Contrary to popular belief, not all private schools can win a podium finish in a best private school New York stage. Only about 10% of US high school students are enrolled in private school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That might mean public schools might not offer less in terms of quality education.

Whether you are considering class size or mixed or single-sex school, you might still want to figure out if private school is a good fit for your child. Do private schools improve students’ performance in college and career life? 

Here are a couple of essential tips to help you make an informed decision. 

• Need special attention for your child?
  
  While public schools are required by legislation to offer the best possible education to every child despite the needs, some special-needs children might still miss the core of it. If your child has any physical, mental or emotional challenge that may require teachers to give them more attention to help them learn, private school might be the best choice.
  
  Some private schools even provide specialized facilities for that purpose. But note, not all private schools offer competitive special needs programs on-site.
  
  
• Consider if you prefer a different curriculum to the national standard taught in public schools
  
  The curriculum a private school teaches is approved by an approving board, teachers and parents, or a combination of these groups of stakeholders. Public schools are required by law to teach what the district and governments conclude as standard curriculum material.
  
  If you feel public schools recycle knowledge without much progressive teaching, you'll want to choose private high schooling for your child.
  
  
• Ask what can you afford in tuition and other fees
  
  A major difference between public and private schools is the funding or finances you’ll need to provide as parents. Generally, public high schools offer less expensive schooling compared to private schools.
  
  But the scope of team sports, volunteer work, special programs, and other programs may not be as comprehensive as in a top private high school in New York.
  
  
• Do you want teachers having a say in the kind of learning material your child will get?
  
  If you’ve determined teachers’ contributions to a curriculum and other school programs are ultra-beneficial for excellence in both the short- and long-term future, choose the private route.
  
  Public schools teach what a national, regional or district-wide education authority deem beneficial. The bureaucratic nature of the process can make public schools slower to engaging and including teachers’ contributions when it is clearly needed.
  
  
• What level of teacher-student interactions do you want your child experiencing?
  
  The norm is a public school will have a higher student-teacher ratio compared to a similarly sized private school. This may mean your child would get less teacher’s attention in case he or she needs personalized help. Then that could negatively impact their learning ability as well as the capacity to gain a good education.
  Keep in mind, though:
  Class size should not be a big issue if the school’s size, hence capacity to handle the numbers, is commensurate.
  
  
• Determine what type of student your best private high school in New York wants
  
  Most private schools are more selective with the type of students they invite and enroll than almost all public schools.
  One school might prefer a student with a focus on math or the sciences. Others might prefer to give priority to students showing promise in other areas other than purely academics, such as baseball, football, and athletics.
  Often, the school will have the facilities to blossom the child’s gift.
  Question is: does your child match the kind of student the specific private schools you are looking to enroll him or her in want?
  Over to you.