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?
Okay, so a bit late to the show, however, I could not resist.
ITP; Westminster, got it, you are Buckhead adjacent: Brookhaven; Paces Ferry; Vinings? Fulton county, not DeKalb county. You stated that Woodward was out as it was across town. And we know the commute in ATL is EPIC! Probably not seriously considering going any where else. Is this about right? Close?
Our experience, being pre-annexation Chamblee (DeKalb) was that the K-5 was okay, 6-8 was a bit dicer, and we busted a move to Colorado before HS. While Chamblee Charter High is a fine school. More precisely, it is a fine one for Atlanta. We had every parent constantly giving us unsolicited advice to to the kids to Marist, and that it was much better than the public school was. At PTA, the Kroger, walking around the neighborhood (Sexton Hills). Fun thing about that though, when one pulls the CRCT results, Marist did not do better than CCHS. I believe Pius did not either. At least when we were living in ATL.
Unpacking it a bit more. Privates are social institutions. Certainly they teach classes, however, they serve to establish a social strata of those that are, "better." That is the driving priority. Hey, you do not have to agree. I get it. And they are pay to play. Westminster is going to cost more that a top state Uni, and at least half of what most Ivy's charge: $37K/year! Clearly, I need a better job.
Next, the Christian School question. Yes, Westminster absolutely is. While they do not have it slapped across their website landing page, it is trivial to find from the 'About Us' page, . As well, if one takes the time to read XC Coach Tribbles 2020 , he does pepper his conversation with a decent amount of his Christian beliefs. He is probably one of the reason you want/are going there, and hence why you thought to post this on Let's Run, as you are a runner, or runner adjacent. So, stop with the whole are they or are they not BS. Those that attend there will have the expectation to participate with all that goes with a profession of faith.
That said, we stayed public, 2 of the children are out of college and working, one is getting a PhD at an Ivy (they pay them to attend), and one is a D1 runner. So public can work, and the education issue in Atlanta is shot through not just the public's, but many of the privates as well. Our experience was that privates were mostly a form of segregation, I mean, it is the South after all... Not just racial, but income as well.
Totally agree that if you have a highly motivated kid they can do well in public school. The issue is if your kid is in the middle, they will get lost and surrounded by other kids with limited aspirations or motivation. That is what a good private school insulates against. If there are only 300 kids in the school, and the school is attentive and rigorous they will come out way ahead of where they would of at some 1500 kid public school where they wont get the same attention, experiences, or challenge.
The cruelty of our society is that socio-economic mobility comes from education, exposure to different classes of people, and learning the values / behavioral norms of the group you want to be a part of. At a good private school where every kids parent is successful you learn the social norms and values based behaviors to navigate with successful people. Its not about connections per say, its about learning how to fit in with the group you want to be a part of. This is a very subtle art. Most really rich people dont act at all like you see on TV, so there is no way to learn how they behave without some in person exposure to them. There is a reason why 90% of Americans dont move socio economic rungs on the ladder from where they were born.
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.
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.
Thank you for your input.
"Got into" is not defined by these schools as you phrased it. There is a extensive admissions process. Similar to applying to colleges, but with an interview process as well. I believe the acceptance rate is 20-25%. There are scholarships available for those who cannot afford to pay full tuition. Westminster has one of the largest endowments in the nation.
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.
Thanks. He did choose to go there. Can you do some research for me though? Is Westminister a Christian school?
Okay, so a bit late to the show, however, I could not resist.
ITP; Westminster, got it, you are Buckhead adjacent: Brookhaven; Paces Ferry; Vinings? Fulton county, not DeKalb county. You stated that Woodward was out as it was across town. And we know the commute in ATL is EPIC! Probably not seriously considering going any where else. Is this about right? Close?
Our experience, being pre-annexation Chamblee (DeKalb) was that the K-5 was okay, 6-8 was a bit dicer, and we busted a move to Colorado before HS. While Chamblee Charter High is a fine school. More precisely, it is a fine one for Atlanta. We had every parent constantly giving us unsolicited advice to to the kids to Marist, and that it was much better than the public school was. At PTA, the Kroger, walking around the neighborhood (Sexton Hills). Fun thing about that though, when one pulls the CRCT results, Marist did not do better than CCHS. I believe Pius did not either. At least when we were living in ATL.
Unpacking it a bit more. Privates are social institutions. Certainly they teach classes, however, they serve to establish a social strata of those that are, "better." That is the driving priority. Hey, you do not have to agree. I get it. And they are pay to play. Westminster is going to cost more that a top state Uni, and at least half of what most Ivy's charge: $37K/year! Clearly, I need a better job.
Next, the Christian School question. Yes, Westminster absolutely is. While they do not have it slapped across their website landing page, it is trivial to find from the 'About Us' page, . As well, if one takes the time to read XC Coach Tribbles 2020 , he does pepper his conversation with a decent amount of his Christian beliefs. He is probably one of the reason you want/are going there, and hence why you thought to post this on Let's Run, as you are a runner, or runner adjacent. So, stop with the whole are they or are they not BS. Those that attend there will have the expectation to participate with all that goes with a profession of faith.
