Private school applications- please advise (College Park, Buckhead: house, middle school, tax)

[biznotjobs]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

Well said, Pete. Sadly, I find myself avoiding playdates with the kids who live really far away. I just can't justify putting my child in the car for two hours for a playdate when there are children around the corner. I feel like those kids are a bit left out. Not terribly so, but I imagine middle school would be difficult for a child who couldn't pop back over to the basketball game on Friday afternoon or the musical production that night.

If you are planning on staying in Alpharetta and using a Buckhead private, make sure to drive the morning drive on a school day at the time you will be commuting. Alpharetta to Lovett will take you 30 minutes, no traffic. With traffic, an hour? And for Woodward, even if using the bus, that's going to mean over two hours a day in transportation time.

I don't know how long it would take to get to the Norcross and Sandy Springs schools for you. I'd time those also.

In the Atlanta metro, living near your children's school(s) is even more important than living near work, because you will be driving to/from school x2 a day--sometimes more. I suppose if you are working in Buckhead, and plan on staying in town while the children are in school, that could make sense. . .

I've lived in College Park, right in the Woodward school district and even across the street from it. If your child attends, why not try to find closer living arrangements instead of a long, drawn out commute? The money you'll spend on gas and time alone justifies even getting an apartment in the area so you can shave an hour off of frustration! I know I would...

P.S--Just so you know...I know for a fact that Woodward have bought out and rents several houses/properties which surrounds their school. Maybe that can be an option if you decide on and if your child gets in! Good luck!

[roxyrn]

Private School Reality-
your child will become best friends with the student who lives the furthest away from you.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by roxyrn

Private School Reality-
your child will become best friends with the student who lives the furthest away from you.

Ain't that the truth!

[CMMom]

LOL! We attend a "Buckhead" school and live in Dunwoody. My son has become best buds with a child who lives in Midtown. Weekday play dates are out of the question, and it is a HIKE to get there even on the weekend. But I'm happy to do it whenever I can.

[snsh5713]

Well, again...thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post. I have received so much information and so many useful points to think about.

In terms of the schools that I've listed

Greater Atlanta Christian- Well, I do agree with many opinions that the religious bent is much more in this school and in Wesleyan too. Somewhere in their brochure, they have even listed the "number baptized". and displayed pictures of a child converting surrounded by his happy classmates, at the Open House (a few years ago). I'm not averse to a different religion per se, because as a Hindu, I studied for many years in a Catholic convent boarding school. But I see a few potential issues here. One is that 4 high school credits are devoted to religion. An equivalent situation would be.. of a white Christian family looking at an Indian school for its good academic curriculum, but having to accept that for 4 years, the kids will have to study the Ramayan, Mahabharat, Vedic philosophy and possibly memorize Sanskrit shlokas. It will give pause for thought.

Another issue with GAC is that the middle school curriculum is not spelled out clearly on the website. It is described only in generalities and during the Open House, the middle school faculty did not give clear answers about the curriculum, other than to say that "it was extremely good and very challenging". (their HS curriculum is well described in detail, but not the MS). In contrast, Lovett has a clear MS plan of study, course listing, and course description. It is extremely detailed, and very helpful to a parent who is trying to understand the answer to the question "what exactly are you going to teach my child at your school".

Mount Vernon- I became interested in Mount Vernon when I saw the huge number of Honorable Mentions that their students had received in the Exploravision Science Contest. This is not an easy thing to achieve because these go to the top 5% projects of almost 5000 submissions. The school website has a lot of information. From what I can see, the Middle school looks extremely good but their high school doesn't seem to have developed enough yet. We are due to visit the Open House next week to get a better feel for the school.

Woodward North, and the Buckhead schools- Location is a biggie. We do not want to move during their 1st year and have our family go through too many new changes. I like the fact that Woodward has a bus, and if we're lucky enough, then the North campus has both the 5th and 6th grades, which are fairly nearby us. It was interesting to hear about the Woodward College Park housing, that is certainly good to know. Westminster seems to have a lot of students on this side of town and carpooling may be a strong option. Still, there is no doubt that location is a big factor to consider and after the first settling in year, we may have to consider moving.

Our first priority is a school with a very strong academic curriculum. And diversity. From what I hear from other parents, those seem to be Westminster and Woodward, and Lovett too.

Another interesting point that was raised on this thread, was that one isn't just ferrying kids back and forth from school, there is the social aspect to consider as well. Good point ! Definitely taken. That will be important to consider.

Meanwhile...work on the applications continues...

[snsh5713]

Try very hard not to squash any answers that you are afraid won't make your child look like a combination of Einstein, DaVinci, Gandhi and Miss America, who just wants world peace.

