I have seen multiple times the comments on this forum saying if you want your kid to go to ivy IUSD is not the right place. I wonder what is the base for such argument? My kids are younger so it's hard to say how they will perform in a high demand school district. But I thought good competitive schools mean good academic education and as a result high chances to go to a good college. Where am I wrong here and can it backfire? Or what is important than to have in high school?
IUSD might not be best for college admission
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I can tell you right now that being book smart will not get you that far in life and your career. That's why I always find it hilarious that tiger parents push so hard on going to Ivy leagues and focus so much on academics. When in reality they should be focusing and preparing their kid on life skills. Once you graduate college, no one cares what school you come from or if you went to IUSD and was top 1% in your class. It's an equal playing field and you will be judged based on your skills, building relationships, and how you navigate through difficult situations.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
Law of percentages.
You have to do the bkshopper and put your kid in a less competitive school so they stand out more... or I think that's what happened.
You have to do the bkshopper and put your kid in a less competitive school so they stand out more... or I think that's what happened.
But then they have worse test score as they were not pressured to study. This is school independent test. Also they probably had less AP classes.
iacrenter
Well-known member
I agree with IHO. I love Irvine but if your ONLY goal is to get your kid into a Ivy, going private or less competitive public school is probably the way to go. This only works if both you and your child are highly motivated. Too much money / tiger parents in Irvine. While this is great for home prices and bragging rights, it makes it extremely difficult to stand out / get into top 5% of your class. Top universities will only accept so many students from any one school.
Private is out of question as we can't afford several tuitions. My concern is that the kid might be in top 5 but the knowledge base is weak and he will be less motivated surrounded by less motivated peers. So in some sense it is harder to stay focused because the kid is an outlier while in IUSD the peer pressure gives the child the drive he needs to study and aim higher.
The Motor Court Company
Well-known member
it might be easier for non IUSD students to get into good colleges but they are the ones likely to drop out because IUSD better prepare the students for the competitive nature of the elite schools
So wouldn't all the tiger parents want their kid to go to ivy? Why do they go to IUSD when they are doing disservice to kids? Or in other words what are the benefits of IUSD then if it hinders admission to elite schools for most kids?
CalBears96
Well-known member
Because tiger parents think their kids are THE best, thus making top 5%. It only hinders those who aren't in the top of their class.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
Also... Ivy degree is usually only good for certain pursuits... kids can have good careers on a non-Ivy track... or even a non-college track (ask me how that worked out in about 6 years 
).
).Before we get to college I am trying to understand all the downsides of IUSD when it comes to prepping my child for adult life. Thus, the question.Also... Ivy degree is usually only good for certain pursuits... kids can have good careers on a non-Ivy track... or even a non-college track (ask me how that worked out in about 6 years
These percentage caps seem to be only for certain colleges? Princeton high school sends anywhere from 50 to 100 to Princeton yearly. I can't understand why but some schools just seem to be feeder schools and not just the very top go there but most of the class. Think of famous boarding schools or top ranked nationally public schools.bAs if it doesn't apply to them? I don't know actually just speculating.
There are no downsides. If you want an Asian pressure cooker IUSD is your best bet - maybe Fullerton Troy district too.
Well one downside I see is that it is harder to get to a selective college (unless your kid is easily top 5), wonder if there are more!
sleepy5136
Well-known member
If a kid is only motivated because one is surrounded by competition that is a problem. This is why I always say parenting is key on how a kid will be when they grow up. You need to teach your kid to be gritty so they can thrive in any environment. A "good" school can do its best to prepare a kid academically. What school does not necessarily prepare a kid is life skills. For example, how do you deal with difficult situations and handle conflicts? How to handle being laid off? Are you going to succumb to the pressure or will you pick yourself back up and figure out a way out?
I can tell you right now that being book smart will not get you that far in life and your career. That's why I always find it hilarious that tiger parents push so hard on going to Ivy leagues and focus so much on academics. When in reality they should be focusing and preparing their kid on life skills. Once you graduate college, no one cares what school you come from or if you went to IUSD and was top 1% in your class. It's an equal playing field and you will be judged based on your skills, building relationships, and how you navigate through difficult situations.
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I totally agree but peers is part of the equation I like it or not. I will parent the same way regardless where I am but I want to know how school environment would help me or I have to swim against it. Peers will matter and at some point more that I like!
I have/had 3 kids in IUSD and can tell you that IUSD does prepare students for college life pretty well.
None of my 3 kids had a situation where they were threatened by a classmate or were scared to go to school. They were surrounded by highly motivated and high achieving peers. It was cool and respected to be high achieving and even geeky.
Yes, it's true that it's more difficult to stand out in our ultra competitive high schools. However, if your goal is to go to highly competitive college, your kids will have to have the skills and stamina to stand out there in order to advance themselves. IUSD prepares for that.
In my oldest graduating class at Uni there were handful of kids who got into Ivys, Standford and competitive UCs. 3 got into Harvard.
I think these are pretty good stats.
Ivys are pretty overrated and insanely expensive. Any good UC will give your kids equally good education, albeit without bragging rights
Don't make Ivy acceptance a goal for your kids, just help them discover their passions and everything else will fall in place.
None of my 3 kids had a situation where they were threatened by a classmate or were scared to go to school. They were surrounded by highly motivated and high achieving peers. It was cool and respected to be high achieving and even geeky.
Yes, it's true that it's more difficult to stand out in our ultra competitive high schools. However, if your goal is to go to highly competitive college, your kids will have to have the skills and stamina to stand out there in order to advance themselves. IUSD prepares for that.
In my oldest graduating class at Uni there were handful of kids who got into Ivys, Standford and competitive UCs. 3 got into Harvard.
I think these are pretty good stats.
Ivys are pretty overrated and insanely expensive. Any good UC will give your kids equally good education, albeit without bragging rights
Don't make Ivy acceptance a goal for your kids, just help them discover their passions and everything else will fall in place.
The Motor Court Company
Well-known member
Cannot agree more. As I said earlier, those who drop out early in college (first hand knowledge from Stanford/Cal engineering) tend to be the students from average high schools as they couldn’t surviveI have/had 3 kids in IUSD and can tell you that IUSD does prepare students for college life pretty well.
None of my 3 kids had a situation where they were threatened by a classmate or were scared to go to school. They were surrounded by highly motivated and high achieving peers. It was cool and respected to be high achieving and even geeky.
Yes, it's true that it's more difficult to stand out in our ultra competitive high schools. However, if your goal is to go to highly competitive college, your kids will have to have the skills and stamina to stand out there in order to advance themselves. IUSD prepares for that.
In my oldest graduating class at Uni there were handful of kids who got into Ivys, Standford and competitive UCs. 3 got into Harvard.
I think these are pretty good stats.
Ivys are pretty overrated and insanely expensive. Any good UC will give your kids equally good education, albeit without bragging rights
Don't make Ivy acceptance a goal for your kids, just help them discover their passions and everything else will fall in place.
sleepy5136
Well-known member
I actually think college drop out is not a bad thing at all. If anything the more the better so tuition prices can correct for once. There are important jobs in the world that do not require a college degree. i.e plumbers, landscapers, etc. We are going to be short on these people with those skills and they will be commanding huge premiums in the future. If you put the work in and learn the skills of a given field, all you need is a license and you can run your own business. Being your own boss is 100000x better than a W2 employee.
W2 earnings regardless of field is capped at some point even as a software engineer as myself. it's capped. business revenue isn't capped if you know how to execute.
W2 earnings regardless of field is capped at some point even as a software engineer as myself. it's capped. business revenue isn't capped if you know how to execute.