YOUR opinion about Selective Schools (2 Viewers)

[SpiralFlex]

That's Grammar you're thinking of. We're your typical, low budget, goverment school. We don't charge 25K p.a.

Interesting, a human that is not concerned about his ATAR. Very nice.

 

[kev-kun]

Well said lol..

 

[LightXT]

Interesting, a human that is not concerned about his ATAR. Very nice.

ATAR-Load of crap.
That said, I'm still studying...

 

[aya-chan]

That's true, but there are some smart students in other non-selective schools. It's just that the opportunity to attend one of these isn't practical sometimes because they live far from these places. Also as for private schools (i know you didn't mention them), not every person can afford the fees. I would begrudge travelling 30-40kms just to attend a selective school, when i have a normal school 2 km walkable distance. I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond, as they say.

But i agree, OP if you can and have the ability, try to attend a selective school so you don't have to put up with the excessive amount of 'disruptive' people populating non-selective public schools.

The only thing with being a big fish in a small pond, is that you don't have to try to be the best. So you wouldn't really reach your full potential, right? I spent 30 minutes on a school bus every morning, (and I know that people spent longer,) just to go to Baulkham Hills. I don't mind the extra travel time to go to UNSW rather than UWS. I can pretty confidently say, that I would not have done as well at a different school. But more than that, I really felt a sense of (... dare I say it?) belonging there. I just don't think I would've fit in as well somewhere else. I got a 50% scholarship to Tara, but my parents didn't think that I should go there, because I probably wouldn't have fit in with a low socioeconomic background. That's something that you really have to think about when choosing which high school to go to.

But that's going off topic. Basically, I'm saying that to me, going the distance for a selective school doesn't matter, but I guess that depends on the person.

 

[khfreakau]

If you go to selective schools, no matter what you think, you're probably going to have to be very accepting of other cultures. If you're xenophobic you're going to have problems in a selective school. I myself am caucasian (eastern european), and there is only one other person from the same region in my whole grade. Personally I have no problem with this, although sometimes it is quite odd being white and part of the minority. But I will say, asians are unfairly stereotyped, hahahaha.

Otherwise, I think selective schools are more for those who are driven. In selective schools, I think your internal assessments are quite crucial if you aim to do well - since you're competing at such a high level, your standard level won't cut it if you want to get good marks. Of course, there isn't no such thing as unhealthy competition - not naming names, but there are a few people at our school who might... um... be a bit OVERcompetitive. Our grade in particular compared to others at our school is strongly competitive, so much so that people will refuse to share any sort of materials with you until after trials. So, it's much more necessary to have the drive to be able to learn by yourself, and have a greater understanding of what you're learning.

And yes, they are government schools. I still think it's a bit unfair that in our school, the girls get two toilets with perfect mirrors, as opposed to the guys getting one huge dirty smelly one with a piece of rusty metal for a mirror. hahahaha.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

Well if you recognise that your pond is relatively small and you continually strive for your best and get a great result, you can disprove that not furfilling your full potential at a normal school.

I hope to an example of this. That said, my comprehensive's rank is decent really, not like I go to West Wallsend High (think 690 rankish).

I would never go/send my kid to a private school unless I live somewhere like Nimbin and the whole public school was in a drug induced haze. (Yep that extreme to sell out leftist beliefs). I believe public education is a great thing.

 

[cheezcake]

I go to Penrith coz i lived too far away to go to Sydney boys, we're quite possibly the laziest and least competitive selective school in existence. It's Awesome.

 

[LightXT]

No one has emphasised the vast range of extra-curricular activities offered to selective school students...good to put on a scholarship application/resume

 

[cheezcake]

^ Mock Trial is fun

 

[Gigacube]

No one has emphasised the vast range of extra-curricular activities offered to selective school students...good to put on a scholarship application/resume

I said that on the previous page.

I wouldn't want to go to a religious private school & be forced to do subjects related to religion throughout my high school year. I also wouldn't want to be paying for it.

