High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

urbantinker8 said:I mentioned earlier that it’s pretty straightforward if you're weighing two different general high schools against each other, or even just choosing between programs within the same school—though, let's be honest, not all high schools are created equal, regardless of what the brochures say.
The real headache starts when location becomes your absolute top priority when you're looking at different specialized tracks, which, unfortunately, seems to be the case more often than I'd like to admit.

I suppose location is the biggest priority for kids and parents who don't really care about the actual curriculum, though I doubt you'll often see a parent forcing a kid into a local cosmetology program just because it's close by instead of choosing a medical academy on the other side of town.

hiddendriver34, you mentioned earlier that Travelers tend to have more downtime and, I suppose, more opportunities for learning compared to commuters, which would be great in theory if they weren't both just scrolling through TikTok—one from their bedroom and the other on the bus. And then there’s what Susan James was saying about how kids without a car end up studying on the subway, reviewing notes, or even tackling math problems together in groups🤣
.
Now, look, I’m certainly not suggesting that riding the city bus is some kind of relaxing wellness retreat, but I think we shouldn't feel this frantic need to micromanage every single minute of a commute to work or school.
There are so many different schools and programs out there offering various paths, and I don't think anyone should feel forced to rule out an option right at the start just because it seems a bit too far away.

Anthony Ward6 said:I suppose location is the biggest priority for kids and parents who don't really care about the actual curriculum, though I doubt you'll often see a parent forcing a kid into a local cosmetology program just because it's close by instead of choosing a medical academy on the other side of town.

she might be surprised by that.

Susan James said:You can absolutely get studying done on public transit. I see high schoolers and college students doing it almost every day. Those who are motivated, who really want to get ahead, and who know that putting in the study time now will pay off later—they'll definitely pop some headphones on and hit the books.
And you can do it whether the bus is packed or empty.
I actually finished about half of high school like that.
Now, though... well, you can't really pull off big presentations or all that other busywork while you're riding the bus.
(By the way, a thirty-minute ride is perfect for reading, but you can't exactly sing your heart out, unless you fancy talking to yourself or listening to an audiobook for class.

Regarding how everything connects, the system isn't terrible, but there’s definitely room for improvement (for example, adding more short-run or circular routes so delays don't mess up both directions).
Some parts of the city have pretty bad connectivity, so I completely understand why people try to choose schools and jobs close to home whenever possible. It feels a bit backwards to do the opposite, unless you're renting, in which case it's somewhat expected.

Sure, you could, assuming the subject matter isn't some total load of garbage that's hard to wrap your head around. For anything actually demanding, I guess you really need an environment where some old lady isn't constantly whacking you in the head with her purse, or where you don't have to keep jumping up every five seconds just to let some lady sit down or to clear a path so she can make it to the exit on time.

Anthony Ward6 said:I suppose location is the biggest priority for kids and parents who don't really care about the actual curriculum, though I doubt you'll often see a parent forcing a kid into a local cosmetology program just because it's close by instead of choosing a medical academy on the other side of town.

I feel like location only really comes into play when families are choosing between high schools. Maybe if a parent is pushing for an academic track but the kid is leaning toward vocational school, they’ll use the commute as a subtle way to nudge them toward the academic option. 😬It's all about convenience in those specific scenarios.

Susan James said:I feel like location only really comes into play when families are choosing between high schools. Maybe if a parent is pushing for an academic track but the kid is leaning toward vocational school, they’ll use the commute as a subtle way to nudge them toward the academic option. 😬It's all about convenience in those specific scenarios.

Yeah, I suppose that’s how it goes.
It seems like they always try to spin it that way, you know? They’ll give you this whole elaborate explanation about how much better it is to attend a local high school just because you get to sleep in a little longer. But then, if you decide to go to one of those specialized vocational schools that’s practically halfway across the country, suddenly the narrative shifts. They make it sound like you're destined to wake up before the sun even comes up, only to spend hours commuting on some stinky, overcrowded city bus. I guess it’s all part of the same old logic, really.🙂

urbantinker8 said:she might be surprised by that.

I suppose I don't think so, mostly because:

Susan James said:I feel like location only really comes into play when families are choosing between high schools. Maybe if a parent is pushing for an academic track but the kid is leaning toward vocational school, they’ll use the commute as a subtle way to nudge them toward the academic option. 😬It's all about convenience in those specific scenarios.

I mean, there is this constant claim that parents are aggressively pushing kids into academic tracks, so I guess you could argue someone might choose a cosmetology program over a preparatory academy just because it's closer, but proximity is probably just an added bonus.

