Private HS's in LA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. We live in Pacific Palisades; kids go to Harvard-Westlake (HW), and DH works in downtown LA (DTLA).

It's a bit of a commute to DTLA from the Palisades. If wanting to live in the Westside, I'd go towards Santa Monica or Brentwood etc.

FYI, HW's Bel Air campus is only through 9th grade, then 10-12 the kids go to a different campus, in the Valley (San Fernando Valley) just off Coldwater Canyon and Ventura Blvd. The school has a bus system.

On the HW website, if you search "matriculation" you can see the 1 year and 5 year stats of where the graduates are attending college. I do agree with a PP who says that it is tough to get into the top-top schools, because HW has a pool of very strong kids, but colleges tend to grab the top tier kids from different schools...so in another school many kids would be ranked higher given their classmates. I do not stand strongly by this statement as it's just what I've gathered so far, because my kids are not in the upper school yet and I haven't focused on it. However; HW is like a well-oiled machine in the college matriculation process.

I think you asked about clothing; this was my concern as well as my kids came from a school with uniforms, and this is not an issue bc there is a dress code, and also a student dress culture that is pretty tame.

Now this is important: In California, the UC system (University of California campuses, like UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, Berkely, etc) are mandated to take the top 10% of PUBLIC high school graduates. That does not mean your kid will get into the one of their choice, but your kid will get in somewhere. So our local school is Palisades Charter High School (Pali High), and I'm under the impression that it's easier to get into UCLA from Pali High than to get in from HW. This is because the UC's get their California resident kids from the public pool. The private HSs tend to feed to private colleges and the public HSs to the publics.

We like Pali High and continue to consider it. I've heard really good things about the San Marino/La Canada (~ over the "n") public schools. BTW I love that whole area (my brother used to live in Pasadena and now they live in Altadena)--there are lots of people from JPL (Jet Propulsion Labs) over there so it's a very science-y area, vs. the Westside which has a lot of entertainment influence (so emphasis on looks and conspicuous consumption vs. the pocket protector). But you can navigate it.

Thank you for this! Especially UC part. We live in West Valley area and can't decide between (good) public or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but are the kids more materialistic in the good publics or privates?

In what sense?

Where are the kids more likely wear expensive clothes and focus on people'ss looks?

Looks but not clothing. Every school has some kids obsessed with certain things like $1000 sneakers. I can only speak for predominantly white teenagers: they don't dress to impress and all look the same.

[Anonymous]

There is more money in LA than you will ever encounter on the East Coast. But not for everyone. And most folks prefer to just get along with each other and not make a big deal about it.

[Anonymous]

The kids are richer in the good public as like Bev Hills and whatnot than the privsw

[Anonymous]

HW mom again here re OP's Q of expensive clothes and focus on looks. (I'm assuming you are worried re girls; the short story on boys is it's a non-issue)

So with respect to moving to LA from the east coast, there will be more emphasis on looks because first, this is an entertainment town, and also one doesn't dress for "the weather" (meaning the bad weather) so one doesn't actually need that coat or turtleneck to keep from freezing to death.

I do think the clothing/looks situation is emphasized more on the Westside because there are more entertainment/artsy people living there as the science-y types are near JPL. These are just generalizations; there is room for everybody everywhere.

With respect to private vs. public, I can only give a broad brush because I have limited data on different schools. At HW, as I mentioned, there is a dress code. What I notice re our local public, a few of the girls don't wear much and it's pretty suggestive. However most girls at the local public--90% or higher--are more into "regular clothes"--t-shirts, leggings, athletic wear, etc. The difference is on the margins, because HW won't allow the extreme. For example, just last year HW made an exception for jeans with rips in them; they were formerly not allowed, but the current fashion is such that it's impossible to find jeans without rips in them so they relented. But they need to be appropriately ripped...no butts hanging out etc.

With respect to the expensive fashionable girl situation, yes, this is a segment of the HW population. However; there are so many kids it doesn't matter--there are many clothing style sub-populations. Also the school has lots of kids there on financial aid who will not be wearing crazy expensive fashion. I have one DD who leans toward Forever 21 and wears (modest) makeup; my other DD is in surfer t-shirts and basketball shorts or Gap shorts. Also, the school has a bookstore that sells school-themed clothing and a great majority of kids wear these athletic and modest clothes.

Which is all to say; imo don't worry about this. I was super-worried about this when we moved out west and it has proven to not be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HW mom again here re OP's Q of expensive clothes and focus on looks. (I'm assuming you are worried re girls; the short story on boys is it's a non-issue)

So with respect to moving to LA from the east coast, there will be more emphasis on looks because first, this is an entertainment town, and also one doesn't dress for "the weather" (meaning the bad weather) so one doesn't actually need that coat or turtleneck to keep from freezing to death.

I do think the clothing/looks situation is emphasized more on the Westside because there are more entertainment/artsy people living there as the science-y types are near JPL. These are just generalizations; there is room for everybody everywhere.

