How are private high schools better preparing kids over public schools?

<p>DH & I are products of the public school system, went to state U’s & moved to a town whose school system had a good reputation. We never expected that we would be sending our kids to private school. We were able to work with our school system to get what our children needed through elementary school, but by middle school it became apparent our children, especially our oldest son, would be better served in a school where their educational needs would be willingly met. I’m glad we were in the position to be able to afford private school, although I do realize that’s not an option for everyone.</p>

<p>I have attended private school for about 6 years now. I am a rising sophomore. To answer your question, yes, private schools (depending of course on the school) prepare students much better than public school children for college. At my school (top NE school), 20 of the 80 kids go to ivies, 40 out of 80 go to top 25 schools. every kid graduates and all except one or two go to college. Non are CC, all are good schools. Now, comparing this to my local high school, where 60% graduate, the differences are great. </p>

<p>To answer your question on who colleges prefer, if there is two students with equal credentials, and one is from private, the other is from public, they will take the public school kid. THe reason is that they think the kid who went to public school overcame more than the kid who went to private school, so that is why they have the advantage. Just like minorities have advantage of majorities (except asians, who are unfairly discriminated in colleges).</p>

<p>Both of my kids and I went to suburban public high schools. Got into the colleges we wanted and felt well-prepared. S and I are both magna cum laude college grads. D’s only struggles came when she first wrote college lab reports because her hs’s science labs were so out of date that they literally never did any labs.</p>

<p>H and D’s former BF went to all-male Catholic hs’s with great academic reputations. Both graduated with what I consider sub-par writing skills. H didn’t really learn to write well until late in college, and D’s former BF was struggling in his freshman comp class as well. I know that’s a sample size of 2, but I thought it was interesting that both graduated from well-respected schools with great grades while being unable to write a coherent essay.</p>

<p>I work at a private school. I’d say our biggest advantage is a full-time college counselor with a workload about 1/4 the size of the average public school guidance counselor, and no other “guidance” responsibilities. She can really guide the kids on PSATs, choosing colleges, etc and she knows each student well enough to write detailed LORs.</p>

<p>For people in some communities, the ideal is the public school magnet program, if there is one available and it’s really good. If you can go to TJ or Stuyvesant, why pay for private school?</p>

<p>I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with sooz. It’s the kid who gets in to college and some kids you just can’t keep down regardless of the school.</p>

<p>I do believe private (non catholic) and public affluent provide the best education, including diverse parent role models</p>

<p>My friend’s son got into Stuyvesant and Dalton, she asked me where he should go. I said to her, “Would it be a hardship for you to pay for Dalton? If not, then Dalton.”</p>

<p>What is dalton?</p>

<p>[No</a>. 13: The Dalton School - Forbes.com](<a href=“http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/best-prep-schools-2010-opinions-dalton-school.html]No”>No. 13: The Dalton School)</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I think another major difference between private vs. public schools that would lead some to send their kids to private despite having good public schools in the area is the fact that private schools generally teach students discipline, respect, professionalism, maturity, etc… Not to say that some public schools don’t teach these things, but at least in my experience private schools focus a lot more on these things. The average private school kid I’ve met is more mature/professional/respectful than the average public school kid (note that I’m saying average…obviously there are very mature students in public school and there are very immature students in private schools). So not every parent’s decision is academically focused. Personally when I have kids I would like to send them to parochial schools when they are young (like I was) because I like the values they instill - something that public schools generally can’t do.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Well, it is unusual that you agree with me about something! :D</p>

<p>I have no doubt that my kids would have enjoyed and received a better education at a private prep school than at our public school (though there were some nice plusses at our public school that made it a nice atmosphere for growing up). That said, I do think that some students can thrive no matter where they attend K-12 and if they and their parents advocate, can try to have their learning needs met in their public school setting. </p>

<p>But the main topic of this thread was how good the school prepares the student for college and in that regard, even though our public school is not as good as most private prep schools, my kids were still well prepared when they entered selective colleges. There were issues and negatives at our high school that were not ideal for our kids but preparing them for college was NOT the issue. But no matter where your kids go to school, work with your schools to meet your child’s needs and don’t always accept “this is how we have done things before.” We managed to have several accommodations put into place and that helped to mitigate certain drawbacks that existed. We are happy with the education they received, even though it was not ideal. I think their public school roots were a plus in their upbringing. Then, they went off to very selective colleges and programs, as well as grad school and mixed with a different crowd there. It was all good. :)</p>

