Advice needed..School choice

[goldendome]

Let me correct a couple of misconceptions. First, yes MBA is expensive, but it is not $22,000 a year. I think this year it is about $18,000. As I said earlier depending on your circumstances financial aid is available. Secondly, while MBA is certainly a school that sends their graduates to the countries finest colleges and universities, the college application process is very competitive and MBA boys aren't able to walk right into Harvard or Yale. The advantage MBA offers is first an environment where all achievement is honored, whether it is football winning the State Championship or the debate team winning the National Championship. The peer pressure is for all students to work hard and do their best, the slacker or goof off is not looked up to. Most of the major colleges and universities, particularly those in the Southeast know MBA by reputation, and by the calibre of students MBA has sent them over the years. I was not at this meeting since my boys have graduated, but I was told that the speaker this year at the college counseling kickoff was the Dean of Admissions from Sewanee. He made the statement that the MBA boys go to Sewanee so well prepared that they do as well or better in college then they did in high school, while the average Sewanee students grades are about 1/2 point lower then high school. There are probably 20-25 MBA grads at Sewanee now. So he would know.

 

sorry whats 4000 when u are paying 18000,and when i said pick where they want to go i didnt mean joe student could say i wanna due harvad when he does not meet standards,but more as at an mba you stay the course ur chances of going to a harvard etc are way greater and to enter a state school well....................tell me if u were to play ehs again whom wins

[retired rebel 64]

Why ask for advice if you already have your decision made?

[bigguy300]

Why ask for advice if you already have your decision made?

 

 

 

Other than not to send my son to Hillwood, what decision have I made?

[BigRedDad]

sorry whats 4000 when u are paying 18000,and when i said pick where they want to go i didnt mean joe student could say i wanna due harvad when he does not meet standards,but more as at an mba you stay the course ur chances of going to a harvard etc are way greater and to enter a state school well....................tell me if u were to play ehs again whom wins

 

 

4000/18000 is over 20% so it is real money I guess.

 

If we play EHS again who wins? The Big Red of course...hahaha. Honestly I think it would be a different game. I think MBA needed a wake up call and they certainly got it, they had been making a lot of dumb mistakes, stupid penalites etc, and it finally bit them. I wasn't at the game, but I was told that on both of Darkwa's long TD runs they caught MBA in a blitz and broke it up the middle. I don't think if they play again EHS rushes for 500 yds, a lot will depend on how effective Darkwa is if he is able to come back. I watched EHS against Ryan, and they didn't throw real well when they had to. If they can use the run to set up the pass they can keep a defense off balance, but if they are 3rd and long and have to throw it is a different matter. That is why Darkwa's status is so important. Without him out there it is the Tavares Jefferson show, and he is not as effective when he is all the defense has to stop. I would also look for MBA to throw more. EHS did a good job of stopping Ryan's running game, but Ryan threw the ball easily against them. So if they play again it should be an interesting matchup, and if it is to happen it will most likely have to be in the State Championship game, and that is no gimme from what I am hearing. I am hearing that MUS is really good. If the string plays out the way most expect it to the second round of the playoffs is likely to be MBA/MUS, EHS/BA. After watching BA I think they have the best chance I have seen for anyone to stop EHS's running game. BA's d-line is impressive, the offense lacks some punch, but MBA had a lot of trouble running on BA.

[BigRedDad]

Thanks guys, for all the input. It really helps with the thought process.

 

Had I known then what I know now I wouldn't have moved to Davidson County, but I did, and so here we are.

 

The General consensus seems to be that Hillwood should NOT be a consideration; I get that now!

 

In an attempt to shed better light on our son and expectations I give the following statement. Education is 1st. My son is an A-B student, which we are OK with considering his Athletic Schedules. We have always told our son that we as his parents will provide him with the tools to be successful. But that our Budget will not permit a Big Name College, especially out of state. So if he wants that type of College experience it will be on his shoulders to get there, whether it be through Academic or Athletic Scholarship. Basically, if he doesn't want to go to MTSU he better perform in class and/or on the field. He has accepted that challenge and expects to have options by his Senior year. I undertand that injuries and projected athleticism sometimes keep a kid from reaching the top shelf but I as a parent will not stand in his way, but rather advize and help with the big decisions, and this is one of them.

