<p>Do you know someone from an average performing public school who was valedictorian and got in an Ivy like Yale or Princeton? How about a very good public school but not as competitive? Anyone here who knew Deerfield High School in IL, a very good high school, or Niles West High School, an average public school? I just want to know what universities accept students from each school, or any type of public school like them. Yah, sorry if my questions were kinda confusing. :)</p>
<p>Do you know how to search matriculation data? Naviance collects this kind of data and most schools have access to it.</p>
<p>Yes, top students from no-name high schools get into top colleges and universities every year.</p>
<p>However, it is important to remember that the very tippy-top colleges and universities are lotteries for everyone. Even perfect grades, perfect ECs, and perfect exam scores are no guarantee of admission at those places.</p>
<p>Im in the same situation. In my opinion, I think that colleges favor students from competitive schools. I go to an average public high school in my state and we get one or two acceptances to an ivy. My friend who goes to a well known private school in the state has about 10 kids going to ivies a year. I think as long as your SATs are up to par, though, you can stand a chance. After all, the SAT is the only thin they can really use to compare students from different schools.</p>
<p>That well known private school in the state is most likely (1) selective, (2) demanding of the students, and (3) challenging. So that top students at that school are most likely some of the brightest in the State at the start of their high school career, and these students receive exceptional academic opportunities during their high school years.</p>
<p>Colleges favor strong students wherever they find them. They don’t “favor” competitive schools as such. But often that is where they find some of the strongest candidates.</p>
<p>While it may be a challenge for strong students at “average” performing high schools to compete with the best students at selective high schools, it’s possible. It means going beyond being “valedictorian”, with independent and outside study, with self directed research, etc.</p>
<p>The SAT is only one metric that serves to equate students from different schools. College admissions representatives get to know most large schools – courses, teachers, grades. They also have a history of reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and accepting students from different schools.</p>
<p>Yes, at my school (public magnet school) this year we had an acceptance to UChicago (valedictorian), last year Brown (salutatorian) and Juilliard (valedictorian). The local public school always has some ivy acceptance and some that don’t get into any (if you remember the letter to all the colleges that rejected me thing, that was written by a girl who went to the local public school).</p>
<p>If you work hard enough selective schools are totally a possibility, that being said you have to remember that part of admissions is luck.</p>
<p>yeah, just found out I’m going to a no name high school with an 8 on the GreatSchools rating but not ranked in U.S news with a 25 on the college readiness. Is that good enough?</p>
<p>It’s what the student does, not the HS they attend.</p>
<p>Being from a local public school definitely doesn’t matter, as long as you have outstanding test scores/gpa/EC’s. A girl from my school (a “local public school”, which by the way doesn’t have a very good reputation if you take away our IB program) who graduated this year got in to Harvard, but the fact that she got a solid 2400 on the SAT must be considered…</p>
<p>Parents and students at the performing magnet high schools all try to figure out if it would have been better to be at their “average” base/home high schools where they would stand out. Meanwhile good students at the average high school worry that the no-name high school will harm their chances?</p>
<p>It sounds like no high school wins. </p>
<p>Just do your best. Work hard. Follow your dreams. Don’t worry about things you cannot change (now).</p>
<p>@SlackerMomMD I completely agree! At my magnet school I am 10th which is in no way bad (puts me in the top 10 percent), but means I far from stand out in academics. If I gone to the local public school I know I would have had a shot at valedictorian…</p>