|
|
 |
|
| Calculated Response |
School Daze
Russ Alan Prince & Hannah Shaw Grove
09/01/2007
|
Next, we asked the respondents to rank the criteria they use
when selecting a school. We found that the priorities of each segment are
reflected in their selection factors. There was little overlap with the
exception of one area—the school’s focus on academic achievement (Exhibit
5).
Elements such as social connections, college preparation and
the school’s reputation are ways for aspirational parents to position their
children to excel. By contrast, experiential parents are more concerned with
balancing a strong high school education with nonacademic lessons. Experiential
parents are more likely than aspirational parents to emphasize the factors that
will contribute to their children becoming "the kind of people we want them to
be."
Three-quarters of parents we surveyed cite a student’s academic
capabilities and potential as the most important factor for being accepted by a
private high school (Exhibit 6).
While 72 percent of all affluent parents include family
connections as a meaningful part of the application process, aspirational
parents seem to rely more on legacy. Similarly, about two-thirds of all
respondents—and a slightly higher number of aspirational parents—admit that
schools consider their level of wealth. Finally, about one-quarter of parents
pinpoint athletic skills as an important consideration, with a much higher
concentration among experiential parents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
