Which School To Choose

mangaii · Nov 8, 2019

I'm in dilemma which high school to choose. I have a option to send my daughter to 2 high schools.

S1 - Rated 10 . Highly competitive. High number of Asian kids
S2- Rated 7. 1 or 2 Indians in class. Very good after school program but with diverse population.

Both schools have drugs problem.

About my kid easily influenced by friends. Academics is good but need lot of guidance. Her preference S2 because she wants to be in challenging environment but my preference S1 since the teachers are known to be extremely strict at S1 when compared to S2. Any suggestions are welcome. Distance wise both are at same radius. Both schools have good and bad teachers. Hard to get into AP classes in S1 but very easy in S2.

Vedhavalli · Nov 9, 2019

I would choose S1.
Though it's tough to get AP classes.
Teachers are strict , they must be strict.
Her school experience would be enriched for college.

SpringB · Nov 9, 2019

Hi op

Greatschools.org gives you breakup of many factors to consider not just overall rating. College readiness, Teacher student ratio, student counselor ratio, demographics, test scores, stem courses offered etc. it would give you more insight if you can compare everything and then come to a decision. Do involve your child in decision making process.good luck

SinghManisha · Nov 9, 2019

I live in a school district where the high school is ranked amongst the best in the country. There is however , a lot of drugs, lot of stress and pressure because of parents expectations , high competition and inability to keep up with the competition. You know your daughter best. Maybe she will flourish in S2 where there is less pressure ?

Rihana · Nov 20, 2019

If they are private schools, go for the higher rated one. When opting for private school anyway, why pay tuition for a lower rated one would be the reason.

If they are public schools, then, based on the overall description, I’d say go with S2. In particular, the “easily influenced by friends” and “academics is good but need lot guidance” suggests that S2 will be easier on the child and the family. High school is stressful. There is no two ways about that. And they are still too young to know how to handle stress. S1 type of schools are a good fit for the driven, self-motivated kind of kids who thrive on stress and hectic schedules.

We chose an S2 kind of school, and it worked out good. As I look back at the past 3-5 years, I think that the school not being a high stress competitive one helped us as a family. There was enough energy left in me to handle life’s other challenges such as parents falling sick, passing away and our own health issues, mid-life crises and what not. We did worry a little about dipping grades, a C- that didn’t move up for 2-3 weeks close to grade closing date did make us nervous, but, on the whole, it was manageable as the school environment was not super competitive.

All that being said, the parents know best. At 14 or 15, they are still young. So, decide based on what you know now, and guide the child towards that decision. : )

If the dilemma does not resolve itself, simply choose the one with a later start time. Sleep, sweet sleep. : )