<p>But the debate over public vs. private for K-12 is not truly one that many, including ourselves, ever entered into as private was never an option. It is rarely discussed in my neck of the woods, although I know a few parents who have sent their kids away to boarding schools (though again, their college admissions results were no better than my kids had). The plus my kids would have had if they had gone away to elite prep schools or performing arts academies would have been a good fit for their abilities and interests and not a way to be better prepared for college or to enhance their college admissions chances. They would have likely loved their school experiences more and if it had been affordable and if private day schools existed nearby, I would consider them. But my kids were no worse for wear to attend their public school and mix with a range of kids, and then of course, the students in their rigorous courses were as bright as students at private preps. We just don’t have an entire student body full of that type. Also, our public school is not that big and so the competition for parts in a play or to make a sports team or some such is not as intense and lots of opportunities abound for a strong and talented student. There is something to be said for that.</p>

<p>whartongrad…I see your point but keep in mind that the parents also play a role in discipline, respect, building values, professionalism and maturity and not just the school. My kids did not have big issues in those areas and grew up to attain such behaviors and values due to parental influence and didn’t have to rely on the school teaching them that.</p>

<p>soozievt - absolutely agree…and I never meant to say that this just happens in schools, in all reality it has more to do with the parents than the schools, however, schools can help to reinforce some of these things. One could probably argue that my observation about private school kids having a higher level of maturity, respect, etc. can be attributed to the fact that parents of private school kids, given their likely higher socio-economic status, may have the luxury of having one parent stay home, etc. therefore having more of an opportunity to instill these attributes compared to household where both parents have to work. However, their schools also reinforce these behaviors, etc. </p>

<p>But like I said I’m not arguing against public schools…was just trying to highlight that academics are not the only factor when parents make decisions to send their kids to private schools.</p>

<p>OK, I just skimmed this board so I could be repetitive…
Our public HS has kids who are going to Ivy’s,( Harvard, Brown, Stanford, etc) perfect scores and great kids in a mixed environment. We also have kids that are dropping out or going to CC’s. I’ve pushed to have my kids have the best teachers and they have had an amazing high school time with a mix of kids- as general population as you can have in a suburbia bubble.
My nephew and niece went to the private prep school. I have no doubt the push may have been harder but I’m not sure the education better. However, those kids feel a sense of entitlement and act that way. I’m not sure my kids would be better people because of that school.
A friend goes to another private prep school- I think sometimes when parents pay, they want the school to look the other way when there are problems. They don’t want to be told their kids have problems academically or that they were smoking pot in the parking lot during school. They want the school to deal with it with the money they spend.
My D1 went to Colgate and worried that maybe she could have been at a different path if she had gotten into one of the big Ivy’s. She graduated and is at LSE for grad school, same as my niece’s friend who went to her prep school and was at a big Ivy for undergrad.
Point taken, you get what you put in. The cream rises to the top. If a kid is going to do well, they can at a good public HS as well as a private. They can get the same place by getting into the big Ivy as a small Ivy and probably at state flagships. You get what you put into it.</p>

<p>fourkidsmom…I totally agree. I think you do get what you put into it and cream will rise and if someone is a good student, they will thrive and be able to get into just as good of college no matter which high school they attended. Could they have a better education or experience at a private prep school? Very possibly so. </p>

<p>But there are some things to be said for the public school environment, such as the one my kids attended. When I read of the attitudes in certain private and public school communities when it comes to college admissions and pressures, expectations, competitive atmosphere, values, certain norms or entitlements, etc…I am glad my kids grew up where they did. They were self motivated and there was no big competition at school and no talk of getting into elite colleges or class ranks or SAT scores and all that jazz. They pursued things they enjoyed and were among kids from various socio-economic means. There are some aspects at certain publics and privates and communities that my kids didn’t have and I think those things are just as well. There are some neat things they missed in some of these incredible high schools but some things that they got that kids in those settings don’t experience.</p>

<p>Don’t have time to post much right now but want to bring your attention to an article that appeared in the NYTimes regarding the education at leading public and private schools in the US. </p>

<p>As a parent who has a S, a senior, at one of the NYC private schools mentioned in the article and another S, a freshman, at a Westchester county (just north of NYC) public school ranked in the top 100, I can certainly see the difference in their educations. But there are pros and cons to each type of school, and I allowed each child to choose the school which fit him best. My oldest was looking for the most rigorous education he could experience as a high school student, inspired by a summer course at an Ivy which he took as a rising 8th grader in a classroom w/ 8 other very motivated peers, all of whom were private school kids; my youngest wanted to remain in his community and did not want to work as hard as his brother (who on average spent about 40 hrs/ wk on homework on top of his ECs), although he’s bright. </p>

<p>When I get a chance, I’ll post again to write a comparison of the schools. For the record, both my H and I are public school products who never intended to send our kids to private school (hence we chose a town w/ a top-rated public and taxes to support it). But having witnessed our oldest S’s education, we recognize that for the right kid, the education possible at a leading private school is truly remarkable. Of course, getting in is just about as difficult as it is to gain admission to a very selective college: unhooked kids are expected to have excellent grades, top ISEE or SSAT scores, good teacher and GC recommendations, ECs, well written applications and interviews. Can only speak for the NYC privates – they admit about 10% of their applicant pool.</p>

