<p>
</p>
<p>So, you are saying that the $300k k-12 education that culminates in a tech degree, in hindsight, is not money well spent? I don’t think the costs of k-12 education have anything to do with, or are even a part of most parents post graduation “trajectory”, college or anticipated or even “hoped for” career path.</p>
<p>giterdone–no, I really don’t think it is a wise use of money when the public schools in the area are as good as or better than said private school. You really don’t think that parents factor in getting into a “better” college when they shell out that kind of money for K-12?? Like I said earlier, if they were stuck in a town where public schools are very substandard, different story, but that same $300,000 could be used to buy a house in a better neighborhood too…</p>
<p>I think many parents factor in what they consider a “better class” of families. I don’t agree with that, but many of the same folks buy their kids an expensive new car at 16 (ok, in my area) when they could have skipped any car. For some, it’s not a decision based on pure academic opps. And, finances are not a major consideration. They already have the big house in the decent school district.</p>
<p>In my area, this is behind the Catholic schools, in its own way: immerse them in the family’s values and stand a better chance they will maintain them.</p>
<p>@SteveMA - you are flat out wrong. There are academics, and there are values - private schools have much more latitude on what they can teach and recognize. That’s (one of) the benefits of private education.</p>
<p>Most of the most elite, private, religious k-12 schools are also in an areas best school districts. People who can afford options, want those options.</p>
<p>Don’t confuse “college prep” schools (where the goal is to improve ones prospects of getting into a top 50 college), with most private religious schools, where the desire is to raise your kids with a certain value set and belief system. College is not the impetus, but carrying those values through life, beyond 12th grade, is.</p>
<p>giterdone–I respectfully disagree based on my experience with the schools in our area. Things may be very different in your area, however, I am, and have been, giving specific examples of schools in our area. Our children attended Catholic elementary schools because we liked the Catholic influence but also because it was a much better school than the public schools in that area. We moved to an area with nationally recognized public schools and opted not to send the kids to Catholic schools because of that. Yes, I missed some of the Catholic influences in school, however, the value system of the public school population as a whole is not any different than the Catholic school–mainly because most of the families that attend our public school are active members of either the Catholic or Lutheran churches in the area. We can still call our “winter break” Christmas Vacation without anyone getting their undies in a wad. :D. Again, I do not see the value in spending $300,000 in K-12 education to have your child get an AA degree for a job that pays slightly above minimum wage when they can go to a public school that is equal to or better than that private school. The private schools here are very much college prep schools, yet their numbers don’t support that compared to the public schools in the area.</p>
<p>
So it sounds like you’d be paying either way.</p>
<p>okay, agree to disagree based on personal experiences.</p>
<p>Our public school district is consistently ranked #1 or #2 in the state in all the categories schools get measured in. And yet the private school population continues to grow. Catholic, Lutheran, non-denominational or independent, all thrive and few (the college prep schools) even discuss college placement stats. Many many of DD’s peers and near peers from private school have moved to state colleges, universities, community colleges and even beauty schools :eek: without parental shame or embarrassment.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How nice to have no Jews, Muslims, Hindus or other families in your area who might “get their undies in a wad” over being forced to work around the majority’s religious holiday.</p>
<p>^ chorus here. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>:eek:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If indeed they can get an equal or better education at the public school, then yes. But many public schools are sad jokes, and if a parent is stuck with one of those, then money spent on a better private school is money well spent. There is an enormous range of quality in elementary and secondary education - and a much narrower one at the college level. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Based on what criteria, and what evidence?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m not a parent so maybe my perspective is skewed, but I wouldn’t enroll my kids in private schools if I knew they were just going to end up with some associates degree.</p>
<p>OBM and TXA,
to carry it a bit further…</p>
<p>My son was at a classmate’s house at the beginning of winter break…maybe in 10th grade? and the mother asked what church he would be spending Xmas at…my son replied that we would be going for a movie and Chinese food. The mother was very offended that our family “did not recognize Christ’s birth” and that our activities demeaned the importance of the day. To which my always argumentative son replied that then maybe our family should be offended that they ate while we fasted on Yom Kippur. </p>
<p>I actually got a call from the mom, inviting us to church since we were “unchurched.” She really couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that not everyone is christian, and that not everyone recognizes the same holidays…and that Xmas day was not even a blip on our calendar, other than the fact that it is inconvenient to us that so many places are closed.</p>
<p>She is actually a very nice woman…just a little clueless as to how those who are out of her particular mainstream might perceive things a bit differently than she does. Like the fact that we look forward to winter break, and don’t really think about Xmas at all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You like to claim that, but there are large differences between colleges in terms of academic fit (including courses and majors offered) for any given student.</p>
<p>Re: #92</p>
<p>What would her reaction be if she went to this Chinese restaurant and saw the nice picture on the wall? (Or would she know what it is?)
[Photos</a> for Darda Seafood Restaurant | Yelp](<a href=“http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EsCqaHWDAkAdGYST4w1lCw?select=zPRPfk4H9zwi5kVpZLRa0A&start=100]Photos”>http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EsCqaHWDAkAdGYST4w1lCw?select=zPRPfk4H9zwi5kVpZLRa0A&start=100)</p>
<p>^ funny, ucb. It’s Halal, too. Now that might really confuse. :eek:</p>
<p>Love it, ucb!</p>
<p>I am back and glad that my thread is thriving. Just to to weigh in on this debate: public vs private… My intention was not to elevate one above another as there are way too many angles to consider rather to suppose what an adcom might be thinking while looking at our transcript. We have not had even a part-time GC for a few years, and no, nobody acts as a GC. Students (and parents) are supposed to fend for themselves. Sometimes we would have one of those private counselors come in and give a generic lecture but as you might guess, they could not go into details. Besides giving an overview of the main process, they are not helpful much. since they do not know my child.
We love our school and chose it because my children feel like they are part of a close knit family. The school budget is tiny, hence no money for GC. To tell the truth, CC community is our GC.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, Muslim Chinese have existed for centuries.</p>
<p>[Hui</a> people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hui_people]Hui”>Hui people - Wikipedia)
[Islam</a> in China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_China]Islam”>Islam in China - Wikipedia)
[Chinese</a> Islamic cuisine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Muslim_cuisine]Chinese”>Chinese Islamic cuisine - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Pamom, the CC community is generally better than the GC at most high schools…</p>
<p>From talking to a number of college admissions people, it seems that most are well versed on the high schools within their assigned regions, both public and private. They just might get more contact from GCs at private schools…the families at private schools often feel that one of the “perks” they are paying for is to have the GC advocate on behalf of their student with the colleges.</p>
<p>But that can cut both ways… a GC can say volumes by their choice of words or what they choose not to say. And admissions people can read between the lines. And a good GC knows not to overly oversell any particular applicant because if too many applicants don’t work out, it damages the credibility of the GC and the high school, and thus causes damage in the long run.</p>
<p>^ ucb, to clarify, I wasn’t confused, I was musing the further reaction of the person you wrote about when you said, “Wonder what her reaction would be…”</p>