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<p>I have no dog in this hunt, but that is sad. Not everyone enjoys high school, heaven knows I didn’t, but “endure”?! I’m sorry, Eskimogirl.</p>
<p>cangel- don’t get me wrong. there was a ton about high school i really did enjoy. i had a lot of wonderful friends and got the chance to have many amazing experiences. aside from the work, hw is a very social and spirited school. even though i was ready to move on by graduation, i did like a lot about high school. the endure part only goes for the work and stress.</p>
<p>Like EskimoGirl I had endless stress and pressure (academic, social, status) in my west LA private school, hell I even had it in my elementary school, which was one of those places where parents know their kids will attend an ivy from birth.</p>
<p>But would I do it again? absolutely. you learn so much from that kind of cutthroat, status oriented, go go go environment. i’m academically well prepared for college, i can juggle huge loads, im efficient and fast paced, and know how to network. also am at my dream school ucla, which i would turn down stanford or any ivy for. and if i really wanted stanford, i had the resources and support to go for it. (didnt even bother applying out of so cal)</p>
<p>so its worth going thru the la private school world. send your kid to any of them. and that wasn’t sarcastic, the pros outweight the (many) cons.</p>
<p>I appreciate hearing from the private school students. It’s very interesting to hear the different sides of their experience. On the other side of the coin, my four kids attended/attend public schools in L.A. They were fortunate to get into magnet programs. In high school, my kids took a number of AP courses and had the opportunity to participate in many ECs. They had their share of stress as they went to a magnet with a lot of very bright kids and there was competition. My oldest ended up at UCLA and my daughter had her pick of top universities and ended up at Yale. Now my third child is applying. Public school isn’t perfect, but you can get a lot out of it and end up with great options. To the OP, there are a lot of options in L.A. and, just like college, it has to be the right fit for the family.</p>
<p>Chadwick School is an outstanding school that manages to strike the balance between rigorous academics and a nurturing environment. My children have thrived there. The insight that the teachers have into their strengths and opportunities is truly amazing. And some of the teachers live on campus, creating a collegiate atmosphere and enabling teachers to see all sides of a student – attending their theater performances and athletic events, etc. They are also highly accessible to students for extra help. The classes are extremely challenging and students are well-prepared for college, but the faculty is very supportive in helping the students to achieve academically and become well-rounded global citizens. Check it out.</p>
<p>Flintridge Preparatory School - same amazing academics as Harvard-Westlake and Poly (Pasadena) minus the cutthroat atmosphere. Has the nicest kids of these three best schools.</p>
<p>Some of these schools (Flintridge, Harvard Westlake) are miles from Inglewood in LA traffic.</p>
<p>More locally, check out Vistamar (private, 9-12) in El Segundo, California Academy of Math and Science in Carson, and Environmental Charter Middle School (Inglewood), Environmental Charter High School (Lawndale)</p>