Pros and Cons of Transferring to Private School for 11th grade

Parents Forum
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<p>Looking for advice and things to consider. </p>

<p>D, in 10th grade, attends what is “considered” a highly regarded public high school in Massachusetts. There have been terrible budget cuts this year and many AP courses and other electives were canceled, most likely permanently. I think it really sucks to be an academically oriented senior this year. Next year looks worse. A state referendum cutting sales tax in half is widely believed to have sufficient support to pass, and my state rep told me that if it did pass that schools and towns will be facing unthinkable budget cuts and will likely have to cut the advanced classes rather than the state mandated classes or SPED classes. Advanced classes get cut because the minimum class size increases, and the number of classes that kids are allowed to take has been curtailed because of the budget. Furthermore, the language that D takes and loves, French, is likely to be phased out of the school system because it’s the least popular. Right now she’s getting tutored because the class is so big and the current rookie teacher is unable to make much forward progress so that she’s learning almost nothing. Her 5 other classes are fabulous though. It’s not the worst situation now, but looking forward, it is likely to get worse every year. </p>

<p>It’s very difficult for D to even contemplate leaving her friends, but for the first time she’s agreed to consider the possibility of attending private school. This is very hard, and not really what we or she wanted. My older daughter got a fabulous education and is now a freshman in college. For both kids, it’s really nice to be part of the community and going to the local high school is a huge part of that. </p>

<p>Nonetheless, I’ve been looking at area private schools that offer the advanced classes that she thinks she’d want to take and have found a few options ranging from a couple of day schools to schools that are a combination boarding/day schools. </p>

<p>The prices are staggering; it costs between $34K and $38K for tuition at these schools, though I think we can do it. We’d also have to worry about transportation costs, though with a reasonable amount of luck she’ll have her drivers license by next fall. I’m not sure how hard it would be to get into any of these schools for 11th grade. Her 9th grade GPA was a 3.67 (A-) in all honors classes. She’s taking AP Physics this year along with a normal load of 5 other courses. So far it’s going pretty well this year. </p>

<p>The other issue is that her school’s curriculum doesn’t exactly line up with any of the other schools. For example, she’s taking US History in 10th grade and most other schools do it in 11th. She wants to take AP Euro, but most schools offer it either to 10th graders or 12th graders. Also most schools still do Bio-Chem-Physics, whereas she’ll have completed AP Physics B and Chem but will have had no Bio until 11th grade. Are these the kinds of things to discuss with the administration or are these considered minutia?</p>

<p>What’s the dynamic of boarding/day schools for day kids? Do they feel disadvantaged or left out? How long is a reasonable commute? Right now she gets a 5 minute ride in the morning and a 20 minute walk home. I commuted 50 minutes each way by public transportation when I was in high school and I remember how much it sucked. I think the kids today have a lot more homework than I had. </p>

<p>What is the dynamic of entering a small school in the “middle years”. Most people will have been there since 9th grade? </p>

<p>Anyway, we’re just starting to look into this but it wasn’t something we’d considered before. The alternative to private schools (short of just sucking it up, grinning and bearing) is to supplement the public school with local college and online classes. D really doesn’t like online classes, having done online math classes in middle school. I also think that the gap between what a private and a good public can offer will continue to dramatically increase over the next two school years. It would involve a fair amount of hassle to apply to these schools and I’m still not sure it’s worth it. We’re thinking that it’s either now or never in terms of making the switch. Is this just crazy? Should D just wait for college to get the education that she wants?</p>

<p>Thanks for any replies (and please be nice).</p>

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<p>This is not crazy. We also left a very well-regarded public school system because budget cuts had made such a huge impact on the classroom experience.
At this point, you are in the information-gathering process. Contact every school you are considering and get their admissions schedule. For many schools, there are open houses in the fall and shadow days for the student. It’s much easier to get the shadow day appointments that work best for your daughter’s schedule the earlier you start the ball rolling. We tried to schedule the visits on holidays for her current school.<br>
During her interviews, she can ask about how the curriculum differences could be accommodated. My sense at most private schools is that many students are not in lockstep and will be taking classes out of typical grade order, anyway. Your daughter’s big question will be whether the advanced classes she needs are available. At our large local public HS, more than 20 AP classes are offered. At some small private schools, the AP offerings were much more limited.</p>

