Top NJ High Schools (Cranford, Millburn: public school, college, living)

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

Thanks for the links. The success rate ranges from 41% to 3%, MFS and MHS success rates to their '10 chosen schools' are above 3%. Millburn's 13% is great and no surprise. The .pdf doesn't identify what 10 schools were selected for the study, clearly arbitrary.

This link below shows us six kids going to the Ivy League plus Stanford from Moorestown Friends, the private school in town, the story lists just a sampling, not the complete list of the 69 graduates. But we know 7 kids at a minimum are going Ivy or equivalent based on the story. That's more than 10% 'success rate' as identified in the .pdf. Clearly, then, MFS is a feeder school based on the article's success rates even though it might not be sending 20 kids or more to their 10 chosen schools because it only graduates 69 kids. That's doesn't make its success rate any less valid. And I did not include Notre Dame, Haverford, Swarthmore or Bryn Mawr. If you include those, the success rate for MFS is 16% at a minimum.

Moorestown Friends graduates 69 (phillyBurbs.com) | Education

I don't have a list for MHS but I'll be sure to post one when I do. What you'll find is similar to MFS, they send kids to the same schools.

So getting back to my original point, looking at the established 'success rates' to highly selective schools, MFS clearly is a feeder school; MHS is one as well but I don't have the data to back it up at present. When I do I will let you know. I guarantee you more than 3% (the lowest in the story) are going Ivy or equivalent, but I don't have the data to provide at this time.

It is possible MHS sends 15 kids, not 20, to their schools and it is even more likely based on proximity to Philly, MHS is sending kids to Swarthmore (factual) which has Ivy league admission standards, and in fact the kids might have gotten into Ivy or one of their 10, but chose to stay closer to home and attend Swarthmore instead. So the study is cool but it far from ironclad or definitive on the subject matter.

Why on earth do you keep quoting stats from a private school that just happens to be in Moorestown. What do that have to do with the price of beans? Talk to us about the record of the public high school in Moorestown (so we can all have a good giggle).

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

Moorestown sends 10-15 to the Ivies each year and roughly 30 to Ivy league equivalents. The list of schools is just as impressive as Millburn's, which has a slightly higher enrollment.

Of course I never said MHS is better or even as good as Millburn, though, it should be noted that MHS was awarded Blue Ribbon designation in 2000.

Ok ,you have now said you send more kids to college then are in the graduating class? please do not expect us to believe you post links to facts ,please.

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

Moorestown sends 10-15 to the Ivies each year and roughly 30 to Ivy league equivalents. The list of schools is just as impressive as Millburn's, which has a slightly higher enrollment.

Of course I never said MHS is better or even as good as Millburn, though, it should be noted that MHS was awarded Blue Ribbon designation in 2000.

Yes you did,post #26.You implied that becuase of higher test scores(also not true) it's a better school.

Your math does not add up,please give links and facts or stop with the ignorance and arrogance please.

[jerseyj]

I don't think anyone is questioning the fact that Moorestown has a great school district and the High School is, indeed, a Blue Ribbon School.

I could not find the graduation rates for 2008.
Here are the graduation rates from 2007 (school matters web site).

Prep for College: Moorestown High School | SchoolMatters.com

As you can see 74.5% plan to attend a 4 year institution, 19.1% a 2 year institution.

I have looked all through the MHS website and could not find a listing of the schools that the 2008 graduates plan to attend.

Could you please provide the link from which you are quoting your data?

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by Giantone

Yes you did,post #26.You implied that becuase of higher test scores(also not true) it's a better school.

Your math does not add up,please give links and facts or stop with the ignorance and arrogance please.

MFS, not MHS

[Lusitan]

Originally Posted by Giantone

please give links and facts

Who needs facts when you can have "reputational moxie" instead?

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

MFS, not MHS

doesn't your local paper list all graduates and their post graduation plans? mine lists every single graduate and what school (or work or military or undecided) they are going to.

[shannybannany]

It should... Cherry Hiil East and West took out several full-page ads annoucing their children's college choices and plans,

Shanny

[lolamom]

Moorestown guy-maybe instead of trying to hard to convince this group you should invest your energies trying to convince the folks who do the rankings...... Just a thought.

I have to say that I given this subject more thought than most because we a) have small children and b) have moved around a ton in the past few years and c) we "came up" socio-economically thanks to DH's Ivy degree. My husband went to a top IVY which he got into despite growing up lower middle class and going to a very unremarkable public school system.

My two cents for what they are worth:

An ivy league degree is a wonderful thing to have if one comes by one through "honest means"--meaning a truly superb intellect AND a work drive. Too many young people these days are groomed to within an inch of their lives just to get into the Ivy "pageant". I see it all the time--truly smart kids with incredible inner abilities who are reduced to scholastic robots--study, study, tutor, study, activity, study..... If it comes naturally, fine, but I can't see me pushing my kids this way unless it comes from them..... That's how my in-laws did it with DH--they guided him and supported him but the drive and motivation originated from him. That's how it should be....there is no crime in a young person finding their path on their own and in due time. College is but the beginning of the path, you know?

I can tell you that my DH has done well for precisely due to latter--he is smart as all heck and he works hard. Having said that, we will both admit that the Ivy League degree has opened doors for him AND given him credibility--especially early on in his career. But in our observation, he has done better in life than many of his college peers and I honestly think it's because of his worth ethic and drive.... things that cannot be purchased.

FWIW, I am a state school girl and did okay in my career---mid level manager @ 34 and then quit to have kids.

