Saying that you will have more homework if you attend a private high school may or may not be accurate. There are other factors that you need to consider.

The amount of homework that private high school students can expect will vary by school and the level of academic rigor of the school. Moreover, the program or curriculum the student chooses to follow and the inclinations and abilities of the student are also determinants of the amount of work that will be required outside the classroom.

Generally, students that attend private high schools plan to attend college and that means that they are expected to follow a college-preparatory program. At most schools, college-prep includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of math (algebra I, algebra II, and geometry), three years of science, three years of social studies, and two years of foreign language. Students following this program should expect more homework than they would if they followed a general curriculum or a program that meets the minimum criteria for graduation.

For students that want to attend one of the very selective colleges, the high school course of study becomes more demanding and the corresponding homework- bar is raised considerably. The most selective colleges generally expect applicants to have taken higher level mathematics, which includes trigonometry, pre-calculus, and calculus. Students are also expected to fulfill the three-year science requirement that includes biology, chemistry, and physics and at least three years of foreign language. Typically, the rigor associated with this combination of courses will require yet further effort outside the classroom.

October 2005