@Leigh22 You do realize that in some areas the neighborhood public is about as elite as a private school. If you go to Laguna Beach or Newport Beach, just look at the parking lots at those high schools. They’re full of BMW’s, Audis, Mercedes, etc. These schools are full of parents who want their kids to get into USC, etc…
Also, did anyone read the book “The Overachievers?” That public school, which was in the Washington DC area, was very cut-throat and competitive. Students and parents at that school seemed obsessed with the Ivy League and taking a ton of APs.