Can somebody tell me...

spectrum2
Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:09:55 +0000

I’m not sure if my S’s experience can give you some confidence since the HS situation isn’t exactly the same. I’m writing because I hope it will. I wouldn’t decribe our HS as being in a deserted place but it is not ranked and the teaching quality varies from excellent to poor depending on the class and the teacher, it is in a semi-rural area. There are a fair number of AP classes but fewer than those offered in more prestigious schools. With the exception of a handful of students, most that go to college go to state schools and few go out of state. My S is a freshman at a highly ranked LAC about 1500 miles from home,where many of the students attended private HS’s. He is also studying humanities. He is home after his first semester of college and I asked him if he felt less prepared than his peers. His reply was that he was convinced that going to private school was a waste of money. (Please note I’m NOT saying that it is a waste, just that this was his comment, perhaps made to alleviate any guilt that I might feel.) The point is that he was craving to go to a school like the one he is attending and he feels that he is on par with the other students. He has not raced into taking higher level classes even when his AP performance would have permitted it. More than anything else I believe that his desire to learn is a great equalizer for him. I would suggest that you do what you can to take advantage of the opportunities that are available and that you pursue your interests as you can. Each student brings their own set of experiences and that helps to make college life interesting. It is probably most important that where ever you go to school that you feel comfortable with yourself and approach your classes with confidence and not a sense of deficiency because of your background.