The Pros & Cons of College Prep School

Posted on: 30 April 2019

If your teen knows that they want to make it into a certain college or university, sending them to college preparatory school is one easy way to help them get a head start. College preparatory school is a type of privately funded secondary school that is specifically designed to prepare students for college. It is always a major decision when it comes to deciding on what school will be best for your teen who has their sights set on future goals. Here is a look at the pros and cons of college prep high school to help you decide. 

Pro: Prep schools tend to have smaller class sizes. 

One of the things that allows a more rigorous learning environment is a small student-to-teacher ratio. Class sizes at the majority of college prep schools are smaller than what they tend to be in a regular public high school. The private funding allows there to be more teachers on site so they can work more directly with students in the classroom and not be so outnumbered. 

Con: Prep schools will require you to pay tuition. 

One of the few disadvantages of college prep high school is the fact that this is a tuition-funded school; it is not funded by the government. There can be exceptions, however. For example, some colleges offer scholarships to certain prep schools for well-performing students and some professional industries do the same. The price that will be charged for tuition will vary depending on the school, what is offered, its location, and various other factors. 

Pro: Prep schools help students find their natural strengths and talents. 

There is a greater focus in college prep schools on making sure each student reaches their full potential. You will see a lot of classes offered in these schools that you may not find in other public high schools. For example, while a lot of public high schools do not have a lot of art-focused curriculum, prep schools often do. 

Con: Transportation to prep school may not be provided. 

Most prep schools are smaller, and all of the students who are enrolled in the school may not be within the same city or set of communities. Therefore, providing transportation can be a little harder for the prep school to do, and parents may be responsible for making sure their child can get to the school through their own means on a daily basis. 

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