St. Mark lutheran

quote:

---

Are you including what you will have to pay for public school in the private school side of that equation?

---

This is absurd. It's a sunk cost that they will have to pay regardless where the kids go to school. It's a sunk cost even if you home school or have no kids.

(I'm assuming that you are talking about property taxes.)

A good friend of mine and his two siblings grew up in the Spring Valley area and all went to St. Marks Lutheran school through 8th grade. They went to HS at Memorial and found that St. Marks prepared them to be competitive in that environment. All three then were accepted at A&M.

Granted if you go to a private school getting into a state school should be a breeze

nnichols, the frustrating thing for us is that we won't really know what kind of kids we have (in terms of interests, work ethic and talents) until they're a few years older. For the hyper-competitive schools, your best bet is getting them in at the preschool stage, well before you really know alot about your kids abilities. The odds are significantly lower of getting into those schools at, say, second grade.

BTW, do you know this consultant http://www.houstonprivateschoolsolutions.com/index.html? If so, is she likely to be helpful if we've already done a bunch of research on our own?

quote:

---

Granted if you go to a private school getting into a state school should be a breeze

---

The top 10% rule works against private schools big time.

At the better private schools, getting into the top quarter is no easy feat.

Trying to get into texas or A&M outside of the top quarter is a big challenge, not matter where you went to school.

It doesn't help that schools like Strake are on the 7 point grading scale so that screws up your GPA when compared to schools that don't do that.

[This message has been edited by Diggity (edited 4/28/2011 4:19p).]

Diggity:

Where did you go before strake?

12% of the incoming Freshman class for 2010 was outside of the top 25% of their class.

In regards to the effect of the 7 point grading scale, the admissions committees do recalculate GPAs to help standardize the different point scales used across institutions much like graduate institutions recalculate undergraduate grades to account for first year grade exclusion etc.

Buck, If you are looking for information regarding College or Elementary/MS/HS advice, I would contact:

[urlhttp://www.marshallshumsky.com[/url]

If he doesnt have the information, I would be shocked if he didnt know who you should contact. He has great test tutoring contacts for both private individual sessions and group sessions for the entire gambit of tests (from SAT/PSAT-ISEE).


[This message has been edited by nnichols (edited 4/28/2011 5:05p).]

Mnichols:

I plan to move in the next 6 years to memorial area so this can change, but thoughts on Sts Anne, Michael and Cecelia for high school placement

Nnichols, do you work for a private school? (asked on page 2 but it got lost)

BMX: I went to public school out in Katy

quote:

---

In regards to the effect of the 7 point grading scale, the admissions committees do recalculate GPAs to help standardize the different point scales used across institutions much like graduate institutions recalculate undergraduate grades to account for first year grade exclusion etc.

---

I'm confused about how this would work. Our transcripts never had the numbered grade, just the letter.

How would they recalculate that?

there's more fighting here than in a suburban high school. just move to the burbs people.

quote:

---

Sorry you and your parents were content with drinking purple kool-aid and mayonaise sandwiches in the trailer park. Life is not fair sometimes.

---

Classy response. I guess those expensive schools don't teach everything.

MrsHouston, my thoughts exactly.

quote:

---

The top 10% rule works against private schools big time.

At the better private schools, getting into the top quarter is no easy feat.

Trying to get into texas or A&M outside of the top quarter is a big challenge, not matter where you went to school.

It doesn't help that schools like Strake are on the 7 point grading scale so that screws up your GPA when compared to schools that don't do that.

---

Isn't the motivation for private school (higher SAT scores, AP courses, SAT II, etc..) that a graduate is prepared to the point UT and TAMU are safety schools?

"Isn't the motivation for private school (higher SAT scores, AP courses, SAT II, etc..) that a graduate is prepared to the point UT and TAMU are safety schools?"

That's certainly our motivation.

Sometimes, though, your public options are so poor that you'll be happy to pay just to get the quality of education that a good suburban public school would normally offer.

I think my parents just wanted me to have a Catholic education. Everything else was just a bonus.

I would have done just fine going to Taylor.

Not everyone that goes to private school is going to end up in the ivy leagues.

quote:

---

I think my parents just wanted me to have a Catholic education

---

exactly. my decision has nothing to do with zoning. I live a block away from Harvard Elementary, which is supposed to be pretty good.

quote:

---

Classy response. I guess those expensive schools don't teach everything.

---

Sorry I offended your delicate sensiblities.

I don' think wanting the best for my kids is "pussification." But I am just weird that way in thinking my children's future is important. If you are okay with mayo sandwiches, there is nothing wrong with that.

mnichols:

What do you know about placement to high schools out of Sts. Anne, Michael and Cecelia?