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<p>Classicrockerdad, I also live in Mass. There are good private schools for half the cost you have quoted, although most of them are Catholic - not sure if that’s an issue for you. I don’t know exactly where you are in Mass, but I think you might want to broaden your search a bit. My kids have friends who have graduated from Bishop Feehan, Ursuline, Mt Alvernia and Montrose and done quite well (and Xaverian & BC High, but obviously those won’t work for a girl.)</p>

<p>My kids both went to a respectable public hs in Mass, and I work in one. Frankly I’m very relieved that both have graduated. Things have been going downhill budget-wise since my son graduated 3 years ago and I don’t see any signs that things will get better any time soon. You are right - once a program is cut, it almost never comes back. We are also phasing out French.</p>

<p>OTOH, Siliconvalleymom makes a good point. I know of kids who have left our public system for private school, only to return because our hs offered more AP classes than the private did. Also, it’s easier to rise to the top of a public school class than a private school (although if you are in a “highly regarded” school in MA that might not be true for your school). And of the things on the chopping block, highly popular AP courses aren’t one of them - at least for us. If we can get enough kids who want to take an AP class it will run. But it won’t run if the class size will be any smaller than the other class sizes in that subject.</p>

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<p>Do you like the academic environment of the school she is in-- the other kids, the teachers, the “vibe” of the school? Budget cuts will certainly have an impact, but they won’t make it a different school overnight. </p>

<p>You will also be paying private school tuition for senior year… when realistically, your daughter will be devoting a lot of mental energy to “moving on”… college apps, visits, activities with friends. </p>

<p>On the other hand, the fact that your daughter is considering the private school option could mean she wants and needs a change.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

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<p>I left a well regarded public high school in 10th grade to transfer to a day/boarding private school as a day girl. I would absolutely recommend it for your D if the numbers work.</p>

<p>When I did it, tuition was only $1000/year. Now … it’s in that $30K range … things have changed a bit!</p>

<p>The challenge of the more demanding classwork, a whole school full of ambitious students, and the attention of enthusiastic teachers made it all worth while. I commuted 30 minutes one way and had Saturday classes every other week. I still would do it again.</p>

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<p>I have several quick thoughts:

  1. I cannot describe what a huge advantage it is in the college process to go to a school that has a guidance counselor who is willing, able and motivated to help your family and your child. This should be a consideration. Our private school GC has been invaluable not just in admissions but also in scholarship questions.
  2. It is possible that a smaller, private school will be more willing than a large, public one suffering from budget cuts to work with your child to get the classes she wants or needs. My two children have, between them, taken 3 APs in a different year than was typical because they had to do so to make their schedules work. Because they could do the work (all As; highest GPA in one taken a year early), it was not a problem.
  3. I think it is understandable for you to want to be assured that the schedule will work out; getting to take the advanced courses she wants is one of the reasons you’d possibly be willing to pay the big bucks for the private school. Once when we were moving, we were considering one of the two possible private schools because we thought our D would be able to take two languages there. Only after several visits, interviews and acceptance did we discover that it was almost impossible to take two languages plus a fine arts class every year. We should have pressed harder earlier, but we had told the school what we were looking for, and they just never really addressed it until it came time for us to make a decision and we HAD to know whether it would work. If the school thinks your valid concern about courses (one of the reasons you would make a change) is “minutia” it is perhaps not the school for you.
  4. She wouldn’t be the only one entering anew in 11th grade; people move, things change. 11th would be better than 12th, however.</p>
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<p>Mark Zuckerberg did it (transferred after 10th grade) from public school to private. It worked for him.</p>

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<p>You can probably make the curriculum work if there are offerings of the subjects that she wants. As to day student in a boarding school, this will vary greatly by school, and really research each one to see if day students are well integrated into activities, and what the maximum commute generally is for day students. There won’t be many students doing what you suggest, but there probably will be others.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the replies everyone. </p>

<p>siliconvalleymom: There are only a small number of private schools that have what she wants anyway. Thanks for your advice though. </p>

<p>Lafalum84, I don’t think Catholic high schools work all that well for practicing Jews, but thanks :-). </p>

