For us paying full freight at college isn't in the realm of possibility and then looking at that times two kids. No spare $480,000 lying around for private college for two kids. It's more realistic that we could pay for high school. Our thought is if our children go to public high school, we will have more to contribute if they select a private college but it isn't a done deal that they could go private college. There would still need to be scholarships and student loans involved.

In the end you go with the high school choice that will prepare your child the best given where he/she is at. If your child is a self-starter and very driven and your public high school offers enough AP, honors etc classes that would allow your child to be competitive in college admissions and prepared once there, than public high school is the way to go. The money "saved" can help make sure your child doesn't have college debt or give him/her more options align with future career. If your child is not driven and needs someplace where he/she won't slip thru the cracks and where they hopefully rise to the occasion OR if your child is very driven but your public school doesn't offer the courses/won't prepare them well for college then it is worth it to go private for high school. I remember once I was stressed over if an educational diagnosis would label my child later in life when looking a for a job etc and another mom in a similar situation said you can't worry about what will happen post high school if you are having trouble getting your child thru elementary school. The focus has to be on the now.

If your child is a strong, independent student: public HS. If middle of road or weak and would benefit from small school, private.

This is kind of a spinoff of the private elementary vs. high school thread. DS is currently in a private k-8, which has been wonderful. Continuing on to private high school would be a financial stretch for us, and may well make private college impossible. We're in Montgomery County, but not in a "top" school zone (high school is 6 GS rating), which was part of the initial decision to go private. So which do you think is better - stay private and assume DS is headed to UMD (which I do think is a great public university) or make the best of public high school (with APs, etc.) and save the money to increase college options (with full recognition that top private colleges are a crapshoot for admission anyway)? I'm really torn about which is the best use of our education dollars. I know there's also the magnet programs, but don't want to count on admission to those either. Thanks for your thoughts!