<p>I'm having a tough time deciding whether I'm making the right choice.</p>
<p>I applied to a selective (<20% admitted) Arts-focused high school.
The school has different conservatories. All of these take place after school everyday.
Conservatories include Acting, Visual Arts, Film, and Writing.</p>
<p>I got in for Writing, which I was ecstatic about upon hearing, and will attend there starting sophomore year.</p>
<p>But now, thinking about it, I'm .. a bit deflated, really.
I'm not the hippie/treehugger-poet type AT ALL. I live for writing and reading, and all sorts and forms of literature, but.. honestly.. I adore maths and the sciences, too. I feel like.. I'm doing something wrong by going there. That people are going to look HEAVILY down upon me academically.</p>
<p>I feel like I'm going to get a lot of flack from my relatives and my parents' friends (My family is basically a giant stream of engineers and lawyers. They put a heavy emphasis on education.)
A lot of APs and Honors classes ARE still offered. And the academic electives are pretty durn good.</p>
<p>It still doesn't make me feel comfortable about attending.</p>
<p>Should I keep going to my public high school (Which has easily OVER 5k students; uber-competitive; extremely difficult to stand out or pursue one's interests but one of the best public high schools in the entire county) or risk it and go to this Arts school? (great, prestigious writing program taught by qualified educators; a bit offbeat and quirky; something like 300 students TOTAL.)</p>
<p>Please? I've tried talking to everyone but.. I haven't found any advice that really resonates with me. :(</p>
<p>Find out the following:
Which school has the best teachers in the key courses you want to take? Good teachers are really important; our local charter schools tend to attract very good teachers, and not just in the charter’s focus. Also, teachers who can teach you to write well are worth their weight in gold. </p>
<p>Which school has the best EC opportunities (existing, or ability for you to create) in your areas of interest? Our local “fine arts” charter has one of the best robotics team in the state and competes internationally. Creative students (who are good in the fine arts) tend to make great engineers and scientists. A selective school may offer some neat classmates.</p>
<p>How difficult will it be to schedule the AP and Honors courses you may want in each school?</p>
<p>Sounds like you may have two good choices with no wrong decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>Honestly, it’s about what you want to do. If you feel like you’ll be happier at the art school, go to the art school. If you think you’ll be happier at the public, go to the public.</p>
<p>As for your family, your extended family won’t see you except on holidays. If they give you flack, assuming they’re not joking around with you, tell them to screw off. Your parents most likely won’t mind since they let you apply. I will tell you, though, i’m looking to go into Environmental Science, and my family is all doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. and some of them just didn’t care, others did.</p>
<p>I was actually in a similar ppsition, and unfortunately chose the charter school. I learned practically no math or science and the school is known for bad test scores, which really sucked for me because I was planning on majoring in mathematics. Bottom line: it was the worst mistake I ever made in my life. There is nothing wrong with going for a semester or a uear, but if you see rven the tiniest flaw in the rigor of your education, GET OUT. Save yourself, its too late for me!!</p>
<p>I am an incoming junior and majoring in visual art at a very competitive school in terms of admissions. Speaking as somebody who goes to a creative and performing arts magnet school (fairly similar to charter schools for the arts) I can say that there are huge misconceptions about schools for the arts.</p>
<p>It is like any other school in terms of the quality of your education and is partially based on what teacher you get and partially what classes you sign up for. Also part of it is the school itself (my school has the highest test scores and graduation rate in the district). Math and science tend to be less popular (there are probably half as many honors students for math as there are for English), but there are honors and AP classes in both. I take all honors/AP classes and end up working harder then my friends in a regular public school due to the longer/more demanding school day. Yes, there are slackers, hipsters, stoners and probably every other stereotype associated with art, but you will find that anywhere. It is simply a matter of taking it into your own hands and ensuring that you take rigorous courses and find people who are like-minded in that way.</p>
<p>I am only speaking from my experiences, it could be different at the school you are looking at. That being said, I feel that going to a school for the arts has helped me grow so much as a student and an artist.</p>
<p>I am also only speaking from my experience so here: DONOT go to a High tech high. If it is affiliated, modeled after, or one then your experience will likely be very silar to mine.</p>