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<p>We lost a lot this year. Since they’ve severely restricted the number of classes a kid can take, many of the classes that filled before don’t fill now and won’t fill in the future. Also, the minimum number required to run will continue to rise. </p>

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<p>School vibe is generally great, mostly wonderful teachers, but budget cuts really have had a huge “dumbing down” effect. Electives that had college prep sections and honors sections now just have one section, and I think they made it honors just to keep people from complaining, but it will have to be taught to the least common denominator. </p>

<p>Like I said, it’s would be really hard for her to leave this community. She’s is not looking for a change. But we’ve broached this subject before, and she’s finally willing to consider a change. Not sure she’d follow though, or even get in. </p>

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<p>This is a really good point that I hadn’t considered. Thanks.</p>

<p>Schokolade you bring up some good points to. There is no point in the school offering what she wants if SHE can’t get into those classes. Ok, it’s not minutia for us. </p>

<p>I had to wiki Mark Zuckerberg because I didn’t know who he is :-)</p>

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<p>

Welp, I guess it would be an issue then! I don’t know of any other private schools that are less expensive. :(</p>

<p>Our hs also cut the number of classes the kids take, from 7 to 6. The result: reduced class sizes and higher grades (more class time in each class, and fewer classes to share homework attention) but it does limit kids’ options. If they want to take a “fun” class, then they have one less academic class. </p>

<p>On the plus side, Mass public school kids still perform near the very top of the nation. Which makes me wonder just how bad things are in other states…</p>

<p>If your chief concern is what colleges she will be admitted to, she’s probably ok staying where she is. If you believe your school’s guidance department is short-staffed, you could hire a private college counselor (for considerably less than $30k). Also, keep in mind that colleges are tightening up what they’ll accept for AP credit - many are limiting the maximum number of AP credits students can apply toward graduation requirements, for example. If your daughter can’t take as many APs as she’d like because the school no longer offers them, or only allows students to take 6 classes, then that will come through on the school profile. But if your concern is what she is learning over the next two years, and the atmosphere she’s learning it in, then private school might be better. </p>

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I think your daughter’s feeling on this are vital. If she will spend the next two years mourning lost friendships, it’s probably not worth it.</p>

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<p>At $34 - $38k a year your daughter can stay in public school, spend the summer in France for immersion learning in the French language, hire a private college admissions counselor to guide you through the process, and probably still have a few $s left over.</p>

<p>Catholic School is the private option in our area. Many non-Catholics attend (we are Christian but not Catholic) and there are Jewish students and a few kids from Eastern religions. Price tag is about 1/3 of what you are looking at.</p>

<p>Good luck with your daughter.</p>

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<p>Classsic…, one thing you have to ask the schools you are considering, is how many open spots they are going to have next year in the 11th grade. Some schools don’t know until March when parents have to sign contracts.
It’s true that the private don’t have many APs. However, if a kid wants to take a certain AP the school would order it.
I don’t think it’s a problem if your D take Bio in the 11th grade, unless if she has a problem with freshmen :slight_smile:
The prices you quoted are the same here.</p>

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<p>Social integration at the new school would be a pretty big risk.</p>

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<p>The better privates in the Boston area, if that’s where you are, are extremely competitive for all grades, but 11th is especially tough.</p>

<p>If she can get in, however, I’d send her if you can swing it. You’ll see her actually learn French and it won’t matter if what they have is called AP, they will be a challenging classes.</p>

<p>It really does depend if it’s a financial stretch. If you subscribe to the thinking that you shouldn’t pay for schooling when other things will keep her busy, well, then money is too big of a factor to make this switch. If you’re wondering if she’ll be among a strong peer group with good teachers and no budget slashing, than any good private in the Boston area will achieve that.</p>

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<p>Some thoughts. I attended a school that was 1/3 day student, 2/3 boarders. I boarded the last year and there were quite a few activities that were easier to participate in once I was a boarder. I also realized I’d been missing out on a big part of the school, but I only realized it after the fact. I had a great time as a day student. The school has made it MUCH easier for kids to spend the night with boarders now. So that’s a question I’d ask.</p>

<p>You’ll have to ask the schools what they do about the out of sync courses. Our school would have been flexible about science, but might not have been for history. </p>

