High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

To jump into the San Francisco discussions—aside from our local three (I think I’m roughly in the same age bracket as you all)—they now have the Salesian school (which requires a baptismal certificate for enrollment), the Natural Sciences school (formerly the Chemical-Graphic school, which they rebranded and expanded), and then there's that private Ljudevita Adamica

The rush for the sports track in San Francisco is really just because there aren't any other options. There is a sports program at the Salesian school, but you can't get in unless you're religious. I haven't heard a single good thing about that track—in fact, I was actually advised to just stick with a standard program.

As for GAM 😍, it isn't exactly a mad scramble; apparently, getting in isn't an issue since parents and kids are mostly afraid of 😬. In San Francisco, it carries the same weight as the top math academies in DC, and plenty of people just don't want to make that trek, so the enrollment isn't crowded. My kid leans toward math too, so I'm weighing whether to "treat" him to GAM or not. Luckily, we still have plenty of time to start thinking about it. I’d love to see a dedicated high school hub built over in Brooklyn—there's talk of it again—but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon.

If I recall correctly, there’s an Opatija High School around here too.
Then "back in our day" just becomes the easiest excuse to use, right?
And the Salesian school isn't exactly new either; they already had students enrolled back when I was still hitting the halls of high school.

We have the same thing in Santa Monica—though I hadn't really considered that... You're right about the Salesian one, too. I think they used to just have the classic version, but they've expanded since then.

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.

Back in eighth grade, I was absolutely dead set on going to this specialized language academy... except it wasn't even in my town, it was in this other, distant city that was a total nightmare to get to. 28 miles First, it was a thirty-minute trek on foot just to reach the station, then you had to deal with a forty-minute bus or train ride.
My dad basically told me, "Sure, you can go, but first you're going to help me out with some stuff." He ended up signing me up for these winter workshops at a school right near the language academy—just to give me a taste of what serious commuting actually feels like.
I finished all four days of the workshop, but honestly? I called it quits on the language academy by the second day. 🤣

Sarah Hall53 said:Back in eighth grade, I was absolutely dead set on going to this specialized language academy... except it wasn't even in my town, it was in this other, distant city that was a total nightmare to get to. 28 miles First, it was a thirty-minute trek on foot just to reach the station, then you had to deal with a forty-minute bus or train ride.
My dad basically told me, "Sure, you can go, but first you're going to help me out with some stuff." He ended up signing me up for these winter workshops at a school right near the language academy—just to give me a taste of what serious commuting actually feels like.
I finished all four days of the workshop, but honestly? I called it quits on the language academy by the second day. 🤣

Honestly, hats off to her dad for that move. 👍
Hats off!

—and he seriously had to work out some kind of system with me, because if someone tells me "you can't," my only possible response is basically: "oh yeah? You want to go? I can take you on once, twice, and I'll even make sure to grab a selfie while I'm at it!" 🤣

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?

A school is at its best when it can actually keep a great teacher on staff. It makes such a massive difference when you don't have to deal with constant turnover or those frustrating gaps in the schedule while waiting for someone new to pass a certification exam. Plus, it’s much smoother when you aren't constantly dealing with unexpected absences that leave classrooms empty. Stability really is everything.
It’s also about how that chaos impacts everything else—like the personality traits children develop or the kind of parents they eventually become.

Even if the curriculum is exactly the same, you’ll find that the kids enrolling in them couldn't be more different.

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?

No need.
When you look at different academic tracks, the main difference usually boils down to how much time they dedicate to math versus language arts. In my experience, one program might lean heavily into calculus and statistics, while another focuses more on literature and composition. It really just depends on which direction the curriculum is heading. 🤷
That one hour of language class they lose compared to what general education students get in first and second grade? It’s honestly not a dealbreaker if the kids land a truly amazing teacher, or if they're lucky enough to have the same instructor year after year. Having that kind of consistency makes a world of difference. Besides, being able to master two foreign languages is just a massive bonus on top of everything else.
The math-heavy tracks with heaps of computer science hours definitely deviate from these two options. But honestly, it’s a far cry from the old days when having five hours of math and five hours of CS a week meant you were basically "exempt" from history. Back then, you'd just have some hyperactive teacher from the suburbs rambling on and handing out easy A's to everyone. The faculty just looked the other way, and parents didn't bother sticking their noses in because everyone knew the kids were heading straight for MIT or med school anyway. It felt better to let them breeze through without wasting years memorizing useless trivia. Eda, the general track only has three hours of history in fourth grade, which I think is the biggest drawback of that direction—just feels like a waste of time on stuff that doesn't matter.

