Tell me why you chose public for your really smart DS

[Anonymous]

I really want our DS to go to the local public HS after he finishes up at his well-regarded K-8 next year. I feel like he should have a taste of the “real world” with larger classes and community where he will have to practice advocating for himself. He could have a decent shot at getting into a top private US, and finances are not an issue. Should I feel guilty about making him go public? Fwiw he or DH haven’t expressed a preference either way.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with you, as long as the public isn't really bad in some way

[Anonymous]

Public high schools are better for very smart kids. Might be a struggle for your DC.

[Anonymous]

I never considered private to be an option.

We did do private for one year during the pandemic and I didn’t think it was better than FCPS AAP fwiw.

[Anonymous]

I also don't think public is better. Smart kids don't even need schooling. Mine needs socializing and having fun with friends.

[Anonymous]

Public has more advanced coursework, especially STEM.

[Anonymous]

Unless the school is unsafe or really awful, I think it's fine. Smart, self-motivated kids will do fine, and it will be good to have practice advocating for themselves. A public might have more options for classes and activities, since they generally have more kids. And exposure to a wider variety of people is genuinely important and useful. There are things a private will offer in terms of college counseling, but not necessarily anything you can't replicate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public has more advanced coursework, especially STEM.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really want our DS to go to the local public HS after he finishes up at his well-regarded K-8 next year. I feel like he should have a taste of the “real world” with larger classes and community where he will have to practice advocating for himself. He could have a decent shot at getting into a top private US, and finances are not an issue. Should I feel guilty about making him go public? Fwiw he or DH haven’t expressed a preference either way.

Elite universities cap the number they admit from any particular private. With much of the student body at a private HS vying for the same elite universities, a kid could have more WL and rejections than if they had gone to a public school, where most of their classmates are aiming lower.

[Anonymous]

My kids wanted the neighborhood school where friends were local and it was easy to get back and forth for activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really want our DS to go to the local public HS after he finishes up at his well-regarded K-8 next year. I feel like he should have a taste of the “real world” with larger classes and community where he will have to practice advocating for himself. He could have a decent shot at getting into a top private US, and finances are not an issue. Should I feel guilty about making him go public? Fwiw he or DH haven’t expressed a preference either way.

Elite universities cap the number they admit from any particular private. With much of the student body at a private HS vying for the same elite

universities, a kid could have more WL and rejections than if they had gone to a public school, where most of their classmates are aiming lower.

Lol no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really want our DS to go to the local public HS after he finishes up at his well-regarded K-8 next year. I feel like he should have a taste of the “real world” with larger classes and community where he will have to practice advocating for himself. He could have a decent shot at getting into a top private US, and finances are not an issue. Should I feel guilty about making him go public? Fwiw he or DH haven’t expressed a preference either way.

Elite universities cap the number they admit from any particular private. With much of the student body at a private HS vying for the same elite

universities, a kid could have more WL and rejections than if they had gone to a public school, where most of their classmates are aiming lower.

Lol no

Can confirm the above is true. TJ is Fairfax county isn’t even a private school, but there are caps now. The school went from having 25 students attend each of the top schools (other than Brown) to 1-3.

[Anonymous]

Elite universities have caps on the number of students they accept from ANY school, public or private. It can be an advantage to apply from a lesser high school, purely because of less competition from other students at that HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really want our DS to go to the local public HS after he finishes up at his well-regarded K-8 next year. I feel like he should have a taste of the “real world” with larger classes and community where he will have to practice advocating for himself. He could have a decent shot at getting into a top private US, and finances are not an issue. Should I feel guilty about making him go public? Fwiw he or DH haven’t expressed a preference either way.

Elite universities cap the number they admit from any particular private. With much of the student body at a private HS vying for the same elite

universities, a kid could have more WL and rejections than if they had gone to a public school, where most of their classmates are aiming lower.

Lol no

Can confirm the above is true. TJ is Fairfax county isn’t even a private school, but there are caps now. The school went from having 25 students attend each of the top schools (other than Brown) to 1-3.

Wow, seriously? So do the rest go to UVA then or is there a cap on that too?

[Anonymous]

We chose to buy into an expensive, lovely, neighborhood with excellent public schools, initially because our oldest has special needs that could be better met in that cluster. And since it worked out great for our oldest, we think it's also good for our youngest, who is smart and capable.

And it means more money for undergrad, grad, downpayments on houses, etc.