Who You Calling Preppy? Yet another bit of RNC hypocrisy.

[dkf]

The RNC's Hawaii travel guide gives prominent mention to Obama's alma mater, the Punahou School, which the RNC describes as "a coeducational college preparatory day school . . . campus covers 76 acres at the edge of the Manoa Valley." I assume this is part of the GOP's attempts to brand Obama as an out-of-touch elitist. But it's probably worth mentioning that Obama attended Punahou on a scholarship. What's more, McCain attended his own fancypants prep school, Episcopal High School, which sits on 130 acres. Something tells me he wasn't on scholarship, either.

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/08/who-you-calling-preppy.aspx

[Chloroplast]

1. Jeez, McCain should lighten up on this 'elitist' crap. He's just digging a bigger hole for himself.

[sakura]

2. Let's Compare: Punahou vs Episcopal HS

Episcopal High School

430 students in grades 9-12 only (108 per grade), all of them boarders.

Average class size of 12 (most classes 8 to 14 students)
Teacher student ratio 1:5 (average for US is 1:16, including staff that aren't in the classroom, specialists, etc)

Endowment: 150 million
Yearly tuition: $40,875
30 % receive financial aid: average of $25581 per student receiving aid (63% of tuition, leaving parents to pay an average of $15294-- almost as much as the tuition for Punahou)

24% minority
Acceptance rate: 29%






Punahou
Day school, grades K-12


3750 students in grades k-12(averages 1700 students in high school). This makes Punahou the largest private school in the U.S.
Student Teacher ratio: 1:13

Endowment: 174 million


Yearly tuition: $16,675; portion of endowment "burned" each year to pay for costs not covered by tuition
14% receive financial aid-- average of $5257 per student receiving aid (32% of cost of tuition, leaving parents to pay an average of $11,418)
67% minority

Acceptance rate: 29% Preference to native Hawaiians, children of faculty, alumni and missionary founders.

Fun facts:

Considered America's "greenest" school-- new middle school is LEED certified
One of the most successful athletics programs in US; top ranked by sports illustrated



ed for spelling

[dkf]

3. Nice research. Thanks.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Thanks for that story it is

a nice comparison piece.

[dkf]

5. The GOP has some nerve giving Obama grief when McCain went to a preppie boarding school.

Isn't boarding school for the really high muck a mucks?

[sakura]

6. Or for kids whose parents either can't stand them, can't control them, or don't have time for them.

Take your pick. Probably all three applied to McCainus.

[sakura]

8. Tuition and room and board at Harvard is $47,215, just for comparison.

Just what are those Episcopal HS students getting for their $40,875? Tuition at a typical parochial high school in Portland, OR (nowhere near as prestigious as Punahou, just listing it to give a comparison of the "low end" of private "day" school costs) is $11,152. While expensive, it's not that far off from Punahou's cost.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. We should either nominate this thread or you need to post it separately

You did a great job!

[sakura]

9. Gee, thanks!

:)

[eshfemme]

10. Yeah, sometimes money can't buy the best.

A lot of the prep schools actually cost a lot for the education they give you while there are some FREE public schools that give you just as good an education (kinda proud to have been an alumnus of a public school that graduates a whole lotta people for its small size). The fact that Obama actually got a scholarship instead of relying on his family's nonexistent money says a lot more about his will and perseverance than McCain's coasting through life. I still can't get over his 5th from last place finish from Naval Academy and the 4 fucking planes he FUCKING CRASHED! That means he's personally responsible for like $4M of taxpayer losses (I might be totally wrong as I don't know the exact number but it's at least in the millions).