How Many Schools Are "the Top High School in America"?

<p>I just saw another CC thread that got me thinking about something I heard in conversation recently. In both cases, a person from a part of the country other than my part of the country said, "I went to the top high school in the United States." I had heard of one of those high schools, but had never heard of the other. </p>

<p>Just how many high schools are there in the United States with students who think they are going to the top high school in the United States? I think the relevant comparison group is PUBLIC (that is, government-operated) high schools, with more than one such high school claiming to be the very best in this country. What are the names of those high schools? What makes them top high schools? Can I sign up my kid? ;) (Actually, I rather like homeschooling, but of course I also like public high schools to do well for the students who are enrolled in them.) Are any of you alumni of a top public high school? What did you think of your high school experience?</p>

<p>The top publics include Thomas Jefferson in Virginia, Stuy and Bronx Science in NY (those three are magets which take a test to get into) a group in Westchester County NY including Scarsdale, Bronxville and Chappaqua, New Trier in Chicago and I'm sure there are more I don't know.</p>

<p>Oh, and I think the measure is SAT score average for grads.</p>

<p>I think all high schools are above average, but only a third or so of them are the best in the country.</p>

<p>IMSA (Illinois Math & Science Academy) in Aurora is one of the better ones. Well, we like to think so - we have two daughters who graduated from there :) .</p>

<p>I've always heard that the public schools in Bethesda MD were good.</p>

<p>But are you limiting this to only public schools? If not, I can name some top private school....other than that, Bethesda is all I can come up with. Oh, and NOT the St. Louis City schools.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But are you limiting this to only public schools? If not, I can name some top private school....other than that, Bethesda is all I can come up with.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would be happy to hear about privately operated schools as well. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Oh, and NOT the St. Louis City schools.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Isn't there some kind of county-wide special program in the St. Louis area for gifted students? Is that pretty good? I don't know much about it; indeed, I don't even know whether the city of St. Louis is included in the area that provides students to that program. </p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. I will note that so far one of the two schools I heard about recently hasn't been mentioned in this thread.</p>

<p>The public schools on Long Island are still highly rated, I believe.</p>

<p>In California here are the best public schools:</p>

<ol>
<li>Whitney High School : Average SAT: 1356</li>
<li>Gunn High : 1233</li>
<li>Palo Alto High: 1218</li>
<li>Saratoga high: 1215</li>
<li>San Marino high : 1203</li>
<li>Lynbrook high: 1198</li>
<li>Lowell High : 1193</li>
</ol>

<p>All of these high schools are located in Los Angeles, with Lowell High being in San Francisco.</p>

<p><a href="http://greenes.com/html/top5096.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://greenes.com/html/top5096.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>...in 1996 :)</p>

<p>Hunter High School in NYC</p>

<p><a href="http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Education/ed28a.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Education/ed28a.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.ocalmanac.com/Education/ed28a.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ocalmanac.com/Education/ed28a.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>You can sort it out here if you like. </p>

<p>2003-2004
Ranked by average SAT Score</p>

<ol>
<li>Whitney High School : 1347</li>
<li>Troy High School: 1258</li>
<li>University High: 1247</li>
<li>San Marino High: 1231
etc...</li>
</ol>

<p>Most of these top California schools are magnet schools, and they do not change their standards year in and year out. The SAT average for the top Public magnet schools in California do not deviate year to year significantly.</p>

<p>
[quote]
2. Gunn High : 1233
3. Palo Alto High: 1218
4. Saratoga high: 1215
All of these high schools are located in Los Angeles, with Lowell High being in San Francisco.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Gunn HS and Palo Alto ("Paly") are both in Palo Alto (where Stanford is) not in LA. Unless there are two Saratogas, Saratoga HS is also in northern California in Silicon Valley along with Palo Alto - about 10-15 miles south of Palo Alto.</p>

<p>University High (again, unless there is another one) is a private school in SF.</p>

<p>And, yes, the Bethesda Md. public high schools have also been highly rated. There has been so much growth in that area (and therefore new schools) that I am no longer sure of the top ones - I believe also that the "Bethesda" good school reputation has expanded to nearby Rockville/Gaithersburg/Potomac.</p>

<p>^ whoops. My bad. I got them mixed up. It was a sincere mistake. They are all excellent high schools.</p>

<p>BTW, University High (public high school) is located in Irvine California.</p>

<p>West Sidee, Gunn, Palo Alto, Saratoga and Lynbrook are all in the Silicon Valley area. Unfortunately, as a Californian, none of those schools compare score wise with the top East Coast and MW schools.</p>

<p>^ Proof please. We are discussing top Public high schools in the United States. Average SAT score statistics would be highly appreciated.</p>

<p>Everyone on CC seems to say they go to a "top high school"</p>

<p>zagat mentioned TJHSST in Northern Virginia</p>

<p>Here is a link that provides some information. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/mediapub/pressrel/091504a.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/mediapub/pressrel/091504a.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I know that TJHSST has the most National Merit Semi-finalists in the US - and has had for several years. The most recent median SAT score was approximately 1482. I don't know how the SAT score ranks nationally compared to other schools.</p>

<p>The total enrollment in the senior class, each year, is approximately 420.</p>

<p>^ Do you have a link to the average median SAT score at TJHSST? If that is true, that is quite high.</p>

<p>Tthere are city magnet schoools, only for city kids...and charter schools..again, only for city kids.</p>

<p>They do bus some city kids to county schools...but that's happening less and less. The results haven't been all that impresive.</p>

<p>I have heard that Phillips Andover Academy (known as Andover) and Choate Rosemary Hall are both very very good. My own school (Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day ) recently ranked in the top 25 schools as far as ACT scores go. I wouldn't say it's the "top school", but it's good. I'd almost have to argue that there is no "best" school. Too many factors to consider. Just as there is not "best" college.</p>