Do you think it is easier to get into a top college from public or private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another non-DMV poster here (not west coast). I like the Bay Area posters.

DP I'm another one (also not west coast). I too like the geographically diverse posters. Always good to have larger sample size and wider perspectives. I understand why you may only want to hear from Virginia posters for in-state UVA admissions, but no reason to only think locally when you're applying to a college that accepts from everywhere.

Same. I like seeing how other private schools across the country do things. Sometimes vastly different than ours. And sometimes not.
Maybe there needs to be a college forum just for ALL private school parents. Bc ultimately, the people complaining here are DMV public school parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another non-DMV poster here (not west coast). I like the Bay Area posters.

We don’t need them—or you—on a Langley thread. Find another hobby.

[Anonymous]

It seems OP has her answer. Private schools are vastly superior and she should send her kids to Phillips Exeter Academy where they will be all but guaranteed a spot at Harvard. Go Big Red!

[Anonymous]

[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another non-DMV poster here (not west coast). I like the Bay Area posters.

DP I'm another one (also not west coast). I too like the geographically diverse posters. Always good to have larger sample size and wider perspectives. I understand why you may only want to hear from Virginia posters for in-state UVA admissions, but no reason to only think locally when you're applying to a college that accepts from everywhere.

But OP is asking about private versus LANGLEY HIGH and these posters are in no position to comment. It’s just odd AF that they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is data on this topic. ~88% of US kids go to public high schools, the remainder are in private and religious schools. Yet if you look up the percentage at elite colleges which report the data, the public school students are clearly under represented.
For example at Yale around 60% are from the publics and 40% are from private high schools.

I've thought about this a lot because my kids attend(ed) a FCPS public high school (Title I, very diverse, many ESOL/FARMS students), and we've seen strong outcomes for some students. The data does show private schools are overrepresented at T20s, but the reasons are more complicated than just "private is better."

Private schools send more students to elite colleges because of who attends them.
These schools have far more legacy families, donor families, and full-pay families. That creates a pipeline effect. It's less about the school's quality and more about social capital.

Ability to pay shapes who actually enrolls at elite colleges.
Many high-achieving public school students turn down elite offers because they can't pay for it and don't qualify for enough aid. Private school families tend to have more financial flexibility, so their students are more likely to attend when admitted.

At competitive public schools, the peer group is the main admissions challenge.
Places like Langley have many high-achieving students who look similar on paper. Colleges evaluate applicants in the context of their high school, so in-school competition is intense.

Public schools at the other end of the spectrum also send students to Ivies, but for different reasons.
At our Title I school, Ivy admits (recently Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Yale, and Cornell) often come through QuestBridge or similar ways that align with specific institutional priorities. These students have extraordinary stories and achievements. Besides the Ivies, students have also gone on to a wide range of colleges, including Northwestern, MIT, Williams, Duke, Georgetown, Pomona, Wake Forest, Wesleyan, NYU, Boston College, Boston University, Villanova, Emory, Washington & Lee, Bucknell, Lehigh, and many others across the spectrum. However, most college-bound students end up at VA publics like UVA, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, JMU, George Mason, Mary Washington, etc.

Private school does not guarantee stronger admissions odds.
Private schools also have extremely competitive internal pools filled with legacies, athletes, and full-pay applicants. A strong student at a good public can be just as successful; the comparison group is just different.

Where private schools can help is in preparation and structure.
Smaller class sizes (although our Title I schools have small classes), consistent rigor, strict deadlines, extensive writing instruction, and more built-in support for college applications can absolutely help some kids. But that is a distinct issue from admissions odds.

From my own family:
We have three kids. Two attend SLACs (not T20 schools). One will likely attend our state flagship (but could probably get into a higher-ranked SLAC that we can't afford). I don't think their college outcomes would have been much different if they had gone to private schools or "better" public schools, though they might have gained some organizational (getting used to real deadlines as been a learning curve for them) or writing advantages at a private school.

Bottom line:
Private schools can offer a strong environment for some kids. Public schools can be just as strong for others. The real question is which setting allows your child to thrive, rather than which system "gets kids into top colleges."

In our case, we could have moved to a more competitive pyramid, but our kids were doing great where they were. Despite the school's (undeserved) reputation, we've loved the community. They’ve had access to real opportunities, including clubs and sports that aren't cutthroat, and a peer group that is diverse in culture and socioeconomic background. They've also had some outstanding teachers and administrators. Their experience at a majority-minority school has really impacted them, and I think colleges recognize and value that context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another non-DMV poster here (not west coast). I like the Bay Area posters.

We don’t need them—or you—on a Langley thread. Find another hobby.

Pretty sure these people yelling "get off my lawn" are trolls. Ignore.

- Signed a local DCUM user who started on this board in 2008, when this was just an email listserv, and appreciates the wide variety of opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing to keep in mind, that won't be reflected in matriculation data, a lot of kids in public schools can or did/do get into top schools, but can't afford to go to them.

There is data on admissions for Bethesda area public schools that includes # applied, # accepted, and # enrolled for each school.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is data on this topic. ~88% of US kids go to public high schools, the remainder are in private and religious schools. Yet if you look up the percentage at elite colleges which report the data, the public school students are clearly under represented.
For example at Yale around 60% are from the publics and 40% are from private high schools.

I've thought about this a lot because my kids attend(ed) a FCPS public high school (Title I, very diverse, many ESOL/FARMS students), and we've seen strong outcomes for some students. The data does show private schools are overrepresented at T20s, but the reasons are more complicated than just "private is better."

