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]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]

I think the better approach is to avoid focusing only on the "T20" like everyone else in your DC's school. Apply to 1-2 as reaches if there's something about them that's particularly well suited, or if anyone in the family is legacy, but otherwise it's a low odds lottery if you're only focused on admission to a handful of schools with far fewer seats than there is demand.

We're at a private school. We chose it for the curriculum and small class size (ranging from 12-18). We had the ability to afford it and chose it for those reasons, not their college matriculation list. College matriculation lists at strong private high schools are typically impressive because the families are well resourced and many are legacies at schools that still give advantages to children and grandchildren of alums.

So my advice would be: 1) broaden the college list far beyond the T20 (everyone thinks they can get in, but there's too many similar candidates vying to get in), and 2) only go private if you like the other aspects of what it has to offer (classes, class size, admin, teachers) and not because you expect that you will have an easier college admissions season. I don't think it makes much difference in terms of admissions between private vs. public when you take legacy, resources into account.

I hope that helps!
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In terms of statistical average, this is exactly the worst advice.  :)  If you're a serious contender for an Ivy (incl MIT/Stanford), you should apply to ALL of them.  It increases your chances of getting into one.  That's the simple math of how that works.  Now that's not to say that you will get into an Ivy because the odds are so damn difficult ... but the way to mitigate for the bad odds is to carpet bomb the Ivies.    [/quote]

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