Raising kids in the city (Chicago, Lincoln: transfer, best school, colleges)

[NealIRC]

There might be a slight advantage of taking your kids to a crappy high school.

If you put your kids in a crappy school mixed with other races, it's easier for your kids to have a high rank, and closer to the valedictorian. So colleges see how high in the percentile you are.

Whereas if you put your kids in an elite school, mixed with intelligent Jewish kids, then their class-rank goes down. Hell, they could be below the 50th percentile. And that can look bad for college. ^_^;

[emathias]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

There might be a slight advantage of taking your kids to a crappy high school.

If you put your kids in a crappy school mixed with other races, it's easier for your kids to have a high rank, and closer to the valedictorian. So colleges see how high in the percentile you are.

Whereas if you put your kids in an elite school, mixed with intelligent Jewish kids, then their class-rank goes down. Hell, they could be below the 50th percentile. And that can look bad for college. ^_^;

Colleges mostly look at GPA, not rank. Most that would look at rank would also look at the quality of the high school. Admissions boards at good universities aren't stupid.

At a public high school with 4,000 students, chances of being a valedictorian are slim even if your kid is smarter than average. I don't know that the chance would be appreciably different than being a smart kid in a school with 400 higher-performing students. The best chance might be going to a tiny public district like the one I went to where I was in a graduating class of 33 students. But even then, the main value of being a valedictorian is that there are certain scholarships that are targeted to valedictorians.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by emathias

Colleges mostly look at GPA, not rank.

Then my equivalent argument is to go to an easy school and get the higher GPA.

If you put your kid in a gifted school and he falls behind in grades, and you're not parent enough to help out on that, chances are, you're not parent enough to raise your kids on your own for your kids to surpass the mediocre students.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Then my equivalent argument is to go to an easy school and get the higher GPA.

If you put your kid in a gifted school and he falls behind in grades, and you're not parent enough to help out on that, chances are, you're not parent enough to raise your kids on your own for your kids to surpass the mediocre students.

From my days as a high school teacher, when I had opportunity to meet with admissions personnel of colleges, through my own kids' efforts to get into college and as reinforced by articles in all sorts of magazines and newspapers, kids that try to "game the system" by going to schools that are "not as challenging" fare poorly --
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2...anscript/?_r=0

...make note of trends (upward and downward) in your academic performance and look to see whether you’re choosing challenging courses. We examine your school’s profile to see the kind of academic program it offers. We look back on historical data to see who else from your high school has applied to Holy Cross and what their transcripts looked like.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

My kids are freaked out when we have to go out to the suburbs.

I can see this... A few years ago, before we became suburban residents, we took our kids out to Arlington Heights to visit an old friend. We drove out there during daylight, but came home after dark. And my kids were totally freaked out by the low light levels in the suburbs and the unfamiliar landscape. And we're not talking about some isolated wooded subdivision... This was major streets in Arlington Heights and the expressways. They thought that some of the streetlights looked like "creepy fingers" and were genuinely scared by the dimly lit, unfamiliar suburban environment around them.

Clearly they have since adjusted, however.

[TheSunshineKid]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Then my equivalent argument is to go to an easy school and get the higher GPA.

If you put your kid in a gifted school and he falls behind in grades, and you're not parent enough to help out on that, chances are, you're not parent enough to raise your kids on your own for your kids to surpass the mediocre students.

Highly selective universities also take into the student's course selection - AP and honor courses. Class difficulty is put into consideration.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

There might be a slight advantage of taking your kids to a crappy high school.

If you put your kids in a crappy school mixed with other races, it's easier for your kids to have a high rank, and closer to the valedictorian. So colleges see how high in the percentile you are.

Whereas if you put your kids in an elite school, mixed with intelligent Jewish kids, then their class-rank goes down. Hell, they could be below the 50th percentile. And that can look bad for college. ^_^;

High school difficulty is number rated by colleges, so they know a kid getting a B in an Honors class at a top rated school is often more challenged than a kid getting an A in an Honors class at a lower rated school. This is why you see so many <4.0 GPA students at top area High Schools getting into rather competitive colleges. There may be 1-2 years difference in standard curriculum levels between school districts, and colleges know that. Also, the # and quality of Honors/AP courses is better at the top-tier city/suburban schools.

[ChiAreaGuy]

Um... the thing that chet Everett mentioned about the program in the public schools, isn't exactly the same as a public school, a friend in Bucktown went to a "Magnet" school like this.
Raising kids in Chicago means you HAVE, and I mean, HAVE to go to private school. Even in Bucktown, Lincoln Park, and other fortunate areas do NOT have good schools! Do NOT be fooled by GreatSchools! Absolutely no!

Unless you are going to private school, no, just no. But if you are, then here's the life in the city:
- Kids go to school every day
- You can stop at a local grocery store(as always)
- You can visit Brookfield Zoo, which I do with my son.
- Visit Chicago! You save on gas for the most part. Doesn't have to be a 100 dollar trip all the time with all the tours and stuff. Sometimes, just a little shopping and walk.

Private schools in Chicago cost around 10,000 dollars a year though, in the suburbs, more like 5000 dollars. Yet still, I think that even though some schools in Chicago excel suburb private schools, suburban private schools do better than most city private schools.

[divakat]

I remember applying to college. It didn't matter that I came from a very high ranking high school. All they looked at was my class rank, ACT (or SAT) and GPA at the big 10 schools I wanted to go to. My guidance counselor literally pulled out the chart. On the top line was class rank, middle was ACT scores and on the bottom was GPA. The lower one was, the higher the others had to be in order to fall into the acceptance pile.

If you're trying to get into private schools, they look more at your personal statement, extra curricular activities, etc.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ChiAreaGuy

Um... the thing that chet Everett mentioned about the program in the public schools, isn't exactly the same as a public school, a friend in Bucktown went to a "Magnet" school like this.
Raising kids in Chicago means you HAVE, and I mean, HAVE to go to private school. Even in Bucktown, Lincoln Park, and other fortunate areas do NOT have good schools! Do NOT be fooled by GreatSchools! Absolutely no!

Uhm... wrong. For all its faults, CPS has some of the best schools in the state. Even many of the neighborhood high schools have challenging honors programs and IB programs for the kids and parents who are actually interested in successful academic outcomes.