Think college is expensive? How about $39,750 for nursery school?

Parents Forum
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<p>Article in the Times today about how a number of private schools are crossing the $40K annual tuition line. </p>

<p>"Over the past 10 years, the median price of first grade in the city has gone up by 48 percent, adjusted for inflation, compared with a 35 percent increase at private schools nationally — and just 24 percent at an Ivy League college."</p>

<p>That's before they hit you up with the fundraising.</p>

<p>And there's no shortage of of willing applicants.</p>

<p>"The median number of applications to New York schools has increased 32 percent over the past decade, according to the association, and in some schools the acceptance rate is staggeringly low. At Trinity, only 2.4 percent of children from families with no previous connection to the school were admitted to kindergarten last year. Far from being deterred by the sticker prices, more families seem to be hiring consultants — at an additional cost — in hopes of getting a leg up.</p>

<p>"One consulting firm, Manhattan Private School Advisors, said it worked with 1,431 families this school year, up from 605 three years ago. The company’s fee has gone up, too: It was $21,500 this year and $18,500 three years ago."</p>

<p>Financial aid has not increased, about a fifth receive it today and ten years ago. The median aid package has increased, though, from about $14K to $25K.</p>

<p>You don't have to be a school with long tradition to charge these numbers. The $39,750 nursery school is part of an institution that has yet to open its doors.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/nyregion/scraping-the-40000-ceiling-at-new-york-city-private-schools.html?ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/nyregion/scraping-the-40000-ceiling-at-new-york-city-private-schools.html?ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I’d comment but I’m speechless.</p>

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<p>Wow.</p>

<p>What does it cost to attend a private high school there?!</p>

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<p>I have cousins who are rich and spent umpty amount of money for education from kindergarten and up, just imagine how much they have to sepend for 4 kids!</p>

<p>The early results are in… The oldest girl went to a second tier LAC.</p>

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<p>When my kids were younger, there used to be a step up tuition based on grade. More recently, a lot of those schools have decided to go with one price for all. Tuitions could be easily googled, I think it is about 30-40K/year now.</p>

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<p>There is, and has always been, no shortage of extremely wealthy NYC families who are willing and able to pay any amount to send their offspring to very exclusive private schools. Not sure why this is a story. You might as well report that the prices of yachts and diamond tiaras went up this year.</p>

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<p>^^^^</p>

<p>That is a great comment Momma J.</p>

<p>I am curious is any other major cities have many (any?) private k-12 schools with tuition anywhere near the NYC private schools. In Atlanta, with the exception of schools for students with learning disabilities, our high schools top out at about 22K. Tuition is still tiered here by grade level.</p>

<p>I will say that I have a good friend in NYC and everything seems to just cost more there. When were both hosting similar events with similar menus, a few years ago, her costs were easily double or more per person than mine.</p>

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<p>The private high schools top out here around $22K-25K but the boarding schools are in the $40K range. I just can’t imagine spending that much money on a high school (or kindergarten for that matter), especially when the acceptance rate into Tier 1 colleges isn’t any better than the top public schools in our area. Now, for certain sports, they will “find” the money to have you go there.</p>

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<p>MommaJ–it’s a story because so many of the public schools are not what you would want to send your kids to. As in many large cities, there are some few college-prep publics but if your child doesn’t qualify…not so much choice. It’s not like you can NOT send your child to school. You don’t have to buy the yacht, however.</p>

<p>lastminute–it’s true that everything costs more in NYC. My aunt used to boast about teacher salaries in NY. She never boasted about the cost of housing…</p>

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<p>There is a documentary film out there that I watched on Showtime a few years ago called “Nursery University” that shows a few families as they attempt to get their kids into the ‘best’ school possible.</p>

<p>Its amazing how competitive the process is, and how parents buy into the notion that their child’s entire educational future hinges on getting into the ‘right’ school.</p>

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<p>But can little Johnny get an equally good education at Podunk Kindergarten? ;)</p>

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<p>Podunk kindergarten in NYC is generally in classes with many more students per teacher than you would be accustomed to in most other places. In the “good” school districts, there are so many local families trying to get their kids into kindergarten that there are lotteries for seats, and many who don’t “win” the lotteries must actually travel with their children from their local school district to alternate school districts to attend kindergarten.</p>

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<p>The comments after the article were every bit as interesting as the actual article.</p>

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<p>A dear friend of mine moved back to New Jersey. Her kids now go to a private school. Her son’s 3rd grade tuition is more than my S’ freshman year at college. Yes, his private school education is much better than our public school here. The opportunities that her kids have had go beyond anything most of the kids here will ever do. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.</p>

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<p>^Checkers–just curious, what opportunities do her kids have that your kids do not?</p>

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<p>I have a gf in the city who has twins and one was rejected from Barnard College’s pre school (and she’s a Barnard alum who gives a lot of money.)</p>

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<p>I’m a NYer with kids at public, private, and special-needs schools. Take a breath and don’t judge until you’ve lived it! There is an incredible difference in quality in public schools, depending on where you are zoned. It is especially difficult at the primary school level, where you have few choices except at your zoned school. It isnt all about snobbery and prestige (although it can be!). If you have a bright high schooler there are some good choices, but you probably have no idea how complicated the NYC high school selection process can be. And if you have a child with any special needs, forget about it!</p>

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<p>This is why people choose to live in the suburbs and subject themselves to the commute. You have to have a LOT of money to be assured of certain things, including a good education for your kids, in NYC. (Not that the suburbs with good schools are cheap, either…)</p>

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<p>

What the heck? Accept one twin, but not the other?? For pre-school?? </p>

<p>I’m curious. Did your friend send the kids to separate schools? Or enroll them at a school that accepted both?</p>

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<p>It is very common for families to send kids to different schools when it comes to private school. Siblings do get special consideration, but it is not unusual not to admit all siblings. When we moved to the suburb and decided to put them back into the private school system, D1 was accepted to one school and D2 was to another, and those 2 schools were 40 miles apart. D2 was later admitted to D1´s school for K.</p>