<p>After a family reunion, it’s quite clear the public HS giving my niece a very lofty GPA is actually a disservice to preparing her for college. She’s bright and outgoing, but the public is encouraging alarming bad habits and my sister isn’t thrilled with her circle of friends. She’ll be entering the 10th grade this fall. It is in my opinion that the private will help polish her, while putting her around a higher concentration of civic-minded, ambitious youth. Surprisingly, she’s open to the idea (after she met a couple of new friends there this summer that attend the private). My only concern is that her GPA will take a dive. Are there certain questions to ask the private to gauge what kind of inflation occurs? I don’t live in the area, so I don’t know any current families there.</p>
<p>If your niece is a top student at her public school, I’m sure that she will be fully capable of earning good grades at a private school. Certainly, if she is actually in a harmful situation in one school that could be remedied by moving her to another, I would not hesitate on the grounds that an A student might turn into a B+ student. If that would even happen.</p>
<p>But I’m curious: what alarming bad habits is her current school encouraging? Or is it not the school itself, but her friends at that school?</p>
<p>Many schools make the school profile available on the school website. This often identifies the median GPA, with a grade distribution chart in deciles or quintiles. The school profile also usually provides information on SAT scores, the number of students attending 2/4 year schools after graduation (or entering the military or the work force), etc. If not on the website, perhaps the school’s guidance office would provide it to prospective students.</p>
<p>@frazzled1, public schools do. None of the privates around here do.</p>
<p>Many of the private schools in our area do publish the school profile on their websites. Here are a couple, which may give the OP an idea of the kind of info she might find online:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mph.net/pdf/College/11-12SchoolProfile.pdf”>http://www.mph.net/pdf/College/11-12SchoolProfile.pdf</a> (but they don’t calculate GPA at all! So this kind of profile would not help the OP or her niece get an idea of what kind of grade inflation might exist)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bishopgrimes.org/assets/Uploads/documents/GuidanceTesting-Docs/BGP-Profile.pdf”>http://www.bishopgrimes.org/assets/Uploads/documents/GuidanceTesting-Docs/BGP-Profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>If a school doesn’t make its profile public, the guidance office might be willing to discuss grade inflation with a prospective student. It’s a worthwhile question, certainly.</p>
<p>I think you have to take the approach that she will learn to be a better student and be better prepared to succeed in college. Private schools usually do very well in placing the next tier of students at reachy schools, if she doesn’t end up being in the top tier. But I think if there is an initial dip and a recovery they will understand that she was stepping up to another level of work. It is going to be up to her how hard she is willing to work. I know my daughter had a pretty grueling schedule in private school, but also was well mentored and conditioned to put the hours in on a regular schedule. There were lots of fun times too and great extracurricular activities to participate in to satisfy all kinds of leanings. So you can ask the school how their A and B student do and compare. They should give you some idea of placement. But it isn’t all about that is it?</p>
<p>I sure have wished I could pay for my sister’s kids to go where my daughter did. It is my first thought if I win the Lottery.</p>
<p>Thank you @Consolation. I believe she’s only barely in the top 20%, yet on paper the GPA looks strong. But I prodded my niece and looked at the data available on their grading website and could easily detect that the methods the school allows are very short sighted. Poor study habits aren’t enforced, shortcuts are constantly rewarded, her mother is a little clueless. I’m alarmed enough to spend $10,000 on her. My sister works for a very modest income and lacks the sophistication to keep up and be in tune with what’s really going on. To be clear, that’s not to say there aren’t many strong students doing well at her public. I just see the path my niece is on is going to lead to a very poorly prepared college student, if she can even keep up when cores get more intense in 10th and 11th. And obviously socially, there are slight concerns with her circle of friends (although nothing too crazy – yet). Is it fair to expect the Catholic school to keep a more watchful eye and have a heavier amount of care in her developing a strong skill set (and character), or am I expecting a private to be my niece’s parent?</p>
<p>If your niece is up for the challenge, then do it! If her GPA takes a (temporary) dive, the private school guidance counselor will be able to explain that in his recommendation when the time comes. But your niece has to be willing to make the change. Is she?</p>
<p>I’m putting a giant vote for Catholic high schools. The Catholic High Schools around here are like College Prep privates. Yes, these schools completely and totally prepare them for college! They are rigorous and the teachers expect a lot. However, to balance that, the teachers really do provide the method to studying, note-taking, and how to effectively work. The schools, both administration and teachers, really do have an plan for increasing the workload gradually through the four years so that by senior year they are ready for college. All of the teachers and administration are extremely supportive of the students and are very, very dedicated individuals.</p>
<p>The other thing that is great about Catholic HS is that the other students are also in this college prep environment so it creates a community where the students are all working in these rigorous classes, and they all seem to have the same goals. I’m not sure I explained this as I’m trying to say. It’s just that if every else is working hard on doing well, then naturally you’d do that too. </p>
<p>In addition to strong academics, especially in the liberal arts, there is a wonderful positive atmosphere of both fun events that are traditions and a very strong sense of service to the larger community, helping those in need. The whole student body seems to participate in both of these. It is a very positive school community.</p>
<p>The Catholic High school has been an immensely positive experience for all the BusyKids here. They were all extremely well prepared for college and graduate school because of their solid strong foundation.</p>
<p>One more note: As BrownParent says, I also agree that the initial dip in GPA will be recovered by the end of the first semester as your niece adjusts to the expectations of the teachers. She’s smart, she’ll catch on quickly.</p>
<p>Additionally, the guidance counselor’s letter to the colleges in the college application could explain any initial GPA fluctuations going from one school to another. (I think I cross posted with DodgersMom, so I heartily agree with her.)</p>
