Hi, my daughter has been offered a spot at Walter Payton( considered the best magnet school in Illinois). We currently live in Naperville which has very decent high schools too. Taking up Payton requires us move out of our Naperville house and relocate to Chicago( high housing costs, traffic). Would attending Payton make a significant difference in college outcomes ( Ivy League, T-20)? I would really appreciate any guidance I can get on this forum to make a decision. Thank you.
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To answer your question: each applicant is evaluated in the context of their own high school. So personally I don’t think there’s a boost. There’s also an argument to be made for being a top student at your local non-magnet school vs not being in the top 10-15% at a highly competitive school.
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Colleges admit students, not high schools.
Unless the LPS really sucks, I cannot imagine any scenario where moving makes sense.
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My philosophy is that choosing a high school should be based on what is best for your child overall, not what is best for your child’s chances to get into a top school. The former assures that you are helping your child develop into the best version of herself, while the latter focuses on an outcome that cannot be predicted. Over the course of her lifetime, your child will be far better served by you considering what is best for her as a person (and frankly, uprooting your family the way you would need to do does not sound like it would be a wise choice).
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There is no way in h e double hockey sticks that I would uproot my life and move to another city (which would be far more expensive than the one I currently live in and where I don’t seem to particularly want to live) to send my child to a school to - maybe? - increase their chances at the Ivy League from 4% to, I don’t know, 6%? Do they even want to go to an Ivy League? Why? No way no how.
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Here is some old data.
The data doesn’t seem spectacular to me.
HYPSM is at 7%.
UMich and UIUC numbers make sense for a well regarded magnet.
Northwestern is a local private – those numbers also make sense.
I think you will get the most benefit at NW and UC from this school.
The one intangible benefit that is not captured by this data is that you will have motivated peers.
Is that worth uprooting yourself and moving somewhere else?
Tough decision. Probably not worth the move.
Wouldn’t the local HS have motivated peers?
I would never uproot my family for this.
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Naperville schools are very good and send plenty of kids to T20 colleges. No way I’d move to the city. Have you looked at IMSA? It’s in Aurora and you wouldn’t have to move.
Don’t get me wrong, Payton Prep is a very good school. But there are schools in Illinois that send a higher percentage of graduates to T20s.
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I am sure they will have motivated peers.
The degree will differ.
Motivated and ambitious peers who think anything is possible.
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Local high schools also have motivated and ambitious peers who think anything is possible, and as noted, colleges admit students and not schools.
It’s one thing to choose another school, it’s another thing to uproot your family for the sole purpose of a possible ? admission to an Ivy League (imo). I would never, but to each his own.
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I agree with you.
I wouldn’t move for this.
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have sent you a DM. Thanks!
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Thank you so much for digging out this article on Payton
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Thank you for the insight! Did not consider IMSA because it is a residential program and we were not comfortable having her move to a residential program so soon.
Are there any sources for me to look up the college placement data for Naperville high schools. Thanks!
Does your high school use Naviance or Scoir?
Those are your best sources (other than asking your counselor - who may or may not be keeping track).
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They may give access to Naviance only later into the high school – ie junior year.
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I know Payton uses Naviance. Not sure about my local high school, will look it up.
Here is more recent data on college matriculations – still only 2021 though:
Less granular data:
https://www.naperville203.org/NCHSProfile
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