Look, if a kid has spent their entire life nursing sick kittens back to health and won't breathe without dreaming about becoming a vet, then by all means, let them go—even if it means moving to the other side of the country. But if they're eyeing some school that’s a three-day trek away when there's a perfectly good option right down the street that offers basically the same thing? I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

hiddendriver34 said:Look, if a kid has spent their entire life nursing sick kittens back to health and won't breathe without dreaming about becoming a vet, then by all means, let them go—even if it means moving to the other side of the country. But if they're eyeing some school that’s a three-day trek away when there's a perfectly good option right down the street that offers basically the same thing? I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

The only vet school option is over in Oakwood. And honestly, for folks living out in Preckog or Spain, that’s a solid ninety-minute drive one way under perfect conditions. If someone is truly driven, they'll make the trip.
But I can totally see why a parent might feel differently. If veterinary medicine isn't their top priority, and there's a great high school curriculum available halfway between them and the vet school—like somewhere in the 10th or 11th district, or even closer than Oakwood—they'd probably steer the kid toward the local option instead.

I actually found myself torn between two pretty similar schools, and in the end, I went with the one closer to home—mostly because my mom nudged me toward it, and honestly, I’m so glad she did. 🙏

While the kids from my neighborhood were heading out at 6:45 AM every single morning to make it to that other school, I was usually waking up around 7:15 (since I was on the 😁late shift). I used to spend my commute studying—those 15 minutes on the bus, plus my two breaks, were usually just enough time to refresh my memory, scribble down some notes for a test, and then promptly forget everything by the next afternoon! 😂

Of course, looking back, both high schools prepared us pretty equally for the jump to college...

urbantinker8 said:I just can't quite wrap my head around it—limiting your choices for schools, colleges, or even career paths just because of the convenience of the commute... 😵
It feels a bit strange, I guess.
And honestly, it seems like such a waste, because I suspect a lot of high schoolers who take that "extra" free time they save by not being stuck in traffic might just end up doing absolutely nothing with it. If they’re just going to spend hours scrolling through TikTok on their couches at home anyway, they could just as easily do that on a train ride to school.

Carl Bishop2—Ivanic-Grad isn't exactly part of New York City. I'm not saying you should pick a school in a different city unless that's the only place offering the specific major or track you actually want. Even then, there's always the option of staying in a dorm.

Personally, I think the public transit in New York City is pretty terrible, but I've never even considered driving to work. In all the different places I've worked—maybe five or six locations over the years—it always seemed like I'd get there twice as fast using the subway, a bus, the train, or even just walking rather than driving. The crowds can be a real headache, sure, but the ride itself doesn't feel like wasted time, even if one way ends up taking an hour.

My point was actually about work—since you mentioned you didn't quite get why someone would choose a lower-paying job just because it's closer to home.
It takes me about 40 minutes to drive to Ivanic right now, assuming traffic isn't a nightmare. But to actually work there, I'd need to buy a car, and for that to make sense, the job would have to be incredibly, seriously good and highly paid.
Commuting just wears me down—and I don't mean it's an inconvenience of time, I mean it affects my actual quality of life. That's the kind of comfort I want to afford myself if I can. If not, well, that's just how it goes.

Carl Bishop2 said:My point was actually about work—since you mentioned you didn't quite get why someone would choose a lower-paying job just because it's closer to home.
It takes me about 40 minutes to drive to Ivanic right now, assuming traffic isn't a nightmare. But to actually work there, I'd need to buy a car, and for that to make sense, the job would have to be incredibly, seriously good and highly paid.
Commuting just wears me down—and I don't mean it's an inconvenience of time, I mean it affects my actual quality of life. That's the kind of comfort I want to afford myself if I can. If not, well, that's just how it goes.

But my point was really more about commuting within a single city all along, so that specific town of Ivanic doesn't really change the context much.
I once mentioned knowing a woman from the Upper East Side who felt her commute was way too far—even though she had her own car!—and she ended up quitting solely because of that distance. I know her well enough to know that was her only reason, and honestly, I told her straight up that it seemed a bit extreme to me.

urbantinker8 said:But my point was really more about commuting within a single city all along, so that specific town of Ivanic doesn't really change the context much.
I once mentioned knowing a woman from the Upper East Side who felt her commute was way too far—even though she had her own car!—and she ended up quitting solely because of that distance. I know her well enough to know that was her only reason, and honestly, I told her straight up that it seemed a bit extreme to me.

But honestly, sometimes it’s actually faster to take a train to another city than it is to ride the Metro around New York City.

Susan James said:But honestly, sometimes it’s actually faster to take a train to another city than it is to ride the Metro around New York City.