I honestly feel like high schools are such a vital resource for students who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their lives yet... and frankly, I think that’s exactly how they should be. It gives everyone a bit of breathing room to figure things out.

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.

Honestly, I think those are two of the silliest criteria I've ever heard.
I’ve been thinking about how much goes into those big final exams, like the SATs or high school graduation tests. It really feels like success isn't just about what happens during that one stressful week in May. If you look at the big picture, a student's performance is shaped by their entire academic journey—everything from the foundation they built in elementary school to the challenges they tackled in middle school. It’s also about those extracurriculars, whether it's playing varsity soccer or being part of the debate team, which build so much discipline. Even those expensive prep courses people sign up for right before the big day play a role. To me, high school is really just one single data point in a much larger, lifelong testing process.
The competitions themselves are just another ridiculous criterion that I honestly don't have the energy to explain right now.

Wait, so the total number of hours for other subjects changes too? It isn't just the math or English blocks being swapped out? 😵
Now I'm even more confused about the differences 😂

Susan James said:A school is at its best when it can actually keep a great teacher on staff. It makes such a massive difference when you don't have to deal with constant turnover or those frustrating gaps in the schedule while waiting for someone new to pass a certification exam. Plus, it’s much smoother when you aren't constantly dealing with unexpected absences that leave classrooms empty. Stability really is everything.
It’s also about how that chaos impacts everything else—like the personality traits children develop or the kind of parents they eventually become.

Even if the curriculum is exactly the same, you’ll find that the kids enrolling in them couldn't be more different.

No need.
When you look at different academic tracks, the main difference usually boils down to how much time they dedicate to math versus language arts. In my experience, one program might lean heavily into calculus and statistics, while another focuses more on literature and composition. It really just depends on which direction the curriculum is heading. 🤷
That one hour of language class they lose compared to what general education students get in first and second grade? It’s honestly not a dealbreaker if the kids land a truly amazing teacher, or if they're lucky enough to have the same instructor year after year. Having that kind of consistency makes a world of difference. Besides, being able to master two foreign languages is just a massive bonus on top of everything else.
The math-heavy tracks with heaps of computer science hours definitely deviate from these two options. But honestly, it’s a far cry from the old days when having five hours of math and five hours of CS a week meant you were basically "exempt" from history. Back then, you'd just have some hyperactive teacher from the suburbs rambling on and handing out easy A's to everyone. The faculty just looked the other way, and parents didn't bother sticking their noses in because everyone knew the kids were heading straight for MIT or med school anyway. It felt better to let them breeze through without wasting years memorizing useless trivia. Eda, the general track only has three hours of history in fourth grade, which I think is the biggest drawback of that direction—just feels like a waste of time on stuff that doesn't matter.

I honestly feel like high schools are such a vital resource for students who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their lives yet... and frankly, I think that’s exactly how they should be. It gives everyone a bit of breathing room to figure things out.

Honestly, I think those are two of the silliest criteria I've ever heard.
I’ve been thinking about how much goes into those big final exams, like the SATs or high school graduation tests. It really feels like success isn't just about what happens during that one stressful week in May. If you look at the big picture, a student's performance is shaped by their entire academic journey—everything from the foundation they built in elementary school to the challenges they tackled in middle school. It’s also about those extracurriculars, whether it's playing varsity soccer or being part of the debate team, which build so much discipline. Even those expensive prep courses people sign up for right before the big day play a role. To me, high school is really just one single data point in a much larger, lifelong testing process.
The competitions themselves are just another ridiculous criterion that I honestly don't have the energy to explain right now.

Horvatinović? 🤣
I’m pretty sure my teacher was lecturing us on Marxism, not history. 😁

rowdypanther12 said:Wait, so the total number of hours for other subjects changes too? It isn't just the math or English blocks being swapped out? 😵
Now I'm even more confused about the differences 😂

Exactly.
Regarding math, the difference only applies to the first two grades; by third and fourth grade, both the academic and general tracks have three hours.
As for why the general track has three hours of history in the final year—honestly, I have no clue. It feels like a total waste of time unless you're planning on going into political science or law.