That said, we stayed public, 2 of the children are out of college and working, one is getting a PhD at an Ivy (they pay them to attend), and one is a D1 runner. So public can work, and the education issue in Atlanta is shot through not just the public's, but many of the privates as well. Our experience was that privates were mostly a form of segregation, I mean, it is the South after all... Not just racial, but income as well.
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?
I think it is both.
Fortunately, we are in a situation where paying close to $40K for private schooling is not an issue. My wife an I both received a great education, made some very good decisions along the way, quickly moved up the corporate ladder and now find ourselves in a position where we are able to make decisions like this. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be in a position to do what is best for their kids. If this poster does have kids, he may have some remorse that he was not able to provide his children with the best options and that is the origin of his envy.
My son is a hard-working, very smart, talented kid. Truthfully, he's really the one who put himself in this position, not us.
Okay, so a bit late to the show, however, I could not resist.
ITP; Westminster, got it, you are Buckhead adjacent: Brookhaven; Paces Ferry; Vinings? Fulton county, not DeKalb county. You stated that Woodward was out as it was across town. And we know the commute in ATL is EPIC! Probably not seriously considering going any where else. Is this about right? Close?
Our experience, being pre-annexation Chamblee (DeKalb) was that the K-5 was okay, 6-8 was a bit dicer, and we busted a move to Colorado before HS. While Chamblee Charter High is a fine school. More precisely, it is a fine one for Atlanta. We had every parent constantly giving us unsolicited advice to to the kids to Marist, and that it was much better than the public school was. At PTA, the Kroger, walking around the neighborhood (Sexton Hills). Fun thing about that though, when one pulls the CRCT results, Marist did not do better than CCHS. I believe Pius did not either. At least when we were living in ATL.
Unpacking it a bit more. Privates are social institutions. Certainly they teach classes, however, they serve to establish a social strata of those that are, "better." That is the driving priority. Hey, you do not have to agree. I get it. And they are pay to play. Westminster is going to cost more that a top state Uni, and at least half of what most Ivy's charge: $37K/year! Clearly, I need a better job.
Next, the Christian School question. Yes, Westminster absolutely is. While they do not have it slapped across their website landing page, it is trivial to find from the 'About Us' page, . As well, if one takes the time to read XC Coach Tribbles 2020 , he does pepper his conversation with a decent amount of his Christian beliefs. He is probably one of the reason you want/are going there, and hence why you thought to post this on Let's Run, as you are a runner, or runner adjacent. So, stop with the whole are they or are they not BS. Those that attend there will have the expectation to participate with all that goes with a profession of faith.
That said, we stayed public, 2 of the children are out of college and working, one is getting a PhD at an Ivy (they pay them to attend), and one is a D1 runner. So public can work, and the education issue in Atlanta is shot through not just the public's, but many of the privates as well. Our experience was that privates were mostly a form of segregation, I mean, it is the South after all... Not just racial, but income as well.
It depends but if he is self-motivated I would strongly suggest staying in public schools where you can get a great (free) education if you are self motivated and advocate for yourself. Colleges look more favorably on a top public school student who has actually been exposed to a diverse assortment of peers and teachers.
I went to Atlanta Public Schools for K-12 and wouldn't change it for the world. I was a three sport varsity athlete and a member of nationally recognized student newspaper and fashion design/sewing programs. Then, I got a full scholarship to a large state school where I took the same approach, graduating at the top of my class and earning a spot in the #1 law school in the country (where I am now currently writing this). Here, you can really tell who went to a basically all-white upper class school for the entirety of their educational careers. Harder to meaningfully discuss, for example, criminal justice reform proposals with people who have absolutely zero concept of how race, income, nationality, etc shapes community police encounters.
Also, none of the kids who I played competitive club soccer with who all went to private schools (Marist, Westminster, St. Pius X, Holy Innocents, Pace, Lovett, Mt. Vernon, etc) have done anything super notable post high school? In fact, it seems like a lot of them kind of peaked in high school. Social status (and $$) was everything to them (and their parents) then. Seemed like they were living in this kind of alternate artificial bubble. And, still, not much has changed.
X2 what this guy said. IME there is no enduring advantage these schools offer and some meaningful disadvantages. The downsides I’ve observed are kids that get burnt out early because these schools are genuinely a ton of work, and the potential for the kid to feel entitled/special for having gone there. I do think there are significant benefits to how these private schools help get their kids into college, but it seems like a bad value to send a kid private solely for this.
I do run in some circles where the parents compete for status through their kids school. For one, this is pathetic and gross. For two, if you want to do this, prepare to spend crazy money outside of tuition donating to the school you choose.
Totally agree that if you have a highly motivated kid they can do well in public school. The issue is if your kid is in the middle, they will get lost and surrounded by other kids with limited aspirations or motivation. That is what a good private school insulates against. If there are only 300 kids in the school, and the school is attentive and rigorous they will come out way ahead of where they would of at some 1500 kid public school where they wont get the same attention, experiences, or challenge.