I suppose that’s true, though... it isn't exactly a common or realistic scenario where kids from New York City would enroll in a school out in Ivanic.
The opposite is obviously the case, of course, since the options in the city are so much more extensive.
But then again, you have those kids from Ivanic
a) who don't really make a fuss about the commute, I guess, because they realize that if they want to attend a school that doesn't exist in Ivanic, they just have to deal with it.
b) or they just find a dorm in NYC if the travel starts feeling like too much of a hassle.

Kenneth Garcia9 said:I don't get it. Doesn't Google Maps show real-time updates? Or is that just for cars, not the buses? I mean, you can check the status specifically during school rush hours.

Yeah.

Google Maps is pretty spot on if you're driving. But for the Metro? I guess you should just factor in a delay. It basically just syncs up with the official Metro schedule. It doesn't really account for those little specifics, like when a bus or a tram just... doesn't show up. It rarely happens with the trams, but with the buses, it's definitely not uncommon.

urbantinker8 said:

rowdypanther12 I guess what they're saying is...
I wonder, what do you think is the right amount of lead time for a kid to wake up if they've got about an hour and forty minutes before they actually have to head out the door for school? I guess it really depends on how much of a struggle the morning routine is, maybe. 🤔

There’s just no way, theoretically speaking, that anyone would actually need an hour and forty minutes to get from one side of New York City to the other in a single direction under normal circumstances, unless we're talking about some massive, city-wide gridlock or something equally catastrophic.
I suppose everything is alright.
I mean, if someone really needs that much time just to get to school, I guess they might as well just roll out of bed two hours earlier and start praying to the heavens that one-way school schedules never actually become a thing.

I suppose you aren't.
But then again, if you look back at the last few pages, there’s all this talk about how much the actual distance to the school matters, even when everything is happening within the same city limits, which I guess is a pretty massive factor that people tend to overlook.

So... I was just sitting here wondering, if we’re going to follow this logic where kids have to go through some kind of standardized testing gauntlet just to get a little extra sleep, what happens next? I mean, I guess you have to wonder if those same kids—the ones being forced into these rigid schedules just so they can function—will eventually be expected to choose their entire futures based on that same narrow set of criteria. Like, will they be picking out a college or a career path one day just by following the same repetitive patterns? It feels like it could all just become one big, predictable loop, though I might be overthinking it.
I suppose you have to wonder if that should even be a deciding factor in the long run, right? I mean, personally, I don't think I could ever justify taking on some high-powered, prestigious position if it meant wasting an hour of my life every single day just sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway. It seems more logical to me to just settle for a perfectly decent, average job—something that doesn't demand much—if it means I actually have the headspace to sit down and play some piano pieces when I get home. Maybe it sounds lazy to some people, but I guess having that time for myself is worth more than a fancy title.
I was just thinking back to this one woman I knew from a neighborhood over in Los Angeles, and honestly, it’s kind of stayed with me. She ended up quitting her job at that 24-hour diner out in the suburbs because she just couldn't deal with the constant, endless stream of "travelers" passing through anymore—it just completely burnt her out. She ended up unemployed for about a year and a half after that, which I guess was pretty heavy considering she had two little kids to look after at the time.🤦
I suppose she probably had her own little list of approved spots back when she was in high school, too.

I gave you some examples on the last page. Take a quick look at what actually counts as part of New York City. Forest Park, Beverly Hills, Lučko, and St. Clara are all neighborhoods, so they fall under the City of New York. Even if you set those aside, how long does it take via Metro to get from Vrapče to Jordan? Or from Lanište to somewhere like Mioc? What about Vrhovac to Ruđer? Or maybe traveling from the Den or Klak over to Lucijanka or the Electrical school?

urbantinker8 said:I just can't quite wrap my head around it—limiting your choices for schools, colleges, or even career paths just because of the convenience of the commute... 😵
It feels a bit strange, I guess.
And honestly, it seems like such a waste, because I suspect a lot of high schoolers who take that "extra" free time they save by not being stuck in traffic might just end up doing absolutely nothing with it. If they’re just going to spend hours scrolling through TikTok on their couches at home anyway, they could just as easily do that on a train ride to school.

Carl Bishop2—Ivanic-Grad isn't exactly part of New York City. I'm not saying you should pick a school in a different city unless that's the only place offering the specific major or track you actually want. Even then, there's always the option of staying in a dorm.

Personally, I think the public transit in New York City is pretty terrible, but I've never even considered driving to work. In all the different places I've worked—maybe five or six locations over the years—it always seemed like I'd get there twice as fast using the subway, a bus, the train, or even just walking rather than driving. The crowds can be a real headache, sure, but the ride itself doesn't feel like wasted time, even if one way ends up taking an hour.

