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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We live in a top public school (Langley High in McLean). My oldest is currently a junior and it feels like there are so many students who may sound similar on paper. He is targeting T20 schools like everyone else in the school.

I have 2 other kids and considering private schools for them. Cost is a non-factor. We gave our oldest the option to switch to private in middle school and he chose to stay with his friends. He does have a fantastic friend group. Wondering if we should switch our younger kids earlier.[/quote]

We're been in a top public and a top private, also have friends from all over publics and private of different levels of selectivity.

My observation is if you can afford it (budget extra for donations, extra curricular, summer programs, etc. it sucks but that's the reality), then always better to be applying from a top feeder private HS if your goal is T20 college. My DC who goes to a top private sends 35% a year to T20, 1-2 each a year to HYP, Duke, Penn, Chicago, Williams, JHU, Dartmouth, etc. like clock work.

After a true feeder private, I have seen it's better to come from a top public, of course best if it's TJ, Stuy, Bronx Sci.. that level.

Affluent area top publics like Scarsdale also do well, but not at the same level as above 2.

After that, honestly I have seen kids who go to mediocre publics do well if your school generally sucks, never sends anyone to T20, but you are a unicorn and scored 1560+ in the SAT and have a real (not BS kind) hospital internship.

It gets harder when you come from a mediocre private. Some of these schools send a handful of kids to T20 a year, like 3-4 kids total out of a class 120 so lower than gen pop stats, and almost never to HYPMS unless it's a top athletic recruit.

If your kid is a true super star, then a feeder private will give you a better shot at HYPMS and magnet public will give you a great chance at T20. If your kid is the kind who would score 1400 in SAT first try with no tutoring no superscore (be honest here), then don't do top magnet because they won't be on the top 10% of class, and then after that it gets real dicey; UVA may not be a guarantee due to competition. if this caliber of kid can be tutored to get a 1530, then go for the top private if you can afford it. These kinds of kids get into at least Emory, and decent chance to schools like Chicago, Rice and Wash U if you are willing to ED. [/quote]

Interesting to read your observation as I've also been following this closely with kids in our network (and 3 kids of my own). In the end, it's the kid who gets into the college, and a private school isn't going to push a mediocre kid over the edge. Find the school that is the right fit for the kid - and that includes the social aspect too. We didn't want a crazy AP factory public school, and we didn't want unnecessary social pressures of elite private schools, so we landed on a highly rated, smaller public school and it has been excellent for our kids. Our kids have legacy at HYP and we considered that there will be even more HYP legacies at the privates in our area.

We have many friends with kids at highly ranked private schools in the area, and the college results have been similar (or sometimes worse for the private school kids, because it's dependent on the kid!) But talking to friends who have moved their kids from public to private for high school, many have regret. It's hard to adjust socially to kids who have been in the private school circle since kindergarten. Social issues can affect academics. So unless you know that your kids is going to thrive in a new environment, I would consider staying put and putting resources into helping position your kids for whatever tier college you're aiming for![/quote]

I agree with all of this.  Find the school where your kid will thrive.[/quote]

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