<p>I know this question has been asked before, but I'm really confused as to which one to choose.</p>
<p>I'm currently a high school freshman with a strong passion for learning, and with a dream to go to a good college. I have the choice of going to a private high school for 10th grade or stay with my current school.</p>
<p>My current school is half white and half black, so it is diverse. My only problem with it is everyone here is focused on who's the most popular student in the class, or the prettiest, etc. , and very few people have a passion for learning. The teachers are alright, but mostly care about getting grades in on time, instead of teaching.</p>
<p>The private school on the other hand in 94% white. I'm worried that most of the kids there will be rich, snobby kids (as mentioned in previous threads), and only 13% of the school gets financial aid. My family has low-medium income, and tuition at the school is around $20,000 a year. The private school offers a way better education, and better extracurriculars.</p>
<p>I think it's best if you talked to your parents about it.</p>
<p>I would stay with the public school because $20,000 a year for high school education is a bit much. Oh, and your class rank would be higher in the public school.</p>
<p>Public. Better grades, GPA, advancement in leadership positions (since there's less competition for these also...). Many of us go to ghetto schools that are worse than what you described and still do well, if not better. :D</p>
<p>PUBLIC ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
I encourage you to read some of those previous threads. </p>
<p>Does your school offer AP classes? TAKE THEM! They should be filled with kids that want to learn.
If you really want to learn that bad, take a summer course where other learning kids would be.
Read on your own!
Find out who the good teachers are in your high school, and take their classes. </p>
<p>Why would the private have better extra curriculars? Doesn't your public have sports/drama/band etc? Try to be in a band or sport that is outside of school. </p>
<p>"My only problem is everyone is focused on the most popular student in the class, or the prettiest, etc. , and very few people have a passion for learning." It is 14-18 year olds. Do you really think the private school would be any different? Perhaps you could arrange to tour for a day at the private school - like follow someone through all their classes? </p>
<p>It sucks to change schools.
That is hella expensive.</p>
<p>Well, first of all, talk to your parents about it. See if they're willing to pay that much, see if they think you'll get financial aid, etc. Since you say you want to go a "good college", just remember that many selective privates cost about $40,000 a year.</p>
<p>If you do have a good chance of getting aid and your parents are willing, then and ONLY then should you visit the private school and sit in on classes, ask kids about their extracurriculars, etc. You might be surprised with the diversity, etc at the private school (6% non-white but 13% fin.aid means that there are not-so-rich white kids there), or your assumptions might be right. Either way, go in with an open attitude and be willing to ask questions and look around.</p>
<p>I put things in this order because there are few things worse than falling in love with something you can't get for reasons out of your control.</p>
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[quote]
My current school is half white and half black, so it is diverse. My only problem with it is everyone here is focused on who's the most popular student in the class, or the prettiest, etc. , and very few people have a passion for learning. The teachers are alright, but mostly care about getting grades in on time, instead of teaching.</p>
<p>The private school on the other hand in 94% white. I'm worried that most of the kids there will be rich, snobby kids (as mentioned in previous threads), and only 13% of the school gets financial aid. My family has low-medium income, and tuition at the school is around $20,000 a year. The private school offers a way better education, and better extracurriculars.
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okay first of all, what's your goal for going private? to get into a good school? look at the colleges that the graduates of the private school have gone to, and see if it's worth shelling out that money. Second, see if your public school has the APs and classes that you want to take. If they don't offer any, then maybe you might want to decide to self-study for some AP tests. If they do offer them, then by all means take them as much as possible in order to stand out in a public school. Third, if they don't have the extracurriculars you want, such as sports and music, you might want to think about joining outside orchestras and sports teams (ie. the swim team at the YMCA, or the symphony orchestra in the town etc). If they don't have any of the clubs that you want, then create one yourself!! It's not impossible to get around a poor school system, and it'll look good if you take the initiative yourself instead of having it handed to you :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
The private school on the other hand in 94% white. I'm worried that most of the kids there will be rich, snobby kids (as mentioned in previous threads), and only 13% of the school gets financial aid. My family has low-medium income, and tuition at the school is around $20,000 a year. The private school offers a way better education, and better extracurriculars.
[/quote]
But what makes you think the students want to learn?
If you're low-middle income, it would be foolish to shell out $20K a year for high school to get into an even more expensive college. Education is what you make of it, challenging yourself beyond what your school offers (like AP courses, CC courses, whatever) and creating your own extracurriculars sound like better options and would save you $60K in the next 3 years. Otherwise it would kind of be like you're trying to buy a better chance to get into college.</p>
<p>I went to elementary and middle school at schools that sound a lot like your high school. In ninth grade, my parents and I decided that rather than go to the high school in my district, I would go a private school in the area instead. It's expensive, around 20,000 a year, but when I visited and followed a student around for a day, I fell in love with it. Although my class rank and GPA would have been higher at the public school, at the private one I get to be in classes filled with motivated students who actually want to be there. It's challenging, and getting A's is nearly impossible (I know... I don't have straight A's, how will I ever get into college??!!!) but it is definately worth it in the end. I am so much happier at this school than I would have been at the public one. Much smaller class sizes, interesting discussions, and great teachers, not to mention many extracurriculars and sports teams, no less than there are at the public school.</p>
<p>With that said, I would suggest you talk to your parents, and if they are willing to either pay that much or get financial aid, then go for a shadow day. If you fall in love with the school like I did, then by all means, GO! and don't worry about how your GPA or class rank will suffer, because if you truly enjoy learning, then that, and not your class rank, is what will count.</p>
<p>Well, there should still be plenty of opportunities at your public high school. Of course, if your parents are willing to pay or get financial aid, you should definitely check out the private school. If you like it, go for it! Otherwise, you can create your own challenges and learn outside of school or something.</p>
<p>You're taking all-honors/higher leveled classes, then? Just to tell you, the longer you stay in the best classes your public school offers, the more motivated your fellow students will become. The ones that don't care as much about learning will slowly drop down to easier classes and by senior year you'll be left with a lot of nerds, haha. Or at least that's what happens at my school.</p>
<p>And, remember, that all your education doesn't have to happen at school. It's perfectly acceptable to learn things outside of class, and if you love learning then that is possible too.</p>
<p>After considering that, and you still think you'd be happier and learn more at the private school, then talk to your parents. If you're able to get financial aid, you can try it out for a year. You can also go back to the public school if it doesn't turn out okay, right?</p>
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[quote]
With that said, I would suggest you talk to your parents, and if they are willing to either pay that much or get financial aid, then go for a shadow day.