I guess you were lucky if you stayed strictly within the tram zones or near the train tracks. Once you have to start juggling multiple buses and streetcars, that’s when the real headache begins. Public transit here is generally pretty bad because the lines just aren't synchronized well. And honestly, the morning rush on the buses and trams is enough to drive anyone crazy. If you live near Central Park but work out in Zitnjak, you might be better off just giving up on public transit entirely. Or maybe if you live in Upper Dubrava and work in Jankomir. If you actually live and work relatively close to the train, it’s probably faster to get from Dug Sela to Gajnice than it is to get from Črnomerec to Malla Avenue.

Usually, there’s only one major university in town. So, if you have a specific subject in mind, you don't really have much of a choice. But if multiple schools offer the exact same program, it’s totally reasonable to just pick the one that's closer. For instance, if you live on the west side of the city, why bother commuting all the way to Ruđer if the Electrical school or Tesla is much more convenient?

Jacob Sullivan91 said:I'm not sure which university we're talking about here, but I've seen just about everything. I remember being in a general liberal arts track and ended up doing the technical drafting for some guys who graduated from a local trade school because they just couldn't wrap their heads around it... then there were times when two girls from an applied sciences program had to sit down and explain basic mechanics to the geniuses from MIT. As for us? We were basically being taught derivatives and integrals from scratch, so I guess I didn't miss much...
I wish I could see the actual data, but I vividly remember plenty of kids from those high-end math academies failing calculus. Honestly, it was such a shock to me... I totally assumed they'd show up ready to conquer the world.

FBI. Based on the high school curriculum, derivatives and integrals are supposed to be covered. A ton of schools just don't get through them because they're right at the end of senior year. Our professor just showed up, told us it was part of the syllabus, and said she didn't have the time to teach everyone from square one. She expected us to already know the basics of calculus. And that was for Math 1, which only had 135 hours in the semester. Then you've got mechanics following right after the math.

urbantinker8 said:I suppose that’s true, though... it isn't exactly a common or realistic scenario where kids from New York City would enroll in a school out in Ivanic.
The opposite is obviously the case, of course, since the options in the city are so much more extensive.
But then again, you have those kids from Ivanic
a) who don't really make a fuss about the commute, I guess, because they realize that if they want to attend a school that doesn't exist in Ivanic, they just have to deal with it.
b) or they just find a dorm in NYC if the travel starts feeling like too much of a hassle.

I was actually trying to say that traveling by train (which, unfortunately, doesn't run often enough) can sometimes be faster from certain spots than taking the Metro within New York City.
For example, if a kid wants to become a web designer:

You have options in:
Chicago-Zabok-Sisak
Zabok
Sisak
Depending on which neighborhood you live in, getting to Zabok (say, from Gajnice or Beverly Hills) is definitely quicker than heading over to Zitnjak, or wherever—like going from New Chicago to Sisak.
And as for the trips in the other direction? It’s usually pretty quiet in the morning with nobody breathing down your neck, so you can actually sit back, read a book, or even grab a quick nap.

Adam Diaz67 said:Google Maps is pretty spot on if you're driving. But for the Metro? I guess you should just factor in a delay. It basically just syncs up with the official Metro schedule. It doesn't really account for those little specifics, like when a bus or a tram just... doesn't show up. It rarely happens with the trams, but with the buses, it's definitely not uncommon.

I gave you some examples on the last page. Take a quick look at what actually counts as part of New York City. Forest Park, Beverly Hills, Lučko, and St. Clara are all neighborhoods, so they fall under the City of New York. Even if you set those aside, how long does it take via Metro to get from Vrapče to Jordan? Or from Lanište to somewhere like Mioc? What about Vrhovac to Ruđer? Or maybe traveling from the Den or Klak over to Lucijanka or the Electrical school?

I guess you were lucky if you stayed strictly within the tram zones or near the train tracks. Once you have to start juggling multiple buses and streetcars, that’s when the real headache begins. Public transit here is generally pretty bad because the lines just aren't synchronized well. And honestly, the morning rush on the buses and trams is enough to drive anyone crazy. If you live near Central Park but work out in Zitnjak, you might be better off just giving up on public transit entirely. Or maybe if you live in Upper Dubrava and work in Jankomir. If you actually live and work relatively close to the train, it’s probably faster to get from Dug Sela to Gajnice than it is to get from Črnomerec to Malla Avenue.

Usually, there’s only one major university in town. So, if you have a specific subject in mind, you don't really have much of a choice. But if multiple schools offer the exact same program, it’s totally reasonable to just pick the one that's closer. For instance, if you live on the west side of the city, why bother commuting all the way to Ruđer if the Electrical school or Tesla is much more convenient?