They also have one hour of psychology in second and third grade, whereas the language track gets two hours in the third grade.
Computer science hits some students in the first grade and others in the second.
I'm not sure if there are any other discrepancies. 🤔
In theory, they could have swapped out chemistry or physics for a third language in the language track, but in practice, that usually only happened if a class specifically wanted to stick with science while picking up a language (which most kids prefer anyway).

rowdypanther12 said:Wait, so the total number of hours for other subjects changes too? It isn't just the math or English blocks being swapped out? 😵
Now I'm even more confused about the differences 😂

To be perfectly honest, I don't see much difference between the STEM-focused high school tracks and the general ones, but those are small details... at the start, they both have this massive pile of about 20 different subjects; they just distribute the hours a bit differently.

For instance, the general track has art and music for one hour a week all four years—I mean, really, what is anyone supposed to actually learn from a 45-minute session once a week? In the STEM track, they only do that for the first two years.

Both tracks also throw in things like psychology, sociology, logic, and philosophy for an hour or two once a year—I remember those from my own schooling as subjects where you'd skim through something quickly and then forget everything by next year. Honestly, I can't even remember the names of some of my old teachers anymore!

In the STEM track, you get 4 hours of math in the first two years and bump it up to 5 hours in the last two. You also have 3 hours of physics weekly across all four years and 2 hours of computer science every single year. It provides a much more solid block of time to actually master the material.

The general track has one extra hour of history in senior year (3 instead of 2), does 3 hours of math during the final two years (compared to 4 in the first two), and keeps physics at 2 hours a week throughout. Computer science is mandatory only in freshman year, though they do offer "up to" 2 hours of electives every year. (I've never understood the point of those "electives"—if you already have 20 mandatory subjects, adding a 21st isn't really giving you a choice, is it?)

Then there's the language-heavy track, which has more hours dedicated to a second language, but only 3 hours of math throughout, while physics, chemistry, biology, CS, music, and art stay the same as the general track. So, you get better language skills, but even less math.

From what I've gathered, the curricula are quite similar. To me, it seems much better to tackle the same amount of math and physics content spread over more hours, but that's just my personal take. 😁

https://www.firsthighschool.edu/general-track-curriculum/
https://www.firsthighschool.edu/stem-track-curriculum/
http://www.centralhighschool.edu/academics/subjects

So, if we move past the classics, are we looking at Greek next? What's actually less common?
I'm just lucky I started asking questions early enough; maybe in two years I'll finally get a handle on 😂
.
By the way, my transcript is basically just 😂, even though that's easily the most demanding subject 😵
.

Michelle Nelson4 said:To be perfectly honest, I don't see much difference between the STEM-focused high school tracks and the general ones, but those are small details... at the start, they both have this massive pile of about 20 different subjects; they just distribute the hours a bit differently.

For instance, the general track has art and music for one hour a week all four years—I mean, really, what is anyone supposed to actually learn from a 45-minute session once a week? In the STEM track, they only do that for the first two years.

Both tracks also throw in things like psychology, sociology, logic, and philosophy for an hour or two once a year—I remember those from my own schooling as subjects where you'd skim through something quickly and then forget everything by next year. Honestly, I can't even remember the names of some of my old teachers anymore!

In the STEM track, you get 4 hours of math in the first two years and bump it up to 5 hours in the last two. You also have 3 hours of physics weekly across all four years and 2 hours of computer science every single year. It provides a much more solid block of time to actually master the material.

The general track has one extra hour of history in senior year (3 instead of 2), does 3 hours of math during the final two years (compared to 4 in the first two), and keeps physics at 2 hours a week throughout. Computer science is mandatory only in freshman year, though they do offer "up to" 2 hours of electives every year. (I've never understood the point of those "electives"—if you already have 20 mandatory subjects, adding a 21st isn't really giving you a choice, is it?)

Then there's the language-heavy track, which has more hours dedicated to a second language, but only 3 hours of math throughout, while physics, chemistry, biology, CS, music, and art stay the same as the general track. So, you get better language skills, but even less math.

From what I've gathered, the curricula are quite similar. To me, it seems much better to tackle the same amount of math and physics content spread over more hours, but that's just my personal take. 😁

https://www.firsthighschool.edu/general-track-curriculum/
https://www.firsthighschool.edu/stem-track-curriculum/
http://www.centralhighschool.edu/academics/subjects

So, just to make sure I understand: the general track has less math than the math track, and the language track has even less math?
Using basically the same curriculum and textbooks? 🤔
Does that mean they skip certain topics entirely, or do they just move through the material faster without as much repetition?

