<p>Weirdoone - many competitive private schools don't rank. I know that of the big 4 ind. prep schools in Detroit, none of them rank. This is because a person only in the top 50% is still a very competitive applicant, but the numbers are misleading.</p>
<p>Public is fine, if you know what you want to accomplish. If you can motivate yourself to work to the highest level, you'll be fine in public. Also, if you take a lot of AP and Honors classes, you'll be in an academic enviornment that fits you.</p>
<p>Now I honestly think private schools should be put into, two catageorities. There are those who will accept just about anyone. And the kids typically go there because the parents are made of money, and either the parent and/or student feel that public schools are not as good as privates. Then there are what I consider a true private school that seeks students that are going there for academics and to accomplish a lot. There's also a nice balence of social classes. </p>
<p>If you can motivate yourself, going public is fine. If you find you want to get the best possible education out there, go up east to one of those elite prep schools. Just stay away from private schools, that aren't of elite status.</p>
<p>*There's a ton of private schools here in St. Louis, but I could only name maybe two, that are worth paying for. The rest aren't any better then the publics. In fact some of the publics around here are better then the private schools.</p>
<p>that reminds me. i think some time ago -not sure when- they integrated a white high school. All the white kids dropped out and went to a private school. The public school's SAT average was 800s but private school's average was 900 lol. not much of a difference there lol.</p>
<p>Honestly, it depends on you. If you want to shell out $3,495,205 on private school education it's fine, but there are many decent people learning in public schools for free.</p>
<p>Actually they aren't learning for free. They are being supported by taxes.</p>
<p>wouldn't private schools give adcoms the impression you're a rich snob (since chances are the adcom people didn't have rich daddys back in their undergrad days to pay for high school tuition), and augment their expectations for your performance? so unless you come through as pwningly stellar, it won't be too advantageous IMO.</p>
<p>i believe that's kind of assuming too much. really you have no stats to back up if adcoms could pay for private schools or not. Private school definitely has its advantages but since u have more resources more is expected from you. That's for sure. However, either way it is YOU who must do the work. Assess you private schools for their educational and extracurricular opportunities and do the same for your public schools. If your public school is better than ur private school or the same then it's public for you. But if there's a difference you must assess if you will be able to work hard enough to make that money and resources worthwhile. We can only give u directions. The turn is your choice to make.</p>
<p>It depends which privates you're planning to attend/apply. Andover, Exeter, St. Annes are really good. The really competitive boarding schools always send out a lot of Ivy's. If you want to go to Ivy's then, I suggest going to the raelly pretigious boarding schools or a prestigous private school. </p>
<p>Also, there's the financial factor. Can you afford it, get aid, scholarships, etc. </p>
<p>Is your public school very prestigous. I know a lot of public schools that don't get enough recognition for being competitive. So your public school may be competitive, but it might not be very well-known to colleges as a competitive school.</p>
<p>Look at your financial options, where you want to go to college, etc.</p>
<p>I agree with kinglin. The private boarding schools, like the ones in New England, are a completely different ball game. We're talking about the best in the world. Royalty and heads of state from around the world send their kids there. If you have the money and you are accepted, why wouldn't you go there? Regardless of whether the education itself is better, you are paying for the environment. You will be surrounded by highly educated teachers, motivated students, educated and wealthy parents, and successful alumni. Many of those boarding schools are in rural areas that are cunducive to learning, as opposed to a big city with distractions. You're basically creating a recipe for success and the Ivy League schools that have historical ties to these schools realize that.</p>
<p>The only thing I would warn about is being spoiled by these schools. Private schools can give you a false sense of importance by giving you too much attention, whereas public schools do tend to represent what the real world will be like, i.e. more diversity and less holding of your hand.</p>
<p>define "better" Do you mean better in terms of education? or better in terms of overall high school life?</p>
<p>i can't believe schools like stuyvesant have not been mentioned.. it offers the most AP's and courses beyond AP level then any other school in the country.. it's also public.</p>
<p>Go to a medical magnet school, like me! :-D</p>
<p>not everyone lives in NYC u know</p>
<p>Sha! Def. depends on what "private" means to you if you are considering a local catholic school or a small local day school I really have no idea but if you are considering and interested in nationally known and prestigious New England Prep Schools I can tell you anything.
