My parochial high school cost $1,200 when I attended it. My oldest child is heading there this fall and the annual tuition is $9,175. I should add here that we won't be paying that much. My children have received grants of $500 to $1K each annually, and this child will most likely a $20K scholarship to cover $5K per year.

There was an interesting chain of events today that made for a change of attitude. I've been careful to be a blank slate when it comes to this child's choice of where she'd like to attend high school. I feel that maybe my lack of enthusiasm for my alma mater (not that I had that much enthusiasm because I didn't learn to like school til college) painted an air of disapproval about it.

Her 1st choice for school was high competitive, 504 students vying for 330 positions of which 75% were legacy (if you have a parent, grandparent or sibling who are alumni you get a go to the front of the line ticket). So this is her fallback. Because she has legacy from me at school *M* I had to get the paperwork in ASAP. My registration fee check fell out of the trifolded papers when I put it in the envelope and dropped it off.

I found my check two hours later and headed back to the school early afternoon. The secretary had the paperwork and read my maiden name very loudly. Her husband who was paritally deaf restated my maiden name very loudly wanted to know if I'm from a prominent family of builders (which I am). My old gym teacher is now the Vice Principal and she heard the name, came and gave me a big hug, and gave me a tour of the new additions and all the wonderful things which changed over 30 years. As we're heading back to the office I see the parents of one of my daughter's classmates who will probably be attending this school too. While we're there talking this man walks out and I recognize he was my Homecoming Date junior year. He recognized me too and said "I think you were my date to Homecoming." I had to laugh and say, "I think I was your date."

I clued my daughter in to the events with lots of laughs, we pulled out my yearbooks and looked at those. She found out that she wasn't the only one who didn't get into School A, and now there are a few more potential people headed to School B. She then said to me, "Well, it might be nice to go to a smaller school. Maybe." (180 versus 330)

I had to tell her that wherever she want to go is fine, but she might want to keep an open mind about it. And low and behold, they offer AP Math and Science classes which offer college credit for the child right behind her, and they offer academic support services in school for students with learning difficulties (I have one with dyslexia and dysgraphia). Maybe this might be the place for all of them?

Interesting what a change in attitude can do. And it is interesting to also see what the cost is now, a 1/4 of a century later.