High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Honestly, I have my doubts that every single high school in a place like Chicago wouldn't have them.
I mean, you can't really avoid stuff like this forever; you just kind of have to learn how to deal with it. Plus, if anything, they probably show up even more often in private schools.

What exactly makes this different from the identical topic that has already been thoroughly discussed?

The focus here should be on enrollment rules, graduation requirements, and admissions processes rather than the schools themselves 🤷

rowdypanther12 said:Looks like you've got a little one there 😂
Here 😂

God... what else is coming for me? 🤦

Susan James said:By the way, I caught an interview on TV last night with the superintendent from Springfield 🙏

Honestly, he’s turned that school into such a mess, so it isn't surprising that they had six applicants all vying for the top spot.
The school definitely needs a formal entrance exam. Once you see how things are actually running there, it feels unfair to let kids enroll based solely on their GPA—even if those exam scores don't carry as much weight as they should right now. It would at least be a start.

He’s a genuinely great guy.👍
I think I even put up with an incredibly unbearable tone from certain people just because I respect him so much.🙄
He took a school that was essentially nothing and transformed it into one of the premier institutions in the city—maybe even the entire state.
I suspect the rest of the establishment resents him simply because he serves as such a perfect example of what can actually be achieved when someone possesses both a clear vision and the sheer will to execute it.

silentmason4 said:Honestly, I have my doubts that every single high school in a place like Chicago wouldn't have them.
I mean, you can't really avoid stuff like this forever; you just kind of have to learn how to deal with it. Plus, if anything, they probably show up even more often in private schools.

It's not about avoiding the issue entirely; it's more about finding a school where that isn't the main focus. 😉
Way back when I was in high school, the curriculum used to be structured around sixth grade and classical studies. 😁
It’s quite different from the streets near I-95 and I-10 that I pass by almost every single day. 😬

Back in the day, "classic" was basically code for the alternative crowd, but honestly, you’ll find every kind of subculture under one roof in any high school these days.

To me, that doesn't feel like the best way to decide which high school to go to.

hiddendriver34 said:Back in the day, "classic" was basically code for the alternative crowd, but honestly, you’ll find every kind of subculture under one roof in any high school these days.

To me, that doesn't feel like the best way to decide which high school to go to.

I don't agree either, though people have made much worse choices when picking a school (myself included).😂

What I'm actually wondering about is the distinction between a "good" prep school and a "bad" one—don't they all follow the same curriculum?
And is a general college-prep track the best route for kids who excel at both languages and math but haven't figured out what they want to major in yet?

rowdypanther12 said:I don't agree either, though people have made much worse choices when picking a school (myself included).😂

What I'm actually wondering about is the distinction between a "good" prep school and a "bad" one—don't they all follow the same curriculum?
And is a general college-prep track the best route for kids who excel at both languages and math but haven't figured out what they want to major in yet?

1. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure myself. Usually, people judge a school based on how their students perform in academic competitions or their SAT scores. But it's a bit of a "chicken or the egg" situation, right? Are those schools actually better at teaching, or do they just happen to attract the smartest kids from the local elementary schools?

2. Yeah, definitely.

hiddendriver34 said:1. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure myself. Usually, people judge a school based on how their students perform in academic competitions or their SAT scores. But it's a bit of a "chicken or the egg" situation, right? Are those schools actually better at teaching, or do they just happen to attract the smartest kids from the local elementary schools?

2. Yeah, definitely.

It's pretty much the same deal as those "good" elementary schools—at the end of the day, it really just comes down to how much a kid chooses to get out of it.

rowdypanther12 said:It's pretty much the same deal as those "good" elementary schools—at the end of the day, it really just comes down to how much a kid chooses to get out of it.

Look, I never said all schools were identical. What I'm saying is that it’s incredibly tough to find a reliable yardstick when you're an outsider trying to spot which school is truly "better" than the next. Every single one has teachers who are amazing and others who are... well, not. A lot of it really just comes down to luck and which specific teacher ends up in your classroom.

hiddendriver34 said:Look, I never said all schools were identical. What I'm saying is that it’s incredibly tough to find a reliable yardstick when you're an outsider trying to spot which school is truly "better" than the next. Every single one has teachers who are amazing and others who are... well, not. A lot of it really just comes down to luck and which specific teacher ends up in your classroom.

To be honest, as a parent, my main priority is making sure the school isn't overwhelming. I want my kid to have enough free time for hanging out with friends, sports, and just relaxing. 😁
The stories I hear about certain prep schools—where kids are basically glued to tablets just to stay calm or are studying eight hours a day—are honestly pretty terrifying to me.
Of course, half of that is probably exaggerated; I know how much people blow things out of proportion, like those horror stories about elementary school curriculums being too advanced for kids to handle. Still, high school feels like such uncharted territory for me that I really need to do my homework and ask around. 😁

rowdypanther12 said:To be honest, as a parent, my main priority is making sure the school isn't overwhelming. I want my kid to have enough free time for hanging out with friends, sports, and just relaxing. 😁
The stories I hear about certain prep schools—where kids are basically glued to tablets just to stay calm or are studying eight hours a day—are honestly pretty terrifying to me.
Of course, half of that is probably exaggerated; I know how much people blow things out of proportion, like those horror stories about elementary school curriculums being too advanced for kids to handle. Still, high school feels like such uncharted territory for me that I really need to do my homework and ask around. 😁

I honestly think this is just something perfectionists do when they’re desperately trying to cling to that high GPA they had back in middle school, even though they can't quite hack it anymore. If you just loosen up the standards a bit and accept that you don't always have to be the absolute best at everything, you won't feel the need to obsess over those standardized test scores in high school.

