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I went to one of the best High Schools in NYC but ended up not doing too well in school. While all my friends in my school went to Ivy Leagues, I ended up at Rutgers. Looking back now, while I put the blame on myself for not doing well, the friends I had played a huge part in where my priorities were. My closest friends didn't go to my HS. In fact, they went to 'bad' schools and didn't have much drive to study hard. While I'm sure there are hardworking, studious kids in the 'bad' schools, I'm willing to bet that you'd find better students at the 'good' schools.
What am i saying? at the end of the day, i want my kids to be friends with kids that are studious and hardworking (and not slackers like my friends were). I'm a believer that the company you keep in some ways shapes your priorities.
Agree with this whole heartedly. However, you just proved the point that the particular school ISN'T the end all be all, right? Its the company you keep you said. Thats a parenting issues. Kids are tracked in school. they wont be in class with the "shop" kids for lack of better term. (Not meant to disrespect anyone who chooses not to attend college). I had body work done on a car recently, I wish i was a shop guy and owned my own body shop, thats another topic.)
I had body work done on a car recently, I wish i was a shop guy and owned my own body shop, thats another topic.)
If I had gone to vo-tech for plumbing and electrical and then went onto community college and gotten an Associates in business, I'd probably have a lot more money in the bank and no student loans.
Agree with this whole heartedly. However, you just proved the point that the particular school ISN'T the end all be all, right? Its the company you keep you said. Thats a parenting issues. Kids are tracked in school. they wont be in class with the "shop" kids for lack of better term. (Not meant to disrespect anyone who chooses not to attend college). I had body work done on a car recently, I wish i was a shop guy and owned my own body shop, thats another topic.)
Particular school definitely isn't the 'be all end all' for sure but the chances of your children making friends with kids that are more likely to take their education seriously is much higher at 'better' schools.
What you just said pretty much sums up my own experience. I want to be involved in my children's education, but I also want them to be surrounded by like-minded people. That is, having friends who value education over staying home and watching TV.
As I said in my other threads, I am looking into Fair Lawn, NJ. I know it's not Ridgewood or Tenafly, but if it's a school that can send its best kids to some of the best colleges then I'm sold.
Funny you say that b/c I just closed on a house in Fair Lawn. We'll be sending our kids to the Milnes School.
I started out at an Ivy League school...that didn't work out...I spent the next 6 years in and out of state colleges in California. The school I have my degree from, you've never heard of. Within 2 years of graduating I was doing better than most of my friends from my original university who graduated 3 years before I did...today, well let's just say I'm doing alright.
My thoughts on what I just posted. Who cares? It demonstrates nothing. I would never use my story as an example to prove that you can drink your face off and blow a great opportunity, stay in school for 7 years, graduate from a no-name university and still be wildly successful. It's not going to work for the majority. I am the exception, not the rule there fore my story, while colorful, really illustrates nothing of value. Like so many of the examples used here. Send your kids to a good school. PS Fair Lawn is a very "good" school.
lol, some of you guys speak of Rutgers as if it's the University of Phoenix or Community College
Yeah well when you're talking to your school friends about where everybody is going for college and all you hear is Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, etc...Rutgers does feel like it's the University of Phoenix.
you want a good laugh, i just went to njmonthly and looked at the comments from all the butthurt parents who saw their precious elite school ranking fall this year. Read those comments and tell me this is about "schools" and not about ego stroking.
I started out at an Ivy League school...that didn't work out...I spent the next 6 years in and out of state colleges in California. The school I have my degree from, you've never heard of. Within 2 years of graduating I was doing better than most of my friends from my original university who graduated 3 years before I did...today, well let's just say I'm doing alright.
My thoughts on what I just posted. Who cares? It demonstrates nothing. I would never use my story as an example to prove that you can drink your face off and blow a great opportunity, stay in school for 7 years, graduate from a no-name university and still be wildly successful. It's not going to work for the majority. I am the exception, not the rule there fore my story, while colorful, really illustrates nothing of value. Like so many of the examples used here. Send your kids to a good school. PS Fair Lawn is a very "good" school.
EXACTLY
I dont get up in all this school BS. I only talk about it here on this board, and thats when some supposedly smart person posts something not so smart.
Funny you say that b/c I just closed on a house in Fair Lawn. We'll be sending our kids to the Milnes School.
Congrats on the house. I know Fair Lawn has great schools, but I'll remember your comment about the friends.
However, at the same time, it's not like parents can control who their kids will be friends with. We all try our best to raise them and then, in the end, we hope they meet "good" people.
I have seen a bunch of these "Town A vs. Town B" threads over the years here and understandably, one criteria for choosing a town to buy a home in is whether or not it has a good school district.
My question isn't about what makes high school A better than high school B, but rather it is about whether any of it really matters.
If your child gets straight As in a school with a "bad" rep like Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, NJ (sorry), will you still get into Harvard? If yes, then, to me, that makes Dwight Morrow High a very good school.
What's the point in sending your kids to Tenafly High School if they'll just be a small fish in a big pond with other straight A kids. It's possible they may end up being a very smart kid who happened to get straight Cs, and the kid from Hackensack with straight As, who may not be as smart, will end up in a better college.
I guess my real question is this. Does high school reputation really matter in the college admissions process? Is it worth moving to Ridgewood or Tenafly even if it means the competition is higher than say Hackensack or Paterson or even Fort Lee High or Ridgefield High?
yes it matters, but probably not as much as people think it matters. i'll use my area as an example. the valedictorian at my district's school from my year went to a local school none of you have ever heard of. the one from the year before went to Boston College (a good school). the valedictorian of a "better" school in my area went to Lehigh. the valedictorian of an even better school went to Northeastern.
then....my high school (private, because the public schools in my area are just not that great) sent 20 kids to Boston College, 10 kids to Lehigh, 3 to Cornell, 6 to Princeton...etc., etc. and none of those kids were the valedictorian.
The problem with some of the schools in my area was there was nothing at the school to motivate you. The kids you were surrounded by didn't care. the teachers cared slightly more than the kids. So unless you yourself were highly motivated, and had the parents who cared...you were not in good shape.
I think a highly motivated individual + parents can overcome a "lesser" school. but the thing about the better schools is that an undermotivated individual with somewhat involved parents has to really try to fail themselves if they go to a better school....generally speaking.
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