<p>I am very grateful for the education I have received at my competitive, public high school. It just upsets me that I have taken 9 AP classes, gotten mostly A’s , A-'s, with some B+'s and can’t crack the top 10%. Especially when at least half of the people ranked higher than me CHEAT ALL THE TIME. 
I’m in the top 11% and my school reports it as top 20%. I hate that about my school. Also, apparently a 30 is a mediocre score on the ACT…</p>
<p>I was quite happy with my high school–although it wasn’t a top school, it was still a very good school. I only wish I had taken it a little more seriously instead of being lazy, because being lazy was what cost me my GPA. It wasn’t the teachers’ fault but mine (though I did have teachers who did suck at teaching and therefore I wished I had ended up with a different teacher for those courses).</p>
<p>The D (who is Amer-Asian) attended public school K-8 and switched to private school last year to attend high school. My wife & I decided to make the financial sacrifice and send her to private school if she were accepted. Her mother & I didn’t simply attend an Open House, contact Admissions & write a check. D (with our help) completed the Admissions forms, solicited references and letters of recommendation, prepped for and took the ISEE’s, went through the interview process, was a student for a day, attended another day at school to make sure she was making the correct choice, then said yes. As she applied to two schools, as a 13 y/o she experienced both the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” as one school said YES, one said NO. What a great experience and one that will re-occur in 3 years time with the college admissions process.</p>
<p>When D began high school last year, she knew one girl (from camp) at her new school, so she needed to learn how to make new friends as school is 20-25 minutes from our home. This friend making process wasn’t easy but by the Spring she had a new circle of friends from various economic, ethnic & social circles.</p>
<p>D tested into one Honors class as a freshman (Geometry). Class size varied from 15 in Geometry to 8 in Biology (most of the students were in Honors Bio, she was in a regular class). Academically D found she was on par with her peers. Our public school district did a fine job with math, science & languages. Where our school district & D was/is lacking is in writing skills and written communication. D worked very hard last year raising her writing skills. If she continues this year she’ll be on par with her peer group who have attended private school for a much greater length of time.</p>
<p>Last year D had 2+ hours of home work 6 nights/week; she took off on Friday evening to socialize with both her school and friends from home. Test/exam prep is addition to the nightly homework.</p>
<p>This school year, it’s been closer to 3 hrs./night of homework as sophomore year is a bit more challanging. D hasn’t taken off a night yet, but will sometimes just do an hour of schoolwork in the car coming/going from either field hockey practice or a softball game; as D is a two sport athlete. There is enough time to accomplish everything and still get a proper night’s sleep; time management is the key.</p>
<p>To date, the private school decision has been a good and sound one. We hope her progress continues.</p>
<p>Wow that’s a big class! I graduated from a school with that many k-12 grades! I would change only if they aren’t teaching what needs to be taught but not for pushing college. High schools prepare you for college they don’t follow the child throughout so at sometime the child needs to do the college searching for themselves.</p>
<p>I would 100% go to a credible, and more well-known high school. Public/private, it doesnt matter. My high school is good, but has low rankings and therefore is not known to colleges I want to apply to (which are across the country!).</p>
<p>Yes and no. The one I’m going to now is probably the best I can get here- parents don’t have money for private schools and public schools wouldn’t be as flexible. Also, the location is fantastic.</p>
<p>No- if I had the choice, I might stay at my old HS. The kids were more like me and there were more opportunities. On the other hand, the grind junior year would’ve killed me, and people screwed me over for a club position and subsequently became the leaders.
So, I don’t know. If I didn’t need to move, a lot would’ve been different in the 1st place and maybe my high school life would’ve been perfect.</p>
<p>MaryMacs mom,</p>
<p>It was the State that decided not to include the writing on ACT, not your school. Check out the Homewood-Flossmoor High School website for a list of colleges that will be at their college fair in October. Lots of schools from around the country, lots of people in attendance, so get there early for a good parking spot.</p>
<p>I would if I could,but it’s not the end of the world. We don’t offer as many AP courses as I would prefer and they do not offer as many interesting electives. However, we are a blue ribbon school, so I can’t really complain. It could be much,much worse!</p>