Question for parents of students of: TE, Radnor, Great Valley, Lower Merion (house)

[TFZC1922]

Being in some of the best school districts in state and in the country, I have been hearing some reviews that kids attending these schools are highly stressed and pressured in these "extremely competitive" academic environments. If your children attend or graduated from any of these districts, do you agree? Was it so high pressure that you feel they were forced to "grow up" too quickly and not fully enjoy childhood etc.?

Note:: some parents care only about their child's outcome, I care about the entire picture. For example, I won't be happy or feel I raised them successfully if one day they attend an Ivy League school but look back on their childhood with only memories of how stressful it was. We're only kids once...

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by TFZC1922

Being in some of the best school districts in state and in the country, I have been hearing some reviews that kids attending these schools are highly stressed and pressured in these "extremely competitive" academic environments. If your children attend or graduated from any of these districts, do you agree? Was it so high pressure that you feel they were forced to "grow up" too quickly and not fully enjoy childhood etc.?

Note:: some parents care only about their child's outcome, I care about the entire picture. For example, I won't be happy or feel I raised them successfully if one day they attend an Ivy League school but look back on their childhood with only memories of how stressful it was. We're only kids once...

No offense, but you're really overthinking this.

I went to Lower Merion public schools. Competition is what you make of it and, as in most public schools, the "rat race" is limited to the higher achievers.

Can some people be overly competitive? Sure. But I, my friends, and most of my peers struck a good balance by striving to achieve our best without losing sight of what was truly important. I'd be leery of the high school IB programs (no appreciable college admissions benefit over AP, and many more people got caught up in the pressure you describe). Other than that, I doubt there's an appreciable difference between the three districts.

Also, FWIW, I went to a decent, but not phenomenal, state university for undergrad but ended up at a top graduate program in my current profession. If anything, being a relative "underachiever" among my friends spurred me to double down and work harder in UG so that I would "get it right" the second time around.

[Flyers Girl]

Agree with ElijahAstin on all counts. To add, a child can go to a high school, for example, that's not seen as a good school. But if they are motivated, they are going to do well wherever they are. In other words, if you find a house and a neighborhood you love that may not be considered to be a "great" school district by some website's standards, don't discount it immediately.

[mls128]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

Agree with ElijahAstin on all counts. To add, a child can go to a high school, for example, that's not seen as a good school. But if they are motivated, they are going to do well wherever they are. In other words, if you find a house and a neighborhood you love that may not be considered to be a "great" school district by some website's standards, don't discount it immediately.

Agree. A highly motivated, "gifted", type kid will do well anywhere. I agree don't discount school districts that are just considered "average" and not great. But, I wouldn't move into one of the horrible school districts either, but I am guessing you are not even considering those areas if you're looking in the above school districts.