The cruelty of our society is that socio-economic mobility comes from education, exposure to different classes of people, and learning the values / behavioral norms of the group you want to be a part of. At a good private school where every kids parent is successful you learn the social norms and values based behaviors to navigate with successful people. Its not about connections per se, its about learning how to fit in with the group you want to be a part of. This is a very subtle art. Most really rich people dont act at all like you see on TV, so there is no way to learn how they behave without some in person exposure to them. There is a reason why 90% of Americans dont move socio economic rungs on the ladder from where they were born.
Great post, exactly correct. This is what Flagpole is missing. I have one of each. One who could’ve gone Ivy but took a huge merit scholarship at a top tier, non-Ivy caliber private college (great choice) and who would’ve succeeded anywhere in high school, and another who is “in the middle.” Unfortunately, peer group is everything and it has totally dragged her down. Public education was already in decline, but that accelerated with Covid. Unfortunately, her track coach is close to retirement and never built a culture of success, which recruits itself, and our stupid state sports authority won’t let us transfer without sitting her for a year.
If you have the means, go private. Public school, by and large, sucks. It doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is that you make this decision correctly for your family right now. Please heed my advice.
Great post, exactly correct. This is what Flagpole is missing. I have one of each. One who could’ve gone Ivy but took a huge merit scholarship at a top tier, non-Ivy caliber private college (great choice) and who would’ve succeeded anywhere in high school, and another who is “in the middle.” Unfortunately, peer group is everything and it has totally dragged her down. Public education was already in decline, but that accelerated with Covid. Unfortunately, her track coach is close to retirement and never built a culture of success, which recruits itself, and our stupid state sports authority won’t let us transfer without sitting her for a year.
If you have the means, go private. Public school, by and large, sucks. It doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is that you make this decision correctly for your family right now. Please heed my advice.
What state makes you sit out a year? That sounds awful.
I don't get it. It takes a lot of time to fill out a private school application, write the essays, perhaps take the SSAT, get the recommendations, pay the filing fees . . . . You did all that, your son got accepted, and *now* you decide to ask a bunch of LetsRun strangers to help you make a big life decision? What's wrong with this picture?
Totally agree that if you have a highly motivated kid they can do well in public school. The issue is if your kid is in the middle, they will get lost and surrounded by other kids with limited aspirations or motivation. That is what a good private school insulates against. If there are only 300 kids in the school, and the school is attentive and rigorous they will come out way ahead of where they would of at some 1500 kid public school where they wont get the same attention, experiences, or challenge.
The cruelty of our society is that socio-economic mobility comes from education, exposure to different classes of people, and learning the values / behavioral norms of the group you want to be a part of. At a good private school where every kids parent is successful you learn the social norms and values based behaviors to navigate with successful people. Its not about connections per se, its about learning how to fit in with the group you want to be a part of. This is a very subtle art. Most really rich people dont act at all like you see on TV, so there is no way to learn how they behave without some in person exposure to them. There is a reason why 90% of Americans dont move socio economic rungs on the ladder from where they were born.
Great post, exactly correct. This is what Flagpole is missing. I have one of each. One who could’ve gone Ivy but took a huge merit scholarship at a top tier, non-Ivy caliber private college (great choice) and who would’ve succeeded anywhere in high school, and another who is “in the middle.” Unfortunately, peer group is everything and it has totally dragged her down. Public education was already in decline, but that accelerated with Covid. Unfortunately, her track coach is close to retirement and never built a culture of success, which recruits itself, and our stupid state sports authority won’t let us transfer without sitting her for a year.
If you have the means, go private. Public school, by and large, sucks. It doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is that you make this decision correctly for your family right now. Please heed my advice.
Totally agree that if you have a highly motivated kid they can do well in public school. The issue is if your kid is in the middle, they will get lost and surrounded by other kids with limited aspirations or motivation. That is what a good private school insulates against. If there are only 300 kids in the school, and the school is attentive and rigorous they will come out way ahead of where they would of at some 1500 kid public school where they wont get the same attention, experiences, or challenge.
The cruelty of our society is that socio-economic mobility comes from education, exposure to different classes of people, and learning the values / behavioral norms of the group you want to be a part of. At a good private school where every kids parent is successful you learn the social norms and values based behaviors to navigate with successful people. Its not about connections per se, its about learning how to fit in with the group you want to be a part of. This is a very subtle art. Most really rich people dont act at all like you see on TV, so there is no way to learn how they behave without some in person exposure to them. There is a reason why 90% of Americans dont move socio economic rungs on the ladder from where they were born.
Great post, exactly correct. This is what Flagpole is missing. I have one of each. One who could’ve gone Ivy but took a huge merit scholarship at a top tier, non-Ivy caliber private college (great choice) and who would’ve succeeded anywhere in high school, and another who is “in the middle.” Unfortunately, peer group is everything and it has totally dragged her down. Public education was already in decline, but that accelerated with Covid. Unfortunately, her track coach is close to retirement and never built a culture of success, which recruits itself, and our stupid state sports authority won’t let us transfer without sitting her for a year.
If you have the means, go private. Public school, by and large, sucks. It doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is that you make this decision correctly for your family right now. Please heed my advice.
Another LR neo-con blaming their kids short comings on peer group. Nut up and be a better parent. So sad - feel bad for your daughter.
