<p>Yes, a number of colleges, and private schools have preferential admissions to local kids. Harvard used to(may still have ) some such a thing with some local public high schools. So it is with some other universities. There may be areas in a state that also so benefit. My husband’s home area does get preferential treatment for medical school, state u and some of the colleges in the state, to get some representation there. My son’s private high school does do outreach to get students from the locale to apply. How formal, how extensive these arrangements are can vary widely.</p>
<p>Also, there are private high schools that have connections with certain colleges, some very selective ones. The old “feeder school” arrangement, though not as heavy of a connection as it once was. Sometimes it’s just because the admissions director of the college knows the high school well, or knows the GCs, and staff there well or is an alum of the school, or the geographics are such that the schools work together on a number of things. </p>
<p>ellen3 - I believe that the student has to be enrolled 11th- grade until graduation for class rank (I could be wrong)</p>
<p>Some people are just obsessed about getting their kids into UT Austin around here. I have a neighbor with two young sons, I know with certainly that if those boys aren’t likely top 10% by 10th grade they will relocate to get them in a school where they can be in the top 10%. Both parents are UT alums. We just had another neighbor move to get his kids into a high school that had better chances of sporting recruitment for his kids. </p>
<p>We moved to TX to homeschool in peace (don’t get me started on the home school laws in MA) we never intended to put any of our children in public school but picked a house in a good school district with the hope that our kids would have well educated playmates and friends. This worked well until the kids reached high school age. The local high school is not what it appeared on paper and I am very grateful that my children can attended an out of district high school even if it means lower GPA and a reach for the top 10% ranking.</p>
<p>On a side note, some residents in the community twhere my kids attend high school have been campaigning to end out of district transfers, they say that the transfers are taking the places of the in district top 10% students. What they fail to see is that by accepting out of district transfers they increase their student body making it easier for the same students to make the top 10%. FYI this school does not take transfers by lottery, you need to offer the school something to get in (sports, music, art, STEM …)</p>
<p>The school then benefits from the Robin Hood policy, the out of district kids are exempt form the Robin Hood clause so the school gets to keep all the government money for these kids and it is a win for all.</p>
<p>12 students applied to Yale from DDs magnet school, only one was accepted. My DD. The others were rejected.</p>
<p>I do know of two other students who applied from a non magnet high school, they were WL’d. I did hear that one got off of the WL but not sure what he will decide. </p>
<p>I will add that her school sends one kid to Yale/year. This year had a huge increase in applicants. I thought for sure more would get in. The group that applied was a very diverse bunch. Black, White, Asian, Latino, Middle Eastern you name it…they applied. I think what set DD apart was that she took advantage of almost every program that Yale offers. Including medical research last summer. She also fought to take an AP class in 10th grade, this AP teacher was an LOR writer and wrote a jaw dropping amazing LOR and talked about how she fought to take the class. The first sophomore in her school ever. She also had lots of unique Ecs and summer experiences. The other kids basically did the same thing…they were like lemmings throughout their high school career. DD definitely did her own thing and set her own course. Found her passion! </p>
<p>“Harvard used to(may still have ) some such a thing with some local public high schools.”</p>
<p>Yes, Harvard still gives a tip to local kids; they state that they believe it’s part of their obligation to the community that supports them (and to which it pays minimal tax).</p>
<p>oldmom, I know a mom who just did it and didn’t tell her kid until the day before school started. And that’s true, not an urban legend. At least that’s what the kid told friends …</p>
<p>No, it’s not an urban legend. I’m sure it happens more than we realize. Parents just don’t discuss it. </p>
<p>I’m sure there are some kids at DDs school who ASSUME that they will rise to the top because they feel superior to the inner city kids. There is a suburban mom of a current junior who alluded to it during a conversation several years back. She said that she knew her dd would have little to no competition or something to that effect. This same mom has only recently become more involved at the school. And no, suburban parents at DDs school are not more involved, as a matter of fact. They hardly ever come to the school. With the exception of orientation, and report card nights. Just a hand full show up for PTSO meetings and awards events. So many myths about inner city kids schools… Lots of generalizations. Which I can admit, I’ve been guilty of on just one occasion! X_X </p>
<p>Hanna, it’s not accurate to say that Harvard pays minimal tax. Harvard does not pay property taxes on its buildings- because it is not charged taxes as a non-profit institution. Just like BC and BU and Simmons and Emerson. And just like the archdiocese or the Christian Scientists (big property owners).</p>
<p>Harvard collects (and pays) sales tax on the stuff it sells in the Coop. Harvard pays payroll taxes, Harvard pays corporate tax on any businesses it owns which are not part of the core mission of running a university. I’m hardly an apologist for Harvard, but get the facts straight.</p>
<p>@NewHavenCTmom What % of students at the inter city NH school are clearly of higher means? Assuming they’re a tiny minority, do they just stick together and rarely associate with the kids in the district?</p>
<p>No! Not at all…they mix and mingle which is really nice! They hang out, date interracially and date inter economically! Lol did I just make that up??? </p>
