Anonymous
12/23/2025 13:13
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
I had one in private and one in a top MCPS public. The outcome for both is that they went to colleges which were a good fit for them. The public school kid went to a top 20, the private school kid did not. But that was because they were very different students, not because public was easier (it was not).
Anonymous
12/23/2025 12:59
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Comparison is the thief of joy.
Also a real factor in the world today. You are directly compared against your co-workers, classmates, etc. many times
Anonymous
12/23/2025 12:57
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 11:51
Subject: Re:Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Harsh reality post here:
OP, as previous posters have stated, your child will be compared first and foremost to their classmates. I would suspect that a 3.6 is probably middle of the pack at your school. Therefore, your kid will likely get middle-of-the-pack college results. If considering public these are places like Wisconsin and if private schools like Tulane.
If you're going to attend private school, you have to do well relative to your classmate or yes, your college results will be worse than if coming from a public with a very high GPA. This is both in regard to getting in and to getting merit aid at places that offer it.
Does it also mean Big 3 would be harder for a student than a relatively less competitive private like Field or St.Andrews, for a GPA 3.6 student?
yes!! 1000%. If your kid is not going to be top20% at a Big3 then they'll have better outcomes from Field, St. Andrews, etc.
Graduating from a Big3 with a 3.6 or below is not great for college admissions. If unhooked, the kid will work exceptionally hard and end up a school ranked >50. Again, no one is saying that those are BAD colleges but they can be attained with far less stress at Field or public school than what will be asked of the kid from NCS or Sidwell.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 11:21
Subject: Re:Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Harsh reality post here:
OP, as previous posters have stated, your child will be compared first and foremost to their classmates. I would suspect that a 3.6 is probably middle of the pack at your school. Therefore, your kid will likely get middle-of-the-pack college results. If considering public these are places like Wisconsin and if private schools like Tulane.
If you're going to attend private school, you have to do well relative to your classmate or yes, your college results will be worse than if coming from a public with a very high GPA. This is both in regard to getting in and to getting merit aid at places that offer it.
Does it also mean Big 3 would be harder for a student than a relatively less competitive private like Field or St.Andrews, for a GPA 3.6 student?
Anonymous
12/23/2025 10:29
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
On the flipside, we have a good friend who graduated from one of the lowest ranked MCPS with high grades, went to a great college and was woefully unprepared . I won’t get into details, but it went far beyond unprepared. There’s definitely a difference among public schools even within the county.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 10:18
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
You never know how your bright, straight A public middle school kid will perform relative to their classmates when you transfer them to a top private for 9th grade. Almost all bright kids who do the work have straight As in public middle school. Only a small fraction of them will get the grades at a top private that are needed for a chance at top college admissions because the private schools will give out plenty of Bs and some Cs, even for kids who are working very hard and doing all the work. The top privates very much stratify the cohort by grades.
I moved 3 kids to a "Big3" for 9th grade. All moved with straight As in public. One soared and graduated top 10% (3.95 at a school where the average is 3.5) and is at a top Ivy. One did very well (3.8) and is at Michigan. The third is TBD. I couldn't have predicted this prior to them moving. I'm not sure what would have happened to them grade-wise or college outcomes if they hadn't moved as I've never had a public school graduate.
I moved 3 kids to a "Big3" for 9th grade. All moved with straight As in public. One soared and graduated top 10% (3.95 at a school where the average is 3.5) and is at a top Ivy. One did very well (3.8) and is at Michigan. The third is TBD. I couldn't have predicted this prior to them moving. I'm not sure what would have happened to them grade-wise or college outcomes if they hadn't moved as I've never had a public school graduate.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 10:06
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just one anecdote.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
Agree. I have seen some really tremendous public school kids switch to private and get 'poor-ish' outcomes relative to what they and their parents were expecting. I will guess/hope they come to college better prepared but it doesn't seem to give one a leg up in admissions.
Yep. And to be clear, my kid really did hit the jackpot getting into UVA. She's a smart kid and a great kid and UVA is an excellent school. But for her UVA was the ceiling reasonably speaking. It wasn't for her BFF, who was a step ahead of her academically. She would have stood out more at the public school for sure, and would have been one of the dozen or so kids at the school who "do better" than UVA.
I do think a lot of the competition EDs to UVA at public. My oldest is only a junior and he doesn’t want to go to UVA. A large part of the strong students will ED to UVA. Hoping DS has a strong college outcome.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 10:04
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just one anecdote.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
Agree. I have seen some really tremendous public school kids switch to private and get 'poor-ish' outcomes relative to what they and their parents were expecting. I will guess/hope they come to college better prepared but it doesn't seem to give one a leg up in admissions.
