50 Best Public High Schools - Atlanta Magazine (Roswell, Marietta: real estate, apartment)

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

No, but college admission departments certainly do.

Being ranked in the top 20th percentile at MLK or Frederick Douglas and (insert East Cobb School here) are two very, very different things. One requires the ability to fog a mirror, the other requires multiple AP classes and a 4.0+ GPA.

Actually,

From a college admissions point of view...

Things being relatively equal (score range {not exact score}, course load, extracurriculars, etc.)...a student from a more socioeconomically diverse/mixed school would have the edge over a student from East Cobb, North Fulton, Parkview-Brookwood, etc...

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Georgia

Dacula is still on the list after all the chopping due to two new schools Archer and Mountain View, which are not on the list. Another portion went over to Mill Creek which is on the list.

Georgia and Mr. Panda--

Remember...

Newer schools (Lambert, Archer, Mountain View, Allatoona, etc...) may not have enough data available yet to be included on the list.

[mrpanda]

Who would have a better chance to be admitted to Emory or Georgia Tech.

A student in the top 10% at Peachtree Ridge with a 3.9 GPA or a student in the top 25% at Northview with a 3.2 GPA? Due to the competitive natural in Northview, wouldn't a high school have a better change of making Ivy from Peachtree Ridge than Northview?

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Actually,

From a college admissions point of view...

Things being relatively equal (score range {not exact score}, course load, extracurriculars, etc.)...a student from a more socioeconomically diverse/mixed school would have the edge over a student from East Cobb, North Fulton, Parkview-Brookwood, etc...

That is a huge assumption to make and not in-line with the comparison I was making.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

That is a huge assumption to make and not in-line with the comparison I was making.

Um...

I am not making an "assumption." Why would I and what would I have to gain?

This is known by people "in the know"...and it something that many do not realize.

[mrpanda]

Then whys is Johns Creek HS ranked while Lambert is not? Both schools started in 2010.

Originally Posted by aries4118

Georgia and Mr. Panda--

Remember...

Newer schools (Lambert, Archer, Mountain View, Allatoona, etc...) may not have enough data available yet to be included on the list.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by mrpanda

Who would have a better chance to be admitted to Emory or Georgia Tech.

A student in the top 10% at Peachtree Ridge with a 3.9 GPA or a student in the top 25% at Northview with a 3.2 GPA? Due to the competitive natural in Northview, wouldn't a high school have a better change of making Ivy from Peachtree Ridge than Northview?

From the data you gave, the PRHS student.


However, there would be other factors taken to account...some big (SAT and/or ACT test scores, and coursework/courseload)...as well extracurriculars, part-time job, community service, and personal essay/writing samples.

Northview student could gain an edge with the other factors (but it would be difficult...unless the 3.9 Peachtree Ridge took a very non-demanding schedule in comparison to the Northview student...remember, the same overall curriculum, coursework, and activities would be offered at both schools).

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by mrpanda

Then whys is Johns Creek HS ranked while Lambert is not? Both schools started in 2010.

I said may.

I just know that it often takes newer schools a few years to show up on the lists.

Also, John Creek HS may have had a full senior class before Lambert HS. The more I think about it, this may the case. I think Forsyth County fills in their newer high schools more slowly (only starting with a 9th grade class while 10th, 11th, 12th grade students just remain at their old schools). Cherokee and DeKalb county fill their new high schools this way as well.

If Fulton is like Cobb, most new high schools would start with a full 9th and 10th grade, and then a few 11th grade students in the mix.

[mrpanda]

Anybody have any updated info on Peachtree Ridge? I am suprised PTRHS beat out the other Suwanee Gwinnett High Schools.

17. Peachtree Ridge - Gwinnett
26. Collins Hill - Gwinnett
34. North Gwinnett - Gwinnett
35. Duluth - Gwinnett

[ATLTJL]

There was a recent redistricting and Peachtree Ridge pretty much got a huge victory. People in the Duluth cluster are upset because they got more free lunch kids from local apartments and Peachtree Ridge got to keep some better neighborhoods. That was fairly recent, though, and may not have come into play for this ranking.

I'm worried about Duluth high school. It seems like it's still pretty good, but Gwinnett county constantly craps on it. It's almost like they WANT it to decline, or they are just sacrificing it to keep nearby schools high quality. The good news is the people of Duluth are not a quiet bunch and will not go silently into the night, so the fight for Duluth high school may help raise the ranking in future years. This is the same community that kept out a Super Wal-mart!!! (which ironically enough, probably would have been districted for Peachtree Ridge, but I don't know the exact borders). Who else can say they did that?

Anyway, going to a good high school makes a huge difference. Kids who succeed at lousy high schools may not lose out on college admissions, but there are many more hurdles to succeeding at such schools. Success at them also isn't as good a predictor of success in college. Kids who go to high quality schools and take a lot of AP classes are much more likely not to freak out when they get to college and screw up because they are already used to rigorous coursework.

As anybody who has read Outliers knows, success is often a result of luck and the opportunities that are available due to being in the right place at the right time. Kids at highly ranked schools have better access to knowledgable teachers, better equipment, better classes, and are in an environment where academic success is rewarded instead of considered uncool. It's not impossible for a kid to get a great education at a poorly performing school, but it's much easier at a high performing one. You are setting your child up for more success by picking a good school for him or her.

Also, let's not forget about networking! We all know in the real world who you know is as important as what you know....so kids that go to good schools have stronger networks of successful professionals to tap into later in life. They also have better bands, drinks, and appetizers at their high school reunions.

I'm a fan of good schools. They may not be the end all, be all for predicting success, but I think they play very influential roles. They also keep housing values up and build a sense of community. A community that makes investment in education and the future for its children understands how to build a good community and shows a sense of having the correct priorities.