Anyway, OP, Flagpole probably generally gives good advice, but the public school environment he’s talking about that existed pre-omnipresent social media and pre-Covid doesn’t really exist anymore. It doesn’t matter HOW we got here. It matters that we’re here and each parent needs to decide what’s best for their children in the current environment. It may cost a lot, but I sincerely regret not putting my daughter in private to begin with, because I know her, and she would not be spiraling if she had the right culture. But, as a “know-it-all teen” who’s “familiar w her abuser,” she can’t possibly know how much better it could be. Don’t be us.
1) Every parent needs to decide for themselves what's best for their kid. I could not agree more.
2) COVID hasn't derailed the situation of great public schools that I talk about. You are wrong about that.
3) I'm sorry that your daughter has made some poor decisions. Poor decisions happen in private school settings too, so don't beat yourself up for not sending her there. Just as counter anecdotal evidence, both of my kids went to public k-12 school, both were high achievers, both ran in college. Daughter went to an elite private college. Son was a HS All-American and went to a D1 school on a combination of athletic and academic scholarship. Both of them found college to be ridiculously easy after the great education they got at our very good public high school.
Thank you for your input. Our intention is to do what is in the best interest - both long and short term - for our son. It's difficult to understand some people's resistance to paying for school since there is a "free" option. There are lots of services we could get for free or at a greatly reduced rate, but we don't. Why should education for our children be any different? It should be more important.
That's part of your problem (and you're not alone). You assume that if you pay for it DIRECTLY that the quality is better...and not just better but SOOOOO MUCH better that it warrants paying $30,000+ per year. As I have correctly stated in this thread, SOMETIMES it is worth paying that much extra for. MOST OF THE TIME, especially outside of the Northeast, it is not.
And by the way, public school education isn't free...not only do you have to pay taxes (and very high property taxes where I live to be in the school district we are in), but most school districts also have Pay to Play for sports and other activities.
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
You just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
That's part of your problem (and you're not alone). You assume that if you pay for it DIRECTLY that the quality is better...and not just better but SOOOOO MUCH better that it warrants paying $30,000+ per year. As I have correctly stated in this thread, SOMETIMES it is worth paying that much extra for. MOST OF THE TIME, especially outside of the Northeast, it is not.
And by the way, public school education isn't free...not only do you have to pay taxes (and very high property taxes where I live to be in the school district we are in), but most school districts also have Pay to Play for sports and other activities.
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
You just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
LOL And you told ME not to respond to him.
It looks like this thread has run way past its course, so I just wanted to wish you luck in your decision. As I said before, as an admissions counselor, all things being equal, students from the schools you mentioned would be dry ranked higher than students from any public school in Georgia. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Students from there have had a lot of success at our school and post-graduation.
You mean, "Flagpole provided relevant information and the OP who wanted to brag about his son being accepted to these schools got his panties in a bunch because Flagpole said three of the schools were Christian ones and one was not."
I am the only one who has said anything factual on this whole thread. Most of the other nonsense is about wishing and hoping that these Christian schools are really secular ones.
The OP wanted a thread that just cheered him and his son. Well, maybe he should get ahold of that need for acceptance.
You mean, "Flagpole provided relevant information and the OP who wanted to brag about his son being accepted to these schools got his panties in a bunch because Flagpole said three of the schools were Christian ones and one was not."
I am the only one who has said anything factual on this whole thread. Most of the other nonsense is about wishing and hoping that these Christian schools are really secular ones.
The OP wanted a thread that just cheered him and his son. Well, maybe he should get ahold of that need for acceptance.
And another thing! :)
The OP thinks I don't understand that there had to be testing to be accepted to these schools. Ha! Of COURSE I know that. Gotta make them jump through some easy hoops to make them feel special. Big freakin' deal. "Well Bob, the kid only had his finger in his nose for a third of the time he took the 'test', so I say that's good enough. They can pay, right?"
That's part of your problem (and you're not alone). You assume that if you pay for it DIRECTLY that the quality is better...and not just better but SOOOOO MUCH better that it warrants paying $30,000+ per year. As I have correctly stated in this thread, SOMETIMES it is worth paying that much extra for. MOST OF THE TIME, especially outside of the Northeast, it is not.