<p>@busyperson Does grade inflation occur at the Catholics? It would seem like they would have to, in order to compete with all of the publics that hand out 3.8s like candy. I’m fine with some inflation, I’m just not fine with how easy it is to game at the public she’s currently at. The habits she has formed are appalling.</p>
<p>@busyperson Smart? Sure. Savvy? Yes. Disciplined with tremendous work ethic? No, because she doesn’t have to be at current school. I expect a dip, how drastic that dip will be is my concern. Especially when she’ll have to compete with many students who have been in that higher expectation environment for a decade. You also have some potential politics and teacher preferences in play. I’d feel horrible if she ends up being a 3.0 student, because I know I’ll hear a “I would have had a 3.8 at my old school.”</p>
<p>By the way, she’s receptive to the idea. But I believe she’s completely oblivious to the new intensity and classroom expectations at the Catholic.</p>
<p>@AuntJulia, Actually, I believe we experienced grade deflation. A’s are much harder to get for two reasons. In several Catholic schools an A is not 90 (like in the local public schools) but 92 or 94. This is true for some, but not all Catholic schools. </p>
<p>The second reason is that teachers tend not to give As too easily. The teachers really have the work ethic in mind and the bar is set high for the students. But the teachers are very, very fair, so if the student earned the A they get it. In general, this makes the students work harder. Also, because the teachers are so very well liked, the students really try harder. They really love their teachers.</p>
<p>As for the grade deflation, it was not just at our Catholic school, but also the other Catholic schools of all our friends, and of my children’s friends.</p>
<p>Additionally with respect to grade deflation, it never really was a problem with college applications because the college seemed to recognize the value of the grades. I estimate that it is probably due to the “College Profile” as reference by Frazzled1 that is sent with the app by the GC, as well as the college familiarity with the Catholic HS system. The colleges really do recognize how well prepared the students are.</p>
<p>@AuntJulia, You are a wonderful aunt to consider paying the tuition for your niece and worrying about her future. Your niece is very blessed to have you as her Aunt!</p>
<p>No doubt, it is a lot of hard work. </p>
<p>There are also a lot of fun traditions throughout the whole year that the kids all really love. Across the board, they love their school and really miss it when they go to college.</p>
<p>If it is any consolation, in my daughters classes, in each year several students transferred in from the public schools, even in Senior year. It was never, ever a problem. It is a welcoming friendly environment. The teachers never singled anyone out. I really don’t think that is a problem to worry about at all. Everyone is universally welcome.</p>
<p>You can find out what is an A (90, 92, or 94) at that particular school if that school published their “profile” as @frazzled1 said. Or it may be on the school’s website.</p>
<p>As a high school student who goes to a moderately competitive public high school (which I would say is kinda similar to your niece’s) I would actually say stay at the high school.</p>
<p>Does her public offer rigorous courses (AP/IB)? Are there extracurricular activities/sports available, and how involved is she? If she’s already involved in some extracurriculars and has her eye on leadership positions, the easiest route to getting them is having a long term membership in a club. I think it’s okay-ish to have her switch schools since she’s only a sophomore, but it makes things a little difficult.</p>
<p>I think at the public, the classes she takes
will determine her circle of friends. I was in a semi-shady friend group, but we were pretty much divided since I’m in tougher classes, and I made new friends. I’m still friends with my old circle, but my parents have been strict enough that I would never do the stuff they do. If your sister isn’t strict or let’s her go out and do whatever, the private might be a good idea.</p>
<p>I guess my point is that a school won’t make a kid work harder or develop the right study habits: the kid has to figure that out for herself. I know several groups of girls at expensive private schools in my area, some of the best in the nation (40k a year), who have “bad” reputations. The girls at the local catholic private high school (30k a year) are known for their…loose reputations. Which of course the parents have no idea about. </p>
<p>But good luck! You’re a really nice aunt to be willing to go through all this for your niece.</p>
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<p>I am hoping the ethos and the faculty at the Catholic school promote and assist in her developing the habits, the disposition and the character of a strong and ambitious student.</p>
<p>With regard to courses at the current school: they offer honors and AP. Outside of language, she is not an honors track student. My sister didn’t really know what honors track meant. And perhaps not at the start of 9th grade, but at this point my niece is well aware that she’s shielding her GPA while pursuing a less demanding schedule.</p>
<p>It seems odd to complain that your niece isn’t being challenged, when apparently she chose not to enroll in most of the honor classes, and I assume she hasn’t even taken a single AP class yet. Before you shell out $30,000 for her remaining high school years, perhaps you should investigate how the honors classes at her current school stack up against the offerings at the Catholic school. And if she’s not an honor student at her current school, then is she hanging out with the college-bound honor student crowd? Perhaps she would develop better work habits and find a peer group that appeals more to you if she took the honors classes?</p>
<p>I don’t think you can draw many conclusions from information about schools in other areas. There are many fantastic private schools out there, but I wouldn’t send my kids to any of our local private high schools even if it were free.</p>
<p>I’m sure this varies significantly by community, but in our town, the top kids in the public high schools leave the Catholic high school kids in the dust when it comes to college acceptances. </p>
<p>If your niece is “barely in the top 20%” at a school where she is taking non-challenging courses and where there is serious grade inflation, I’d be very concerned about her ability to thrive in a more rigorous environment. It’s not just a matter of a potentially lower GPA, but of the possibility of a struggle that may be demoralizing enough to cause her to lose interest in academic achievement. Perhaps the best path would be to have her sign up for more demanding classes at her current school in the fall and see how she fares. She can always transfer for her last two years of high school if those classes are disappointing or she doesn’t find a better social circle there.</p>