 

Thank you for all the school suggestions. I have looked into some of the programs you guys have mentioned and most are very good schools. I won't be making a decision anytime soon but will reflect on your comments when that time comes. The Main decision for now, since Private Schools are about to start admissions for next year, is to decide Private or Public.

 

Please feel free to send me any more suggestions you feel are applicable. Again thanks!

 

 

One point to make about college (I'm and old fart and have gone through the process 3 times with my kids, my youngest is now a Frshman). It is much like private high school, in that it is not what it costs, but what you pay. We were at an information meeting a few years ago about Tulane, that that admissions director was honest enough to talk about the "sticker price", meaning very few people actually pay it. Don't be put off by the sticker price of fine private colleges or out of state universities. Take the time to learn about the financial aid and scholarship process so you can make the most of it. You might find that when all is said in done Harvard doesn't cost anymore the MTSU.

[BigRedDad]

One last comment on financial aid for the private schools. This how the process works. There is an application you fill out with all of your financial information, you can do this on paper or online. It is sent to a group in Princeton NJ. They will evaluate your circumstances and send a report to the schools you request what your "family contribution" should be. Based on that the schools make up the difference between the tuition and your required contribution. The TSSAA says a student is eligible to play in DII-AA if they receive no more financial aid then allowed by that formula.

[goldendome]

Thanks guys, for all the input. It really helps with the thought process.

 

Had I known then what I know now I wouldn't have moved to Davidson County, but I did, and so here we are.

 

The General consensus seems to be that Hillwood should NOT be a consideration; I get that now!

 

In an attempt to shed better light on our son and expectations I give the following statement. Education is 1st. My son is an A-B student, which we are OK with considering his Athletic Schedules. We have always told our son that we as his parents will provide him with the tools to be successful. But that our Budget will not permit a Big Name College, especially out of state. So if he wants that type of College experience it will be on his shoulders to get there, whether it be through Academic or Athletic Scholarship. Basically, if he doesn't want to go to MTSU he better perform in class and/or on the field. He has accepted that challenge and expects to have options by his Senior year. I undertand that injuries and projected athleticism sometimes keep a kid from reaching the top shelf but I as a parent will not stand in his way, but rather advize and help with the big decisions, and this is one of them.

 

Thank you for all the school suggestions. I have looked into some of the programs you guys have mentioned and most are very good schools. I won't be making a decision anytime soon but will reflect on your comments when that time comes. The Main decision for now, since Private Schools are about to start admissions for next year, is to decide Private or Public.

 

Please feel free to send me any more suggestions you feel are applicable. Again thanks!

 

First although no ties to MTSU it is a very good school,along with the likes of Tenn Tech TSU UT Martin Austin Peay.I am sorry but as a parent that has moved a few times and with children ( one playin ball at northwestern) the first thing I did was to look @ the school and school district/education along with the athletic teams it appears you spent too much time pondering his college chiice to his high school one .please remember getting academic scholarship is thousand times easier then getting a athletic one.is your son enrolled in a nashville school now.please note that there is a lot and I mean a lot of talent and the middle tn area

[goldendome]

If you're son is wanting to play both baseball and football, Mt. Juliet has a great football and and baseball teams. Both are always in post season play and their teams compete very well. The football program at the freshman level went undefeated this year and the 8th grade bunch coming up will look to keep that streak alive. The baseball team is topps in the mid-state. They also have new facilities and a new school. Education is near the top in tennesse. Your major problem for your son will be transportationissues.

 

Other schools that have similar situations would be Riverdale High School, Franklin High School, Oakland High school, and a few of the private schools within your area. If he is just wanting to play football and get a good education; then by all means, he needs to go to Hillsboro High School

 

I may be wrong but when has .MJ made the football playoffs and yet if they have when have they one a playoff game, same said for baseball. Call me jaded but I'd send my kid to either brentwood franklin ravenwood orindy before oakland or riverdale

[bigguy300]

First although no ties to MTSU it is a very good school,along with the likes of Tenn Tech TSU UT Martin Austin Peay.I am sorry but as a parent that has moved a few times and with children ( one playin ball at northwestern) the first thing I did was to look @ the school and school district/education along with the athletic teams it appears you spent too much time pondering his college chiice to his high school one .please remember getting academic scholarship is thousand times easier then getting a athletic one.is your son enrolled in a nashville school now.please note that there is a lot and I mean a lot of talent and the middle tn area

