So many teachers want to be that diamond to the child but some just aren’t set up for it - resource wise.
But great teachers can be found everywhere - if you make the effort.
But as someone noted up thread, going to a “top” school in and of itself guarantees little.
I look at the prestigious private by us - they send kids to Yale but also to Western Kentucky U. There’s never an assurance that just because you go to a great school that you’re going to what you perceive is a great name.
Another aspect of this question is that competitiveness may not necessarily be a perfect correlate to educational quality.
For example, it is possible that, between two high schools with similar educational quality and students and parents with respect to educational goals and aspirations, one in Texas may be more competitive than one elsewhere, due to the class rank focus of Texas public university admission.
If you accept only tippy top students, it is likely that they will have great outcomes, regardless of what happens to them while they are with you. This isn’t to say there isn’t a benefit to being around motivated, engaged classmates, but it’s not that hard to teach a good, eager learner.
They certainly can be - and better. But it’s all perception. My daughter had incredible mentoring and support at College of Charleston. It doesn’t mean it couldn’t have happened at U of SC or Clemson but it did at Charleston.
UCs have big classes and more but they likely have stronger students and often times stronger students can handle a heavier workload.
But I have no doubt there’s lots of studs walking around at UTSA and NC State is very well known, especially for its technical disciplines and business (not as well known) is considered strong too.
Great marketing…sometimes with a little help from those doing the ranking.
oh, by the way - which top 40 - i can give you a million rankings.
@Knowsstuff put this out tonight. All fine schools but few would rank Bentley 28, Santa Clara 29, or Stevens #30, ahead of top UCs like LA and San Diego and Northwestern. But I bet those schools will be flouting their new rank - as they should.
I don’t think it is just marketing. It is pretty well known in states like Michigan that the state puts way more money and resources into University of Michigan, Ann Arbor versus University of Michigan, Dearborn. In California, people talk about all the time about how all the money goes to UCLA and Berkeley while the other UCs get pennies.
You hear adults all the time who say what high school or college doesn’t matter in the long run, yet you are here saying that what school you went to or the teacher you had makes a big difference
Like in states where a separate Tech/A&M sort of college was established in parallel to a more mixed-focus college, they can both be flagship level in my view. UNC and NC State would be a good example. And there are other variations–I would say Virginia, for example, has three, UVA, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary, with W&M being a rather unusual sort of college for a public.
In Texas, I would personally say there are two, Texas and TAMU.
Note none of this is intended to suggest other public universities cannot be highly desirable for smart and ambitious students.
UC operating budgets are complicated because of some shared resources, health centers, and so on. But generally UC campuses like San Diego, Davis, and so on still have quite large operating budgets, again consistent with most flagship-level university campuses in other states.
In my example of one I am going to say yes and of course it’s student dependant. My son went to the #1 school in Illinois and Chicago. (back up to #1 this year.. #30 In the US. Brag rights. Lol).
It’s a selective enrollment school so you have to test in. 99.6%/100 to be considered. Kids went there for academics. They actually take an extra class. If they join a sports team they get another class. They push each other and support each other. Their arts and sports programs are really good. These kids think differently in a good way. They go a few levels further. Great kids and families. At Northside College Prep it’s mostly minority and less advantaged families. Also private school kid’s like my son.
They had I think the most board certified teachers. Many at the time Google trained which was very cool and engaging.
It’s all honors and AP classes. No regular classes. Colleges told me to my face that a B at this school is really looked at like an A in comparison.
Many go to Northwestern and University of Chicago etc. But also many go to much less known colleges. They do a great job of matching families to merit money.
At Michigan where my son went many many of his friends on a student organization board he founded there had a very similar experience. They seemed to all go to feeder schools and well known ones. Of course not every kid. Not every kid has that opportunity. There are brilliant kid’s at the 350 ranked school also.
But what I have seen is the equal between these high school and the colleges they ended up at was the willingness to go to that next level of curiosity. To do something meaningful in high school and college. It’s why colleges like kids that are active in high school. It seems to bleed over to college and they help the college improve as well. They are doers. You don’t have to be the President of a club to be a doer.
So does it help. I think it does but you can also take the traits and apply it at any school.
I actually thought it was an interesting list. I will take where they put Michigan. Lol. But look at Babson and other’s that are getting their due. Some excellent schools that don’t always get the love. I think this list can help families look at different fantastic schools they might not look at. This to me is helpful.
We all know the best school is the school the student exceeds at no matter what the name of the school is. My daughter went her last two year’s at Beloit College. It changed her life. You will never see them on a list like this but everyone here knows how great of a school it is nationally. Gotta have great fit. Miami of Ohio is another one of these schools. Great outcomes. So lists are fun. Bragging rights. Can poke at University of Chicago. Lol. But I don’t think all of the sudden University of Chicago is bad. Lol.
You know your kid. Your kid knows themselves. And probably most importantly, you have the resources to make choices. Most families go to their local public school because that’s the only option and then you do your best to be sure your child has the tools they need to be successful.
I know this answer comes from a place of privilege -
When we pulled our D out of public school for private HS, we did a ton of tours, open houses, and talked to a lot of current students. Just like we did for college.
D did not choose the most elite or competitive school that she was accepted, either for HS or college. She wanted serious peers but a collaborative, welcoming, and supportive learning environment, with happy students. She also wanted a stem focus. We were fortunate that she found that.
I know that part. When I was a kid, I didn’t know what I wanted or what was best for me, which is why I have so many regrets now. I doubt my parents knew about my goals or interested either in academics or extracurriculars too
Touring schools with your kid and talking about impressions is very informative. At one we visited, DS commented "Everything at that school is about competition. " i asked how he felt about it, and it turned out that he wanted a more collaborative environment. Is that how he described it as an 8th grader? No. But that’s what we heard.
If you are at a private K-8, they can provide helpful feedback. Teachers at public and private both have insights.
Private schools also interview students. It is in their interest to admit students they can serve well.
Not everyone gets it right, and students transfer - even in high school – often with more information about what they need.
But if you decide to go the private route, you can usually pick a school where the student will thrive.
I’ve also been trying to figure out the purpose of this thread. Combining this with the posters other thread about trying to be an admissions reader confuses things more. Is this a parent of a middle school child trying to get an inside track on college admissions or someone just out of college trying to understand why maybe things didn’t go their way? I can’t figure out the nexus between the two.