<p>
But the point is that it is a test geared to 4 year olds… and very likely the types of questions asked might involve identifying shapes and colors, something that some 4 years olds may not know. So the stuff that the parent considered “boring” might be exactly what the the school had promised.</p>
<p>Some preschools around here require FULL PAYMENT for the year up front. AND they do not refund your money if you change your mind about their school. You are supposed to do your “due diligence” up front too. So if a parent does change their mind and wants to switch schools, the preschools do not refund the money (they are running a business…and need the anticipated revenue). SO…maybe this preschool has the same policy and the only way for this mom to get her money back is to sue.</p>
<p>No, living in the Northeast hurts your Ivy League chances.</p>
<p>There’s too much competition up there! I’ve heard that Ivy Leagues would much rather admit kids from Texas, Montana and Wyoming. (My source was my Princeton alumni interviewer).</p>
<p>And for God’s sake, the kid is four years old. Let her color. NO school will admit someone who has done nothing but prepare for tests.</p>
<p>Two thoughts:</p>
<p>*For some context: The going rate for the “good” preschools in Boston is about $20,000 for full-day, M-F, September-June. Some are slightly pricier, others slightly cheaper. I’d say the 25%-75% is 17.5k-22k. That said, the highly regarded pk-8 or pk-12 schools are even more expensive than the stand-alone preschools: BB&N “beginners” (age 4) is $25,560 a year – not including post-3 pm care (after school care) fees, which run about $5500/year. That means you’re paying $30k+ a year for a 4-year-old to go M-F, 8-5, during the academic year. “Beginners” (4 year olds) at Shady Hill runs $20,160 for their half-day program; if you wanted to do 5-days just 8-3, it’d run you about $28,000/year. Tack on after-school care (until 6 pm) and you’re up to $36,000/year for a 4-year old to go M-F, 8-6, Sept.-June. In other words…VERY expensive! (Of course so are the upper years…7th grade at Shady Hill runs about $29,000/year, not including after-school programs…and a 6th grader at BB&N would cost you $35,030/year). </p>
<p>I think this does point out an interesting fact about that many private schools in urban areas across the US are increasingly expensive, relative to the past few years and inflation. IMHO they’ve always been pricy, but they’ve seem to have really risen in the past few years. A year of 1st grade at Brearley in NYC will run you $35,000. Fourth grade at Maret in Washington, D.C. is $28,825. A 9th grader at Polytechnic in CA costs $27,650. 11th grade at Chicago Latin? $27,985. A year of high school at Lovett in Atlanta? $21,590. A year of middle school at Ransom Everglades in Miami? $26,910. These schools aren’t outliers - they’re competitive for their regional independent school market, generally speaking. I think people not intimately aware of these tuition costs might be shocked. </p>
<p>*You all should watch Nursery University. Here’s the trailer: [Nursery</a> University](<a href=“http://www.nurseryuniversitythemovie.com/trailer.html]Nursery”>http://www.nurseryuniversitythemovie.com/trailer.html). Netflix has it.</p>
<p>wow…this mom is a little more than high maintenance. I feel bad for the little girl.</p>
<p>Stella, I dont think we know enough to say mom is high maintenance. It could be just as possible that the pre-school was blatantly dishonest in not providing what they promised. </p>
<p>Justmy2 - In the NYC area, imho these prices are driving people out of the city quicker. Anecdotal, and could be the RE market, but I see people moving to my suburb much earlier than they used to. When you’re assured of a spot in a good suburban school, pre-school isnt a need, its a want.</p>
<p>“the dirty little secret behind the success of those schools is than many of the successful applicants attended pvt school”</p>
<p>“wasn’t true during the time I attended in the early-mid-1990’s”</p>
<p>Well, it depends on how you define “many.” Certainly, most of the students at the elite NYC public high schools have not attended pvt schools. But every now and again, the NYT runs an article indicating that - - let’s say more than one might expect or maybe a not-insignif-number of students attended pvt school. And that was the case in 2003-ish when older sibs of D’s classmates enrolled. </p>
<hr>
<p>“Oldfort’s description is mainly applicable to a tiny proportion of poshy-type NYC residents.”</p>
<p>A f/t nanny is not the norm, but lots of solidly middle-class families w/ 2 working parents - - not just “poshy-types” - - opt for this form of childcare. And it can be less expensive than putting 2 kids in day care.</p>
<hr>
<p>“oh my god snobby manhattan parents. when I become successful I’m never living on Lexington Ave”</p>
<p>Well, best to forget NYC all together - - it’s the same on West End and Columbus Aves; the Village, Bklyn Hgts and Park Slope are almost as bad.</p>
<p>I don’t see why it’s such a big deal for a parent to pay $19,000 for preschool. If you have the money and you know it’s what you have to do to give your child the best education you can, why not? Preschool and kindergarten are important.</p>
<p>I’m baffled as to why our senior adviser has decided to post this on CC. The story, its source, and the claims are at best exaggerated and silly. Why is this board, which I’ve always viewed as reaching for a high standard, is being used as a venue for soap operas.</p>
<p>Can someone in CC please delete this thread so that our children won’t all laugh at us.</p>
