St. John's School (Houston: spring break, 2014, private school)

[Schumacher713]

If I had kids and they could make it in to SJS I would send them there. I have a few friends that went there. They went to Ivy league or Rice. Money buys a better life. Just how it is in life.

[Oildog]

Originally Posted by swopoe

I have a funny Ivy League story. I went to a public high school and then to a private, excellent liberal arts school. I then went to geology field camp one summer through UPenn, along with a bunch of students from the Ivies. I found it hilarious that the Harvard geology students had no idea how to use a Brunton Compass when we were out in the field (any geologists reading this will know what one is.) So little ol' non-Ivy me had to teach them. So much for that Ivy education.

Whatever.

Understood. I don't run into many Ivies when it comes to processing oil and chemicals. When it comes to getting financing for a major project, that's a different story.

Maybe SJS lets kids skip a science class for econ or accounting....In hindsight maybe I should have.

[MAROON79]

how many of your kids or their friends were in counseling due to the pressure to succeed at SJS and the homework overload?

Just kidding (slightly - as I know of a bunch of kids who fit that description). Great school, which also has very good athletics. sort of the Stanford of the inside of the loop.

[Augiec]

Wow, I took a look at their website. I can one day dream of sending my kids to a school like that... For now, we're just going to hunt for a good public school near us & hope our kids test into it, or they have space available.

[vwgto]

The general point around what a private school education buys, and doesn't buy, is valid. Virtually every large city has a "St Johns" of its own, then their other top schools (just like Houston), so there is plenty of competition for those Ivy spots. Add the desire for geographic, gender, race, economic, and talent diversity - - and it can be a brutal. Yet, there are still people who think a top local school equates to a spot in a top college that has their choice of students worldwide. Many of the things you get from a strong private education are less tangible, and if someone has figured-out how to "do the math" to justify the tuition costs - - I would love to see it.

[buckeroo]

Why do people send their kids to Harvard if you can get an almost as good education at UT for 1/3 of the price? Because its reputation helps with the next stage in life, and if you plan on staying or coming back to Houston, the networking is invaluable. If you can get in, why wouldn't you go there? I wish my kids could get in. They do have scholarships available....

[Schumacher713]

It is not about what you know. It is about who you know. Harvard opens doors.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

I dunno, I'm calling troll. One of the strangest posts in a long time.

Agree, odd post.

I had two kids graduate from SJS (go Rebels!). Of course some kids get into Harvard, and others want to go to UT or A&M. It's neither good, bad or ugly, it just is.

But you post this like no one would know this...

[vwgto]

The big potential private school pay-off for most would be getting into a school like Harvard, and all that entails.

[Houston parent]

"Why do people send their kids to Harvard if you can get an almost as good education at UT for 1/3 of the price?"

UT is not "almost as good" as Harvard. UT is pretty good compared to most state universities. It's arguably "almost as good" as Cal, UNC or Virginia. Harvard is better than nearly every other university on the planet.