Look, I totally get it. High school honors programs can be an absolute gauntlet for kids who spent middle school coasting on nothing but inflated grades and participation trophies. If a student enters high school with average abilities—or even slightly below average—but their elementary school report card makes them look like a genius, they’re going to hit a massive wall. It’s a total reality check. Honestly, any parent with half a brain can look at their kid and realize pretty quickly whether they actually belong in that advanced track or if they're just set up for a burnout.

rowdypanther12 said:To be honest, as a parent, my main priority is making sure the school isn't overwhelming. I want my kid to have enough free time for hanging out with friends, sports, and just relaxing. 😁
The stories I hear about certain prep schools—where kids are basically glued to tablets just to stay calm or are studying eight hours a day—are honestly pretty terrifying to me.
Of course, half of that is probably exaggerated; I know how much people blow things out of proportion, like those horror stories about elementary school curriculums being too advanced for kids to handle. Still, high school feels like such uncharted territory for me that I really need to do my homework and ask around. 😁

In those extreme cases, I’d argue that students who have to grind that hard simply aren't a good fit for that specific school environment. 🙂 It’s like when a kid pulls straight A's in elementary school but doesn't actually grasp the fundamentals...
then they enroll in an elite prep academy and everything falls apart.

I hear similar complaints about middle schools too, so I can't help but wonder what's really going on.
😕

Thanks, northerntiger9!

I’m honestly just thinking about taking on an extra load alongside high school because he absolutely refuses to drop his other school, no matter what I say.
Part of me is secretly hoping he doesn't pass the entrance exams, because if he actually makes it in, I might as well just rent him a room in the city since there's no way he'll have any time to be home anyway.
But am I going to forbid him or try to hold him back? No, I won't.
The kid has every right to quit whenever he decides he's had enough—just like he did back in middle school.
For now, his big plan is to skip most of those elective classes at school, claiming he'll just keep learning a second language through some app, LOL.
Talk about lightening the workload, right?

She hasn't made up her mind yet, and thankfully, we've still got plenty of time.
Right now, whenever she mentions a school, I pull up Google maps and show her exactly how long the commute would take. 😁
Because of that, our family is leaning heavily toward schools in the National Geographic area. A huge plus is that they aren't those old, crumbling buildings built back in the day—they actually have modern earthquake safety standards and decent gyms. Plus, it would be super convenient for my morning commute to drop her off nearby, which might let her sleep in an extra half hour or so.
I try not to meddle too much in which specific track she chooses. I just know she wants a solid college prep curriculum, and honestly, that’s enough for me to ensure she’s ready for the SATs. Beyond that, I don't need to worry about it... I'm not stressing over the test scores themselves.

My biggest fear is that she gets distracted by something like a specialized sports academy out in the middle of nowhere, involving hours of driving every single day. I haven't heard anything good about places like that.

Michelle Nelson4 said:She hasn't made up her mind yet, and thankfully, we've still got plenty of time.
Right now, whenever she mentions a school, I pull up Google maps and show her exactly how long the commute would take. 😁
Because of that, our family is leaning heavily toward schools in the National Geographic area. A huge plus is that they aren't those old, crumbling buildings built back in the day—they actually have modern earthquake safety standards and decent gyms. Plus, it would be super convenient for my morning commute to drop her off nearby, which might let her sleep in an extra half hour or so.
I try not to meddle too much in which specific track she chooses. I just know she wants a solid college prep curriculum, and honestly, that’s enough for me to ensure she’s ready for the SATs. Beyond that, I don't need to worry about it... I'm not stressing over the test scores themselves.

My biggest fear is that she gets distracted by something like a specialized sports academy out in the middle of nowhere, involving hours of driving every single day. I haven't heard anything good about places like that.

Man, that area is basically downtown 😁
I was actually just thinking about that, specifically regarding the trip to school. My daughter doesn't really know much about high schools—not even the names, honestly, I only know a couple and where they're located.
She's still weighing her options between the language track or the math track.
And I'm a little lost on how much that actually impacts college admissions later on.🤷
That wasn't really a thing back when I was in school.🧐

rowdypanther12 said:Looks like you've got a little one there 😂
Here 😂

Straight up, haha
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

My kid still has a long way to go before high school, but generally speaking—if they know they want a prep school track but aren't sure if architecture or dentistry is the end goal—it's better to stick to a general academic track.

For math-heavy tracks, I always recommend those aiming for MIT, major research universities, or engineering schools. You'll be grinding through math hours a week much more intensely than in a general or liberal arts track.

Honestly, though? I’d rather my kid finish trade school to become a contractor. Based on how long it took me to find a reliable handyman over the last six months, they'll probably have work lined up sooner. 👎

I don't really buy that she's actually stressed enough to want to go into something like social work. She just gravitates toward those subjects because there isn't much studying involved—it's more about practice, which she finds fun.
On the other hand, she’s way more interested in the humanities, but unfortunately, those require actual studying. 😬