Breck or Blake school? (Minnetonka, Wayzata: title, money, teachers)

[Freezemont]

Originally Posted by iameexc

On the other hand, the school management team IS working hard. For example, they hired a new computer science teacher and some other teachers to address concerns raised by parents last year. It feels that they need to be pushed (maybe more than once) in order to make things work in the same way as in other private schools. It feels a bit unpleasant for parents.

I just talked with some teachers from nearby public schools. I feel I can connect with their souls in a much better way. The only downside is the student-teacher ratio in these schools, but if students are in the gifted programs, it does not matter that much.

Connect with their souls?!?!? It sounds like you would be better off at a public school or a school like Blake. You are clearly the kind of parent who complains constantly and distracts teachers from doing their jobs. I can't even begin to tell you how happy with have been, and this seems consistent among parents who we know. Our children are thriving at the school. Your pushing makes zero difference and so, again, please just consider going elsewhere. Fortunately, school is very good at tending to the few parents like you who complain frequently, and this allows them to focus on doing what parents want, which is giving their children an amazing education.

[bhopcolor]

Hi all
Breck vs Blake is difficult, as most parents think Breck is better for college applications and the such, but from the student's point of view it can be much different. The truth is there is not much in Minnesota that compares to Blake in terms of potential. Your kid will do good at Breck and it's not a bad school, it's amazing, but if your kid is really stellar, Blake offers more possible. That doesn't mean the average kid will do better at Blake over Breck, the average student at Blake will most likely struggle with the workload and only be bogged down by parties and bad influences; if your student realistically can't get into an Ivy, Breck will take them much farther. But if your student could, Blake offers more that'll look great on an application. The debate program is the best in the state, support from teachers, the workload is advanced and sees top high school level work for top students, and of course everyone is "loaded" so it's an instant gateway to connections in any number of high paying industries. At Blake your kids are guaranteed to be competing with the kids of Neurosurgeons and CEOs. A lot of people don't like to say that as Blake kids have an unbreakable record of being snotty little sh*ts, but there's a reason. Breck is going to work just as well for most students, and probably better for most.

The thing is you should really only pay for one of these schools if you're living comfortable enough to have to choose one. Minnetonka and Wayzata are both great public schools, and paying 15-30k a year for Blake or Breck isn't worth it unless you can pay that much without worrying about it taking away from other spendings. While they are better, it's really not a 20k anually difference, as the top 3 students at Wayzata will get into the same schools as the top 10 at Blake.

[bhopcolor]

Originally Posted by ozzie679

I have to disagree here. Breck and Blake can open doors for kids that they wouldn't have opened at other school. It's all about networking, connections, and reputation. Their alumni take care of their own, and they are VERY well represented in business, colleges, and grad schools.

Many people who send their children to schools like Breck and Blake, have a plan for their kids future. And when I mean "plan", I mean future financial success. $$

I agree with this. There's something these two offer that the public schools can't match if we're being completely realistic. Your kids will be competing with the smartest and richest in Minnesota, but mostly the richest. That means the kids of really, really well off people, people you're going to inevitably meet and people your kid is going to inevitably be friends with. These aren't schools people send their kids to to be the first high roller in the family, these are schools high rollers send their kids to to become even higher rollers. cheers

[iameexc]

Originally Posted by bhopcolor

Hi all
Breck vs Blake is difficult, as most parents think Breck is better for college applications and the such, but from the student's point of view it can be much different. The truth is there is not much in Minnesota that compares to Blake in terms of potential. Your kid will do good at Breck and it's not a bad school, it's amazing, but if your kid is really stellar, Blake offers more possible. That doesn't mean the average kid will do better at Blake over Breck, the average student at Blake will most likely struggle with the workload and only be bogged down by parties and bad influences; if your student realistically can't get into an Ivy, Breck will take them much farther. But if your student could, Blake offers more that'll look great on an application. The debate program is the best in the state, support from teachers, the workload is advanced and sees top high school level work for top students, and of course everyone is "loaded" so it's an instant gateway to connections in any number of high paying industries. At Blake your kids are guaranteed to be competing with the kids of Neurosurgeons and CEOs. A lot of people don't like to say that as Blake kids have an unbreakable record of being snotty little sh*ts, but there's a reason. Breck is going to work just as well for most students, and probably better for most.

The thing is you should really only pay for one of these schools if you're living comfortable enough to have to choose one. Minnetonka and Wayzata are both great public schools, and paying 15-30k a year for Blake or Breck isn't worth it unless you can pay that much without worrying about it taking away from other spendings. While they are better, it's really not a 20k anually difference, as the top 3 students at Wayzata will get into the same schools as the top 10 at Blake.

