $400 k in DC area is poor as these schools are also very expensive like over $50,000 per year. And DC area has so much money…not sure how it is in NYC or LA private schools.

No, even in DC, $400,000.00 is not poor. Pop that bubble. Get some perspective.