<p>I think a 45 minute commute is okay, but it’s a big help if you don’t get carsick. I did a fair amount of homework on the bus - including way too much I’m sorry to say - in the morning. :)</p>

<p>We had a fair number of girls who joined our class as juniors - I didn’t feel it was a big issue. Several became close friends.</p>

<p>I disagree that senior year is wasted because they have a foot out the door. I think the help a private school can be with college admissions is one huge advantage. I really, really enjoyed my senior year in high school. Much more than my boys did.</p>

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<p>redroses makes a good point. In a good private school the courses will be very rigorous. Even if they don’t have the AP label they will be just as challenging. Since the classes are smaller than public schools and there are more sections, they may be better able to handle the out of sync classes. Some schools may not take juniors unless someone leaves, moves, etc., so make sure you check with the schools to see if it’s possible to start as a junior. Although it may be hard to leave her friends, I think she will make new friends and adjust to a new school. You may want to look at the possibility that the private school might be harder academically or may not have grade inflation or grade more harshly than the public school. Are you and she prepared for the possibility that her grades could go down?</p>

<p>Also make sure you check the admissions timetable. Some schools could have application deadlines as soon as December, so you’ll have to get started with interviews, recommendations, testing, etc. If you’re even thinking about it a little, I would go ahead and apply. You can always change your mind or turn down and admissions offer.</p>

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<p>I am a mom who has put both Ds through an independent private school (K-12), the last several years as a single parent with no help from the ex for the private school or older D’s college now that she is out of high school. So I know what it means to stretch to pay that private school bill. I don’t know if you have said how well set you are in terms of being able to pay for her college education at this point. If you would be spending her college money on this, then I would think twice.</p>

<p>That said, our kids have had a fabulous experience in a private school. The difference between their education and mine in a public school is (almost literally) light years. I have never begrudged the money spent, it has been worth it for us.</p>

<p>Every year a few new kids come into each high school class above the freshman level. I even remember once girl who came in as a senior in D1’s class. Obviously all schools are different, but if your D is reasonably social and has some extracurriculars she can jump into at a new school, most schools are pretty accomodating. My experience at D’s school has been that new kids are often initially invited to do things with several different groups of kids, and after a few months they settle in with a new group of friends. I suppose all schools might not be as friendly, of course.</p>

<p>One thing your D should do is a “shadow” day at schools you are considering where she spends a day going to classes. Gives a better feel for the school.</p>

<p>I will echo those that say 11th grade is the hardest year, and the guidance counselor alone can be worth making the move.</p>

<p>It would definitely NOT be considered minutia at our school to ask about the placement for various classes before making up your mind.</p>

<p>I do agree with some other posters that if you can’t swing the finances without risking the ability to pay for her college, you probably can make other expenditures for the next two years to improve things without moving schools. Specifically, community college (or in our state, college) classes are an option. And spend on educational summer programs and college counseling if you need to. You probably would still come out ahead financially.</p>

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<p>The student has to be in the drivers seat. The essays, interviews and testing are time consuming and grueling. Be aware, some schools may suggest applying as a repeat 10th grader. I recommend you should set up an interview/tour. The boardering schools often have Saturday tours. I believe an on-site experience will let your daughter decide quickly how much energy she is willing to put into the process. </p>

<p>Catholic Schools – Our area college prep catholics also have a diversity of religous backgrounds. It is common for practice Jewish students to attend.</p>

<p>My son goes to a private day and we explored boarding schools a few years ago. At most of the schools we reviewed the classes “mixed” grades/form and matched the academic needs, so taking Bio in 11th or 12th would not be an issue.</p>

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<p>Redroses is right. It is really hard to get a spot in the 11th grade. Certain schools offered spots only to politicians or other well connected people.
The admissions deadlines are in December in my area. You have to accept by March. The application process feels very much like applying ED to college IMO.</p>

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<p>My parents DID spend the college money on my private high school. (In the 70s BTW)</p>

<p>I do think that the money invested in the high school was worth having to take some college loans. Things are different – but the $2000 they paid for my high school vs. the $2500 college loans – absolutely worth it. To put things in perspective – first job out of college earned $8000/year.</p>