With respect to private vs. public, I can only give a broad brush because I have limited data on different schools. At HW, as I mentioned, there is a dress code. What I notice re our local public, a few of the girls don't wear much and it's pretty suggestive. However most girls at the local public--90% or higher--are more into "regular clothes"--t-shirts, leggings, athletic wear, etc. The difference is on the margins, because HW won't allow the extreme. For example, just last year HW made an exception for jeans with rips in them; they were formerly not allowed, but the current fashion is such that it's impossible to find jeans without rips in them so they relented. But they need to be appropriately ripped...no butts hanging out etc.

With respect to the expensive fashionable girl situation, yes, this is a segment of the HW population. However; there are so many kids it doesn't matter--there are many clothing style sub-populations. Also the school has lots of kids there on financial aid who will not be wearing crazy expensive fashion. I have one DD who leans toward Forever 21 and wears (modest) makeup; my other DD is in surfer t-shirts and basketball shorts or Gap shorts. Also, the school has a bookstore that sells school-themed clothing and a great majority of kids wear these athletic and modest clothes.

Which is all to say; imo don't worry about this. I was super-worried about this when we moved out west and it has proven to not be an issue.

Thank you! This is very helpful

[Anonymous]

You might run into some Chers from clueless, but besides that you'll be fine

[Anonymous]

Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough, Brentwood, Crossroads, Windward and Archer are the top Westside choices for girls, with HW and Marlborough being the most prestigious. Polytechnic, Buckley, and Campbell Hall are farther away privates. I am also a HW mom of an alumnus and can vouch for how VERY competitive admissions are to these schools.

[Anonymous]

^^ agreed.

also Brentwood has only two opening years - K and 6th grade . you can try to apply in other years but spaces only open due to people moving away and there is a long wait list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough, Brentwood, Crossroads, Windward and Archer are the top Westside choices for girls, with HW and Marlborough being the most prestigious. Polytechnic, Buckley, and Campbell Hall are farther away privates. I am also a HW mom of an alumnus and can vouch for how VERY competitive admissions are to these schools.

If you apply to all of these schools will you likely get into one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crossroads has a massive, MASSIVE drug problem and flakey academics.

If you are looking at Brentwood and Harvard Westlake they are the best.

Also strong are Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles in Century City / Culver City and in Pasadena, The Waverly School

If you are considering publics, Malibu High, Palisades High and Santa Monica High are all excellent. South Pasadena High is also very high ranking (but about 80% Asian if that matters).

Santa Monica High has had some gang issues in the past. The Beverly Hills public school system is also good, and not part of LA unified.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Do you know what part of LA you'll be in?

Not yet, but we'd like an urban/walkable but safe area. Does anyone know what the politics and peer pressure are like at these schools? Is there more focus on appearance than here in dc?

Where will your office or your spouse's/partner's office be located? That will help us with suggestions on where to live.

Downtown. Thanks

I am sorry. This one is tough. You, probably, wouldn't want to live there and there will be bad traffic at all hours no matter what direction you are coming from. Pretty much all suggestions you got are equally "convenient". I suggest reducing total family commute (the total of all driving time by parents and children).

It's okay. Thank you for helping

I am thinking Culver City/Mar Vista area and Windward school in Mar Vista/Palms might work.

Windward is also on her list

She's still looking at schools, but so far has Flintridge, HW, Buckley, Windward on her list

If she attends Flintridge Prep you can live in La Canada or Pasadena, and have a decent commute to DTLA.

My thought as well, Pasadena is a surprisingly easy commute, and culturally more like the east coast. However, I really love the West side and would try to live there if at all possible, Beverly Hills and Cheviot Hills would probably would probably give him the best commute on the west side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crossroads has a lot of druggie kids whose parents "work in the industry" and it is weak academically.

That's true of Crossroads (the drug issues) but EVERYONE in LA works in the industry, (or medicine / cosmetic surgery, or orthodontistry).

So not true, Los Angeles has the same population of any other major city plud the entertainment industry. Lived there for several years, and knew more people in law, tech and medicine than entertainment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crossroads has a lot of druggie kids whose parents "work in the industry" and it is weak academically.

That's true of Crossroads (the drug issues) but EVERYONE in LA works in the industry, (or medicine / cosmetic surgery, or orthodontistry).

So not true, Los Angeles has the same population of any other major city plud the entertainment industry. Lived there for several years, and knew more people in law, tech and medicine than entertainment.

The entertainment people are the la version of political people in dc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough, Brentwood, Crossroads, Windward and Archer are the top Westside choices for girls, with HW and Marlborough being the most prestigious. Polytechnic, Buckley, and Campbell Hall are farther away privates. I am also a HW mom of an alumnus and can vouch for how VERY competitive admissions are to these schools.

If you apply to all of these schools will you likely get into one?

OP, unles your kid has some MAJOR issue, then yes