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I would support this too, but er. Make sure your parents can really afford it. It would be a shame for them to run into financial trouble right before college, true story: a friend of mine did go to a $15K private school but her dad's company went bankrupt her senior year and she ended up at state school. Which isn't bad at all (before the state kids stone me), but after spending 60K total for a high school education it was kind of a disappointment to spend less than that for a college where students weren't that motivated.</p>
<p>I had the same choice after middle school...
I choose public and am soooo glad I did...
Even though a lot of my friends went to the private school I know I would have been miserable there...</p>
<p>Never go to a high school with less than $15,000 a year tuition.</p>
<p>I went to a private school that cost $8,000 and it was the worst year of high school ever. Now I'm going to do Dual Enrollment with a homeschool program, and all I have to pay is $300 a year.</p>
<p>Go to public school if they have AP classes. It's best to see if you can enroll in the best school in your area.</p>
<p>I go to a private school and I must say that I have become a completetlly different person. It's true that you can go to a great college from puiblic too but you will not have as an enjoyable time geting there. Being with people like me that are motivated makes makes me love to go to school. At school kids constantly talk about geetting to good schools even as freshmen so it can be like cc everyday. (if you choose) </p>
<p>As for the whole rich and snobby thing: I haven't encountered this. True, you'll see designer bags, cars, etc.. but that's not everyone. People at my old, middle classish school always talked about shopping at Kohls and Walmart and that was just sooo boring. I hated going to school and I could never feel in lign with anyone there. </p>
<p>And one of the ,most important things - teachers here CARE A LOT! Many of them stay after school for hours and get to school hours early. My only complaint about private shool is that you won't have as good grades and depending on the school, you'll have to work very hard to get an A. Colleges are aware of the differences. </p>
<p>There is so much to say but I say if you can, go to a private school all the way. Kids at my old public school just weigh me down. ENterening a private school was a real eye-opener. I love it here.</p>
<p>Before you decide, you should think about it all and why you're thinking what you're thinking. Past that, I've gone to a private school for a long time, with not so much diversity (pretty much all white like you said). But at least from my perspective, <em>most</em> students here aren't snobby. There'll be downsides to any school, and there will always be exceptions with certain students, but I could say a large number of great things about my private school, and don't think there are many snobby kids at all. Different interests, perhaps, but not snobby.
Also, don't judge a school completely by cost. Check out all options no matter what, and investigate financial aid & scholarships if you need to.</p>
<p>I went to a private high school... but in the city I live in, that's completely normal.
(Seriously- the public schools here are among the WORST in the country- with the exception of maybe two magnet schools).
Also, there were a couple hundred private schools to choose from- religious and not religious, coed or single-sex (nearly all high schools were single-sex though).
Even lower-middle class people in my city send their kids to private schools.</p>
<p>It sounds like your public high school is fine. I say stick with it. Honors classes will weed-out the unmotivated. (For the record, I've also been in public schools in other states, so I think I have a fairly decent comparison in mind).</p>
<p>I had this same problem, and while I'm still not 100% happy with my public, I think it'd a better option than the private. Really, the only reason to go private is if it offers you a significantly better education. Like $20,000 better. While you may find smaller classes and more individual attention, chances are the students themselves are no more motivated. And trust me, private school kids are just as focused on the social aspect of high school as their public peers--they've just got some money with which to fund their popularity contests. This isn't to say that all wealthy kids abuse this privilege, of course, or that all private school students are wealthy. However, the private you're describing sounds familiar to the one in my area where it's mostly white (with a token black female and male, and Indian female and male a grade). In those situations, schools haven't made diversity or financial aid a strong point and you're likely to be with white, wealthier kids. I personally think diversity is one of the most valuable things a school has to offer, but I understand the frustration of not being challenged to your utmost potential. Because you were motivated enough to get on this site and explore your options, I'd say you're a student who can be successful anywhere. My advice is to stay at the public and explore all your options extracurricular-wise and in regards to classes. Take the most difficult classes, whether they be honor, AP, or IB, and find that niche of students with academic motivation. Also remember that sometimes the best friends are those not exactly like you, so it's fine to surround yourself with people who care a little more about lipgloss than Kerouac. Your education is personal.</p>
<p>Is there a magnet school in the district that you're in? If there is, I'd definitely try to get into it. Either way, you can probably do much more at a public school. Most of the teachers at our magnet are great and always willing to help out before and after school. My physics teacher sacrificed his lunch hour countless times last year to clear up questions that we had. And I can say I've helped make our school better than before. For our senior year, we've opened up Cal BC, Physics C, and Comp Sci II (possibly AP) for the first time ever at our school. I've been able to start a new debate team. All this might not seem great, but when considering the school as a whole (my magnet school is within a larger school) has a drop out rate of 35-45%, it's a good change. I'm not trying to change the world, I (and some of my friends) am just trying to leave the school in better standing than when I came in and hopefully give some other people an opportunity they might not have had before.</p>