2:3 of the best places my son had most interest in, barely knew of his HS. 2 had never had anyone from his HS. When he happened to meet the best interviewer from school #3, the man said, 'I’ll take u next year".
They accepted my son’s friend, a grade younger. I found most of son’s teachers were really good, and enjoyed what they were doing. It was a different attitude than when I lived in the NE.