<p>competitive college-prep schools are harder than non prep schools. ithe average non-prep hs matriculates around 25% of it’s kids to 4 year schools. But “real” prep schools matriculate about 85% to 4 year schools. the IQ level, work ethic, and speed at which material is covered in classes such as AP AB Calc is way faster and more intense than a non prep school, so it is significantly harder. And Ivy and other top school admission know this! An A in Calc from a known prep is more valuable to HYPS type admissions than an A in Calc from no-name High:)</p>
<p>also, there are many public-prep schools that are on par or out perform private-preps. However the price of admission is 1.5million or more for a house in those public-prep neighborhoods…so they are essentially privatized public schools.</p>
<p>pacheight, I’m proud to say the public school system in my city doesn’t fit your model: our high school is in the Newsweek top 1000- a measure of number of AP classes per student. You can rent a house for $500 a month, within walking distance, or own a very nice house for $250,000. And a very high number of kids in AP Calc get 5’s on the exam. Most kids don’t find calc overly “hard” but our teacher is certainly effective. There isn’t a prep school of any kind in our state (only a few non-selective privates), so the public system gets the best and brightest. That probably contributes to its success. I understand our “no-name” public high is enjoying a pretty good reputation in admissions departments around the country…</p>
<p>I’m not refuting your statements about preps- just showcasing another education model alive and well in some parts of the US.</p>
<p>sounds great! it’s good to here that some hs out there in lower cost neighborhoods are performing. sounds like your hs is a name school now with admissions at top schools! i’m trying to imagine a community where 80 percent of the sb matriculate to top universities and housing is only 250k or 500 rent…that’s impressive. u can’t buy a tent for 250k, for 50 miles in any direction from my house. u can guess what state im in:)</p>
<p>You are correct pacheight. My son’s prep usually matriculates 100% to 4 year schools, and the regular courses are more difficult than our local public AP’s. The colleges recognize this and kids routinely go to top notch universities having taken few or no AP courses.</p>
<p>^^that’s impressive! those top private preps don’t have a group of kids headed to community college like the public-prep schools do. the follow-up matriculation study at our school last year showed 82% going to a 4 year school. And about half of that 82% headed to private (mainly top 20 universities or LAC’s). The rest got snookered into going to Cal, UCLA, UCSD and a smattering of other California public colleges. The culture out here of the so called amazing UC system is pervasive, in reality what students experience is crowded classrooms, 5 years of school because they can’t get classes, and the prestige borrowed from the graduate programs. 25,000 undergrads at Berkeley or UCLA is just to crowded.</p>
<p>as you can tell I’m a big believer in private schools, and had my kids in private schools up to hs. and almost went private boarding for hs.</p>
<p>So I got my PSATs back in the mail today. Cleared NMSF by a healthy margin. Is it worth forwarding this info to schools now or should I wait to get my SAT results back (which I just took today…)? They come back on the 22nd.</p>
<p>Pacheights, We have the same story with the public universities here in Florida - “Univ. of Florida is one of the top public universities in the country” is the line here, (and with that is thrown in the majority of the public universities in the Florida system )- yes, and all the way to #1 in the party school ranking…lol!<br>
My D is in a top New England boarding school, and I am counting on the private colleges recruiting her to recognize the difference between a good grade at her school and a good grade at our local public school! Riverrunner: Princeton public schools would be head and shoulders above what the general level of public education is in Florida…NO comparison!! </p>
<p>Monstor344: I would go ahead and submit your PSATs if you want to - it gives you an excuse to send the coaches a note from you, with a good update, and letting them know you will be back in touch with them on the 22nd with your SATs. It is a good excuse to get in touch without feeling you are bothering them! Well done, by the way!!</p>
<p>monstor congratulations! Would it make more sense to send an update after SAT results and semester grades? Also is there anything else coming up, like end of season for your sport? I just think rather than a lot of small pieces, it might be better to send one update every few months. Just my opinion, but this would be especially true if you’re trying to communicate with a number of schools. Also, another parent had the suggestion of using keeping the string of emails and replies in tact so that the coach can easily review what each of you has said.</p>
<p>riverrunner - Sending the coach an email every few months is not what I would suggest. (I am in the middle of my recruiting process). I send regular, weekly (sometimes more frequent), updates to all of the coaches. A girl who is a year ahead of my took your approach, was viewed as having a lack of interest, and promptly dropped. It’s good to stay in their face (mailbox!) so that they don’t have the time to forget you. Because with everyone they are talking to, they most likely will.</p>