<p>[Issue</a> Brief 4 | Black and Hispanic Charter Students More Likely Than Public School Counterparts To Gain Admission To Selective NYC High Schools](<a href=“http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ib_04.htm]Issue”>http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ib_04.htm)</p>
<p>Looks like 910 private school kids v. about 4,300 public school kids got places in one of the selective high schools in NYC in 2009</p>
<p>I think this study identified the public selective HSs as – The eight specialized high schools are Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Staten Island Tech, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, High School of Math, Science, and Engineering at CCNY, High School of Sciences at York College, and Brooklyn Latin ( I think Hunter may not be run by BOE)</p>
<p>Hunter is not BOE (now Dept of Ed) and if you looked at the numbers for just Sci and Stuy (the gold standard) the ratio of pvt:public would be even sweeter than 1:4.5. Increasing numbers of pvt schoolers at the “portfolio” admissions schools, too.</p>
<p>^ ^</p>
<p>Kayf,</p>
<p>Considering the Manhattan Institute is known as a libertarian-leaning public policy group, it is not surprising they create studies proving the superiority of charter/private schools over their public counterparts. </p>
<p>Citing a study from such a group regarding charter schools is about as credible as citing ACORN and/or former Mayor Robert Lindsay on why NYC specialized high schools should be completely dismantled in the name of social justice.</p>
<p>I have to laugh…it’s Brooklyn Tech, not Brooklyn Latin. The list is NOT a list of all the public selective HSs; it’s a list of the selective high schools which admit based on the “sci high exam.” So, yes, Hunter isn’t on the list (and you’re right it isn’t run by the BOE), but neither are several other high schools that most NYC residents would prefer to some on this list, e.g., Townsend Harris, because they don’t use the “sci high test” for admissions either.</p>
<p>I just noticed–Asian students attending charters did WORSE than their public school counterparts, at least if you accept the group’s methodology.</p>
<p>Our S2 went for testing for a “gifted” program at age 4 and was shown an inkblot that clearly showed a bird of prey with back swept wings and talons extended. S2 studied the blot and finally said “It’s a raptor but I don’t know which one.”</p>
<p>The tester said, cheerfully, “Sorry! It’s a BIRD!” and marked an “Incorrect” on her form. </p>
<p>S2 shot me a dirty look that said “You don’t seriously expect me to work with these people?” The testing went downhill from there. </p>
<p>So, no gifted program for that kid. Made me very wary of testing for preschoolers. Meanwhile S2 grew up and now is a very happy camper at a very happy college.</p>
<p>Our S had an interview with one preschool & then was being given a placement test at a rival preschool. The director stopped the test abruptly very soon after it began. We looked at her, puzzled. She said, “In my decades as a preschool director, I have NEVER had a child try to help me improve this standardized placement test–your S is the only one who ever has. I refuse to continue trying to test him.”</p>
<p>He was very happy in that preschool (placed with nearly all the other kids born in the last quarter of the year he was born in). He intrigued his preschool teacher as a three-year old in that he would kill off all the carnivore dinosaurs and play with the herbivores and omnivores; he could tell you more than you ever wanted to know about every dinosaur and anything else he was interested in; to this day, he folds very intricate origami (which we taught him to keep him amused while traveling, at restaurants & sporting events from preschool on).</p>
<p>He too was a happy camper at grad from a great U with a great job that will be starting in just a few months!</p>
<p>None of the kids on our homeschool waiting list ever got off it.</p>
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<p>Cobrat - so, what’s your social circle? Maybe it’s you who is sheltered. You keep on referring to upper east side as been the poshy-type NYC, but I don’t think that’s the case any more, there are other neighborhood in NYC that are more posh now. </p>
<p>When our kids were young, H and I both worked and we were usually out the door before 7am. We couldn’t imagine getting our kids out the bed so early to take them to day care and picking them up after 7pm, so in home care was the only option acceptable to us. Our kids went to pre-school for few hours a day early on to socialize with other kids so they wouldn’t be home with their sitter all day. </p>
<p>Maybe our kids were sheltered, but I don’t feel it would have added anything to their personal growth to have them live in a dangerous neighborhold or have to “rough it.” I grew up having to “rough it,” and I certainly do not think I have turned out better than my kids.</p>
<p>There are still a lot of people living in Manhattan who can’t afford to pay for private schooling, including college grads with white collar day jobs, most of whom probably opt to put their 4 year olds in one of the many free pre-kindergarten programs available via public schools and community agencies. </p>
<p>Of course you are entitled to make whatever choices you can afford to make… but it really isn’t true that there is no other option for New Yorkers. </p>
<p>I’m sure that you probably wouldn’t choose to live in my daughter’s neighborhood either (Washington Heights) – but that doesn’t make it unlivable. She likes the affordable rents and somewhat more spacious apartments she can find in that part of town.</p>
<p>I never even went to preschool. Current Harvard sophomore…</p>