My personal experience (as a young adult looking back) on West PISD (Plano: fit in, high schools)

[unknown00]

So I actually went to Shepton > Plano West and my youngest sibling just graduated a couple years ago. This is very recent. My entire family actually went through this specific feeder...here are my honest thoughts so you can think about your children too

• It's very competitive. I was not top 10% (my siblings were), it is tough to get top 10%. I know a couple friends who actually moved to Plano Central just to be top 10%
• If you are not smart, you will drop quickly in rank. Let's pretend your child is just stupid (for whatever random reason). If they don't do well in school, since it's so competitive, their rank will drop fast and furiously
• A lot say Jasper feeder is better than Shepton feeder. Having close friends that went to Jasper, I can say there is slim to no difference in "education standard"
• It is tough to fit in. Keep in mind, Plano West the avg age is around 16. The avg 16 year old's car (if priced new) is ~$40k+. There were a lot more Mercedes, Audi, Hummer, Lexus, BMW, Infiniti than there are Ford and Toyota. All the young girls had $1k+ purses around school. I really have no idea how they have so much money to spend
• Did it academically "prep" you for college and the "more difficult" workload in college? I would say no

Let me know if you have any questions! Just trying to help others

[dallas89]

Originally Posted by unknown00

So I actually went to Shepton > Plano West and my youngest sibling just graduated a couple years ago. This is very recent. My entire family actually went through this specific feeder...here are my honest thoughts so you can think about your children too

• It's very competitive. I was not top 10% (my siblings were), it is tough to get top 10%. I know a couple friends who actually moved to Plano Central just to be top 10%
• If you are not smart, you will drop quickly in rank. Let's pretend your child is just stupid (for whatever random reason). If they don't do well in school, since it's so competitive, their rank will drop fast and furiously
• A lot say Jasper feeder is better than Shepton feeder. Having close friends that went to Jasper, I can say there is slim to no difference in "education standard"
• It is tough to fit in. Keep in mind, Plano West the avg age is around 16. The avg 16 year old's car (if priced new) is ~$40k+. There were a lot more Mercedes, Audi, Hummer, Lexus, BMW, Infiniti than there are Ford and Toyota. All the young girls had $1k+ purses around school. I really have no idea how they have so much money to spend
• Did it academically "prep" you for college and the "more difficult" workload in college? I would say no

Let me know if you have any questions! Just trying to help others

Unfortunately, this is the pitfall that exists within competitive high schools and kids eventually miss the automatic 10% admission into public universities in Texas.

[bencronin04]

What makes you think it did not prepare you better for college as opposed to say a middle or lower performing high school?

[unknown00]

Originally Posted by bencronin04

What makes you think it did not prepare you better for college as opposed to say a middle or lower performing high school?

As many people in this forum have posted, it depends on the individual rather than the school. Then again, this applies to just about every education post made on this forum lol

I did not do well in high school, so I did not do well in college. I have friends that I met in college that went to a "lower tier" high school in DFW, they did better than me in college. My siblings did really well in high school, so they did well in college.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by unknown00

So I actually went to Shepton > Plano West and my youngest sibling just graduated a couple years ago. This is very recent. My entire family actually went through this specific feeder...here are my honest thoughts so you can think about your children too

• It's very competitive. I was not top 10% (my siblings were), it is tough to get top 10%. I know a couple friends who actually moved to Plano Central just to be top 10%
• If you are not smart, you will drop quickly in rank. Let's pretend your child is just stupid (for whatever random reason). If they don't do well in school, since it's so competitive, their rank will drop fast and furiously
• A lot say Jasper feeder is better than Shepton feeder. Having close friends that went to Jasper, I can say there is slim to no difference in "education standard"
• It is tough to fit in. Keep in mind, Plano West the avg age is around 16. The avg 16 year old's car (if priced new) is ~$40k+. There were a lot more Mercedes, Audi, Hummer, Lexus, BMW, Infiniti than there are Ford and Toyota. All the young girls had $1k+ purses around school. I really have no idea how they have so much money to spend
• Did it academically "prep" you for college and the "more difficult" workload in college? I would say no

Let me know if you have any questions! Just trying to help others

Hmmmmm...... When did Plano Senior High change its name to Plano Central?

[bencronin04]

Originally Posted by unknown00

As many people in this forum have posted, it depends on the individual rather than the school. Then again, this applies to just about every education post made on this forum lol

I did not do well in high school, so I did not do well in college. I have friends that I met in college that went to a "lower tier" high school in DFW, they did better than me in college. My siblings did really well in high school, so they did well in college.

Just because someone doesn't do well in HS or does, is not a pure reflection on how well they will do in college.

I for example went to HPHS, graduated in the top 30% of my class, made above a 1400 on my SAT (back when it was on a 1600 scale) and a 34 on my ACT. I failed my first semester of college because I did not go to class. My parents were extremely strict growing up. When I went off to school I had no supervision and a CC without a spending limit on it. Too much for me to handle at that age. That was not a poor reflection on my high school by any stretch of the imagination.

*Just trying to give some other perspective.

[unknown00]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Hmmmmm...... When did Plano Senior High change its name to Plano Central?

LOL my apologies, I meant Plano Senior

[Lakewooder]

Personally I think being in a smaller school provides more chances for leadership, which is a key to success in college and life.

[dallas89]

It is my belief that if someone knows how to self-teach (which requires self motivation) to supplement what they learn in the classroom, they will do well in HS and college. Those are the ones who excel no matter the class or school. There are many teachers/professors that do not know how to teach.

[aggie972]

Originally Posted by dallas89

Unfortunately, this is the pitfall that exists within competitive high schools and kids eventually miss the automatic 10% admission into public universities in Texas.

For now at least, you can still get into Texas A&M automatically if you're top 25% and get a 1300+ on your SAT. That may change in the future.