Georgia's Best High Schools?

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by equinox63

I was just looking at Newsweek's annual top high schools list.

I've heard many people say that these lists are flawed. If so, what would be the criteria needed (that the current list overlooks) that would put Decatur HS, Grady HS, or Druid Hills HS on top?

This list is completely and totally bogus. For example Mission High in San Francisco is on this list at number 787.

High School Profile Page - Newsweek

This school is well known as the worst school in San Francisco with the lowest possible test scores. (API 1 on a scale of 1 to 10)

Mission High School in San Francisco , CA - ranking

Mission has a very high dropout rate so the few graduating seniors are the ones taking the AP exams. Schools that do a good job educating all the students,not just the AP exam elite will not make this list.

[hokiehigh]

It's an interesting list. What is odd, is there is an elite list that is "above" the ones mentioned. It was buried in the article.

The Nation's Most Elite Public High Schools - Newsweek

[gradydad2010]

Originally Posted by equinox63

I agree. But isn't Tucker and Lakeside just as diverse as Grady and Decatur?

A few years ago, Grady absorbed kids out of the Alonzo Crim High School district, which was formed by parts of East Lake, Kirkwood, and other in-town neighborhoods, when it was converted to an alternative school.

Older post with references to Crim:
[URL]https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlanta/240617-stephenson-high-school-worse-school-metro-2.html[/URL]

So, as for diversity, the suburban students found at Tucker and Lakeside are not necessarily the same as the inner-city students. I am sure there are diversity similarities but it is not as equal as one may tend to believe when environmental factors are considered.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by gradydad2010

A few years ago, Grady absorbed kids out of the Alonzo Crim High School district, which was formed by parts of East Lake, Kirkwood, and other in-town neighborhoods, when it was converted to an alternative school.

Older post with references to Crim:
https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...l-metro-2.html

So, as for diversity, the suburban students found at Tucker and Lakeside are not necessarily the same as the inner-city students. I am sure there are diversity similarities but it is not as equal as one may tend to believe when environmental factors are considered.

Yes, the former Crim district was divided between Grady High and Maynard Jackson High (formerly called Southside High).

Grady absorbed the neighborhoods of East Lake and Kirkwood (most of it).


http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/186110108171837253/lib/186110108171837253/High_Map_FY10_2.pdf (broken link)

[suprascooby22]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I love it. If I were a college admissions officer and had to choose between two applicants with similar test scores, grades and extracurriculars, I'd give the nod to the intown kid based on the diversity of the experience and the fact that he probably had to work a little harder for it.

Congratulations to you and your son for wise choices and a job well done.

Thank god you ARENT a college admissions officer.

[frances125]

Aries... you are correct. My bad.

Suprascooby, my best friend from college worked in admissions at Tech until recently (no.. she wasn't fired.. she had a third child)... She said that she very much favored intown students over suburban students from big suburban high schools .. all other things being equal. She said that if she had seen one Walton or Milton kid she had seen a million, but she never knew what to expect with intown kids.. they were usually more interesting, resourceful and clever.
I wouldn't have shared that if you hadn't been so snippy.

[WriterDawg85]

Originally Posted by frances125

Aries... you are correct. My bad.

Suprascooby, my best friend from college worked in admissions at Tech until recently (no.. she wasn't fired.. she had a third child)... She said that she very much favored intown students over suburban students from big suburban high schools .. all other things being equal. She said that if she had seen one Walton or Milton kid she had seen a million, but she never knew what to expect with intown kids.. they were usually more interesting, resourceful and clever.
I wouldn't have shared that if you hadn't been so snippy.

I think that there's something to that, and I can admit that as a firmly suburbia-raised Lassiter graduate.

Kids that are raised in urban environments face a whole host of different social situations from which suburban kids usually find themselves shielded entirely. A well-rounded social education is important, and that's something that's often lacking in the suburbs, where parents go seeking homogeneity and a lack of conflict. For better or for worse, nearly everyone I grew up with in East Cobb was just like me, and thankfully my parents went out of their way to expose me to lots of different types of people and cultures. I don't think all of my classmates were as lucky, and in an urban environment, that would be something that you'd have to go out of your way to avoid.

So while suburban schools are often larger, which allows them to offer more AP classes and things like that, there's a whole additional component to an urban education that doesn't get measured or considered on a college application. I don't think it's negative at all for an admissions person at a prestigious college to acknowledge that, and remember, I'm one of those suburban kids that would have gotten faulted.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by frances125

Aries... you are correct. My bad.

Suprascooby, my best friend from college worked in admissions at Tech until recently (no.. she wasn't fired.. she had a third child)... She said that she very much favored intown students over suburban students from big suburban high schools .. all other things being equal. She said that if she had seen one Walton or Milton kid she had seen a million, but she never knew what to expect with intown kids.. they were usually more interesting, resourceful and clever.
I wouldn't have shared that if you hadn't been so snippy.

I think you meant to acknowledge Rainy...

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by frances125

Aries... you are correct. My bad.

Suprascooby, my best friend from college worked in admissions at Tech until recently (no.. she wasn't fired.. she had a third child)... She said that she very much favored intown students over suburban students from big suburban high schools .. all other things being equal. She said that if she had seen one Walton or Milton kid she had seen a million, but she never knew what to expect with intown kids.. they were usually more interesting, resourceful and clever.
I wouldn't have shared that if you hadn't been so snippy.

This is very true.

This is not just suburban vs. urban (all things being equal). It is more about what is more common/uncommon...colleges see so many students from certain schools...a Walton grad is a dime a dozen...

All things being equal, a student from Cherokee High would be chosen over a Walton grad.