Schools are so large! How is it like? (Houston, Friendswood: theater, elementary school)

[tdsounds]

I feel like since our kids are in early elementary school stage. One is in 3rd grade and one is in 1st, they'll adjust fine. I tell my wife that high school is about in the upper 2500 students and she is shocked. We are coming from schools that have max of 800 students in high school. Anyone out there can give us insights?

We narrowed it down to moving to Katy or Friendswood. Sure Friendswood schools are a little smaller, but I don't think it makes a difference. I work offshore in the gulf and fly by helicopter; therefore, commute doesn't matter for me.

[descovy]

My daughter was a freshman this year in a high school in Katy. HIgh Schools are about 3000+.

I remember the principal telling us at 8thgrade meeting to get involved in one thing. Band, choir, theater, athletics, or one of the very many clubs out there. The good news is in a school that big there is something for everyone.

My daughter got involved in theater. It kept her busy... 5 days a week and most Saturday's. But it gives her a tight social circle. A tight social circle makes the school feel smaller and more manageable.

Compared to my background in a small high school, I think she is getting a better experience. In some ways her social life is better because she doesn't have to be "popular" to have a crew of good friends. And there's too many people to remember that embarrassing thing you did last year.

Now, I know there are kids that are striving to be top performers. And in these large schools, that can be very competitive and overwhelming. Thankfully we aren't in that strata. My kids are good students, but not destined for top 10%.

[testmo]

I graduated from a suburban houston school of 3000+ for 10 through 12. Graduating class was 1000+. I never knew anything but large schools. I liked it. Lots of kids someone for everyone. Kids have to be pretty outgoing to make friends but i witnessed very little bullying because its impossible to scapegoat or cast out people in a group that large.

You must participate in something. Band sports debate clubs something or your kid may go a little crazy. Fortunately houston schools have just about every sport and club imaginable.

Being top ten or top 8 for automatic acceptance to state schools is a lot harder. You could be awesome in class but still be ranked 300 out of 1000. In my graduating class top kids went to out of state private colleges or ivy leagues. Most of us went to local state or neighboring state schools (osu and lsu being the big ones)

[Houston321]

If you like small go private.

[texasroots77]

Lamar ISD caps there HS around 2000

[testmo]

Just remember private schools are ineligible for automatic acceptances due to rank. I know plenty of people who went to very expensive private schools and graduated from lone star or UH. Waste of their parents money

I bring this up because recently discussed this and acquaintance visablly threw up in his mouth. His next call was probably to the school to pull his daughter out

[trbstang]

Schools are much larger than the 400 or so per grade when my wife and I graduated, and we thought that was large. Some of the Cy-Fair schools have a "house" system where they break up the kids into smaller groups and that way they keep the same friends in their core classes all 4 years, along with the same counselors and assistant principals, etc. in an attempt to foster a smaller school atmosphere.

Getting involved in groups is good advice. My daughter was in soccer and orchestra, and my oldest son was in orchestra and both were in all advanced classes they could take, so they were with pretty much the same group of kids and did well.

best of luck in your move and decisions!

[Houston321]

Originally Posted by testmo

Just remember private schools are ineligible for automatic acceptances due to rank. I know plenty of people who went to very expensive private schools and graduated from lone star or UH. Waste of their parents money

Originally Posted by testmo

I bring this up because recently discussed this and acquaintance visablly threw up in his mouth. His next call was probably to the school to pull his daughter out

So you know a lot of people who went to private high school who then went on to Lonestar? That's funny, because I don't and I have a bit of inside knowledge on this subject. If your only focus is to get into A&M or UT, then by all means go public. But there are a few thousand other colleges out there to choose from.

In fact, I've seen the college acceptance lists from seniors at Strake, St. John's, St. Agnes, Kincaid...etc., and you may be shocked that I don't recall Lonestar being on there.

[lipbalm]

Originally Posted by Houston321

So you know a lot of people who went to private high school who then went on to Lonestar? That's funny, because I don't and I have a bit of inside knowledge on this subject. If your only focus is to get into A&M or UT, then by all means go public. But there are a few thousand other colleges out there to choose from.

In fact, I've seen the college acceptance lists from seniors at Strake, St. John's, St. Agnes, Kincaid...etc., and you may be shocked that I don't recall Lonestar being on there.

S**t, if you got enough money and connections it does not really matter, just look at W, he was admitted to Yale.

[swopoe]

These high schools are the size of my undergraduate college. It is still foreign and crazy to me (my high school graduating class was 152 in a Baltimore suburb in the mid 90s).

But somehow the kids here survive.