And N.E. preps (examples of top schools are Choate, Andover, Exeter, taft, SPS, Hotchkiss, Miss Porter's, Avon Old Farms, Loomis Chaffee, Kent, Milton, deerfield
other schools a tier below but still good schools (Suffield being the in the top 3 along w/ westi and GD) South kent, trinity pawling, Suffield, Westminister, tabor academy, Westover, Governor Drummer</p>
<p>I think it all depends on the area you live in. For example, the school district I live in offers all sorts of magnet programs as well as the normal high schools. I go to a magnet school that has about 1000 students who were selected through an application and lottery process. When it comes to extracurricular competitions such as debate and robotics, our school is usually right up there (and sometimes above) the top private schools in the city. </p>
<p>There are many options available everywhere. Just look around and see whats available before you go spending as much money on high school as you potentially would on college.</p>
<p>i have gone to private school since kindergarten- i went to public in 3rd grade to find myself not challenged, thus i went back to private school. after 8th grade i applied to many private prep schools (a post a few ranks above me tiered many of the private schools. i dont agree with a LOAD of those schools. after attending the schools u KNOW where the smart, the snobby, the dumb with money, the party people all go, and many of those schools listed were no where near academically challenging enough) </p>
<p>i go to a prep school in massachusetts. i have friends who dont appreciate the one on one relationship with ur teachers- they are there to help. take advantage of it. </p>
<p>Academics are more challenging, however you can also find challenging courses at public school. it is taking advantage of what u are given. and making the best of it.</p>
<p>i dont think admission people will feel that u are "spoiled" by a private school education. i kno for one that my mom and dad just wanted to give me the best education they could, and they have managed to get into debt for it. however they dont regret their decisions at all, neither do i.</p>
<p>every schools is different. u will learn a lot about each school as u visit, if u want u can PM me about certain schools and their reputation academically athlletically and socially. </p>
<p>in the long run, private school is awesome if u take advantage of ur oppurtunities that u dont have at public.</p>
<p>public is awesome if u push everything harder than everyone else.</p>
<p>I think wherever you go to school, so long as you take the right classes, you're bound to get a good educationand this holds more true in high school obviously because the variety in elementary and middle school...lacks.</p>
<p>I mean, it's true your education might be better at a private school, but if you go to a public school, when you're a prospective freshie for colleges, you're bound to get to a better school merely because your HS was weak. There are a lot of affirmative action programs that look at not just your race but your socioeconomic status. If you go to a poor school in a poor environment, that's going to give you an edge.</p>
<p>Well, I hope I didn't make college seem like too much of a strategy-based game, but it all depends on whether or not you'll thrive in a competitive environment, particularly if you have to pay 30K a year for it.</p>
<p>Public schools are so much better than private schools. You get to interact with all types of people. You will have to do this later in life, so you should get use to it. The people are nicer and not stuck up. Everyone makes fun of the rich and preppy kids. The teachers are better, atleast in my area. Public school salaries are higher. My teachers are very well qualified, one with a double doctorate, another one has a law practice, and all know a lot. The private school teachers that I talked to, coaches or association, all seem for latent terms, dumber. At private schools you have to dress up in a shirt and tie everyday, but the girls do wear those skirts. At a public, you get to show your personality and dress however you want, following the dresscode (restrictions, not uniforms).
If you are motivated and want to do good, it doesnt matter where you go. Unless the public school system is deprived of funding, it will generally be better. Why spend 30k a year, that money can be spent helping people who need money, charity or a family member. It is not really a school that determines what you do, but how motivated you are.</p>
<p>i totally agree with mattd except for his statement that prep school kids are all stuck up and snobbish. the majority of my friends hate students like that and came from a public school. its a good mix.</p>
<p>Having gone to a public school for all but 6th grade, I find that public schools are a great option if you live in the right district. It gives you the chance to interact with a lot of different people and gives a huge variety ECs, courses, and programs because of the sheer size of the schools. It really annoys me that many parents think private it always better.</p>