Many students at Hinsdale South didn’t go to the main public feeder schools: Cass, Gower, Eisenhower, or Burr Ridge Middle. Instead, they went to private schools. A majority of us went to schools that had a graduating class of at least 50 kids, but for others, it was only about 10. This was normal to everyone. We understand that not all students go to a public school before high school. But how does going to a private school affect a student’s high school experience? 

I spoke with a variety of Hinsdale South students who went to a private middle school and asked them about struggles or advantages they encountered that were rooted in the transition from a private middle school to a public high school. 

Heather Stephens went to a private, Lutheran school. She explained that it was “especially difficult” to make new friends “coming from a school that had a graduating class of only 7 kids”. She mentioned that it was “hard to fit in because almost everyone already had an established friend group”. When you go from a school so small, walking into a school that has over 1,000 kids is extremely overwhelming. It’s almost impossible to make friends. Heather mentioned how it took her “about a year” to finally find a friend group that was right for her. 

However, a private school isn’t all bad. It is “definitely more academically rewarding because you [have] the opportunity to spend so much more one-on-one time with teachers,” said Heather. We see that even though making friends is more of a challenge, you do get more academic preparation from a private school. But what do students from public schools have to say about this?

I have some statements from Jacob Drahos, a student at HSHS who went to Gower Middle School. Jacob stated that he adjusted well in high school because his social studies class “did DBQs to prepare for World Studies”. But when asked about how flexible one-on-one time with a teacher was, he could only say that he “didn’t remember” ever meeting with a teacher during a time that wasn’t “specifically for class learning.”

Both private and public schools have their own advantages and disadvantages.