Are American schooling expectations in films the same in real life?

[Offandonagain]

I find that Typically in American high school type films such as She’s all that, 10 things, fresh Prince, American pie, Spider-Man etc there is a big emphasis on going to college after school…. Grades, scholarships, summer schools, locations.

It seems to be a bigger deal that the UK, and you’re a failure if you don’t go. Hope true is this though?

Also, are us unis better both academically and socially than uk ones?… not sure if that question can be answered

My boys went to US high school. Grades and class ranking were important. Summer school was there to make up for any grade that wasn't good enough for graduation or Uni. Scholarships very important to help pay for Uni. Uni is a 4 year degree, they make them do classes that are outside their degree to make them well rounded Ds did Biology and English lit even thought he was a business major. It didn't seem like the movies though

Yeah, that’s another thing I noticed. The variety of subjects taken despite not being a major.

And that you can fall graduating high school… do they keep students back if they fail?

*fail

The schools in the movies are usually privileged suburbian schools. Many US kids go to schools with no hope of getting into college. That was the whole premise of Fresh Prince, as he played a teen going to a failing inner city school going to live with a rich uncle so he could go to a local well funded, suburban school and get an education.

@Discovereads--not quite true about Fresh Prince. He still ended up going to a private school in Bel-Air (embarrassed to admit knowing that)

And yes, as was pointed out, not every American high school experience is the same but the goal or the benchmark of success is definitely "going to college." Suburban kids go flat out with taking loads of AP courses (A-levelish), joining 100 different clubs, sports, band, volunteering, working part time jobs/internships, and of course getting the best grades possible---basically anything that will make them stand out from all the other identikit pupils fighting for the same (often) Ivy League spots. But, the Ivy League is not the end all and be all of university destinations. Plenty of people do just fine in life with a standard State university or middle of the road liberal arts college education. But yes, the goal for everyone is higher education.

The Fresh Prince went to a private school (misses point of thread)

It’s crazy that professions such as mechanics or builders aren’t valued as decent jobs/careers. I think vocational subjects are valued more in the UK

Bog standard graduating high school is the equivalent of gcses. The first two years of ' college' is spent taking general education classes that bring you up to the level that u.k kids are at after taking a''levels.

The vast majority of high school graduators don't go to Uni.
Don't even try, not even in the cards.

Steve in Stranger Things is about right in example prospects.

I'm thinking maybe 1/4 of my cousins / DC's 2nd cousins under 32 went to Uni.

It very much depends on the school and location but yes Pattymelt described it correctly. I had 3 go through it and go onto university. I would say 100 percent of their classmates (3 different private schools) went onto university. Same is probably true for high schools in middle class areas.

Trades are valued. and kids whose family have a business like plumber/electrician etc often go into those area. but might go to college/university first. Ds's best friend went to technical school for high school. It was almost funny seeing the consternation of the other parents from the very nice private middle school he attended. But his parents knew he couldn't have coped with 6 hours a day of classroom instruction for 4 years. He graduated with a qualification in welding as well as a high school diploma and went onto university.

Each state sets the standard for graduating from high school. every school, public and private has to meet those minimum standards and then private school often add stuff like arts requirements, volunteer service, sports. if you don't have enough credits in, say, math or language, you won't graduate.

dd1 was in a really alternative, progressive school so wasn't anything like the movies (although all of them completely focused on getting into a good university). Dd2's school was a traditional prep-type school so had things like homecoming, a cappella singing groups, school colour day etc.

Lots of kids go to commuter schools (4 year universities, usually public, where you don't live on campus) or do a 2 year community college only or 2 years community college and then 2 years in university - maybe taking time off to work full time. Some of the best -ranked schools aren't universities but colleges (no post-grad) - places like Swarthmore or Williams.

The first two years of ' college' is spent taking general education classes that bring you up to the level that u.k kids are at after taking a''levels.

I wouldn't agree with this at all. UK kids with 3 A levels in science are nowhere near the level of a US high school graduate who has taken AP English or Spanish based on the gsces. someone entering Harvard hoping to major in Biology will have to take a language requirement and a humanities load. Someone hoping to major in English Lit will have to take science/math and laboratoies. This isn't to cure the deficiencies of their high school education. It is part of the liberal arts education model.

It is really impossible to compare the 2 systems. The US high school system is much more like the Irish one.

Complete rubbish.

College Enrollment and Work Activity of Recent High School and College Graduates Summary

In October 2021, 61.8 percent of 2021 high school graduates ages 16 to 24 were
enrolled in colleges or universities, little changed from the previous year,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

I think this depends on where you live as that is not my experience of the UK at all. Almost everyone at my state high school went to university and it was very much the expected thing from the beginning of high school. Trades weren't encouraged in any way and I genuinely didn't know you could get a job with decent prospects straight out of school without a degree as it was all presented as thought degree = decent pay and no degree = NMW.