So--what do we want for our rug rats? Well, here is what I have observed....

I don't think the whole Ivy league thing is all that for everybody. Would I love for my kids to attend a top school? Yeah---but only if it came from them. What I want for my kids more than anything is that they develop a passion for SOMETHING whatever it may be. If they go Ivy, I hope they do this in pursuit of something they are passionate about instead of viewing the experience as an end, rather than a means.... KWIM?

We all have daydreams for our kids and I am not above having some for mine.... I'd love for my kids to go to a solid tier B school, have a fantastic experience, do well and then go to an ivy league grad. When I see how hard people work at the Ivy leagues, I feel sad thinking of my kids missing out on all the fun I experienced. So in my ideal world, they'd get both. I have to say too that practically speaking, I think a graduate degree from a top school carries more panache and opens more doors than a mere undergrad from an Ivy.

Having said all THAT-let me confess this: We moved to Millburn for the schools. However, instead of viewing it as a means to the Ivys, we did it because it appears to be a fantastic school system....and an education is what we are after--not just an Ivy ticket. I doubt we will still be living here by then anyway and I figured in the meantime, start as we mean to go on.... I will give my children every raw ingredient I can come up with to allow them to succeed but my hope is that the drive and motivation come from them. I am not naive---I am the mother of little kids and it's easy to philosophize when you are looking ahead--much harder when you are in the heat of the battle. Still, I am hoping I can resist the temptation to get all crazy about it when the times comes precisely by doing all I can NOW to set my own parenting goals AND provide a solid foundation.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on it--take it for what they are worth. I am sure now that I have written this all out, I have jinxed myself! I can hear my kiddies coming to me in 10+ years--"MOM, I have found my passion: it's punk rock and I want to drop out of school to attend punk-band academy" or something.... Just as long as their "passion" is not drugs, we should be fine!! At the end of the day, love them, feed them, look out for them and then cross your fingers and hope it all works out! That's all anyone can do.

Sigh, isn't motherhood grand?

Lola

[tandcookies]

Originally Posted by lolamom

Moorestown guy-maybe instead of trying to hard to convince this group you should invest your energies trying to convince the folks who do the rankings...... Just a thought.

I have to say that I given this subject more thought than most because we a) have small children and b) have moved around a ton in the past few years and c) we "came up" socio-economically thanks to DH's Ivy degree. My husband went to a top IVY which he got into despite growing up lower middle class and going to a very unremarkable public school system.

My two cents for what they are worth:

An ivy league degree is a wonderful thing to have if one comes by one through "honest means"--meaning a truly superb intellect AND a work drive. Too many young people these days are groomed to within an inch of their lives just to get into the Ivy "pageant". I see it all the time--truly smart kids with incredible inner abilities who are reduced to scholastic robots--study, study, tutor, study, activity, study..... If it comes naturally, fine, but I can't see me pushing my kids this way unless it comes from them..... That's how my in-laws did it with DH--they guided him and supported him but the drive and motivation originated from him. That's how it should be....there is no crime in a young person finding their path on their own and in due time. College is but the beginning of the path, you know?

I can tell you that my DH has done well for precisely due to latter--he is smart as all heck and he works hard. Having said that, we will both admit that the Ivy League degree has opened doors for him AND given him credibility--especially early on in his career. But in our observation, he has done better in life than many of his college peers and I honestly think it's because of his worth ethic and drive.... things that cannot be purchased.

FWIW, I am a state school girl and did okay in my career---mid level manager @ 34 and then quit to have kids.

So--what do we want for our rug rats? Well, here is what I have observed....

I don't think the whole Ivy league thing is all that for everybody. Would I love for my kids to attend a top school? Yeah---but only if it came from them. What I want for my kids more than anything is that they develop a passion for SOMETHING whatever it may be. If they go Ivy, I hope they do this in pursuit of something they are passionate about instead of viewing the experience as an end, rather than a means.... KWIM?

We all have daydreams for our kids and I am not above having some for mine.... I'd love for my kids to go to a solid tier B school, have a fantastic experience, do well and then go to an ivy league grad. When I see how hard people work at the Ivy leagues, I feel sad thinking of my kids missing out on all the fun I experienced. So in my ideal world, they'd get both. I have to say too that practically speaking, I think a graduate degree from a top school carries more panache and opens more doors than a mere undergrad from an Ivy.

Having said all THAT-let me confess this: We moved to Millburn for the schools. However, instead of viewing it as a means to the Ivys, we did it because it appears to be a fantastic school system....and an education is what we are after--not just an Ivy ticket. I doubt we will still be living here by then anyway and I figured in the meantime, start as we mean to go on.... I will give my children every raw ingredient I can come up with to allow them to succeed but my hope is that the drive and motivation come from them. I am not naive---I am the mother of little kids and it's easy to philosophize when you are looking ahead--much harder when you are in the heat of the battle. Still, I am hoping I can resist the temptation to get all crazy about it when the times comes precisely by doing all I can NOW to set my own parenting goals AND provide a solid foundation.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on it--take it for what they are worth. I am sure now that I have written this all out, I have jinxed myself! I can hear my kiddies coming to me in 10+ years--"MOM, I have found my passion: it's punk rock and I want to drop out of school to attend punk-band academy" or something.... Just as long as their "passion" is not drugs, we should be fine!! At the end of the day, love them, feed them, look out for them and then cross your fingers and hope it all works out! That's all anyone can do.

Sigh, isn't motherhood grand?

Lola

Great post!!