<p>My dd has the opportunity to choose between either a regular public high school with great drama dept. in southern California or Orange County High School of the Arts, a 'performance' high school.</p>
<p>Which would be the better choice in the eyes of top notch musical theater colleges across the country?</p>
<p>Definitely go with the school of arts. Im not choosing based on private or public but rather how you described OCHSA as a "performance" high school. When you audition for colleges this school will help you a lot more.</p>
<p>A lot of my friends go to Ochsa, one just switched to my public high school from there. I guess it depends what you want to do- She didn't really get along with the girls there and since we are in the same theatre group that takes a lot of time, she wasn't getting much out of it. It also isn't that different from regular school unless you're daughter doesn't get a chance to do musical theatre elsewhere (then she can have an opportunity to do it). I know they have fairly good academics, so that should be no problem, it just depends on if she wants to continue doing musical theatre out of school because that plus ochsa could become overwhelming.</p>
<p>^ better listen to him/her than me lol.</p>