It’s going to depend on where the school is surely? Going to university is completely expected where we live, it’s almost unheard of not to. There were 4 children out of 120 in my eldest year in a leafy comp who didn’t go to university and I don’t know a single child who went into a trade. I imagine other parts of the country are the opposite

The variety of subjects taken is considered a good thing here. It gives students a chance to explore subjects before committing to them, or just learn things they find interesting. My son majored in finance/accounting but also took courses in history, art, and even stand-up comedy.

It is possible to fail high school and have to retake classes to pass. The degree wouldn't mean much otherwise.

eatsleep you must be talking about those who studied A levels though, not those who are doing their GCSEs. It would be extremely unusual for a normal comp to have nearly all their Yr 11 students going onto A levels and then uni, many leave at 16 for other pathways.

@Pallisers SATS for college/uni seem like a doddle compared to UK A-levels and Pee -U; lots of multiple choice questions that can be learnt by rote. I know several families with academically average kids who’ve sent them to uk schools where they’re coached for US college entrance. And judging by the court cases, don’t you just pay a proxy to take the exams for your DC or endow something if you’re rich but your kids are a bit thick,? With extra grease palming points if a parent is a ‘legacy’?

I posted pretty much the same and no I'm not. The majority of the year that started in S1 (first year of high school) went to university. Only a few people didn't stay in at school after standard grades (equivalent to GCSE). A lot of not very academic folk went to uni because that is what we all did. I believe every person from my primary school class of 30-odd did.

I knew a couple of people at uni in first year who were Scottish (and at Scottish uni) who had spent last years of schooling at US high school (for different reasons). They both said how easy they had found it. This was before the Scottish system went down the toilet though so probably wouldn’t say that now.

The SAT is an aptitude test and uses a new set of questions every year, so memorizing the answers isn't possible. If you've never taken them, how do you know they're a doodle?

There was a famous case where a college counselor used fraud and bribery to get students admitted to universities. It was vigorously prosecuted and people served prison time, including some of the parents. The testing company takes extensive steps to prevent proxies from taking the test. It was only possible in this case because a company employee was bribed. It's absurd to think this is widespread or a common tactic.

I went to elementary school in the US in the late 80s. We went to see the local high school production of South Pacific and the budget they must have had for the set and costumes would have been huge.
It really was like something out of a high school movie.

My eldest is going into his second year at US High School. He’s in band, plays at the football games which have cheerleaders and a dance squad and goes in state band competitions. I find this very American movie. For school his GPS is about 3.8 and I always thought, based on the movies, a 4.0 was the perfect score. But no… this year the valedictorian and the next one down (his twin brother) got 4.8s! As did many others at different HSs in our district. They have to be better than perfect! And I believe it’s extra credit coming from advanced classes and maybe taking a PE class in the summer to get it done which then frees up a class during the school year to shoe horn something else in.

Top 10% of each school gets an in state college place but not necessarily the degree they want. Top 4% or something get a place at the best in state colleges. So I’m lead to believe. It’s cut throat.

one of the graduation band members was not going to college, he was training in underwater welding and I thought, how cool is that! After all the engineering, law, medicine and music majors it really stood out.

re the lettermen jackets they have in the movies; they don’t just get it for being on the team, they have to complete several requirements and pay $250 or something for them. Bonkers. And band kids can qualify too.

there We’re a very small number who left after gcse who went to college to do various things. Maybe about 15 or so from 150 Most of those went on to do level 3 btecs and have gone on to university from there. I literally don’t know of any children who have gone into trades.

SATS are only a tiny part of college applications. Many schools no longer require them. your GPA is the most important part and that is calculated on every assignment/class participation/test/quiz you take from freshman year on. What AP and honors classes you take also matter. Most competitive schools are looking for you to have taken the hardest level classes offered by your high school.

Presume you are joking about the rest - since those parents were actually arrested, charged and found guilty as were the coaches. Legacies are a problem though - they dilute the quality of candidate but a few of the big name schools are beginning to end the practice.

It is amusing how many UK people think americans are all thick with a bad education and that quite average UK students would storm through academic life there.

Here’s an example of a local HS choir requirements to earn a jacket. My son is quite anxious especially performing so I’m not sure he would earn the points for his. He’s thinking about the regional bands as you only have to audition to one person and then he’s happy as Larry in the band as it’s not all eyes on him. Doesn’t seem to have the drive of American kids to do it though. 🤷🏽‍♀️