I just want to hear people thoughts on public schools vs private schools.I wish that i had discovered this forum while i was making the tough decision of transferring schools. Hopefully this can help another person in that situation.
It depends on the specific schools involved. My state has free dual enrollment, so I joined that program and took a bunch of university classes rather than relying on my high school’s offerings. I will say this, though: getting a good education matters far more than having a high class rank at a bad school. Don’t be afraid of a challenge.
It doesn’t matter, college aren’t going to punish kids because of the type of HS they went to. It is what you do in the school that matters most.
As I go to a public school, I’m slightly biased. I’ve often found that my private school friends are more sheltered than my friends from my school; public schools can offer you a perspective of what it’s going to be like in the real world. There’s no coddling here.
That being said, my public school is far, far more sheltered than most due to its highly academic atmosphere. Private schools tend to have better teachers (and better food) on average, which can be a huge plus. You’ll get good teachers at public schools, of course; however, you’ll also get mediocre ones.
But to be honest, many private schools are overrated, and those that are not are often overpriced. If one can find a good, relatively inexpensive (~10k a year), that would be the best; sadly, however, those usually do not exist. The best private schools in my area cost over 40k a year to go to (the rest hover around 20k), and while they’re great schools, I don’t understand why parents don’t save that money for other things.
My mother is considering sending my brother off the a military public school (for possibly the remainder of his high school career) after a dismal freshman year coupled with other issues. While most private schools have better education standards, a good student will flourish wherever he or she goes. Other than the uniforms and “snobby” reputations some private schools have you will need to weigh the benefits and costs while deciding whether it’s a perfect fit for you- like choosing a college.
Have I mentioned it costs >$48,000 per year!? 
Most public universities are much cheaper than that!
Needless to say, my mother says he’s on his own for college expenses. :-<
Private schools generally have more resources than public schools[More AP classes/Electives,better guidance counselors, more potential ECs to join] and are typically coupled with smaller classes and a more motivated student body.
However,as stated above, they are expensive, but you may qualify for Financial Aid.
It depends which school.
I live just outside NYC, and there’s a local popular Catholic high school at about 9K a year (plus books, laptops). Many students receive FA, & are low-income. It’s a decent school, and a few students get into great colleges. I truly don’t think it’s worth 9K a year. But, a scholarship to a private school is a better option than low-income public schools (such as mine), which are terrible. For the “elite” private schools (many are all-girl/all-boy), tuitions start at 15K+.
NYC private school tuitions are insane. My mom’s friend’s son attends a pre-school in the city at 30K a year!! (I’m not sure what four year olds are learning that’s worth 30 thousand)…The older grades cost 50K-60K, which is more than most public universities!
I really do think it depends on the school. In my area, it’s not uncommon for students to go K-8 in a private school then tranfer to the public school for high school because it has equal academics (maybe even better, but I’m biased)