<p>[The</a> Incredibles - New York Times](<a href=“The Incredibles - The New York Times”>The Incredibles - The New York Times)</p>

<p>As a private school student since kindergarten, I can tell you a lot. For starters, when we have public school kids arrive at my school, I can tell they come from a public school instantly without asking after I am in a class with them for a few weeks. Why? Because they tend not to be comfortable with themselves. I feel that public school students tend to gravitate towards the mentality of “How can I be cool?” rather than here which is “I can be myself, no matter how goofy or weird.” I have noticed how afraid they were of us at first. I had this discussion with a teacher who has taught at both for many years. She has told us honesty that private school kids tend to have more confidence. I feel that private schools allow students to grow into their true selfs even before college and prepare them that way!</p>

<p>As for academic-wise, it depends on the schools. My private school tends to have way higher grades & testing than the public schools in the state. I feel so lucky and fortunate. I visited a public school in my area. I was in the English class and they were teaching capitalization!!! It shocked me how far behind they were. In history class, the teacher asked “Who was Susan B. Anthony?” and 75% of them said she made the American flag…OUCH. I am not saying ALL public schools are behind, there are good & bad ones, but from my experiences, private schools tend to challenge students more. </p>

<p>Many private schools tend to have a higher graduation-rate. I don’t know whether this is the school itself or the family the students come from. We all actively seek out our counselor for college information while the public school students, not so much. I believe we were grown up with the question: “Where are we going to college?” rather than “Am I going to college?”. I feel that is a major difference as well.</p>

<p>I don’t know if this is true for every private school, but the ones I’ve been to have offered higher & more advanced classes. I have taken many honors & AP courses. These not only look good on college applications, but allow me to try to earn college credit. Many schools don’t offer these challenging courses, which is sad when a student should really be in those sorts of classes!</p>

<p>Lastly, I feel that many private schools (especially the smaller ones!) have more respect. I see the behavior of public school kids & I know not all are this way, but they are just rude sometimes! Schools are teaching kids how to be respectful, genuine good human beings, and that is more important than getting an A in physics…</p>

<p>I feel that private schools challenge students, motivate them to graduate and go onto college, teach morals & respect, and care more about their students. I highly recommend a private Catholic high school. Even if you are not Catholic (we have had a ton of different religious people pass through here: Muslims, Siks, etc.!), you get a quality education. Go for smaller schools, too. Smaller class sizes = more opportunity to work one on one with students.</p>

<p>I go to a private high school and it isn’t as good as you would think… We lack engaging classes and a wider array of them for people like me who want certain classes… disappointing</p>

<p>In public HS’s it can either become really good or really bad.
For one thing, the biggest schools (at least where I live) are public. Therefore, othe public schools have a wider variety of courses and honor/AP programs than private schools. However, the drawback is that there are less-than-favorable people who go to public High Schools, such as druggies. So if you can be certain that your kid won’t join the wrong crowd, then public schools may be a good idea. If you aren’t sure and dont want to take the risk, stick with private schools.</p>

<p>Anotter this though, is the resources, bigger budget that private schools enjoy. Well, I guess you get what you pay for, I guess.</p>

<p>In general, it depends on the student concerned as well as the specific school. While many IME tend to believe that private schools are always better than their local publics, that’s not always the case. As there are plenty of good public schools as well as bad depending on the specific region and district, there are also plenty of crappy private schools along with the good ones. </p>

<p>One branch of my family made a costly mistake with two kids because they didn’t know about the poor quality of most private schools in their area after moving there. After realizing that, the mistake cost them the equivalent to 3 years of my private LAC payments after my near-full ride was taken into account. </p>

<p>Moreover, the student him/herself is also a critical part of the equation. If he/she is either intellectually lacking and/or too lazy/disinterested to make the effort to learn and perform, whether the school is public or private or elite or not becomes irrelevant. </p>

<p>As for whether private school kids are better behaved/disciplined, I also believe that is mainly dependent on the individual student. Encountered just as many badly behaved and lacking in discipline private school graduates as their public school counterparts. </p>

<p>Only difference IME is that the badly behaved private school grads tend to feel much more entitled and their parents often back them up on it…including resorting to threatening lawsuits against Profs/TAs who give them lower than desired grades. :(</p>

<p>I’ve had both experiences. I attended a private school at first and then I went into the realms of public school because of money issues. The things I noticed:

  1. I was one year ahead because of private school than other students
  2. More opportunities other than academics were abundant in my public school than my private school
  3. Met more of a diverse group of people at public. At private all were rich, privileged, upright kids with “Christian” morals (but you have to experience more in order to learn) </p>

<p>That said. There are many private schools in my (you could say) affluent neighborhood. Some are okay; some are not, as public schools are. A friend of mine attended a private school in our city and its Biology Honor was equivalent to our Biology CP along with the other science and math courses.</p>

<p>So I guess it depends, as everything does.</p>