Interesting survey, but avoids the obvious question - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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Brearley Tops Survey of Private Schools

Submitted by Peter Booth, Jan 31, 2008 15:18

It's interesting to see schools reviewed, and sometimes the reviews tell us more about the values and assumptions of the reviewer than the schools themselves. For example - the ranking system sees the preservation of a large endowment as a positive thing - but is it? One could argue that a school or college excessively focused on its endowment is neglecting what should be it's primary focus: educating children. These are all good schools - but is it possible that St Anne's focus on children makes it a better school than Brearley, despite the wealth of Brearley. Would you rather have a competent surgeon or a wealthy surgeon operate on you?

Stuyvesant has more Harvard admissions than every single New York City private school on your list. So it follows that a free NYC public school is better than every private school? Perhaps that's worth highlighting? If you look at the prestigious international Math Olympiad competition, there have been many NYC students over the years from Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and other NYC schools - but not from any of the private schools listed. Does this mean that the listed schools have weaker Math teaching, or do is it that by restricting admissions on merit, the three public schools have the advantage of starting with a smarter cohort?

The list is interesting, these are certainly excellent schools, but there are schools with demonstrably better academics that don't charge an admission fee. Perhaps you should mention these also?

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
I attended Brearley for 9 years before switching to Columbia Prep (and eventually to UChicago), and from personal experience, I... [MORE]	Former Brearley Student	Aug 29, 2008 17:33
This is ridiculous. Getting kids into harvard and ivies should have nothing to do with the rankings. Class sizes, dedicated... [MORE]	philip	May 3, 2008 16:50
You should be more concerned about the racism alive and well at these so-called "pedigree" schools. I'm sure most of... [MORE]	An Independant School Parent	Feb 14, 2008 13:20
...went to Regis. But so did I!! [MORE]	Regis '83	Feb 9, 2008 17:25
Your article fallaciously says,MONEY rules the world,and Harvard is the epi-center of that world. In printing such rubbish and judging... [MORE]	Grandma PSL	Feb 7, 2008 12:25
Did anyone else notice that the writer, Elizabeth Green, went to Harvard? http://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethgreen [MORE]	NYC Teacher	Feb 6, 2008 17:05
you claim 10 Regians (Regis HS) grads are attending Harvard in the past 3 years well, there are 9 in... [MORE]	kelly	Feb 6, 2008 00:28
one more reason not to take the sun seriously; and not to read it. [MORE]	college counselor	Feb 5, 2008 19:20
I fail to see the purpose this serves and what exactly this proves. Most student already know that the Upper... [MORE]	sc	Feb 4, 2008 20:33
Obviously this article is a ploy to increase readership or generate a "buzz" (where none is derserving). To attempt to... [MORE]	NYC Private School Parent	Feb 4, 2008 17:56
Many responses sound like sour grapes. Their children apparently go to one of those schools that didn't score well. [MORE]	Sigmund Fraud	Feb 4, 2008 23:39
Thank goodness our school is too small and insignificant to be in the survey. Our endowment is pitiful in comparison... [MORE]	mom4	Feb 4, 2008 15:50
Ramaz was included in the survey, yet Loyola and Sacred Heart were omitted. Yet Loyola got 3 kids in to... [MORE]	NYCparent	Feb 4, 2008 13:49
Regis and Sacred Heart belong on the list, as does Marymount. You mention 2 out of 3 in the accompanying... [MORE]	Anonymous	Feb 4, 2008 11:00
It is what it is, and facts are facts. It is true that the list of New York City Independent... [MORE]	Anonymous	Feb 4, 2008 10:20
The article basically said that you were in a good private school in New York if your school had money... [MORE]	EZE	Feb 2, 2008 15:37
... and most of these schools release a list of the colleges and universities to which the graduates matriculate each... [MORE]	Anonymous	Feb 1, 2008 21:27
I just so happen to go to one of the "D" rated schools and it is filled with brilliant people.... [MORE]	Marquessa	Feb 1, 2008 21:18
I go to an "A" rated school and I don't give credence to this article. I think that getting into... [MORE]	Anonymous	Feb 4, 2008 18:07
