<p>zuzu,</p>
<p>I thought 35%-40% of kids at bs came from your neck of the woods…thanks for setting me straight. </p>
<p>When you say diversity, can you explain, color wise, background wise, location wise?</p>
<p>Alex, when I say upstate NY, I mean closer to Canada then NYC. I think a lot of kids come from Westchester county, but I don’t really consider that upstate. I live in a town that still has tons of farms with a small downtown. We’re talking two traffic lights in the village. It is a highly educated area, due to the location of a major company’s headquarters here. As a result, our public school is exceptional. Last year, 13% of our graduating class (138 kids), ended up at ivies. Four were to Harvard. But there is no diversity. One family of color, and no international kids, with the exception of the few Rotary exchange kids that come each year. Financial diversity exists, due to the agriculture here, but most of the kids who live on farms tend to hang out together and often don’t have the time to do extra activities. At Mercersburg, the kids differences all tend to blend together. My daughter is happiest when in the throng of friends, and judging from my visitis and her multitudes of pictures, her friends include asian kids, african american kids, hispanic kids, middle eastern kids and more I am sure. The only time she remarks about it is when it is not present, ie, when she is home and says that everyone is the same.</p>
<p>yea, Westchester is only upstate to the city, not in comparison to the rest of the state</p>
<p>Great thread! My daughter and I compared out “Top Ten” questions people ask us. My number one was, “Does she want to go?” And her number one question was, “Do you want to go???” We were both cracking up! So many people really have no idea. The second most popular question, also on both our lists, was, “Are you going to move?”</p>
<p>Great thread! My daughter and I compared out “Top Ten” questions people ask us. My number one was, “Does she want to go?” And her number one question was, “Do you want to go???” We were both cracking up! So many people really have no idea. The second most popular question, also on both our lists, was, “Are you going to move?”</p>
<p>Anjintrader,</p>
<p>You are so right “Are you going to move?” I did say BOARDING SCHOOL", where kids board. These are adults, by god—lol</p>
<p>I have to say “I have 10 years to retire…I cant give up my pension to move”–lol</p>
<p>When my child didn’t get admitted to any school, an acquaintance said “But you didn’t want X. to go though, right?” Like I secretly was hoping X wouldn’t get in??? Huh! I so wanted this opportunity for X, because my child wanted it badly, because it would be a great experience… She looked shocked, like I said I didn’t love my kid. </p>
<p>I’ve gotten plenty of “I could never send my child away to boarding school.” Ah well, different priorities, I guess.</p>
<p>Sadly, these decisions are very defining. When we first sent children to private school as class sizes started to explode (and NCLB curriculum narrowing was implemented) there were those who non-verbally communicated their judgement. When I recently shared with a friend whose child is a current classmate of my d that my d was leaving for the other coast - without saying why - I got “yes, of course my son is bored and unhappy, all teens are bored and unhappy. It’s the best HS around anyway.” It made me sad. I’m finding out, yet again, who the real friends are.</p>
<p>I think the one rule about good parent is that you do what’s best for them, even when its diffiucult. About 10 minutes into the campus tour, I looked at his face and knew right then, it was all over. There was no possible way I could not let him go…</p>
<p>Ever since I started kindergarten, I have had to explain to my teachers that yes, my father is a teacher; no, he teaches at Peddie; yes I live at a school; yes, I will go to Peddie School when I’m old enough; uh-huh, I’m sure I can get in; why would I go to Hightstown High when I have the chance to go to a top prep school?; no, I’m not that worried about leaving my friends because we all live in the same 1 sq. mile town; no, I still have to apply and be accepted, but trust me, I’ll get in; because I’m charmingly smart, now can you stop grilling me about my personal life and let me write this book report due next period? I was up all last night, not being challenged. </p>
<p>Somehow, people in my town are able to connect all of the town’s problems (rising taxes, crowding) to my school, in whatever way possible. Seriously, a town meeting about getting rid of the police force that does nothing changed focus when a guy said the whole town should lead a protest outside the school’s gates until “every last foreign dignitary pulls their kids out of there”, which is funny, because I don’t know anybody in my school whose parents are “foreign dignitaries”. The protest never happened.</p>
<p>We don’t get these questions regarding boarding school, but we get them for sending D to a magnet school in the local city. Of course, the presumption isn’t about us being elitist, but about the quality of the school, because it’s in the city, where test scores are significantly lower (even at her school). The opportunities are better, and she will be a better person for spending time with a more diverse group of kids - and maybe her presence will enrich their lives too.</p>
<p>Whenever we make choices for our kids that are “not the norm” we will be questioned. I am convinced it is not really that they think we’re bad parents, just that they must make a preemptive strike to make sure we know THEY are not bad parents for not making the same choice.</p>
<p>Since this is an old thread that was recently bumped, those interested might also want to take a look at a similar thread,
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1124520-negative-reactions-regarding-child-attending-bs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1124520-negative-reactions-regarding-child-attending-bs.html</a></p>