Honors Classes in Private School vs. Public School
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Anonymous
| My daughter is entering 9th grade and received a merit scholarship to a private school. She has all A's in 8th grade at a good public school and takes honors classes. Before we learned about the scholarship, she was recommended for all honors and AP classes at our public high school. We were very confused that the private school is only placing her in two honors classes next year. Is that typical? In public school, many kids take all honors. |
Anonymous
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Very typical. We switched to private this year, and DS had taken 2 APs as a freshman and was scheduled for 4 as a sophomore. Was only allowed one at private this sophomore year. Next year, Jr year, we had to sign off to allow 4, which are 2 APs and 2 honors. Shockingly different, until you realize there is greater depth and breadth at the privates with their smaller class size (half of what DS faced in public).
When applying to college, you're kids are competing against kids from your private, not kids at public. The college admissions officers know what the privates allow, amd know what rigor means at your private. In public, the kids are competing agaisnt many hundreds of other kids, and have to differentiate themselves, and therefore take many APs/honors (the only on grade level classes my older DS took in public were requirements like PE and art) |
Anonymous
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My daughter went from a “W” high school in 9th to a “Big 3”. She said that in MCPS pretty much everyone goes into honors and it doesn’t mean much. She said “even the kids who don’t try hard and don’t do well” can stay in honors if that’s what their parents demand. In private school she is challenged with deeper more critical thinking and certainly noticed a big difference in rigor.
Of course, this won’t be everyone’s experience but I’m not at all surprised about what you’ve described. Is she going to a Catholic school, OP? I didn’t know schools offered merit scholarships. |
Anonymous
| Rigor in private schools |
Anonymous
|
I have had children in both public and private school, and the private school courses are more rigorous. A "regular" class in private school is the equivalent of an honors class in public school. The private school honors classes require higher quality and quantity of writing, and the course content and exams are more advanced and require more sophisticated thinking.
It may be different in other private schools, but at my dc's, they wanted students to have all A's and B's. The advisors were astonishingly good at placing students in the correct level class (but at the highest rigor possible) for that to happen. So yes, this is typical. |
Anonymous
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It depends on the private and the public. It's not an either/or.
My DS was in all honors in a well regarded private school and was bored. Switched to another private and it is much more challenging. He was limited to 3 honors classes and it was huge jump in rigor. The main difference I see between the second private and public (from what I hear) is that they do more writing in the second private school. That was not true in the first private school. |
Anonymous
| I also wanted to add that not being in an honors class did not lock a student out of AP classes. For AP English Language, for example, most students in 10th grade Honors English were approved for AP, and students in the "regular" class could also take AP if their grades were a certain level, I forget what at this point. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you! This is really helpful. It's not a Catholic school, and we're actually not in the DC metro area. I was familiar with DCUM from sports, so it seemed like a good place to ask. The feedback is very appreciated. |
Anonymous
At DD"s private schools, they discourage people from taking too many honors classes but do permit 1-3 students per year to exceed the recommendation and take more. I think, at this point, there's only one person left in the grade who has taken every "honors" class possible. If you're coming in fresh, it's hard to know whether your daughter is at that level or not. For students who had been there in middle school, DD's school had a better sense of who can handle more. And, yes, it was a shock for my wife and me as public school students who took every honors class without issue. |
Anonymous
| The only honors classes my DD has at her school are maths classes. Most of the AP classes are gone, but my DD tells me that many of them still sit for the exams and do well enough. I agree with the comments about the rigor in private schools |
Anonymous
| Our school doesn't designate any class as honors. They are all at the same level. Average SAT is above 1400 each year. |
Anonymous
OP this board will tell you yes that is the case and that the classes are better in private. That is garbage. I have done both. Public and Private (big three and Phillips boarding, if that matters to anyone). And one AP course in 9th. If not then she is getting a subpar education, given she's already an A student. Yes, I will be flamed for that, go ahead and disagree people. Personally, I would call the school and have her moved to the honors classes at the very least. Why in the world would you want to drop her down? While yes in public many take honors it all shakes out. In other words, in 10th grade, if a kid was not doing well in HS they drop down to regular happens every day. |
Anonymous
As to the first bolded sentence, with one child in a top MD private and one at an MCPS SMCS program, the science classes are better at SMCS, the math seems roughly equal (honors math at the private), and the other classes are far, far superior at the private. English in the public vs our private are so different it blows my mind. Sorry the classes at Phillips boarding appear to be so weak based on your report. As to the second bolded sentence, I'll believe that if I ever see it. |
Anonymous
Very typical. Your entire frame of reference is about to change. Take it year by year and encourage her to do well consistently. If she's excelling as a freshman, she can always add an honors class or two the next year. Also, for future reference, privates are sometimes strict about how many APs kids can take, and they might limit enrollment to those with a GPA of a certain level. |
Anonymous
| Regular classes in public school are for kids with IEPs and ESOL students. Many friends teach in a variety of public schools and that's what they told me when I asked about regular classes for my DD. She was also put into all honors classes and two APs as a freshman and I was a bit shocked. |