The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #19:

My daughter wishes to attend Notre Dame University. She is in 6th grade, currently attending a private Catholic school. I was told that colleges rank high schools. My feeling is that the public high school in our locality has many more academic programs to offer than the private school. My feeling is my daughter may have a better chance to excel at the smaller private school rather than get lost in the crowd at the larger public school. However, if the offerings are better at the larger public school, I am not sure where to send her for high school. What is your advice? (courtesy Steven E. Wolter, St.Joseph, MI)

Answer #19:

Although it is important to be considering the alternatives, it is still too early to make a final decision about your daughter's high school education. She will be encountering abstract material in seventh and eighth grade which will really tell you about her strengths as a student. At that time, you will be able to see if Notre Dame is still a viable goal for college and you can then make an informed decision. It is true that colleges are aware of the academic levels of most of the high schools from which they accept students. Otherwise, they would not be able to understand the level of work that applicants were completing in high school. However, they never penalize students for coming from a lower ranked school. They consider each student in the context of his or her peers. An outstanding student is as likely to be at the top of the class in a higher ranked high school as well as in a lower ranked school. Also, if fewer AP courses or enrichments are offered, they do not devalue a student's transcript for not including them. Once you know more about your daughter's learning style and capabilities, you can consider which environment is best for her. I am generally in favor of smaller schools - they are almost always better for true learning and intellectual growth. If you believe that your daughter needs certain courses which are not offered at the smaller private school, perhaps you could make arrangements for her to take them at the larger public high school. That way, she could enjoy the best of both worlds. Good Luck in your decision, and enjoy observing your daughter as she matures intellectually. EDUFAX provides Services for the Independent School Applicant.

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