tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post1412806197954996040..comments2024-03-16T22:30:32.183-04:00Comments on Hampton New Hampshire Mad Dog Democrat: Fire in the Shire: Wherefore Art Thou New Hampshire?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-59017245918957493752013-07-02T19:13:26.540-04:002013-07-02T19:13:26.540-04:00Maud,
Clearly, this is an area you know well,...Maud,<br /><br /> Clearly, this is an area you know well, and I suspect your instincts are correct. <br /> Princeton, cut throat and hyper-competitive, is likely the playing fields of Eton for Goldman Sacks; not so much for medical school, at least before medical schools became home to every-man-for-himself types.<br /> I'm going to go back and read some more Andrew Hacker, who taught at Princeton and Cornell and Queens College and came away saying the Princeton class he studied was filled with thorough going mediocrities--people who made lots of money but contributed little to the nation--unless you count Donald Rumsfeld as being a major contributor.<br /> I'm now old enough to appreciate "perspective" and I think what you offer is just that.<br /><br />Mad Dogthe phantom speakshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629183077961716582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-38552934768364389582013-07-02T15:52:49.293-04:002013-07-02T15:52:49.293-04:00Mad Dog,
I think NH does a pretty good job prepari...Mad Dog,<br />I think NH does a pretty good job preparing it's high school students-certainly there's room for improvement but what isn't that true of? On one measure I saw NH ranked 10th nationally for combined SAT and ACT scores. On another table measuring SAT scores alone NH was 25th but that was deceiving since NH's Participation rate in the SAT taking was 75% and almost all the other states ranked higher were below 10% participation.But like everywhere, there are high performing NH districts and low performing ones and to predict which a school will likely be you just need to look at the income levels of the districts. Schools with a high percentage of kids qualifying for free or reduced lunches don't do as well as say Bedford or Hollis--surprise,surprise..<br /><br />As for the high performing high schools you mention and the ones discussed in the Brown newspaper article, they can't really be compared to the average high school in NH or anywhere else.Yes, in many cases, like Phillips Exeter, they are able to boast a racially diverse student body with students from all over the globe .But really Mad Dog don't you think that's where the diversity ends-after that my guess is the students are remarkably homogeneous-affluent, highly motivated, very skilled and academically gifted. How many kids at Phillips Exeter or Andover qualfy for reduced or free lunches? As for the top urban public high schools I know in the past some have been criticized for cherry picking their students via rigorous entrance exams-I don't know if this is the case for the ones you mention, but if it is they can't be compared to a public school assigned to educate all the kids in the district.<br /><br />I don't know what percentage of NH students who leave the state do so to attend top-tiered schools, but since the majority of those leaving stay in New England my guess is a pretty respectable number. To your question is attending Univ. of RI the same as attending Univ. of Penn.--probably not. The student body at the latter will share a lot more of the characteristics of the top prep schools.But are the top ranked colleges best--perhaps in many cases but not all. You've mentioned before cost is a big factor and is graduating desperately in debt to go to one of the highest ranked schools worth it, maybe not. Also I can imagine, and have read, that some of the top tiered schools can have a hyper competitive,grade grubbing, every man for himself atmosphere. That might be fine for some students in preparing them for what they will face after graduation but for others it would be an environment they would not thrive in. Which is better- a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small one? You could make a good argument either way based on the kid...<br />Maudmaudnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-69947486089448840042013-07-01T13:35:21.178-04:002013-07-01T13:35:21.178-04:00Relevant to this discussion an article from a coll...Relevant to this discussion an article from a college newspaper (Brown)<br />http://www.browndailyherald.com/2011/04/27/top-high-schools-find-admissions-success/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-14443090619751034532013-07-01T13:23:44.403-04:002013-07-01T13:23:44.403-04:00Maud,
Now I'm inspired to actually look ...Maud, <br /><br /> Now I'm inspired to actually look at some real data. <br /> Of course, leaving the state is not as important as where they go: Is leaving for The University of Rhode Island the same as leaving for the University of Pennsylvania?<br /> What is your sense, Maud, of how NH students are prepared, compared to kids from New Trier HS or Bronx HS of Science or Boston Latin or Montgomery Blair (MD) or the Harvard School (LA) or any of the highly competitive systems of public systems?<br /> Kids from NH would not have to go far to go to very selective schools. In fact, the New England and Northeast states are where the greatest concentration of highly selective schools are found. Whether or not highly selective can be read as "best" is another matter.<br /> I will try to enjoy the 4th. I believe both Jefferson and Adams died on the 4th, oddly enough.<br /> <br />Mad Dog the phantom speakshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629183077961716582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-42703211344789296312013-07-01T10:15:44.773-04:002013-07-01T10:15:44.773-04:00Mad Dog,
Actually you'd be surprised-students ...Mad Dog,<br />Actually you'd be surprised-students from NH are leaving the Shire at significantly higher rates than the national average. Nationally 74% of students remain in their home state for college, yet only 52%, or 40% depending upon the source, of our students remain in NH for school. "2012 Status of Higher Education in NH" and a piece in the Washington Post "Brain Drain: States that lose the most college students" both have interesting information on the subject. For example, I knew that NH was last for state funding for higher education but I didn't realize NH led the nation in 2011 for student debt. Also NH students don't venture to far, 82% remain in New England but maybe students from other states don't go to far a field either. Unfortunately, NH colleges lack racial diversity, like the rest of the state, but no real surprise there...<br /><br />I really like the pictures you've posted, but yikes what's up with Daniel Webster? He even looks more formidable(scarier) than Thaddeus Stevens-yes the norm for portraits was a more solemn expression but his is a bit extreme-definitely looks like he's up for a duel with the Devil. Quite a difference from today where one is expected to look gleeful in pictures-at all times and in all settings..I love the photo of Winnipesaukee -looking at that makes one wonder why anyone would ever want to leave the Shire..<br /><br />Finally, wasn't it a treat to see the Mama Grizzlies turn to eating their own-aka Sarah Palin going after Kelly Ayotte over the immigration bill. Fun to watch-and on that note, have a great 4th of July week Mad Dog.<br />Maud <br /> Maudnoreply@blogger.com