best schools in chicago (Aurora, Evanston: cul-de-sac, sales, new home)

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by chet everett

(btw what sort of experience leads you to belive living outside the Chicago city limits is akin to exile?)

Having experienced life outside the City tells me so. I won't speak for chicagolawyer.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Chicagoist123

..when we would go play in the burbs on the sports teams I was on, all the suburban kids would ridicule us to our face, calling us ghetto (which we were not) and treating us like we were stupid. ...

Currently Lane Tech's football team only has one suburban school on their schedule -- Lane Tech Football Booster Club

Even swimming has a very limited number of meets against suburban teams -- 2011-2012 Boys Swimming Schedule and Results


Pretty limited experience...

[Chicagoist123]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Currently Lane Tech's football team only has one suburban school on their schedule -- Lane Tech Football Booster Club

Even swimming has a very limited number of meets against suburban teams -- 2011-2012 Boys Swimming Schedule and Results


Pretty limited experience...

I played Lacrosse.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Chicagoist123

I played Lacrosse.

Boys Lacrosse | IHSA Sports & Activities

Unfortunate. Looks like some of the least diverse athletes I've ever seen Men's Lacrosse Sorry you had to experience that...

[Chicagoist123]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Boys Lacrosse | IHSA Sports & Activities

Unfortunate. Looks like some of the least diverse athletes I've ever seen Men's Lacrosse Sorry you had to experience that...

Oh no worries.

[chicagolawyer]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The legacy of schools like NYC's Stuyvesant or Bronx Science is quite different than the CPS experience where clout has intruded on true talent selection. Specialized high schools in New York City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The fallout from these scandals has tarnished the reputation of the schools and hurts the motivation of staff Elite Chicago Public Schools Admissions Probed : NPR Like the rest of Illinois pathetic budget IMSA suffers from bizarre payment issues that really diminishes its prestige State Sen. Holmes offers Bill to provide payment for IMSA vendors

(btw what sort of experience leads you to belive living outside the Chicago city limits is akin to exile?)

The selective admissions high schools in Illinois don't compare to those in NYC, Virginia, Texas, etc, that's true. But we've got 2 that rank in the top 50, and that's pretty good. Also, it's hard to compete with some of those other places. NYC has finance tax dollars to play with, Texas has oil money to play with, and Virginia is awash in federal money.

As for the 'burbs... they'd be exile for me. I grew up in a suburb about as far from a big city as Evanston is from Chicago. Even 30 minutes disconnects you from the energy, culture, and vibrancy of the city. Also, for busy professional couples, it's much easier to maintain some semblance of a social life in a city. When my dad sneaks in a workout before going to the office, he runs on the treadmill in his basement. If he sees anyone besides my mom, something is seriously wrong. I go to the gym in my building and at least for 45 minutes am surrounded by people I don't work with who aren't my family. That's huge for me.

[chet everett]

Chicago is not NY, Texas or Virginia.

The suburb I live-in affords me the opportunity to WALK three blocks to the HEALTH CLUB where I work out with a whole bunch of people, some of whom I know as neighbors and others that might live a town or two away.

I routinely have lunches of top notch homemade style Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Phillipino, Indian, Greek, Polish, Bohemian, Italian or other cuisnes in well run resturants and rarely take more than than a few minutes getting their.

As for social life I can walk to a number of spots to catch a beer / watch a game with friends / neighbors. I can (and do) take my wife out to some of the same spots that rotate on my lunch schedule as well nicer spots that have a true Michelin Star in nearby suburb, as well take a quick drive into Chicago for its many fine resturants.

Cultural events are similarly easy to get to inside Chicago but there are also opportunities to see live performances in the nearby suburbs in a range of educational institutions, privatedly funded venues and public facilities.

Perhaps it is only your own blinders that have created the "exile" that troubles you ... I would think that someone that is has experienced the broadening power of selective admissions schools would be more open minded.

Not sure how you measure "energy" but I do not that more places near my sister's place in Lincoln Square do generally stay open later than spots near me. I plead guilty to rarely being out past 1AM on a weeknight.

(ps maybe your dad likes his basement...)

Originally Posted by chicagolawyer

The selective admissions high schools in Illinois don't compare to those in NYC, Virginia, Texas, etc, that's true. But we've got 2 that rank in the top 50, and that's pretty good. Also, it's hard to compete with some of those other places. NYC has finance tax dollars to play with, Texas has oil money to play with, and Virginia is awash in federal money.

As for the 'burbs... they'd be exile for me. I grew up in a suburb about as far from a big city as Evanston is from Chicago. Even 30 minutes disconnects you from the energy, culture, and vibrancy of the city. Also, for busy professional couples, it's much easier to maintain some semblance of a social life in a city. When my dad sneaks in a workout before going to the office, he runs on the treadmill in his basement. If he sees anyone besides my mom, something is seriously wrong. I go to the gym in my building and at least for 45 minutes am surrounded by people I don't work with who aren't my family. That's huge for me.

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Currently Lane Tech's football team only has one suburban school on their schedule -- Lane Tech Football Booster Club

Even swimming has a very limited number of meets against suburban teams -- 2011-2012 Boys Swimming Schedule and Results


Pretty limited experience...

CPS football teams generally only get two non conference football games a year. So at most Lane Tech would only schedule two games against suburban schools.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by skipcromer

CPS football teams generally only get two non conference football games a year. So at most Lane Tech would only schedule two games against suburban schools.

The Dave Dameshek Message Board -> Douchiest Sport?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by chicagolawyer

If you want your kid to be surrounded by other kids whose parents are college-educated professionals, and your kid doesn't test well enough to get into the selective-enrollment high schools, then your only real options are the suburbs, private schools, or parochial schools. Chicago has a hole in the school lineup for families in that category.

That said, don't dismiss the selective-enrollment schools out of hand. It's worth it to try to get your kid in. I went to a selective-enrollment high school back east, and it was an incredible experience. Even at public schools in expensive suburbs there are a lot of kids who are barely above average. A school where kids are sorted-in based on test scores and grades has a totally different culture from one where parents can simply buy their way in.

Personally, I'm prepared to pay for private school in the city so I don't have to go into exile in the 'burbs, but I'd love if my kid could get into Northside, Payton, etc, or Illinois Math and Science Academy. Not just for the money but because it's really an experience you can't buy.

Is IMSA a boarding school?

A high school friend of mine went to IMSA. He's a prof at MIT now. Slacker.