<p>I'm looking for the net wisdom to decide between a small private school (50 kids / grade) vs. highly competitive public school, for my 8th grader.</p>
<p>Any thoughts, pros & cons (One con, that my son is not happy about - is sports or lack thereof).</p>
<p>I've told my son, it will be his decision. I feel pretty strongly about him going to the private school. But I don't want to force it on him - considering he is at a critical age.
Is that wise? Or should I force the decision on him?</p>
<p>Frankly, I think at this age you know a lot more about what's better for son than he does. Why did you look in the first place? Was he not getting all you thought he need in your public school system? How do you think he will do in a very competitive larger environment. Is he self directed enough to thrive? Will the smaller school and more attention meet goals you have for him? All kids at this age will choose to stay with their friends if given the choice. Tell him openly what you see him accomplishing at the private as it seems your strong preference. Good luck, I've been there!</p>
<p>if you son wishes to go to a public school, let him. If all his friends are going there, it's a pain for him to go to another school and lose a lot of his friends. I doubt there are many advantages in going to a private school compared to a highly competitive public school. The private school won't necessarily teach much better. It might be just a waste of money then. he'll get a lot of motivation from the competitive kids in either school and that's what really matters. </p>
<p>something i just like to say....</p>
<p>The best thing parents should do is to influence their kids on the importance of getting a good education and once the kid is motivated, he will be able to make better decisions (academic-wise). </p>
<p>My parents still keep pushing me to study but i think it's really just a nuisance now because i'm A LOT more motivated than they think. During my middle school years, my parents would push me just as much be i wasn't motivated. My grades were horrible then but is a 5.0 now. Shows how much their pushing worked. I regret that they didn't MOTIVATE me so that i would want to improve myself. I would of been better a lot of things that i have to work so hard on right now. </p>
<p>As far as how you should motivate him, i don't know. I think most of my motivation came from learning about my older friends doing all this school work and knowing that it takes a lot to get to good colleges.</p>
<p>Dont control your son, you cannot live your life through his, so let him make his own decision. Especially if its a highly competitive, meaning good public school. I certainly think 8th grade is not too early to start letting your kid make his own decisions when it comes to his high school experience.</p>
<p>This decision should be based solely on the quality and personal fit of each school, and not on whether one is public or private. People have a tendency to assume that a private education is a better one, but that's very often not the case (as in my community).</p>
<p>Personally, I think a good public school is worth its weight in gold. Private schools generally have a VERY tough time warding off the superiority complexes, as they tend to attract a more, ahem, affluent student body. I also think that going to a school where a student has to make conscious choices to be successful, such as choosing challenging courses, is healthy.</p>
<p>BUT that public school may not be the right place for him. So give it some thought.</p>
<p>When I was in 8th grade, I admit I was not exactly the most mature person. (Great grades, but VERY awkward when it came to the social realm and, like many 8th graders, my opinions were very easily colored by the silliest of things.) Nevertheless, I believe I knew what I wanted, what I liked and didn't like, and I was not afraid to tell my parents this. They took into consideration what <em>I</em> wanted out of high school, as well as what they thought was best for me. In the end, our first choice for a school ended up being the same, and I am currently a senior at a very competitive public high school.</p>
<p>Overall, I think the decision should be made based on the needs and desires of both parents and children; talk to each other and see where your opinions of the same, and where they differ, and why. Be open minded; I've always held the belief that, when the channels of communication are wide open, both parties are able to come to a agreement (or compromise) much more easily, without fights or anything of the sort. Overall, your final choice of a school should be where both the student and the parent are happy.</p>
<p>Then again, I'm not a parent yet, so you should probably get a second (or third!) opinion. ^^;</p>
<p>As far as I know, colleges don't really "discount" grades from private schools, unless the particular school has a reputation of severe grade inflation.</p>