Darn it !!

To think that I just finished adding in the Dalai Lama and a few more nice sounding names. And reworded it, so the length would fit in just under three pages and it wouldn't be too long. And was just about to start shading in the halo around the head....!!! Darn, darn, darn it !!

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by snsh5713

W

Another interesting point that was raised on this thread, was that one isn't just ferrying kids back and forth from school, there is the social aspect to consider as well. Good point ! Definitely taken. That will be important to consider.

Meanwhile...work on the applications continues...

It isn't just social. It is extracurricular. Keep in mind that the Woodward (the main campus) is often put in the athletic division with schools along the Southern Arc. This doesn't just impact athletics but activities like math competitions and debate. So, Woodward may be 45 minutes from your house (with no traffic) but the volleyball game could be 90 minutes.

Again, I am confused as to why GAC is on your list. Given that you live in N. Fulton, I can't imagine that GAC is a step above your local public school. And I know many people who are happy at GAC, but they had different criteria than you.

[snsh5713]

After all the discussion about GAC on this forum, I'm beginning to rethink why it is on our list. One reason is that we've had friends send their kids there and they've turned out really well....one went to MIT, two others had pre-acceptances to med school after their undergrad (Mercer and I think the other was Georgetown). Keep in mind, that's not to say that we are looking as private school as a ticket to an Ivy League. But it shows that this school can produce students that have been accepted to highly competitive programs, and these students (also Indian) have been able to fit in with the school culture.

Now...I was speaking with the mom of one of these students last night and we had a detailed conversation about GAC. Her candid opinion, looking back in hindsight, was that she might have gone with Woodward or Westminster over GAC. (she thinks their curriculum would have been more rigorous). She certainly feels that GAC does "have everything" but as a parent you really do have to stay on top of things and navigate your child well, to be able to get the best of the experience.

The problem is also that N Fulton does not have a lot of private schools, and even fewer, non denominational ones. GAC has a bus that starts just 5 minutes away from our house. That's why we considered it....location, bus, a private school that has been around a while, and that we've seen some kids of friends do very well coming from that school...

[CMMom]

I understand what you're saying above, but even as a Christian (who is essentially non-practicing), I've often wondered how parents of a religion other than the school's stated religious orientation could send their children to schools that openly proselytize and attempt to convert their children. And that's saying a lot because I'm a Protestant who attended Catholic school for 6 years, so I do know of what I speak. I just don't see how that can sit right unless you're just really a-religious. It would be hard for any academic/athletic program to overcome that aspect for me. But I recognize that plenty of people do it. I just personally don't understand the rationale when there are other equally academic/rigorous schools without the heavy religious component.

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by snsh5713

After all the discussion about GAC on this forum, I'm beginning to rethink why it is on our list. One reason is that we've had friends send their kids there and they've turned out really well....one went to MIT, two others had pre-acceptances to med school after their undergrad (Mercer and I think the other was Georgetown). Keep in mind, that's not to say that we are looking as private school as a ticket to an Ivy League. But it shows that this school can produce students that have been accepted to highly competitive programs, and these students (also Indian) have been able to fit in with the school culture.

Now...I was speaking with the mom of one of these students last night and we had a detailed conversation about GAC. Her candid opinion, looking back in hindsight, was that she might have gone with Woodward or Westminster over GAC. (she thinks their curriculum would have been more rigorous). She certainly feels that GAC does "have everything" but as a parent you really do have to stay on top of things and navigate your child well, to be able to get the best of the experience.

The problem is also that N Fulton does not have a lot of private schools, and even fewer, non denominational ones. GAC has a bus that starts just 5 minutes away from our house. That's why we considered it....location, bus, a private school that has been around a while, and that we've seen some kids of friends do very well coming from that school...

Interesting. . .I understand now why GAC is on the list. . . Some might argue that your friend's child who went to GAC and then MIT might have done just as well at the public high school, but, on the other hand, maybe being at a smaller school made his/her star shine just a little brighter? Who knows! I'm actually beginning to think GAC makes more sense for you than Woodward. Woodward North only goes to sixth grade, so after just one year you'll have kids on both campuses? That's crazy, and then truly, the main campus is ridiculously far from Alpharetta.

Your children sound like the kind of all-star academic types who would do well at a rigorous public or private school. . .Apply to your top private choices, consider moving closer to the final school of choice, and maybe take one more long look at your public school.

I'm convinced your children are going to do well academically no matter what, and one of your main goals in this process is to create a schedule/commute for them that doesn't totally stress everyone out and blow a hole in your family life.