Experience with Prep Schools??

To underscore what Gibonius said earlier, UVA's engineering school was harder to get into than MIT the year applied due to the small number of places available. I got into MIT but did not go but I was wait-listed at UVA's engineering school so I went to UVA anyway, later qualified but went to the undergrad business school anyway. I did manage to get a minor in computer science from the engineering school.

What I think some overlook or don't realize until later is that so many students like myself change majors once they get in. I think those who specialize which is now even possible in high school can find themselves making tough decisions if they change their mind later. It seems that a mix of classic liberal arts training plus some business specialization is a pretty good combination based on what I have seen.

I went to an all boys boarding school in South, and to me a major benefit of prep schools is that everyone involved seems to care about the outcome. In typical public school a decent % of the students, teachers and parents have zero ambition and could care less about actually learning something, so by giving your kid a more motivated set of peers (and especially teachers) she is more likely to be motivated and succeed herself.

Side topic, but are there any Americans on here that went to boarding school in England or on the continent? Would love to hear how the experience is different than the one here.

Interesting thoughts, sir. What about a math major? It just seems to me that I rarely hear about undregrads majoring in math. Is it dated? I know I'm straying a bit here, but interesting topics

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

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To underscore what Gibonius said earlier, UVA's engineering school was harder to get into than MIT the year applied due to the small number of places available. I got into MIT but did not go but I was wait-listed at UVA's engineering school so I went to UVA anyway, later qualified but went to the undergrad business school anyway. I did manage to get a minor in computer science from the engineering school.

What I think some overlook or don't realize until later is that so many students like myself change majors once they get in. I think those who specialize which is now even possible in high school can find themselves making tough decisions if they change their mind later. It seems that a mix of classic liberal arts training plus some business specialization is a pretty good combination based on what I have seen.

Originally Posted by scientific

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most importantly, when I have kids I would want them to go to public HS because I don't think you can be a real American without doing so. private schools don't even have football teams. (wtf.) on the other hand, most public schools are not like the one i went to, so it would be a dilemma. i might send my kids to a private school but i would want to know exactly how it was academically superior.

fwiw all the genius-level people I've met have been home-schooled more or less.

ps. sounds like stuy really blows

The first part here is absolutely preposterous. Asides from the fact that most private school students are much more athletic than public schoolers that I know, every "old wealth," "aspiring middle class," "insert prep school notion" family worships football--more even than lacrosse. Prep schools have the liberty to fund and devote far more of their attention to their football teams. I won't debate what being a real American means, but it's comical that you call many valuable Americans of literally every profession from prostitute to politician unamerican on the grounds of their private schooling.

Stuyvesant blew on an administrative and educational level. However, I have found the student population's raw intelligence, however one might wish to categorize that, to be the highest I've ever seen. Without the taint of legacy, tradition, and financial incentive (all traits I personally approve of), Stuyvesant students are where they are on merit alone. A college graduation rate of close to 100%, nationally top tier debate, robotics, math teams, and its high selectivity confirms my belief that that group of peers was the smartest I have ever associated with. My AP Government classroom was more intelligent than any Harvard class I sat in on. My peers were worth the pains of a New York public school.

But I stand by my statement that I believe I would have enjoyed boarding school more.

Originally Posted by HEARTLESS-531

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Interesting thoughts, sir. What about a math major? It just seems to me that I rarely hear about undregrads majoring in math. Is it dated? I know I'm straying a bit here, but interesting topics

Math is a really, really tough major and few people really know what they're getting into. A friend of mine was a really bright guy, came into undergrad one class short of a math major. Then he hit the upper level classes, and almost immediately realized he couldn't handle it. He has a doctorate in geology now.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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The first part here is absolutely preposterous. Asides from the fact that most private school students are much more athletic than public schoolers that I know, every "old wealth," "aspiring middle class," "insert prep school notion" family worships football--more even than lacrosse. Prep schools have the liberty to fund and devote far more of their attention to their football teams. I won't debate what being a real American means, but it's comical that you call many valuable Americans of literally every profession from prostitute to politician unamerican on the grounds of their private schooling.

Uhhh. I don't know about New York, but in the states with historically strong high school football (California, Texas, Florida) the majority of the best teams (and subsequently the best prospects) are either public schools (Katy, Long Beach Poly, Judson) or athletically oriented privates (Mater Dei, Concord De la Salle) that hardly resemble boarding schools or rigorous academically oriented prep schools.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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My AP Government classroom was more intelligent than any Harvard class I sat in on.

Really?

Originally Posted by ConcernedParent

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Uhhh. I don't know about New York, but in the states with historically strong high school football (California, Texas, Florida) the majority of the best teams (and subsequently the best prospects) are either public schools (Katy, Long Beach Poly, Judson) or athletically oriented privates (Mater Dei, Concord De la Salle) that hardly resemble boarding schools or rigorous academically oriented prep schools.

Really?

Oh I don't mean they particularly excel at sports. I probably misspoke. I simply mean that it's such a rooted part of the prep school image, that to say prep schools don't have football is ridiculous.

