Private School Admissions - 2019 (Dallas, Plano: cost of, move, deposit)

[TexGuy1]

TT3 -

That is an amazing story and lightens the mood. My thought is that there are so many excellent options available to parents in both public and private settings. Such an array. Things are so competitive with colleges now (and expensive) that I do not think using schools as a conveyor to a specific group of colleges makes sense. Rather, work on the kids and the now and the lessons for life wherever you are.

Palciparum - Do you mind sharing what district your are in and does it have a strong 5th grade? Rice, HP MIS, and many, many others (Bowen) are excellent. The confidence you can get from knowing you are capable by being in a non-rigorous school can also help our kiddos when they get older. Yes, I know there are a lot of other factors - but simply being a top performer at a public school that is not ginormous is not a bad thing to have. Maybe not challenged as much as some private schools, but what about time to think, invent, explore, or waste time in hopefully areas of interest? Anyone else applying to both GH and Hock? They are very different, but they are both so academically and resource rich with amazing concentration (as with most privates I would expect) of excellent and caring families.

It is helpful to get the input of folks outside Texas who can let us know how privates work. Here they are becoming more and more popular, yet I do not see us getting to San Fran or NYC type anxiety or competition (competition even for public schools in NYC). I think my friends this year had something like 21 neighborhood public schools to apply to in Manhattan in their "district" and they had to have interviews, portfolios, some testing, etc. (recs) for each. I think they chose maybe 7 to apply to or 10.

My family has the park cities schools and we have experience in the most amazing private schools. Cities to choose away from your jobs and privates, however, are always a cost-benefit, and there is no way to judge the commute, the cost, the rigor, the progressive/conservative, the relegation, the outcomes (ROI...or list of colleges), or anything else for another family. If cost were no issue, then socio-emotional well being is what is all about -- but kids are different where they feel safe and can thrive. Best of luck 2019!

[TexGuy1]

Mistype above.

the "religion" not relegation. The religious or spiritual element (or history of a school) or intentional lack thereof is important and meaningful to some and not to others.

[BLDSoon]

Originally Posted by stan4

You can't argue that a place full of other smart kids that pushes you academically, athletically, and artistically while still supporting your individual interests and strengths is not superior to the factory style conveyor belt.

You can argue whether it's worth paying for. I also agree with that. I'd also pull my kids out of the private if it did not serve their needs.

Yeah that was my argument. (Whether its worth the price tag if the kid is gifted). I agree with most everything you said.

Wish everyone all the best on Friday. Whatever your outcomes your kids are lucky little people.

[gsoy]

The answer to "whether an expensive private school education is worth the price tag if the kid is gifted?" depends entirely on the ultimate objective. I have a highly gifted child who switched from PISD to one of the elite privates in 5th grade. In terms of college placement, I don't think there will be a huge difference. There has also been times throughout middle school when we were frustrated because we didn't get the same type of acceleration options in certain subjects that we would have gotten at PISD, due to the size of the program and rigidity of the curriculum. The main difference, that makes the steep price tag worth it for my family is that we see greater emphasis on educating the whole child and on his/her overall well-being. Most gifted kids are also highly sensitive and elite privates manage to keep the stress level low and the teachers and administration are always open to listening to the child and the family. Our objective is not an Ivy School placement but a well adjusted, curious kid who is still excited about learning by the end of high school.

[TexasTeacher3]

TexGuy,

I think you’re spot on with your analysis! Each family is unique and the variables are far too diverse to generalize. We are somewhat weird, in that young son was a complete shock. His brother is 23. I’m a year away from the ability to retire, but was lucky enough to buy a home in a very popular small town just before it started booming. Baby boy is gifted...if he were to get in (extremely remote chance) that means moving back to Dallas and downsizing. Unfortunately, Midlothian hasn’t boomed enough for a teacher to buy in the Park Cities! ��. But, I can do something that will be comfortable. If he doesn’t get in, we have a very good public school system with a fabulous sense of community, a terrific house that’s paid for, and I will just have to find academic and cultural enrichment for him. Yes, I’ll be disappointed, but it’s really a pretty good situation to be in at this point in life.

Hang in there, all!

[palciparum]

Originally Posted by TexGuy1

TT3 -

That is an amazing story and lightens the mood. My thought is that there are so many excellent options available to parents in both public and private settings. Such an array. Things are so competitive with colleges now (and expensive) that I do not think using schools as a conveyor to a specific group of colleges makes sense. Rather, work on the kids and the now and the lessons for life wherever you are.