There is a reason why Blake pays its head at a salary twice as high as Breck.

[iameexc]

Originally Posted by Freezemont

Connect with their souls?!?!? It sounds like you would be better off at a public school or a school like Blake. You are clearly the kind of parent who complains constantly and distracts teachers from doing their jobs. I can't even begin to tell you how happy with have been, and this seems consistent among parents who we know. Our children are thriving at the school. Your pushing makes zero difference and so, again, please just consider going elsewhere. Fortunately, school is very good at tending to the few parents like you who complain frequently, and this allows them to focus on doing what parents want, which is giving their children an amazing education.

This is a public forum. Why are you so upset that some people want to share their honest feelings? Your answer makes me feel that you are helping Breck to monitor this thread. What kind of school can it be by doing that? It is better for a school to spend time improving itself based on parents' feedback. There is no doubt that Breck is falling behind of all like schools, not only Blake, SPA, but even public schools. Teachers say no without a thought to parents' requests which are offered without asking by all other schools. We might need to move to a different state in the east coast. Otherwise, we would have switched school last year.

[iameexc]

Originally Posted by bhopcolor

I agree with this. There's something these two offer that the public schools can't match if we're being completely realistic. Your kids will be competing with the smartest and richest in Minnesota, but mostly the richest. That means the kids of really, really well off people, people you're going to inevitably meet and people your kid is going to inevitably be friends with. These aren't schools people send their kids to to be the first high roller in the family, these are schools high rollers send their kids to to become even higher rollers. cheers

Your reply makes me think again if Breck is the right school for us. We the parents don't work for money. We work for the people, for science, for the wellbeing of the society. We don't expect my kids to grow into money-collectors.

[Freezemont]

Originally Posted by bhopcolor

Hi all
Breck vs Blake is difficult, as most parents think Breck is better for college applications and the such, but from the student's point of view it can be much different. The truth is there is not much in Minnesota that compares to Blake in terms of potential. Your kid will do good at Breck and it's not a bad school, it's amazing, but if your kid is really stellar, Blake offers more possible. That doesn't mean the average kid will do better at Blake over Breck, the average student at Blake will most likely struggle with the workload and only be bogged down by parties and bad influences; if your student realistically can't get into an Ivy, Breck will take them much farther. But if your student could, Blake offers more that'll look great on an application. The debate program is the best in the state, support from teachers, the workload is advanced and sees top high school level work for top students, and of course everyone is "loaded" so it's an instant gateway to connections in any number of high paying industries. At Blake your kids are guaranteed to be competing with the kids of Neurosurgeons and CEOs. A lot of people don't like to say that as Blake kids have an unbreakable record of being snotty little sh*ts, but there's a reason. Breck is going to work just as well for most students, and probably better for most.

The thing is you should really only pay for one of these schools if you're living comfortable enough to have to choose one. Minnetonka and Wayzata are both great public schools, and paying 15-30k a year for Blake or Breck isn't worth it unless you can pay that much without worrying about it taking away from other spendings. While they are better, it's really not a 20k anually difference, as the top 3 students at Wayzata will get into the same schools as the top 10 at Blake.

It's extremely rare that Breck students transfer to Blake, but on the occasion that a Blake student gets into Breck, they are almost always behind. The work load is incomparable at these schools.

[Freezemont]

Originally Posted by iameexc

There is a reason why Blake pays its head at a salary twice as high as Breck.

That's not correct. In any case, there is a great deal of smoke and mirrors to Blake today. It was a great school 20+ years ago when diversity didn't matter as much, but if you meet the kids coming out of Blake, you just don't see the kind of solid individuals who come out of Breck. Lots of entitled kids who are completely out-of-touch. Plenty of the college matriculation there is a result of legacy status rather than stellar performance.

[Freezemont]

Originally Posted by iameexc

Your reply makes me think again if Breck is the right school for us. We the parents don't work for money. We work for the people, for science, for the wellbeing of the society. We don't expect my kids to grow into money-collectors.

I get the sense that you'd be better off at Blake.

[Freezemont]

Originally Posted by iameexc

This is a public forum. Why are you so upset that some people want to share their honest feelings? Your answer makes me feel that you are helping Breck to monitor this thread. What kind of school can it be by doing that? It is better for a school to spend time improving itself based on parents' feedback. There is no doubt that Breck is falling behind of all like schools, not only Blake, SPA, but even public schools. Teachers say no without a thought to parents' requests which are offered without asking by all other schools. We might need to move to a different state in the east coast. Otherwise, we would have switched school last year.

I am simply responding to your uninformed posts. Clearly you know very little or nothing about Breck. "Falling behind?" You simply do not have knowledge of Breck or, I suspect, any of the other schools that you are speaking about.