Are St Johns and Kinkaid good school academically? (Houston, Friendswood: house, to buy)

[lgs_H]

Thanks for your help everyone! We'll definitively look into Lanier (it's great to know the entrance isn't by lottery only!) Strake (I've read good things!) and St Thomas, Episcopal. We're planning to visit Houston next month and tour the schools :-)

For the drug problems, what kind of drugs are we talking about? (sorry but for me drugs = hard drugs, maybe it's not what you meant?)

@fbf2006 love this article, yes, in Britain it's never about money/minorities etc, it's about in which social class you were born in, and it's considered "poor" to even work for some people - aristocrats don't work, everyone knows where they are in the social ladder. I didn't expect the US to be roughly the same ("American dream" right?)

[kasb713]

Originally Posted by lgs_H

Thanks for your help everyone! We'll definitively look into Lanier (it's great to know the entrance isn't by lottery only!) Strake (I've read good things!) and St Thomas, Episcopal. We're planning to visit Houston next month and tour the schools :-)

For the drug problems, what kind of drugs are we talking about? (sorry but for me drugs = hard drugs, maybe it's not what you meant?)

@fbf2006 love this article, yes, in Britain it's never about money/minorities etc, it's about in which social class you were born in, and it's considered "poor" to even work for some people - aristocrats don't work, everyone knows where they are in the social ladder. I didn't expect the US to be roughly the same ("American dream" right?)

Lanier is a great public middle school option. Just to confirm -Strake, St. Thomas and Episcopal are only high schools which begin in 9th grade. Not bad to visit early, but you're likely to be earlier than the norm at this time.



As for drugs, it's an unfortunate reality, but again depends on your definition -for the most part you'll hear about the "soft drugs" but occasionally also hear about oxy.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by lgs_H

Thanks for your help everyone! We'll definitively look into Lanier (it's great to know the entrance isn't by lottery only!) Strake (I've read good things!) and St Thomas, Episcopal. We're planning to visit Houston next month and tour the schools :-)

For the drug problems, what kind of drugs are we talking about? (sorry but for me drugs = hard drugs, maybe it's not what you meant?)

@fbf2006 love this article, yes, in Britain it's never about money/minorities etc, it's about in which social class you were born in, and it's considered "poor" to even work for some people - aristocrats don't work, everyone knows where they are in the social ladder. I didn't expect the US to be roughly the same ("American dream" right?)

There's mobility on the social ladder. It doesn't matter where you were born on it.

[bohunak]

Originally Posted by lgs_H

Thanks for your help everyone! We'll definitively look into Lanier (it's great to know the entrance isn't by lottery only!) Strake (I've read good things!) and St Thomas, Episcopal. We're planning to visit Houston next month and tour the schools :-)

For the drug problems, what kind of drugs are we talking about? (sorry but for me drugs = hard drugs, maybe it's not what you meant?)

@fbf2006 love this article, yes, in Britain it's never about money/minorities etc, it's about in which social class you were born in, and it's considered "poor" to even work for some people - aristocrats don't work, everyone knows where they are in the social ladder. I didn't expect the US to be roughly the same ("American dream" right?)

OP, believe me, It's not the same!!! US doesn't beat Europe in social classes BS.
Yes, some people are pretentious here, but nothing like social casts is Europe.

[Houston parent]

In the US it rarely matters who your parents were, just how much money YOU have. The upper class here (especially in Houston) is typically comprised of people who are self-made and are running successful businesses. People who inherit money but live idle lives tend to squander it within a generation or two, so we have relatively few lasting dynasties compared to Europe.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by Houston parent

In the US it rarely matters who your parents were, just how much money YOU have. The upper class here (especially in Houston) is typically comprised of people who are self-made and are running successful businesses. People who inherit money but live idle lives tend to squander it within a generation or two, so we have relatively few lasting dynasties compared to Europe.

I know the Great Gatsby commented on it by having old money Tom Buchanan scowling down on (illegally) self-made Jay Gatsby no matter how much money he had, but I think Houston isn't as rigid about the whole old money thing.

[Houston parent]

Originally Posted by Vicman

I know the Great Gatsby commented on it by having old money Tom Buchanan scowling down on (illegally) self-made Jay Gatsby no matter how much money he had, but I think Houston isn't as rigid about the whole old money thing.

I love that book. Whatever old money we may have in the US seems to be concentrated in the northeastern US (New York, Boston, Connecticut, etc.).


Houston is a new money town filled mainly with people who were not born here but who came for economic opportunity. It's one of the most upwardly mobile large cities in the world and my family has benefitted tremendously from coming here. So have most of our friends. If you don't achieve your goals here, its probably your own fault.

[hbcu]

Originally Posted by WRM20

Money always buys privilege.

The drug problems at private schools will be similar, some are just better at hiding it.

Bellaire is a decent school, but you need to live in the attendance zone to guarantee admittance.

Ivy league schools are over-rated, you can get an education as good or better at many other schools. What the Ivies bring is connections.

Bellaire has made living off taking kids from all over HISD

[Vicman]

There are some "old money" folks who settled in Houston way back, but they're outnumbered as Houston had a major population explosion around the 1970s.

Originally Posted by Houston parent

I love that book. Whatever old money we may have in the US seems to be concentrated in the northeastern US (New York, Boston, Connecticut, etc.).


Houston is a new money town filled mainly with people who were not born here but who came for economic opportunity. It's one of the most upwardly mobile large cities in the world and my family has benefitted tremendously from coming here. So have most of our friends. If you don't achieve your goals here, its probably your own fault.

[KatieKennedy]

SJS and Kinkaid are very hard admissions. They have many more applicants than spots. The entry points are at 6 and 9 grade. If your child is an underrepresented minority or a superstar athlete or both it helps. Asian is not an underrepresented minority at these schools. They take siblings, legacies and children of staff members first then others to fill any available spots. High test scores are a must. Give it a shot but have a back up plan. Many people buy in the Memorial area to assure a good middle school and a path to Memorial High School (public school) if they don't get into a good private school.