[This message has been edited by BMX Bandit (edited 4/29/2011 7:47a).]

St Michaels and St Cecilia both do very well placing students at Strake, St Thomas, St Agnes, etc. I would say St Michaels has the best success overall across secular and non secular placement. I dont know enough about St Annes placement to comment.

Regarding private school kids getting into A&M and UT.

Last I heard, 30+ of this year's senior class at Episcopal were accepted to UT..that's about 20% of the entire class.

I think UT and A&M are not safety schools for many. I think the paretns value the education to cost ratio for those schools, so they're big draws.

What do you guys know about the academics at Houston Christian HS on Beltway 8? That's an obvious destination for many of the kids coming out of west side K-8 schools.

I guess I do not need to know nnichols' credentials.

Both my son's went to Northwest Academy/First Bapist Academy then to Houston Christian HS. One graduated from aTm and is now in law school and one is working to get into med school. Point is that they got an excellent foundational and college prep education at these schools, as they would at most privates I've seen listed here. It was a financial challenge for us, but I think worth it.

Attended STS in Memorial Park for K-8; and St. Thomas High School. Had great experiences at both. STS has really improved based on the revamped neighborhood. I was top 10% in HS. I do not feel that I had some sort of academic advantage over students that attended public schools that were strictly taking advanced or AP level classes...prob on par. STH did equip me with the study skills to succeed in college.

quote:

---

It doesn't help that schools like Strake are on the 7 point grading scale so that screws up your GPA when compared to schools that don't do that.

---

They went to the 10 point scale after 2003 graduated, I believe.

Just as a general note to the thread - I've said this before, but I really appreciate the sacrifices my parents made to give me a Catholic eduation. I had opportunities I wouldn't have been exposed to in public school that really made an impact on me. From an academic standpoint, I had no problems adjusting to A&M and I'm graduating with my doctorate in 2 weeks.

I've bookmarked this thread for when I begin to look for schools for my child in 2 years. As a product of public education, I want him to have every opportunity that I didn't have. Granted, he will work his ass off, but at least he wont have to struggle as much I did.

quote:

---

They went to the 10 point scale after 2003 graduated, I believe.

---

good to know...I always hated that stupid grading scale.

Now if only they hadn't doubled tuition...

quote:

---

Sorry I offended your delicate sensiblities.

I don' think wanting the best for my kids is "pussification." But I am just weird that way in thinking my children's future is important. If you are okay with mayo sandwiches, there is nothing wrong with that.

---

I don't necessarily agree with "pussification" either though I can see the point. I just find it interesting that you vividly reinforce the pretentious private school stereotypes with your comments.

I'd really suggest going to the schools and talking to the staff and parents as much as you can to decide which is the right fit for your child and family. Your family will be involved in whichever school(s) for years to come and by twelfth grade you will pay the equivalent tuition of sending your child to college two or three times. Take your time and go to as many events at those schools as you can. No one else knows as well as you do what is the right fit for your child and your family.


[This message has been edited by yakman (edited 5/3/2011 6:46a).]

what does Strake cost these days? Just wondering; we're still about 9 years off.

"Memorial Lutheran is very affordable, but the academics are quite mediocre. Look at the high schools their 8th graders go on to attend. They basically offer public school quality academics with Lutheran chapel."

I'm on the school board of Memorial Lutheran School and I can tell you that is definitely incorrect Buck. As far as high schools they attend most go on to private high schools or very good publics (Stratford, Memorial, Bellaire). We have a testing process to get in and many kids do not do well enough for acceptance.

http://www.strakejesuit.org/s/103/index.aspx?sid=103&gid=1&pgid=909

quote:

---

We have a testing process to get in and many kids do not do well enough for acceptance.

---

With all due respect, that doesn't necessarily mean the academics are rigorous once they get in.

[This message has been edited by Buck Turgidson (edited 5/6/2011 12:31p).]

That is true Buck, but I guess it would make sense for kids who went to a private Lutheran middle school to then go to a private Lutheran High School. Pastor Day has been a great headmaster for us but unfortunately has been called away to serve our Lutheran synod in St. Louis. What evidence was it that you were looking for to keep you children their? Our kids do very well on standardized tests so I guess it would make sense for us to start posting the scores on our website. We are acredited as exemplary by the Lutheran school accreditation committee (can't remember it's name) but were hoping to switch to the same committee that gives the ratings for schools like St. John's and Kinkaid to give us more clout. Please give me the name of the director you spoke to that was a problem for you. I'd like to get to the bottom of these problems to better serve our parents and kids in the future. I believe the only ages we have waitlisted are for our very young children (MDO-3 year olds I believe) was this the age of your children?

Aggie Oilman gets a



(But Lutherans get a )