Six kids to Harvard is an "A" and 0 Kids is a "D". What a mockery. How does a kid... [MORE]	BA	Feb 1, 2008 16:54
As a Harvard grad and a parent of kids in private schools, I have to say this is one of... [MORE]	Harvard grad and private school dad	Feb 1, 2008 16:35
The number of students that a school sends to Harvard should absolutely not be a reason to choose a school,... [MORE]	Victoria Goldman	Feb 2, 2008 21:34
This has ridiculously narrow and snobby criteria. It is also insulting to the poorly graded schools who may have better... [MORE]	Dr. Lee W. Jones	Feb 1, 2008 14:51
This is an interesting survey, but I believe that all of these schools care and intellectually nourish their students in... [MORE]	Alfredo Kuilan	Feb 1, 2008 08:45
The author assumes that the entire purpose of a private school education is to ensure a students admission into into... [MORE]	Scott Forsythe	Feb 1, 2008 08:24
The "New York Sun Private School Index" is obviously a parody. How could anyone take this alleged "ranking system" seriously? [MORE]	Anonymous	Jan 31, 2008 23:29
Most famous and successful hollywood directors go to film schools, such as USC, Columbia, NYU and Stanford, some of the... [MORE]	Max and Natalie	Jan 31, 2008 21:59
Harvard is not even the number one school anymore, Princeton is. I know that a ton of kids from your... [MORE]	Sara	Feb 1, 2008 23:17
Let me begin by saying that there is no greater fan of the Sun than me. Always staunchly on the... [MORE]	Brian Rom	Jan 31, 2008 21:41
This has nothing to do with the schools themselves and just to do with money. It is gross and rude... [MORE]	Sam	Jan 31, 2008 21:20
To say that DWIGHT is on the same level as a school such as Nightingale is quite laughable. [MORE]	John	Jan 31, 2008 21:05
as one of the sudents that was given an extremely poor grade, i think you should have included more than... [MORE]	william stern	Jan 31, 2008 19:54
A complete waste of time. Another useless "survey." Why don't you take a survey of the kids who attend these... [MORE]	Slav a Hazin	Jan 31, 2008 17:11
Dear NY Sun,I am the President of the Guild of Independent School and I am writing to comment upon your... [MORE]	George Davison	Jan 31, 2008 16:09
What these rankings don't take into account is the disparity in enrollment in graduating classes amongst elite schools. Some of... [MORE]	Stanislaus	Jan 31, 2008 15:29
It's interesting to see schools reviewed, and sometimes the reviews tell us more about the values and assumptions of the...	Peter Booth	Jan 31, 2008 15:18
Perhaps this analysis should have looked at offers of admission, not matriculations. Of students cross-admitted at H-Y and H-P, many... [MORE]	grb	Jan 31, 2008 14:40
What about the number of kids who get into Yale? Or Stanford? Or Cal Tech? Or Swarthmore, Amherst, Williams, Haverford,... [MORE]	Justin Warner	Jan 31, 2008 14:01
I have to say that as a New York Sun reader who's been a fan from the first issue, and... [MORE]	Adam Beckerman	Jan 31, 2008 15:23
To say you judge it on the basis of students getting into harvard and the schools net assets makes this... [MORE]	John	Jan 31, 2008 21:06
As a parent whose child attends one of the "A" ranked schools, I would be curious to know why some... [MORE]	Lisa Kohl	Feb 4, 2008 10:45
too harvard-focused. much broader circle of top-tier universities out there -- including ones with little applicant crossover w/harvard. [MORE]	NYC Dad	Jan 31, 2008 12:25
Letter grades in the city began with John Dewey High School in Brooklyn in 1970. Not sure what Bloomberg has... [MORE]	JC Clark	Jan 31, 2008 11:42
What study worth noting would use such a flawed system? The logic here presupposes that the other 91% of students... [MORE]	J H	Jan 31, 2008 10:41
the methodology is absolutely flawed. to judge a school soley on how many of its students went to Harvard and... [MORE]	anonymous	Jan 31, 2008 15:26
As a parent reviewing schools, this helps me cut through the spin perpetrated by students,alumni or parents of competing schools.... [MORE]	NYC mom	Feb 2, 2008 23:45
Interesting survey in that it takes into account each schools net assets as well as exmissions data. one can argue... [MORE]	thewiseking	Jan 31, 2008 09:24
Great survey! I would have included more than Harvard if the other top schools also have face books. That way... [MORE]	Anonymous	Jan 31, 2008 07:08
While the point of this article may have been satirical, it serves to reinforce the designer-label mentality of a lot... [MORE]	Patricia Fry	Feb 21, 2008 09:53

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