 

[SpreadTheWord]

The only thing with being a big fish in a small pond, is that you don't have to try to be the best. So you wouldn't really reach your full potential, right? I spent 30 minutes on a school bus every morning, (and I know that people spent longer,) just to go to Baulkham Hills. I don't mind the extra travel time to go to UNSW rather than UWS. I can pretty confidently say, that I would not have done as well at a different school. But more than that, I really felt a sense of (... dare I say it?) belonging there. I just don't think I would've fit in as well somewhere else. I got a 50% scholarship to Tara, but my parents didn't think that I should go there, because I probably wouldn't have fit in with a low socioeconomic background. That's something that you really have to think about when choosing which high school to go to.

But that's going off topic. Basically, I'm saying that to me, going the distance for a selective school doesn't matter, but I guess that depends on the person.

Yeah i see your point, but i believe it's good too have one/two person(s) in your class that compete with you for top marks. However in saying that, I believe although i have not experienced a selective school, that too much competition i.e the whole cohort can down your confidence (if your at the lower ranks), and thus ultimately affect your marks in the long term.

Ideally it's about ranks, so i think if your a big fish in a small pond, then you can achieve 1st/2nd at least allowing you to maximise your marks, whereas at a top school you may be bottom of cohort and not maximise your true marks. So i suppose it's counter productive.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

Yes, it depends on the student to the selective school environment helps them.

What extracurriculars can you only do in a selective may I ask? I do/have done many extra curriculars completely independent from school but also many through school (such as debating, volunteering etc.).

 

[LightXT]

Yes, it depends on the student to the selective school environment helps them.

What extracurriculars can you only do in a selective may I ask? I do/have done many extra curriculars completely independent from school but also many through school (such as debating, volunteering etc.).

Do you want to know what I personally do? Or the activities offered at High?
At the moment, I'm not doing much at school :/ HSC year and all that...apart from 2 hours of training on Wednesday (school term) and GPS Soccer/Football every Saturday.
As for the extracurricular offered, have a poke around our school site
Here's the link focusing on sport: www.sydneyboyshigh.com/sport
Academic record : www.sydneyboyshigh.com/publications/hsc-results
And probably irrelevant... www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Old_Boys_of_Sydney_Boys_High_School

 

[LoveHateSchool]

^Are you payed to reccomend SBHS? I can't go there due to single sex schools (which I don't agree with, co ed is a much more practical school I mean that's what the real world is like) so you're wasting your sales pitch on me LP I know SBHS has like 40 over 99 ATARs a year, it's obviously good because of it's perpetual top 10 at least rank, normally hovering round 5. With kids with double state ranks and the performance in mathematics...too bad other selective schools have you beaten in English

Why do so many choose to go to UNSW just wondering? Is it close (yeah don't pay out my Sydney suburb knowledge). Or is the courses offered there?

I don't get what makes GPS sports better than just being CHS champs?

 

[slyhunter]

^Are you payed to reccomend SBHS? I can't go there due to single sex schools (which I don't agree with, co ed is a much more practical school I mean that's what the real world is like) so you're wasting your sales pitch on me LP I know SBHS has like 40 over 99 ATARs a year, it's obviously good because of it's perpetual top 10 at least rank, normally hovering round 5. With kids with double state ranks and the performance in mathematics...too bad other selective schools have you beaten in English

Why do so many choose to go to UNSW just wondering? Is it close (yeah don't pay out my Sydney suburb knowledge). Or is the courses offered there?

I don't get what makes GPS sports better than just being CHS champs?

Yes he's paid.

And sausage fest lol

 

[Alkanes]

A cock convention.

 

[mangoz]

(which I don't agree with, co ed is a much more practical school I mean that's what the real world is like)

Uhhh... nice assumption.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

^So are you telling me a more accurate representation of the real world is one gender? Pretty sure even in male or female dominated industries there will still be at least some of the opposite gender. What's your point?

 

[slyhunter]

I think he's been traumatised by coed maybe.

 

[scarybunny]

It depends. I loved my selective school. I used the people around me to gauge how much effort to put in myself, and I got pretty good marks.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, was so used to being the only smart kid in the school that when he went to a selective school he gave up because he couldn't be the best. Bombed his HSC.