Private schools send more students to elite colleges because of who attends them.
These schools have far more legacy families, donor families, and full-pay families. That creates a pipeline effect. It's less about the school's quality and more about social capital.

Ability to pay shapes who actually enrolls at elite colleges.
Many high-achieving public school students turn down elite offers because they can't pay for it and don't qualify for enough aid. Private school families tend to have more financial flexibility, so their students are more likely to attend when admitted.

At competitive public schools, the peer group is the main admissions challenge.
Places like Langley have many high-achieving students who look similar on paper. Colleges evaluate applicants in the context of their high school, so in-school competition is intense.

Public schools at the other end of the spectrum also send students to Ivies, but for different reasons.
At our Title I school, Ivy admits (recently Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Yale, and Cornell) often come through QuestBridge or similar ways that align with specific institutional priorities. These students have extraordinary stories and achievements. Besides the Ivies, students have also gone on to a wide range of colleges, including Northwestern, MIT, Williams, Duke, Georgetown, Pomona, Wake Forest, Wesleyan, NYU, Boston College, Boston University, Villanova, Emory, Washington & Lee, Bucknell, Lehigh, and many others across the spectrum. However, most college-bound students end up at VA publics like UVA, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, JMU, George Mason, Mary Washington, etc.

Private school does not guarantee stronger admissions odds.
Private schools also have extremely competitive internal pools filled with legacies, athletes, and full-pay applicants. A strong student at a good public can be just as successful; the comparison group is just different.

Where private schools can help is in preparation and structure.
Smaller class sizes (although our Title I schools have small classes), consistent rigor, strict deadlines, extensive writing instruction, and more built-in support for college applications can absolutely help some kids. But that is a distinct issue from admissions odds.

From my own family:
We have three kids. Two attend SLACs (not T20 schools). One will likely attend our state flagship (but could probably get into a higher-ranked SLAC that we can't afford). I don't think their college outcomes would have been much different if they had gone to private schools or "better" public schools, though they might have gained some organizational (getting used to real deadlines as been a learning curve for them) or writing advantages at a private school.

Bottom line:
Private schools can offer a strong environment for some kids. Public schools can be just as strong for others. The real question is which setting allows your child to thrive, rather than which system "gets kids into top colleges."

In our case, we could have moved to a more competitive pyramid, but our kids were doing great where they were. Despite the school's (undeserved) reputation, we've loved the community. They’ve had access to real opportunities, including clubs and sports that aren't cutthroat, and a peer group that is diverse in culture and socioeconomic background. They've also had some outstanding teachers and administrators. Their experience at a majority-minority school has really impacted them, and I think colleges recognize and value that context.

Lots of grandiose opinion that you seem to think is fact. Not sure you wasted your or our time with this.

Just a quick fyi: most top private schools are far more economically, racially, and ethnically diverse than high income, suburban public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another non-DMV poster here (not west coast). I like the Bay Area posters.

We don’t need them—or you—on a Langley thread. Find another hobby.

Pretty sure these people yelling "get off my lawn" are trolls. Ignore.

- Signed a local DCUM user who started on this board in 2008, when this was just an email listserv, and appreciates the wide variety of opinions.

Not a troll at all. And you’re missing the point. Sure, a “wide variety of opinions” makes sense and can be helpful on some topics, but when a poster from Langley high school is asking whether to keep her kids there or put them in a local private, how exactly is someone from SF talking about California public and private schools that no one knows anything about and have no relevance to OP being helpful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One thing to keep in mind, that won't be reflected in matriculation data, a lot of kids in public schools can or did/do get into top schools, but can't afford to go to them.

There is data on admissions for Bethesda area public schools that includes # applied, # accepted, and # enrolled for each school.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

The accuracy of this data has long been debunked.

[Anonymous]

OP, if your kids are on top of their class, then it may be worthwhile to enroll them in privates that have excellent track records in T20 placements. Certain tippy top private schools are feeder schools and have the counselor - AO connections that practically guaranteed placement for the top 5-10% of the class. For lower ranked student in private schools, the result could be less certain. Private schools also tend to provide all the ECs needed for a T20 placement, unless a niche EC not offered. In contrast, some top public schools provide relatively quality education (and likely more AP courses) at no cost. The counselors in public schools typically are dedicated and excellent, but could be inundated with the sheer number of students they served. The EC offerings in public are extensive and diverse, but could be ultra competitive for the officers positions due to large membership. Often the customized ECs are DIY projects outside of school.
If your kids are into science and want to pursue science-focused T20 such as MIT and Carnegie Mellon, then public magnet is the way, i.e. TJ or Blair Magnet. TJ has been a perennial feeder to these schools. Blair Magnet class of 2025 sent 11 (out of 105) to MIT, 4 to CM. No top private in the DC area could not provide the breadth and depth of STEM offerings at TJ and Blair Magnet.
Suggest starting with the end goal in mind. Then work backwards. Where do you want to send your kids to given their aptitudes and fit. The IG postings of college destination class of 2025 is a good starting point.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/435/1244745.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems OP has her answer. Private schools are vastly superior and she should send her kids to Phillips Exeter Academy where they will be all but guaranteed a spot at Harvard. Go Big Red!

I would expect anything less considering the price tag.

[Anonymous]

What's the question?

LOLLOLOLOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the question?

LOLLOLOLOL

Lol somebody from San Francisco wants to send their kid to private I think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems OP has her answer. Private schools are vastly superior and she should send her kids to Phillips Exeter Academy where they will be all but guaranteed a spot at Harvard. Go Big Red!

I would expect anything less considering the price tag.

She said cost is a non-factor. Go big or go home.