 

 

 

Thanks for the input goldendome. Believe me I am kicking myself for not looking into the school systems before moving here, but it was a quick turnaround (taking the job and moving my family) and I assumed that the Public School system here was similar to Atlanta. What's that they say about assumptions? Makes an !#$ out of U and ME, lol. Well, no time for the should-a would-a could-a's. Now I am faced with fixing the problem. And I get by your tone that you feel I am delusional about my son's chances for an Athletic Scholarship or our priorities are out of whack; I assure that neither is true. Like I said before, my son's academics are in balance with his Athletics. He is an A-B student and is presently taking 2 APP courses in 8th grade. The reason that I am concentrating on Athletics in this Forum is because it's an Athletic Forum. I figured I could get advice as it pertains to the Local High School Athletic scene. As a matter of fact, if Athletics were not in the picture I might not have a problem sending my son to Hillwood because I'm sure they take care of their advanced students as most public HS's do. But that's not the topic on this particular Forum.

 

I understand your attempt at taking the high road, and the approach of Athletic Scholarships being so rare that you can't count on them. But also I see my side; both my wife and I went to college on Athletic Scholarships so we don't think it is rare or unatainable.

 

Thanks for the thoughts, keep them coming

 

One last comment on financial aid for the private schools. This how the process works. There is an application you fill out with all of your financial information, you can do this on paper or online. It is sent to a group in Princeton NJ. They will evaluate your circumstances and send a report to the schools you request what your "family contribution" should be. Based on that the schools make up the difference between the tuition and your required contribution. The TSSAA says a student is eligible to play in DII-AA if they receive no more financial aid then allowed by that formula.

 

 

 

Thanks Bigred, good advice that I will most certainly take.

[old24eagle]

What a load of crap this ALL has to be illegal in some way shape or form. If it's not it should be. Whos to say these guys pushing their school on this man and his kid arent coaches. If he's zoned for a school that is struggling and he truly is D-1 talent think of what he could do to turn that program around. My advice .......man up and take the challenge , send your kid to where he's supposed to go and if he is D-1 it will show regardless of how his highschool team performs. This is the reason highschool teams get down and can never recoop because people can pick and choose were to send their kids based on athletic programs.

[KWoodroof]

What a load of crap this ALL has to be illegal in some way shape or form. If it's not it should be. Whos to say these guys pushing their school on this man and his kid arent coaches. If he's zoned for a school that is struggling and he truly is D-1 talent think of what he could do to turn that program around. My advice .......man up and take the challenge , send your kid to where he's supposed to go and if he is D-1 it will show regardless of how his highschool team performs. This is the reason highschool teams get down and can never recoop because people can pick and choose were to send their kids based on athletic programs.

 

I'm not sure this gentleman has any responsibility to do anything to rehabilitate a public school athletic program: his kid has one shot at growing up, and he should be where he can get the best education.

 

I'm an MBA alumnus, and I'm very biased. however, MBA is an all male school, and some people see that as a negative. Other places you might consider are Brentwood Academy; it has a strong Christian influence; Father Ryan, obviously a Catholic school with a long history, and Ensworth, whose high school is new, but whose 1-8 program was always top flight. All are good schools, and all have very good athletic programs. With a 13 year old, i wouldn't be thinking about scholarships yet, but rather just a good rpogram where he will have a fun and positive athletic experience. i think any of these school would meet that standard.

 

MBA would just do it considerably better.

[old24eagle]

I'm not sure this gentleman has any responsibility to do anything to rehabilitate a public school athletic program: his kid has one shot at growing up, and he should be where he can get the best education.

 

I'm an MBA alumnus, and I'm very biased. however, MBA is an all male school, and some people see that as a negative. Other places you might consider are Brentwood Academy; it has a strong Christian influence; Father Ryan, obviously a Catholic school with a long history, and Ensworth, whose high school is new, but whose 1-8 program was always top flight. All are good schools, and all have very good athletic programs. With a 13 year old, i wouldn't be thinking about scholarships yet, but rather just a good rpogram where he will have a fun and positive athletic experience. i think any of these school would meet that standard.

 

MBA would just do it considerably better.

 

If he wanted his kid in the best place for an education he wouldn't be on here bragging about how he's D-1 talent and asking about athletic programs.