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Are there any really great views in Philadelphia?

Alright guys, I really need some help choosing a school for next year. Advice, please?

  • Okay, this may get a little long, so bear with me. First, allow me to give a small introduction to all the people who will be mentioned in this little explanation here: Katie: My 21-year-old sister who is extremely intimidating and I hope to one day be at least half the person she is. She's also very terrifying 90% of the time. Mom: I think it stands without me telling you that this is my mother. She's a super Christian and turns to God for all things. This will become very relevant later on in the explanation. Dad: My father, obviously. Katie is his favorite daughter, though he would never admit it, and I accepted this many years ago. Because Katie is his favorite, he really takes to heart what ever she has to say on the matter of my schooling. Okay, so from first grade to fourth grade, my dad worked over nights and home schooled me and my brother during the day. He was exhausted most the time, and I don't know how he ever managed. Eventually the home schooling got to him, so me and my brother started going to public schools. I went to an elementary school for fifth grade and half of sixth, but I dropped out sixth year for reasons that would take several paragraphs to explain. I went back to home schooling with my dad for seventh and eighth grade, but it didn't go so smoothly. Me and Dad were always frustrated with each other, and although I was getting a great education, Dad was sacrificing way too much for little old me. So ninth grade-- this last year-- I went to a very small charter school in the city. To put it lighly, this school was ghetto. Like, really, really ghetto. There were no AP or Honors classes, and I was way ahead of everyone there. There weren't really any people I could talk to, and the teachers weren't fantastic. All in all, I hated the school. Hated. So now I have to choose yet another school, and I really hope it's one I'll stick with until graduation. The two schools I'm considering are about as opposite as opposite can be. The one is a city school with the highest dropout rates in the city. It's also the school my two sisters and brother graduated from. And the other school is a private Christian school. Yeah. My sister Katie, the first one mentioned in my little introduction up there, *really* wants me to go to the city school she went to. My parents really want me to go to the Christian school. Personally, I'm not even a Christian. I don't believe in devoting myself to a religion I'm not 100% prepared to dedicate my life to, and there a good few Christian laws I don't agree with and I'm not prepared to follow. So although I believe in the Christian god, I'm not Christian. However, this Christian school I'm considering has amazing teachers. I know they would push me to do great and the work is challenging enough that I won't be absolutely overwhelmed, but I'll never have a break, which is what I need. I also have a couple friends who go to this school who have told me about how great it is and that the writing club they have is fantastic, which is really what I'm most interested in. But there are some problems with this school, problems that my sister Katie is so much disgusted by that she would never recommend another book to me if I went there, which is quite the blow. The school is homophobic and they believe homosexuality is the basest of all sins. Katie said that this in itself is againt the Bible because although the Bible does say that homosexuality is a sin, it says to rank sins is a sin in and of itself and in God's eyes all sins are equal. (I said that although I too am disgusted by their views on homosexuality, I think it's far more respectful for a person to be homophobic because of their religion rather than just because they're a jerk, which is exactly how the people at the public school would be.) This school is also against women ever being in a position of authority. Which sucks. At the city school Katie wants me to go to, there's diversity. There are also AP and Honors classes, so I wouldn't have to be way ahead of ever student in the class like I was with the charter school I went to last year. The teachers at this school are also supposedly amazing, though the only thing I've heard of them is that the English teacher sometimes has hangover days in which he doesn't have the class do anything other than allow them to ask him useless questions that he promises he'll answer. Fun. And also, if I graduate being valedictorian (which I doubt I'll get, but hey, may as well try), I'll have a free scholorship to any SUNY college, which wouldn't happen at Christian school because it's a private school. The problem with this public school is that it has the highest dropout rates in the entire city school district. It takes almost an hour to get into the school because you have to go through X-rays and metal detecto

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    It seems like both of the schools are pretty equally academically challenging. I would say you should go to the public school, especially if this is the case. Your cons for this school appear to be less extreme than they are for the other school. A free scholarship to any SUNY school is great (although you should definitely look into other schools, as well), the diversity will be a good thing in helping you to make friends. And I wouldn't worry about the drop-out rate, especially for a big city school. More students means a higher drop-out rate; students drop out everywhere, and dropping out says more about the students than the school, I think. What does your gut tell you? Edit: Hmm, okay, I see the dilemma. Actually, for most of my high school career, I had poor English teachers. So I can definitely relate with your concern. However, I would not have traded my school for another because of the school itself. I don't think that the rest of the academics was lacking, and its atmosphere was very welcoming and comfortable. I know this doesn't describe the public school you're thinking about, but it seems like you would enjoy being at the public school more than you would the Christian one. Another thing to think about is that there will be more than one English teacher at this school so they may be better, and that his assignments may actually be pretty demanding or challenging. If this is the key point which is keeping you from this school, maybe you could email this teacher and ask him what his classes are like, how they're set up, what kind of assignments he gives (or ask a potential/former classmate for a more accurate description). Edit2: I don't think that it's fair to say that students who attend a public school don't care about their academics because the school happens to have a high drop out rate. There are intense-studiers everywhere who push themselves almost as hard as Hermione Granger, and this includes this public school. The private Christian school will have their share of lazies, just like the public school. But don't be worried about finding classmates who are serious about their schoolwork in the public school. They'll definitely be there, and if you are able to befriend them they will push you harder, will be willing to study with you, and will be able to provide intelligent conversations just as much as any serious student you find at the private school.

