<p>I am a parent who is planning to move to a new home. (Follow me here because it has to do with college admissions). Long story short. I am deciding between two towns. One has a better school system, but the homes, though affordable, are little higher than what we would like to pay. The other town has homes more within our price range, but the schools do not have a good reputation.</p>
<p>My question is whether going to the less-respected school will hinder my child’s chance of getting into a top college (e.g. HYPS) even if she gets straight As and top SAT scores among other things? Or will getting As and Bs (not straight As) at a top high school be better for her in terms of getting into the top colleges?</p>
<p>I know I’m simplifying a lot here, but just looking for advice.</p>
<p>To be honest, I would pick the school that gives my child the best education she can get. This isn’t limited to the classroom. Find out if the schools have academic clubs/teams/outside opportunities. See what the school offers in terms of internships or co-ops (yes, at the high school level) and what type of support and/or counseling is available to the individual student. If there’s only one counselor for each grade, then your child isn’t going to get any attention at all.</p>
<p>In other words, forget about potential grades (you just don’t know that the child will be straight As at the lesser school and/or lower performing at the better school). Pick the better school environment for your child - whatever that means.</p>
<p>I would think taking the most rigorous course load available and getting straight A’s at the “less-respected” school would be better. If you are looking to get into HPYS and you aren’t even at the top of your HS class it would be tough. There is a strong possibility that your kids will be competing with those top students at the “top high school” for the same spots at HYPS. Now, will they be as well prepared and do as well once they get there? That is something else to consider.<br>
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I now this is a little different, but once while at an info session for an elite school, a parent asked (as someone always does) “is it better to get an “A” in a regular class or a “B” in an honors/AP class?” The rep kind of chuckled and said they look for those getting the A in the honors/AP class. I know that is a little different than what you are asking, but it points out that if there is an “A” available at the top program and your child didn’t get it, they will obviously not be the top choice as far as grade comparison goes. If AP isn’t available, they don’t hold it against the student. So if you are at a lesser school, they probably won’t hold it against your kids performance. Of course if there is a truly elite HS, that has a national reputation, there might be a slight advantage.</p>
<p>My advice is always go for the gold. That is, forget about grades, and just try to provide the best environment for the child to learn the material. So I think a better school with more opportunity, safety, and rigor will produce a better child, regardless of what the grades are. For example, would you rather them have C’s at Harvard or A’s at Devry?</p>
<p>something to consider–would your child get more individual attention at one school? Does the lesser school have any special programs/honors programs/IB etc for students at the top? Back in the day, I went to a lousy high school–but it had a special honors program (not just classes designated honors) that you had to test in to–and I received a better education than friends who were students at other, much better regarded high schools.</p>
<p>If not, then go for the better regarded school. It’s not just about getting in to college, it’s about how your student will do once on campus. Getting straight A’s at a mediocre school won’t translate to impressive test scores, nor in to the ability to compete once on campus. For example, if the English classes are not rigorous, when your student gets to college, there is going to be a huge earning curve while s/he learns to read critically and write effectively–and that is going to have a negative effect on grades across the college curriculum.</p>
<p>Something else to think about–there is no guaranty that your child will get straight A’s at one school and not get straight A’s at the other. Much depends on peer group and relationships with teachers.</p>
<p>Yes. Thanks bopper for helping me think this through more. I think some high schools are better at developing kids that you can be proud of - aside from academic accomplishments. Obviously, parenting is more important than a school, but the school does often have an impact.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine having the opportunity to decide between strong HS and mediocre HS and making the decision to do mediocre.</p>
<p>Most people don’t get to decide… circumstances decide for them (My parents bought a house in the “better” school district and by the time we all got to HS the town had re-districted. Oh well.)</p>
<p>If the differences are cosmetic (as they often are… school with heavy minority populations are often described as mediocre, even if the college prep is fantastic; a superb school can have an ugly or outdated physical plant; the school’s reputation may get unfairly dinged for stupid reasons like a losing football team) then it’s worth doing more research. If you are truly deciding between sub-par and outstanding, then you will never regret outstanding.</p>
<p>It is the education your child will get at a particular high school, not the general reputation of school. I would consider whether a school’s reputation is just a reflection of the student socio-economics or whether it provides at atmosphere that is best suited to your child.</p>
<p>My daughters attended a high school where sixty percent of the students were on free and reduced lunch. It had the reputation that you would expect with that population. But the education provided to students interested in learning well prepared them for college. (In fact, I thought the education provided to students not so interested in learning was fairly good too.) And I’ll never regret sending daughters to a high school with students of many races and economic circumstances.</p>
<p>Of course, our family goal wasn’t to have children attend HYPS.</p>
<p>We have never consider reputation for any academic place,…except for HS. Yes, we have chosen the most rigorous and the most expensive HS in our area. Never thought this way about UG or Med. School. After that HS, D. said that she will do good everywhere, prestige was not a goal, she said that her work ethic that was develped at her HS will work for her everywhere,…and so far it did. she still saying that her HS was the best place for her, had to work her b–t off to get her As and that work ethic (along with time management and great social environment) was absoute must going forward.</p>
<p>The chances of getting into a HYPS school are not great even for straight A students at great High Schools. Why would you sacrifice your kid’s education and your finances for what is essentially a long shot.</p>
<p>If your child is HYP material he/she will shine in either high school. Those schools look at the whole child, in and out of the classroom. They look at what the child has done with the resources made available to him. My son graduated last year from a mediocre high school (we didn’t have choice) and did very well there. He is now a freshman at H.</p>
<p>Compare the actual course offerings at each school (and, if possible, how A students in AP courses do on the corresponding AP tests and how A students in other courses do in SAT subject tests).</p>
<p>Sometimes, a high school that has mediocre averages does have enough high achieving students to make it worth offering highly rigorous courses suitable for them. Very large high schools are more likely to be this way.</p>
<p>Obviously, you want to get A grades in the most rigorous courses you can find.</p>
<p>I’ll add another wrench into the decision – how much more are you paying for the better school district? Will the higher mortgage/deposit make saving and paying for college more difficult?</p>
<p>If your kid gets into HYPS but you can’t afford to send her, then all this forethought is futile. </p>
<p>I would also look into the competitiveness of the “better” school. If it’s a cut-throat environment where kids are skipping lunch to take an additional AP and opting for APs over electives for a better weighted grade – ask yourself whether your child can handle that environment. </p>
<p>15 years ago I would have said go for the better academics. I don’t think the answer is that easy anymore.</p>
<p>I think it is also important to think about which school, while challenging your child with AP/IB or other rigorous coursework, will still allow, if not encourage your child to develop his or her own interests and passions, whether those passions are for environmentalism, human rights, robotics, musical performance etc. Colleges want more than excellent students; they want students who will contribute to the life and mission of the university. If your child is so worn out keeping up academically, s/he may not have the time to develop the talents and interests that will make him/her appealing as a person.</p>