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| Monday, March 05, 2007 |
| It is all about the school |
Reading this CareerJournal.com article: More Parents Uproot Their Lives In Search of a Perfect Education makes me glad I do not face decisions like this. As to her parents, "I feel thankful, really, really grateful to them," said Mary Catherine, usually the quieter of the two. "I'm kind of surprised they would do this for me, but I'm very thankful to them for doing it for our education."
Mr. and Mrs. O'Gorman are still grappling with the basics of East Coast life -- such as Boston's myriad roads and its aggressive drivers. Life in a two-bedroom apartment is a big change. Its swanky urban décor stems from the unit's origins as a model home. The family can't afford the $30,000 tab to move their furnishings. Money from their home sale is being plowed into the girls' tuition, which totals nearly $56,000 a year.
On a recent gray December day, sitting in her new living room, Ms. O'Gorman said she's still adjusting. She talked about the china the family traditionally used at Thanksgiving, and her clear blue eyes brimmed with tears with the reminder of her former life. Their finances depleted, Ms. O'Gorman said she soon plans to return to work.
"Some days you feel like the odds are stacked against you -- when Derek didn't have a job for three months -- but then Colleen comes in excited about a Greek test they had," she said. "Those moments are great." Labels: Money Stories |
| posted by Boston Gal @ 4:39 PM *
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| 9 Comments: |
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I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to believe that there wasn't one single school in the greater Los Angeles area that was good enough for the O'Gormans' daughters--and that one single school in Boston is perfect for *both* daughters. And the fact that they feel that the odds are stacked against them when they've got the means to move across the country and pay $56K a year in tuition indicates to me that they really have no idea just how lucky they are.
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These will be the same people who will bitch and moan when their two little angels don't get a full ride to some small, northeastern liberal arts college. They will be the people screaming for more financial aid. In all my years in college admissions, I have yet to see the prep school that is worth $28k/yr.
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Most people do not face decisions like this ... I want my daughters to have the best education possible, but I would never dream of doing what this family did. Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket ... what happens if these kids don't perform? Parental resentment is brewing under the surface ... tears at the thought of Thanksgiving china is just the tip of the iceberg. This is just nuts!
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I don't know if I would jeopardize my financial situation to the same extent but I would certainly want to make sure my kids got the best education they could. I live in an area with "excellent" public schools and I'm still disappointed in the quality of the teachers, so I supplement their education at home. It's challenging because I work full time but what parent wouldn't want the best for their kids.
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That's ridiculous. You can't hold your child's hand through their entire life. I have no sympathy. At $28k/year? High school is not the end all.
So if 1/3 go to Ivy League, maybe $50k/year. That's over $300k for high school/college for 1 girl!!!
Stupid.
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I've always appreciated the sacrafices my parents made for me, and I think parents should make sacrafices for their children. However, parent's should also give their kids the tools to deal with life as it comes. I see this as another example of parents overprotecting children - the worst of all sins.
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I think this was a poor decision. They should help their children with school if they have the means, but apparently they don't. I also agree that paying an absurd amount of money for an education is ridiculous. There are plenty of public colleges that will give their children the opportunities they will seek in life.
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Ridiculous! The reason their children didn't get into the school they wanted them to attend in LA is probably because they aren't all that exceptional. They can keep throwing money at their education, but ultimately the girls won't be able to get jobs in the future that will make these sacrifices worthwhile (I mean, if they can't succeed unless they are in a rarified, perfect environment, I don't think they will do well in the real world). Ahem, and I have 2 friends who went to Yale, graduated 6 years ago, and are still floating around in low-paying research jobs, while I took my 1600 SAT over to a state school and make a mint, thanks to hard work and ambition (and not having any debt helps, too!)
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Crazy. Sums it up in one word, crazy. There is no loan for retirement. How are they going to live in retirement?
The fancy private education is going to make their daughters rich enough to pay? They can't afford it.
I'm sorry, but I'm all for private school if you can afford it. But there is a line between what is good and what is affordable. They are only thinking of the now, not the future at all.
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I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to believe that there wasn't one single school in the greater Los Angeles area that was good enough for the O'Gormans' daughters--and that one single school in Boston is perfect for *both* daughters. And the fact that they feel that the odds are stacked against them when they've got the means to move across the country and pay $56K a year in tuition indicates to me that they really have no idea just how lucky they are.