Private School Vs. Public

[Blue824]

Agreed with Amanda... My parents wanted me in private schools but ended up putting me in public because it was superior or the same to the privates in our area after we moved from the city to the suburbs, shocking, but true, just $20-25k cheaper! Foreign language began in Kindergarten. There was a well established enrichment program for more advanced students. My GRADE size was 24 students, meaning that when our grade was divided sometimes classes were 10-12. We had strong arts programs and the same extra curriculurs that the privates had. I was given the choice of public/private for HS and I chose public, because of my friends. Sometimes I wonder "what if..." but I don't regret it. I had great experience and excellent teachers. From my graduating class of 340, 98% went on to college. I went into college with a stronger education than almost everyone I met. I was used to a competitive environment and never once had adjustment issues or felt that my skills were inadequate.

I am glad my parents did their research and put me in a top school. A lot of kids I met in college who felt their educations were inadequate when entering college were shocked at the differences between our schools. Put your children in the best place, which doesn't always mean the most expensive, but you just need to figure out what fits best with her skills and your wants for her. She will make friends regardless of what school she is in.

It is really too bad that educations vary so greatly from school to school.

 

[amanda]

Agreed with Amanda... My parents wanted me in private schools but ended up putting me in public because it was superior or the same to the privates in our area after we moved from the city to the suburbs, shocking, but true, just $20-25k cheaper! Foreign language began in Kindergarten. There was a well established enrichment program for more advanced students. My GRADE size was 24 students, meaning that when our grade was divided sometimes classes were 10-12. We had strong arts programs and the same extra curriculurs that the privates had. I was given the choice of public/private for HS and I chose public, because of my friends. Sometimes I wonder "what if..." but I don't regret it. I had great experience and excellent teachers. From my graduating class of 340, 98% went on to college. I went into college with a stronger education than almost everyone I met. I was used to a competitive environment and never once had adjustment issues or felt that my skills were inadequate.

I am glad my parents did their research and put me in a top school. A lot of kids I met in college who felt their educations were inadequate when entering college were shocked at the differences between our schools. Put your children in the best place, which doesn't always mean the most expensive, but you just need to figure out what fits best with her skills and your wants for her. She will make friends regardless of what school she is in.

It is really too bad that educations vary so greatly from school to school.

ITA. i came in to college with over a semester's worth of credit hours from high school - i had to take no math, english, or history in college, i got admitted to a high-demand major a semester earlier than i should have, and i guarantee you that i can still write a paper better than 98% of my peers because of the super strict english teachers i had. advanced math at my high school was so hard that i got C's in precalc but passed the exemption test at my college by so much that they exempted me from all math requirements. one of my math teachers actually wrote questions for the SAT. i got music, art, and foreign language ed from elementary school. not only that, but i learned such great logic, reasoning and test taking skills that my friends can't fathom the sort of test grades i get when they see the amount of studying i do.

and like i said before, if you think that your daughter has a better shot at this sort of education in another school, put her in another school, whether it be a different public school or a private one. kids adapt to change better than we give them credit for, and there's no reason to expect that your daughter won't make new friends, and you can help her keep in touch with her old ones - she's just changing schools, not moving, after all. when she gets to college and doesn't have to kill herself with a full courseload, gets good grades because she KNOWS how to take a test or write a paper, not because she stayed up all night studying like the other folks in class, she'll thank you.

because then, there's more time for drinking.