To be completely honest, I haven't dived deep into all the specifics, and maybe they just skip certain parts of the curriculum, but I find it hard to believe they’d only cover, say, 60% of what a specialized math academy would teach, especially given how their weekly schedule looks. Besides, if a student decides to aim for those advanced AP exams later on, this could turn into a massive setback. We're talking about losing two hours of instruction every single week for four years—that kind of gap really starts to snowball over time.

Just so you know, my daughter isn't actually looking at the math academy route, so please don't think I'm being biased here!😁

rowdypanther12 said:So, if we move past the classics, are we looking at Greek next? What's actually less common?
I'm just lucky I started asking questions early enough; maybe in two years I'll finally get a handle on 😂
.
By the way, my transcript is basically just 😂, even though that's easily the most demanding subject 😵
.

The history curriculum covers 8th grade through the 4th century, plus modern history up to the 20th century.
So, mostly wars, with a big focus on the American Civil War.

Not many people are really into that stuff.

The classic track only has one hour of psychology per week.
They don't require a second foreign language since they do Ancient Greek, so any other language ends up being an elective.
They also have three hours of math.

And they have specific classes that include Latin components.

rowdypanther12 said:So, just to make sure I understand: the general track has less math than the math track, and the language track has even less math?
Using basically the same curriculum and textbooks? 🤔
Does that mean they skip certain topics entirely, or do they just move through the material faster without as much repetition?

The math curriculum in the specialized math tracks varies depending on the specific school district programs; in some cases, students might even have up to seven hours of math a week during their final two years.

I can't speak for every school, but back when I was in the language track, those three hours a week actually covered everything the general track did—if not more. I ended up taking entrance exams for two different universities and passed both (without any paid tutoring!), so freshman year math felt pretty easy for me.🤷

Nowadays, the reality in schools is that having seven hours a week doesn't mean much if you don't have a consistent teacher. If there's a constant rotation of substitutes, or if the school can't find qualified replacements and ends up using people who aren't specialists, then having three steady hours in a language or general track is actually better than seven disjointed hours in a math track.
It’s also true that some kids just don't start out with the same mathematical foundation or aptitude (it happens!), but they get plenty of practice, so the pace of the lessons might speed up or slow down depending on the specific classroom dynamic.
That’s why I think it’s a great idea to introduce entrance exams, and it's even better when the actual professors who will be teaching the students are the ones designing them.

I actually managed to pass my math entrance exam without doing any real studying, and honestly, I breezed through five math courses during my freshman year too 😁 But I definitely can't say the same for students who didn't attend a specialized STEM high school...

So, if I’m following this correctly, the general track is definitely the best bet for someone who isn't sure yet whether they want to lean toward STEM or the humanities 😁

Does the standard track have the same amount of math and science as the general one? Or does the language-focused track have more?

I know all this info is technically on the school websites, but I figured it might be easier to just ask people here who actually know how it works 😬

rowdypanther12 said:So, if I’m following this correctly, the general track is definitely the best bet for someone who isn't sure yet whether they want to lean toward STEM or the humanities 😁

Does the standard track have the same amount of math and science as the general one? Or does the language-focused track have more?

I know all this info is technically on the school websites, but I figured it might be easier to just ask people here who actually know how it works 😬

Not quite.
The classical track also has three hours of math per week.
From what I know, it has the least amount of psychology compared to all the other high schools.

For the math-heavy track, it's split into three different programs: A, B, and C.
Depending on which one you pick, the number of math hours increases during junior and senior year.
One of those programs only includes one foreign language instead of two.

I'm not entirely sure about the general track or how the selection process works—I personally went with the language track, but the differences are pretty minor.
Usually, people choose based on how close the school is or the quality of the school district (back in 2020, the district was a huge factor in where people applied).

For instance, one of my former classmates had their grandkids pick the general track because it was right next to the music academy they were attending simultaneously—they were basically juggling two different high schools.
And from what I hear, Titus chose his school mainly because it was close to the music conservatory, until he eventually moved away from the downtown area because his schedule only allowed for one shift.

Back in my day, students in the humanities track had way less math to deal with—maybe just a basic intro to integrals, but we didn't even touch matrices. I went to a state university, and I remember one colleague didn't even learn what a matrix was until she actually got to college. Still, it didn't stop her from getting her degree 🙂
The biggest gap showed up in our work habits. Kids from those specialized math high schools were used to being hit with constant, heavy problem sets, while the rest of us were basically seeing that level of difficulty for the very first time.

I think the main difference now lies in computer science. A school like Nike has much more dedicated hours and focuses on actual programming. My godmother's daughter, who was in a general track, only ever did theory. And she only had it for maybe one or two years.