FBI. Based on the high school curriculum, derivatives and integrals are supposed to be covered. A ton of schools just don't get through them because they're right at the end of senior year. Our professor just showed up, told us it was part of the syllabus, and said she didn't have the time to teach everyone from square one. She expected us to already know the basics of calculus. And that was for Math 1, which only had 135 hours in the semester. Then you've got mechanics following right after the math.

It’s funny how things work out. Back home, there was always this underlying assumption that not everyone had tackled advanced math during high school, so everything basically had to be taught from the ground up. Personally, I think we actually had quite a few more math hours than most, though looking back, we definitely messed up during that first year—we weren't exactly sure if we had even signed up for the right math track since nobody really laid it all out for us! 😁 )

Which college? 😁

Actually, I get them—I mean, the professors at college. The curriculum assumes you're coming in with some background knowledge since that stuff is covered in high school. Not just in prep schools, but in four-year technical high schools too. I think there were even entrance exam questions on it. For a technical degree, there was quite a bit of math involved. In total, about 300 hours (Math 1 135, Math 2 105, Math 3B 60).

@Susan James
That NYC-Zabok line is great. From the west side to Zabok, it's maybe a 45-50 minute commute if you're lucky and there isn't construction. Sometimes it takes longer. And the connection from NYC to Sisak isn't exactly amazing either; it's about an hour ride. So you have the option of taking the Metro or taking Amtrak (though you have to trek to Penn Station first). If, say, you're going from NYC to Sisak for a class that starts at 8, you catch the train at 6:30, otherwise you don't get there until 7:30. Both our transit options for quality transport that are always reliable and on time 🙄

Sorry for being off-topic, but I feel like some people really don't realize how big the City of New York is, or how bad the transit can be.

Faculty of Science

I just took a look at the FBI curriculum, and it looks like Math 1 covers derivatives and series, starting off with vectors and analytical geometry (basically a refresher on high school stuff). Then, in Math 2, they move into the fundamentals of integrals.

Honestly, if you weren't taught those topics previously, it really just suggests that someone didn't follow the standard academic track. It isn't right, and we shouldn't just assume it's "normal" or expected to know everything out of thin air.

Here are the links I found:

I’m pretty sure I’m going to dig up the syllabi for my old first-year courses now—things like linear algebra, mathematical analysis, and probability and statistics—just to see if the content matches what I studied back in the day. Those are the core essentials that have probably stayed the same for a hundred years anyway; they don't change all that much.

Adam Diaz67 said:Google Maps is pretty spot on if you're driving. But for the Metro? I guess you should just factor in a delay. It basically just syncs up with the official Metro schedule. It doesn't really account for those little specifics, like when a bus or a tram just... doesn't show up. It rarely happens with the trams, but with the buses, it's definitely not uncommon.

I gave you some examples on the last page. Take a quick look at what actually counts as part of New York City. Forest Park, Beverly Hills, Lučko, and St. Clara are all neighborhoods, so they fall under the City of New York. Even if you set those aside, how long does it take via Metro to get from Vrapče to Jordan? Or from Lanište to somewhere like Mioc? What about Vrhovac to Ruđer? Or maybe traveling from the Den or Klak over to Lucijanka or the Electrical school?

I guess you were lucky if you stayed strictly within the tram zones or near the train tracks. Once you have to start juggling multiple buses and streetcars, that’s when the real headache begins. Public transit here is generally pretty bad because the lines just aren't synchronized well. And honestly, the morning rush on the buses and trams is enough to drive anyone crazy. If you live near Central Park but work out in Zitnjak, you might be better off just giving up on public transit entirely. Or maybe if you live in Upper Dubrava and work in Jankomir. If you actually live and work relatively close to the train, it’s probably faster to get from Dug Sela to Gajnice than it is to get from Črnomerec to Malla Avenue.

Usually, there’s only one major university in town. So, if you have a specific subject in mind, you don't really have much of a choice. But if multiple schools offer the exact same program, it’s totally reasonable to just pick the one that's closer. For instance, if you live on the west side of the city, why bother commuting all the way to Ruđer if the Electrical school or Tesla is much more convenient?

FBI. Based on the high school curriculum, derivatives and integrals are supposed to be covered. A ton of schools just don't get through them because they're right at the end of senior year. Our professor just showed up, told us it was part of the syllabus, and said she didn't have the time to teach everyone from square one. She expected us to already know the basics of calculus. And that was for Math 1, which only had 135 hours in the semester. Then you've got mechanics following right after the math.

Thanks. I didn't realize that. I actually thought it tracked real-time arrivals too.