Palciparum - Do you mind sharing what district your are in and does it have a strong 5th grade? Rice, HP MIS, and many, many others (Bowen) are excellent. The confidence you can get from knowing you are capable by being in a non-rigorous school can also help our kiddos when they get older. Yes, I know there are a lot of other factors - but simply being a top performer at a public school that is not ginormous is not a bad thing to have. Maybe not challenged as much as some private schools, but what about time to think, invent, explore, or waste time in hopefully areas of interest? Anyone else applying to both GH and Hock? They are very different, but they are both so academically and resource rich with amazing concentration (as with most privates I would expect) of excellent and caring families.

It is helpful to get the input of folks outside Texas who can let us know how privates work. Here they are becoming more and more popular, yet I do not see us getting to San Fran or NYC type anxiety or competition (competition even for public schools in NYC). I think my friends this year had something like 21 neighborhood public schools to apply to in Manhattan in their "district" and they had to have interviews, portfolios, some testing, etc. (recs) for each. I think they chose maybe 7 to apply to or 10.

My family has the park cities schools and we have experience in the most amazing private schools. Cities to choose away from your jobs and privates, however, are always a cost-benefit, and there is no way to judge the commute, the cost, the rigor, the progressive/conservative, the relegation, the outcomes (ROI...or list of colleges), or anything else for another family. If cost were no issue, then socio-emotional well being is what is all about -- but kids are different where they feel safe and can thrive. Best of luck 2019!

We are in HPISD.

[daltgrmum]

My son applied to St. Mark's for 9th grade. The "test" email made my stomach drop, even though I was expecting it. It was almost like a cruel joke.
We live in Dallas ISD and found out yesterday that my son was accepted into the School for the Talented and Gifted at the Townview Magnet Center. My son is still anxiously waiting for Friday since he says St. Mark's is his first choice.

[TexasTeacher3]

Originally Posted by daltgrmum

My son applied to St. Mark's for 9th grade. The "test" email made my stomach drop, even though I was expecting it. It was almost like a cruel joke.
We live in Dallas ISD and found out yesterday that my son was accepted into the School for the Talented and Gifted at the Townview Magnet Center. My son is still anxiously waiting for Friday since he says St. Mark's is his first choice.

My feeling exactly on the email last week! Only, I wasn’t expecting it. Congratulations on the admission to Townview! I taught at Skyline for 16 years and the magnets at Townview are amazing; and have the full support of the current administration....and that’s a wonderful thing! Good Luck on Friday!

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by DallasMamaOf3

I saw the wait list pool form earlier today. But it is now gone. Only thing more upsetting than the wait list pool form is nothing. Ugh!!! I was upset to see the wait list pool form but now I'm more upset that it is gone. It was better than nothing. Laughing at myself and the absurdity of it all...

I truly did not realize the level of anxiety surrounding this. Stress, sure, but not the type of stress that has people logging on to the portal multiple times a day, days before the decision will actually be announced. Shows what I know. I also now wonder whether some of my friends are hiding their stress every year around this time.



I'll be stressed about whether my kids get into the school where my wife works when we decide to move them from their current location, but only because I want the half tuition break. Truly, I know that we'll find them a spot somewhere that will work out.

[Waterdragon8212]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

I truly did not realize the level of anxiety surrounding this. Stress, sure, but not the type of stress that has people logging on to the portal multiple times a day, days before the decision will actually be announced. Shows what I know. I also now wonder whether some of my friends are hiding their stress every year around this time.



I'll be stressed about whether my kids get into the school where my wife works when we decide to move them from their current location, but only because I want the half tuition break. Truly, I know that we'll find them a spot somewhere that will work out.

My guess is that your friends are hiding their stress . As someone who doesn't typically experience much anxiety in my regular life, the last week before decisions were made was awful. I may not have logged into the portal earlier in the week, but I did log in the day decisions were posted multiple times. Even though they said 4pm was when they were sent out, we actually got ours about 20 minutes before that. That wasn't true for all of my friends, so it may have been a fluke, but it was a grace, considering I had an important meeting that day at 4pm and there is no way I could have sat through it knowing the decision was posted and I hadn't read it, lol.

Half tuition is amazing - given the alternative of paying full fee, I'd be stressed about that too!!

Hang in there everyone! This last bit is the worst, but your kids all have super invested parents who will make it work no matter what happens!