And by the way, public school education isn't free...not only do you have to pay taxes (and very high property taxes where I live to be in the school district we are in), but most school districts also have Pay to Play for sports and other activities.
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
Yomu just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
Um, the school is named "Westminster", not "Westminister." You got it wrong twice there, so clearly not just a typo. You probably should get that right before you send your kid there...since it's his top choice and all.
You mean, "Flagpole provided relevant information and the OP who wanted to brag about his son being accepted to these schools got his panties in a bunch because Flagpole said three of the schools were Christian ones and one was not."
I am the only one who has said anything factual on this whole thread. Most of the other nonsense is about wishing and hoping that these Christian schools are really secular ones.
The OP wanted a thread that just cheered him and his son. Well, maybe he should get ahold of that need for acceptance.
Which bothers you more? That this poster is richer than you or that his son is better than your son?
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
You just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
LOL And you told ME not to respond to him.
It looks like this thread has run way past its course, so I just wanted to wish you luck in your decision. As I said before, as an admissions counselor, all things being equal, students from the schools you mentioned would be dry ranked higher than students from any public school in Georgia. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Students from there have had a lot of success at our school and post-graduation.
Good luck!
I know. I know. That guy came on strong at the start of the thread like he was some kind of expert. But, alas, he was exposed pretty quickly as a bigot, had a few posts get deleted then at the end tried the "outrageous" shtick to try and get attention. Whether he was serious or not, he did add some comic relief to this thread.
And thanks for the well wishes. He chose Westminster. He really fell in love with the school on his visits. Plus, going to camps there and some other interactions he's had over the years with faculty and coaches gave them a leg up. The wife and I really love the academic rigor and faculty - top notch.
You mean, "Flagpole provided relevant information and the OP who wanted to brag about his son being accepted to these schools got his panties in a bunch because Flagpole said three of the schools were Christian ones and one was not."
I am the only one who has said anything factual on this whole thread. Most of the other nonsense is about wishing and hoping that these Christian schools are really secular ones.
The OP wanted a thread that just cheered him and his son. Well, maybe he should get ahold of that need for acceptance.
"Flagpole provided relevant information..." "Relevant information" is quite a stretch - don't you think? Thank you for that valuable input of yours though. After going to open houses, parent/faculty meetings, student interviews, student shadowing, etc. how would we ever have known that information without you and your "research"? Read through the thread again and you can see lots of posts providing "relevant" information regarding these schools and other area schools. Then read yours and see if there is a difference.
"I am the only one who has said anything factual on this whole thread." Surely, someone called you clueless somewhere in this thread. If not, "you're clueless." There. That makes two of us making factual statements on this thread.
"Well, maybe he should get ahold of that need for acceptance." I didn't need to be accepted. My son was the one that had already been accepted.
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
Yomu just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
Um, the school is named "Westminster", not "Westminister." You got it wrong twice there, so clearly not just a typo. You probably should get that right before you send your kid there...since it's his top choice and all.
Pay attention. I typed it wrong more than once.
Thanks. He did choose to go there. Can you do some research for me though? Is Westminister a Christian school?
I sent my kids to a private school for high school. It was a selective northeast boarding school with a very small number of day students, they were day students. It is well worth it. My girls had to do 3 sports, and the schedule of the school was super grueling. The net of it is they learned to work super hard, they went to school Monday - Saturday (Wed and Sat afternoons were for sports competition), and their typical schedule kept them at school from 8 AM until 9 PM every day. Thebest part was how they did in college after because college felt easy compared to high school.
Stop with the hypothetical. I'm talking about Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school. If you can't articulate anything from your extensive research about these schools other than three of the private schools are "Christian" and one is not, just go away. You look like a fool. This topic isn't about how some hypothetical public high schools might be good or bad or how some hypothetical private schools may or may not be good. No one cares about "sometimes" or "most of the time." When people make decisions on where to send their children to school, they deal with real schools, not some made-up scenarios. The quality of schools in the NE has zero bearing on Westminister, Lovett, Pace, AIS and our public high school.