And I'm certainly not talking down on Harvard's classes. They were also very smart. I'm not saying my AP gov class was filled with Economist subscribers and daily cover to cover NYT readers (though there were those). People just always had great questions, remarkable debates, and an openness for accepting others' ideas. I should give credit to a fantastic teacher that brought the best out of all of us, but I will stand by what I said, that my upper level high school classes were a focus of intelligence I haven't seen again in the year that I've been gone.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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The first part here is absolutely preposterous. Asides from the fact that most private school students are much more athletic than public schoolers that I know, every "old wealth," "aspiring middle class," "insert prep school notion" family worships football--more even than lacrosse. Prep schools have the liberty to fund and devote far more of their attention to their football teams. I won't debate what being a real American means, but it's comical that you call many valuable Americans of literally every profession from prostitute to politician unamerican on the grounds of their private schooling.

Stuyvesant blew on an administrative and educational level. However, I have found the student population's raw intelligence, however one might wish to categorize that, to be the highest I've ever seen. Without the taint of legacy, tradition, and financial incentive (all traits I personally approve of), Stuyvesant students are where they are on merit alone. A college graduation rate of close to 100%, nationally top tier debate, robotics, math teams, and its high selectivity confirms my belief that that group of peers was the smartest I have ever associated with. My AP Government classroom was more intelligent than any Harvard class I sat in on. My peers were worth the pains of a New York public school.

But I stand by my statement that I believe I would have enjoyed boarding school more.

I don't think you misspoke here, especially if one defines athleticism by the amount of sports/time one puts toward them. My younger brother attends the University School of Milwaukee where the participation in organized sports is nearly 83%- the majority also play two or more.

Originally Posted by shibbel

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I don't think you misspoke here, especially if one defines athleticism by the amount of sports/time one puts toward them. My younger brother attends the University School of Milwaukee where the participation in organized sports is nearly 83%- the majority also play two or more.
Perhaps it's different in the suburbs, but in the city, many private school kids go to camps all summer for their sport of choice, and it's routinely accepted that the Manhattan private schools are superior to the public ones athletically. I do understand that Staten Island public schools are known for good athletics so this may not be a widespread case.

Originally Posted by scientific

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that's somewhat believable. haters gon hate.

i have a bit of a unique perspective to add to this. growing up from pre-k to 8th i went to private schools, and almost did for HS too, but instead went to the school mentioned above. my peers went to private schools where even the best (ha) stagnated and failed to achieve anything.

my observation is that being in an environment where spoiled rich kids have nothing better to do than compare what cars their dads bought for them and experiment with drugs is not conducive to achievement. the people i have met from the big name places like Andover/Exeter don't suffer from this as much, probably because their parents are more likely to be high achievers. however, i'd guess most of them are spoiled degenerates as well.

on my side, like the Philips guy posted, my choice definitely did tremendous damage to my college prospects, and subsequently my career. (i don't believe those prep schools inflict this damage though, instead they probably greatly increase the odds for mediocre students.) however, like him, I would not trade it. nothing was exceptional about the school itself, except for my classmates.

most importantly, when I have kids I would want them to go to public HS because I don't think you can be a real American without doing so. private schools don't even have football teams. (wtf.) on the other hand, most public schools are not like the one i went to, so it would be a dilemma. i might send my kids to a private school but i would want to know exactly how it was academically superior.

fwiw all the genius-level people I've met have been home-schooled more or less.

ps. sounds like stuy really blows

Mad you went to public school? Just about every prep school has a football team. Get your head out of your ass.

Originally Posted by scientific

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most importantly, when I have kids I would want them to go to public HS because I don't think you can be a real American without doing so.

Did you wander in from a Toby Keith song?

OK. Back on topic because I'm a little lost with this New York thing and I've just had two glasses of kick ass Sicilian chianti. Ok. We have interviews at Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, St. Georges. You guys want pics or just the bare facts? Lemme know. Thanks. P.S. I love Toby Keith, especially that 'Stays In Mexico' song.
Thanks Dashaansafin (aureh, Baba, Concerned Parent, and mjphillips).

Originally Posted by mjphillips

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Did you wander in from a Toby Keith song?
+1

One might think a member with the name Scientific would express a opinion different from that he espouses. But in recent years, anti-intellectualism has become extremely popular in America. For too many Americans, underachievement has become desirable.

Originally Posted by Gibonius

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Math is a really, really tough major and few people really know what they're getting into. A friend of mine was a really bright guy, came into undergrad one class short of a math major. Then he hit the upper level classes, and almost immediately realized he couldn't handle it. He has a doctorate in geology now.
You really have to love doing it (proofs)and it does take a particular type of person to succeed in the upper level classes. My major was so math heavy that I took a few more "fun" classes to get the minor. A lot of the BS math majors I know wound up in finance (analysis/modeling), the rest went on for PhD's.

Originally Posted by HEARTLESS-531

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OK. Back on topic because I'm a little lost with this New York thing and I've just had two glasses of kick ass Sicilian chianti. Ok. We have interviews at Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, St. Georges. You guys want pics or just the bare facts? Lemme know. Thanks. P.S. I love Toby Keith, especially that 'Stays In Mexico' song.
Thanks Dashaansafin (aureh, Baba, Concerned Parent, and mjphillips).

I'd love to see a full tour report (+photos) if it's not too much trouble. Hard to find this sort of stuff - a front lines report from the heart of elite American secondary education.