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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]NO SCHOOL CARRIES ANY PARTICULAR BENEFIT FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION. Take that calculus out of it.

Colleges are not so dumb! There are very talented and high-achieving students in both public and private, and the admissions officers identify them easily, then cherry pick a class based on those AND OTHER factors that are not within your total control (maybe they need a tuba player, or they're particular moved by series of non-profits a kid "founded" and wrote about, or they're still going for the usual athletes).

Don't kill yourself to get your kid into a public magnet or an expensive private - your kid will compete against pre-selected kids, and competition is obvious and fierce. But don't think that competition doesn't exist at all in large publics; it's less visible, since your kid maybe doesn't know ALL the other top students in their 700-student grade, but it's very much there.

So in the end, your decision has to focus on other factors, notably safety (is the public school safe?), and expense (can you afford 60K+ a year K-12 and college?). Those are the big ones for parents. Secondarily, how do you feel about school peers? Is a so-so public fine, because you trust your kid to study hard? Is an excellent public better, but then you'll have to afford expensive real estate there, and the kids will be under significant academic pressure, just as if they were in a top private? When is it ever worth it to pay for a so-so private? Never, I think, unless you're looking for a particular religious school.

Forget about accompaniment. Private schools don't necessarily give kids more attention than publics. Yes, classes tend to be smaller, but that does not necessarily translate to better instruction or more hand-holding. Publics are mandated by law to offer services and accommodations to kids with diagnosed disabilities that impact their academics, privates don't have to do that. The private schools with the most admissions to top universities are cutthroat and do not help their students. They just select at entry and let their families do the rest!

The greatest factor in educational success is a family's wealth and attention to academics. Most families in wealthy neighborhoods, whether they put their kids in private or public, pay for tutoring for their kids. Some kids with learning differences need remedial tutoring, but a LOT of families pay for tutors to get their already good students into advanced classes, and ensure they receive high scores in all their standardized exams (despite the test-optional environment, which is really only a safe option for certain underrepresented groups).

I've just been through the college admissions process with one of my kids. This is the lay of the land. PLEASE do not pay for a private school thinking it will get your kid into the Ivy League. That is an expensive mistake to make. [/quote]

This is OP. I should clarify that I am NOT talking about getting into Ivies. I am talking about getting into desirable good colleges like Michigan, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Wash U, UT, Emory, Tufts. These are the schools my peer set went to and none of their kids who are good students with top grades are getting in. What my friends are saying is that other than academics the public schools don’t push the kids toward extracurriculars, charity work, etc that make them stronger candidates outside of grades. The thought is that privates so that much better and make the students much more well rounded.[/quote]

Rule of thumb, I think most kids who do as well as their parents did in school are going to schools one tier down. No matter where they go to high school. [/quote]

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