<p>It’s tough to say what percentage is high ses. I believe 65% of the kids receive free/reduced lunch at her school, but don’t quote me on that. Many kids have brand new cars and drive to school. Many people assume that everyone in NHV is poor. There are million dollar home neighborhoods in this city & not just in the Yale area. </p>
<p>This sounds totally absurd. I guess I can fathom how for “automatic” acceptance (e.g. TX) it might be beneficial to go to a poor performing high school. But the OP refers to an article which suggests that a family would choose to attend the “worst high school in the city”. The worst dozen high schools in my city are graduating barely literate children. There are some magnet schools in my (very rough) city that are outstanding and have plenty of AP or IB classes. These could be great options. But sending your child to a school with low standards and low graduation rate would seem to be accruing a lot of handicaps for the (theoretical) slight bump of coming from a “bad school”. </p>
<p>@ellen3 Are you U of C associated? I like your artwork. I graduated '90 and now its on the kid’s list. </p>
<p>@VSGPeanut101 This is how I would characterize the school this student was at. Not violently dangerous, but the talent pool is extremely shallow. Big fish, little pond type of thing.</p>
<p>“There are some magnet schools in my (very rough) city that are outstanding and have plenty of AP or IB classes. These could be great options.”</p>
<p>About almost a decade ago, there was an article (likely News Week) in which it was said that a girl was advised by a highly paid private “college admission counselor” to: 1) change her high school 2) change the kind of ECs 3) change her family name. The last one was really disturbing in my opinion.</p>
<p>Maybe we should go back to those dark 1900-1920 (?) years when the elite colleges would ask for the detailed background information about applicant’s ancestors several generations back, in order to make sure that the incoming class will have the “right” mix of students.</p>
<p>Talking about the right mix of students, this reminds me of this:</p>
<p>One of DS’s (female) teachers went to college in 1960 (as the first few classes of female students being admitted to that school.) At one time, a discussion about how females become more competitive academically at all/most levels of education. She said that considering what the males had done to females in so many centuries in the past, she personally had no problem with the phenomenon that female students are now ahead of the male students. The women may just value the education opportunity more than the men because they have been deprived of their opportunity for such a long time.</p>
<p>DS once volunteered in East Haven. He said he met many Hispanic Americans (not African Americans) in that area. Are residents there generally poorer than those in New Haven (say, close to its downtown) or West Haven or North Haven?</p>
<p>Change her family name?
Well, I guess when you are being paid well for your advice, yu have to tell them * something* that no one else will tell them.
@@</p>
It is true that Harvard does not pay property taxes because of it’s tax status. It is also true that is makes a voluntary payment to Cambridge and Boston each year. This payment in lieu of taxes is a relatively small proportion of what their full property tax bill would be … but it is also real money. Virtually all the schools, in the Boston area at least, make a payment in lieu of property taxes.</p>
<p>I seriously doubt the student hid what her parents do, or anything like that. I could honestly see being the wealthy valedictorian at an inner city school being a MAJOR hook in essays, especially when coupled with meaningful volunteering and other efforts. Who would you accept: the private school kid who tutors inner city students or the one that goes to school with them? Claim you want to follow in mom and dad’s footsteps and be an inner-city physician.</p>
<p>There was a Yale scholarship awards night last month for NHV area students. Most were from the burbs and went to private schools. Out of the 19 students being awarded $5,000, five were from the city of NHV & educated in the NHPS system. I’m sure the majority of the NHV students are high FA kids. Yale most certainly isn’t paying any where near what it owes in taxes by giving these kids tuition. Maybe there are students in other years that make up another portion of “taxes”? I could be wrong…very wrong. But we are thankful for the FA that they are providing nonetheless.</p>
<p>I heard Yale paid a lot of money to New Haven City government voluntarily every year or in most years (millions - in an article that I read at one time.)</p>
<p>Somehow I had the feeling that Yale treats its host city better than Harvard does toward its host city, but I do not have anything to back this up.</p>
<p>At least this might be the case in those “Panthers” years in 1960s. They tried very hard to manage/pamper that scary situation after having learned from Harvard’s experience; Harvard suffered greatly just a few days before they came to this city. Both colleges were their “targets” back then.</p>
<p>East Haven is old Italian…with a huge population of Latinos dropping their anchors in that town in the past few years. East Haveners have not always welcomed “outsiders”. Latino immigrants just won a $500,000 lawsuit against the town of East Haven due to blatant racism & harassment by the police dept. Some of the harassment was caught on tape. I wouldn’t say it’s poor…mainly middle class working folks. Not many blacks because historically, blacks had issues with racism and were afraid to rent/buy homes. DDs prom was on that side of town and the homes are breathtaking. Many business owners and MDs live there.</p>
<p>West Haven is a mixed bag…North Haven is higher ses than West Haven…the next town is Orange with very high ses and the next town is Milford…Milford has a a Whole Foods and from what I understand, Whole Foods seeks out areas with residents with the most college degrees. </p>
<p>Downtown NHV rents are typically very high, for those who can afford it and Yale grad students/professors et al.</p>