It goes both ways. I have seen strong public school kids switch to private and end up at Harvard, Stanford, Penn, etc.
My very strong kid opted not to switch to private. He is the type of kid who would do well everywhere.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:37
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just one anecdote.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
Agree. I have seen some really tremendous public school kids switch to private and get 'poor-ish' outcomes relative to what they and their parents were expecting. I will guess/hope they come to college better prepared but it doesn't seem to give one a leg up in admissions.
Yep. And to be clear, my kid really did hit the jackpot getting into UVA. She's a smart kid and a great kid and UVA is an excellent school. But for her UVA was the ceiling reasonably speaking. It wasn't for her BFF, who was a step ahead of her academically. She would have stood out more at the public school for sure, and would have been one of the dozen or so kids at the school who "do better" than UVA.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:31
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Just one anecdote.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
Agree. I have seen some really tremendous public school kids switch to private and get 'poor-ish' outcomes relative to what they and their parents were expecting. I will guess/hope they come to college better prepared but it doesn't seem to give one a leg up in admissions.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:30
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
I have a child in a well rated public and a top private - different kids, different needs and money is tight for us. College outcomes seem really similar but I do think the private school kids are generally better prepared academically. We sent my one son to private because he needs more individualized attention and to have opportunities easier to access. He was a middle of the road student at public and it felt like he was being left behind. I do not think we are unique in moving our child to private for that reason.
I get the sense that some of the strongest students are at public even compared to the 'Big 3'.
I get the sense that some of the strongest students are at public even compared to the 'Big 3'.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:14
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Just one anecdote.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
My kids went to a top NOVA public generally considered a peer of McLean.
My youngest had a BFF. She had a lot going on. Great kid. Her parents switched the kid to private after middle school, enrolling her in a "Big Three" (after not getting into TJ). She stayed friends with my kid and the other neighborhood kids though. Just a great kid.
My kid ended up at UVA. The BFF also ended up at UVA after getting waitlisted and ultimately denied by her dream school, a "lower" Ivy.
I'm convinced she would have gotten into her dream school had she just stayed in public. There's no doubt she would have been the cream of the crop.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:09
Subject: Public vs Private re: College outcomes
The college results may be better from private than public but not if you have a 3.6. If you graduate with a 3.6 from NCS or Sidwell you'll be going to Syracuse, Tulane or maybe Wisconsin. Good schools but most are very expensive (95K) and probably not where most people who pay for private think their kids will attend.
Anonymous
12/23/2025 09:04
Subject: Re:Public vs Private re: College outcomes
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There's been a lot of talk in other threads about the college application process in private schools.
One of the advantages is that smaller private schools allow the teachers to know students on a more intimate level than a typical public. The counselors work with a smaller group of students. For example, at my daughter's school, the counselors work with about 30 girls each. This allows for much more in depth letters of recommendation from both teachers and the counselor. The counselor also has relationships with some of the universities and will actually have conversations about your student with the AO's about them. We are going through this right now with my daughter. She is deferred from her #1 school, and the AO is really going to bat. She shared with us her conversations with the AO, who mainly wants to know if my DD will enroll if admitted. I don't think these sort of conversations are happening at the public school level.
And for what it's worth, DD was accepted at every other school to which she applied so far.
That said, if money is an issue, you should think twice. If you live in a strong school district, you could consider staying public and spending some money on a private counselor who can help you navigate the process. A lot cheaper than private school. Also be sure to start prepping for the SAT/ACT in summer before junior year.
LOL colleges know that public school guidance counselors are overwhelmed and can't provide the same service and take that into account. Plenty of public school kids get into excellent colleges without "private counselors." And if yours was so great your kid wouldn't have been deferred.
The public school kids that get into excellent colleges are all over the top high performing students who are cutthroat and competitive. I know the type. They live in my neighborhood. In our private, you don't have to play that game, and while at good publics you see about 5% of students going to T20 schools, that number is more like 20-25% at privates.
That's only because they and their parents played cut throat to get them into the privates in the first place. The percentage of kids who get into top colleges from many privates is higher primarily because the high schools have competitive admissions and the public's don't. Just look at the public magnets; they often do just as well as the privates.
OP asked how a lower GPA in a private will be viewed when compared to a public. She didn't ask whether private schools are generally better than publics. Spare us your bullshit about privates being better, and do let us know if your counselor works enough magic to get your kid off the deferred list.
They are tremendously better.
Yes, schools like Hunter, Stuyvesant, TJ, Boston Latin, etc are tremendously better.