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Kelly. You have a huge decision ahead of you. And as I'm sure you know already, neither outcome is going to be perfect and there will probably come a day and time when you think "what if" and wonder if the other would have been the right decision - just as there will be times when you feel that you have made the right decision. Life is like that. First, a little about my own background. I attended a massively underfunded and overcrowded public high school, one that had a bad reputation. I passed my final year of high school and went on to attend a good university, graduated with Honours, etc. The reason I am telling you this is so that you aware that my advice may have some personal biases and must be balanced against what other people tell you. Second, you should know that what is the right choice for you may not necessarily be the one that was right for your sister. Or it may be right, but for completely different reasons. (Does that make sense?) Point is, you are not your sister. You need to make a decision based on what best suits your needs and not by following her example. And honestly, if she is intimidating 90% of the time, do you really want to be like her? Don't let her bully or blackmail you. I have to agree with her though - it rings alarm bells when any school starts to impose their Christian fundamentalist views on their students to the point where they breed intolerance. And you're right - homosexuality isn't mentioned in the bible. There wasn't a word for it. And I don't think it is at all healthy for a school to actively discourage women from being in a position of authority. This could be quite damaging to their students future and emotional wellbeing. If you did choose to go to this school, like your parents want, you would need to remain emotionally strong throughout and sure of your beliefs. It seems to me that you are clear in your mind about what school you want. Maybe you could write down a list of all of these things and note which is offered by which school. Then think about the things you could compromise on. If one of the schools has the most ticks and the most things you feel you could compromise on, that is probably the one to go with. Also, aside from your sister, do you know any students (past or current) at either school? You could talk to them about their experiences. It might just help. Good luck.

Kathryn W

Ok everyone has written really awesome answers so I'll keep it short. Nearly every part of me is saying the public school. The only part that's not is because you have friends at the christian school. You could go to the best school in the world and it would still be crap if you have no friends. But if you enrol in the AP and Honours classes at the public school I'm pretty sure you'd find people with the same interests as you. I went to a public school. And have never once regretted it. Diversity = win. I came out of school with some social skills. I go to usyd now, which is probably the most prestigious uni in Australia, and, as a result, has a bit of a reputation for being pretentious. The majority of the kids went to private schools and you can tell which ones did. They have kind of an elitist attitude. If I went to a private school, my end results probably would of been fractionally higher. I did spend the majority of year 12 laughing my way through maths. But that is what I'm going to remember from high school. I'm going to remember the fun times and the laughs and the bludging. I'm not going to remember my ancient history class where the teacher made us work our butts off. Your results are up to you, you're responsible for being motivated. And I know public schools in America are supremely different to public schools in Australia. Metal detectors in schools? God my high school barely had a fence! But I think your end result will be the same, a broader education. High school is a holistic experience. It's not just all academics.

ALEX

Okay. Whew. I'm going to do my best to be helpful and inspiring, but if at the end of this answer, it turns out that I did nothing more than confuse you, you have permission to delete this answer and never talk to me again if you'd like. Now. Onto the answer. If it was me in your situation, I would choose the Christian school with the writing club and amazing English teachers. It seems to me that 1) The writing club would definitely boost you up nearer to your English goals 2) The awesome teachers would make you much more well-rounded than a few average or good teachers at the public school, and 3) You would be influenced by others who care about their education as well, unlike in the public school where they have a high drop-out rate, and are most likely a bit "ghetto" as well, at least in their student-department. I attended Catholic school for 7 years of my life. So, trust me when I say that I know how you feel about the private school thing. But the thing about the religion is that, while they may be teaching you the views of Christians, they have no power to force you to believe them. You believe what you think is morally right for yourself. And trust me when I say this, as well: As you get older, they start assuming that you're pretty well versed in the views and beliefs, and they stop teaching you so much in the religion area. Of course, no one can make the decision for you. Take Katie and your parents and anyone else who could influence you out of the picture. Write down a list of pros and cons for each school. Don't think of what Katie or your mom would say; think of what YOU want and what will help you the most in the long-run, where you think you would fit in the best and which offers the right credentials. Then, I want you to write which school you choose--and I mean YOU--and circle it in a big red marker. Then, you can give it to your parents. But, that's final. Don't let what they say when you tell them change your mind. You're an amazingly smart and awesome girl and you deserve what's best for you. And that just so happens to be what YOU want. I totally sounded like a fruit there, huh? Sorry. x) Good luck with your decision, Kelly. I know you'll make the right one :)

D⁴[Hell yes, Pottermore!]

If you don't want to waste a year with students who don't care....then go to the Christian school. Kids aren't usually forced to drop-out, its their choice. The Christian School will challenge you. AP and Honors classes are not breezy, but really good to attend. If you want a scholarship, other colleges will still offer them to the Christian School. A writing club, friends that already attend the Christian School....whats not to love? :) ~Good Luck~

vball23

Public school. Just because it has the highest dropout rates, doesn't mean you will drop out. Plus it has amazing teachers and opportunities for a free scholarship.

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