Public education isn't free? Thanks genius. That's why I put it in quotes.
You seem to be really hung up on the cost of sending kids to a private school. If it is the best situation in both the short and long term, why wouldn't I send them to a private school if paying for it is a non-issue. Why would I WANT to send them to an inferior school even if it was just a little inferior? That's ridiculous and demonstrates that you have a short-sighted viewpoint.
Yomu just need to stay off this topic. You know nothing other than generalities You didn't even know that you had to go through an admissions process (testing, grades, recommendations, interviews, etc.) for these schools. You thought that you could just pay and be accepted.
I'm sure you'll respond by going on another profanity-filled tirade and get another one of your posts deleted, but it would be best if you just found another thread on which to share your ignorance.
Um, the school is named "Westminster", not "Westminister." You got it wrong twice there, so clearly not just a typo. You probably should get that right before you send your kid there...since it's his top choice and all.
Hahaha … Flagpole’s ego won’t let him drop it. Those big biceps surely can’t compete with his gigantic swelled head.
Define "Got into". Usually with private schools that means you have the financial means to send your kid there.
Success is not determined by a school, it is determined by the individual. Some schools provide better opportunities, often in the form of connections. But the motivated individual can thrive anywhere.
Do what you believe is best for your kid. A bunch of anonymous people on LR should not factor into the decisions you make for your child.
It looks like this thread has run way past its course, so I just wanted to wish you luck in your decision. As I said before, as an admissions counselor, all things being equal, students from the schools you mentioned would be dry ranked higher than students from any public school in Georgia. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Students from there have had a lot of success at our school and post-graduation.
Good luck!
I know. I know. That guy came on strong at the start of the thread like he was some kind of expert. But, alas, he was exposed pretty quickly as a bigot, had a few posts get deleted then at the end tried the "outrageous" shtick to try and get attention. Whether he was serious or not, he did add some comic relief to this thread.
And thanks for the well wishes. He chose Westminster. He really fell in love with the school on his visits. Plus, going to camps there and some other interactions he's had over the years with faculty and coaches gave them a leg up. The wife and I really love the academic rigor and faculty - top notch.
Where do you work in admissions?
I’d rather not say. It’s a well-known selective private school in the SE though. I no longer work in admissions there.
I sent my kids to a private school for high school. It was a selective northeast boarding school with a very small number of day students, they were day students. It is well worth it. My girls had to do 3 sports, and the schedule of the school was super grueling. The net of it is they learned to work super hard, they went to school Monday - Saturday (Wed and Sat afternoons were for sports competition), and their typical schedule kept them at school from 8 AM until 9 PM every day. Thebest part was how they did in college after because college felt easy compared to high school.
i went to a nice public school that was pretty chill, played sports, didnt have to do too much homework, and still got into an elite top 10 school. had my evenings and weekends free to socialize and learn to not be a loser.
I sent my kids to a private school for high school. It was a selective northeast boarding school with a very small number of day students, they were day students. It is well worth it. My girls had to do 3 sports, and the schedule of the school was super grueling. The net of it is they learned to work super hard, they went to school Monday - Saturday (Wed and Sat afternoons were for sports competition), and their typical schedule kept them at school from 8 AM until 9 PM every day. Thebest part was how they did in college after because college felt easy compared to high school.
1) You are in the Northeast, and that area of the country has MUCH better private schools generally speaking than the rest of the country relative to the local public schools.
2) Not meaning to diminish what you said about how well your kids were prepared for college as I believe you 100%, but that level of preparedness is also found in the many GREAT public schools in this country. My kids (who went to public schools...and then my daughter went to a very elite college) found the same to be true...that college was MUCH easier than high school, and for them, the day (in the winter and spring with indoor and outdoor track) began at 5:30 a.m. and ended at about 7 p.m. Even back in my HS days when the demands on students' time wasn't as much as it is today, I found college to be easier. 4 classes at a time that doesn't even meet every day is MUCH easier to handle than 7 or more classes that meet every single freakin' day.