<p>jpro- in our city it is some of the large public high schools that have the most pressure. Even to get into our flagship state u, the pressure on the public school kids is incredible, since they get an automatic in if they are top 10%. That means they have to load up on AP courses and a B can be catastrophic.
On the other hand, at my son’s boarding school, learning for learning’s sake is emphasized from the beginning. No one takes a full slate of AP courses. (if math isn’t your thing, you don’t HAVE to take AP Calc!) The right fit is emphasized in the college search. While a number of kids wind up at Ivys, there are also athletes heading for other DIs, kids choosing Gettysburg, Vassar, Rutgers and many others. Junior year and fall of senior year ARE stressful due to the academic load, the college application process etc., but not because of pressure to get into a certain school or competition with peers.</p>