I’m asking for my friend, she’s interested in going to a vacational school for biotech but she’s scared top 20 schools will view it badly?
I’m currently a junior in a vocational program for Criminal Justice. When I was a freshman we had a student in the program get into Brown University, so I don’t think it’ll ruin your chances.
Vocational how… Will she still have 5 core classes every year (English, math, foreign language, science, social science)? Can she ask what colleges graduates from this program get into (% who get into the state flagship or state tech school, for instance?)
@MYOS1634 Yes she will still have the five core classes and they offer AP’s and honors. She emailed the principal and asked if they have ever had students accepted to top 20 schools. They do have a senior there who wants to be a neurosurgeon and he’s in the biotech program so she’s thinking it will be fine, but she just wanted to be sure it wouldn’t affect her chances at all.
It sounds good. But just to be intense safe side:
What one student wants to do 6 years from now has no bearing on what will actually happen.
How many AP 's, for example?
What percentage if each graduating class is admitted to the state flagship?
Your friend should look at the entry requirement of a bunch of schools she might be interested in. Then check with the HS offerings to make she she can meet and exceed those requirements.
I think there’s 12 AP’s, they have the most AP’s offered in my county. I’m not sure about the state flagship I will have her ask. @MYOS1634
@brantly She already has and she can, she is mainly just worried because vocational schools have a bad reputation as a school for kids who don’t want to go to college. A few people told her if she wants to go to an Ivy League she shouldn’t go to a vocational school, but this school is really centered around STEM and is actually really good you have to have good grades to even get accepted.
Ok, then it sounds like a high-performing school - good for her 
asking about the flagship ensures she has a good, affordable match school.
(Well, always run the NPC on every college you apply to, as nowadays even public universities
can be out of range financially depending on the state you live in).
APs are only judged against what the school offers. You do need to make sure you can meet the foreign language requirement which for most top 20’s is 3 or 4 years depending on the school.
@MYOS1634 Okay, thank you so much!
@Sportsman88 They offer the most foreign languages in my county so that part is covered for sure.
“Vocational” doesn’t necessarily mean non-college-oriented any more.
In Monmouth Country NJ in the “vocational” school district they have a top 10 in the USA High school…High Technology High School. There is a sister school, Biotechnology High School. They are public magnet schools that are competitive to get into…don’t worry, colleges will know what they are about. The guidance counselor will send a school profile that discusses the school and how well students do on teh SAT/ACT for example.