Xavier or MHS?

[Planck's constant]

Nah. I think its a really hard decision. Both are really good schools. It really depends on what you want out of a school.

Can you name one area where MHS is better than Xavier ?

[pi]

Can you name one area where MHS is better then Xavier ?

Has Xavier ever produced a Pokemon World Champion? https://www.facebook.com/honourthework/posts/10151620481692358 http://media.wix.com/ugd/c76c88_4cf3a5d01aaacb627e51d9d14dbd1e65.pdf

[datfatcat]

I picked glenny because it only took me 5 minutes to walk to school.  So yea you should definitely pick the one closest to your house

[Damoz.G]

Can you name one area where MHS is better then Xavier ?

On the School Rankings for VCE Scores?

SOURCE: http://www.bettereducation.com.au/Results/vce.aspx

[pi]

Can you name one area where MHS is better then Xavier ?

But seriously (not that I think Pokemon isn't serious -it is), there are many areas, I'll name a mix of academic/social/sporting for completeness (there are more):
1) If you want nearly an entire cohort of like-minded (ie. high academic goals) people
2) If throughout schooling you've been labelled as a "nerd", you'll fit in fine as one of the jocks at MHS
3) If you've got some talent in Badminton, Chess, Debating, Table Tennis, break-dancing, waterpolo, swimming and athletics (some years) and actually want to win state titles
4) Whilst not all teachers are amazing, there are many great teachers and being in a strong cohort mean your SACs scale up heaps
5) I can't talk for Xavier, but at MHS there is a club for nearly anything: debating, anime, cadets (army + air-force), environmental, public speaking, economics, political interest, maths extension, chess, gay, scrabble, etc etc. It covers all interests and no-one is left behind
6) MHS has arguably the best Year 12 Formal in the state. I don't recall Katy Perry crashing Xavier's Formal, but I do remember some students being idiots in wheelie-bins (it's reputation isn't what it once was)
7) MHS has a brilliant music department which also gets to work with Mac.Rob, every student plays a role in this department to some degree. Part of the ethos of "more than just marks".

I could go on, and I'm sure Xavs has some great advantages too, maybe even more than MHS. Who knows, haven't been to Xavs. Just saying that it's not all a one-way street and there are positives to both schools.

[ninwa]

I went to a moderately "elite" private school
My brother goes (well, went... aww my baby brother is growing up) to MHS

In my opinion the "prestige" and "connections" thing is far overrated. Yeah, my school occasionally holds business networking seminars and stuff like that, but on the whole a significant proportion of my graduating class turned out to be spoiled useless trust fund babies travelling all over Europe on mummy and daddy's dime while taking 6 years to finish a TAFE course in beauty therapy. I wouldn't "network" with most of them if you paid me.

The only good thing about my school was the amount of money it spent on its music program, I'll admit private schools seem to do extra-curriculars like music/theatre/sport a lot better (because they have more money to throw at it), but academically I disagree that they have that much of an advantage over MHS.

I think you'd be much better off going to a school of demonstrably dedicated people who are not necessarily cushioned by piles of money, because then you are far more likely to maintain networks with these hardworking, intelligent people who are far more likely to go places in life.

[no steez]

I might be making assumptions, but I've heard the MHS Old Boys Association is better connected than most others? Not as connected as with Scotch etc, but up there with the elite schools. Also Xavier's reputation these days isn't as great as it once was, going down the path of Wesley.

I'm sorry mate, but I don't know where you are hearing that MHS old boys association is 'better'?
I think MHS old boys association would be strong, but not as strong as the 'APS' schools.

Xavier still has a strong image, but yes I would say it is fading, just like every other 'elite private' school in my opinion
Are you referring to Wesley's academic reputation?

[no steez]

My honest opinion with your dilemma: (not claiming it to be logical at all haha)

MHS:
Superior academic environment
Select entry
A lot of like minded people
A well respected school
less 'rich kids'

Xavier:
Superior sport
A so called 'Old Boy network' -(won't help you much in reality though)
APS school
and unfortunately you will have to deal with 'rich kids'

If your main focus is to do medicine, I'd go to MHS

[pi]

I'm sorry mate, but I don't know where you are hearing that MHS old boys association is 'better'?
I think MHS old boys association would be strong, but not as strong as the 'APS' schools.

Xavier still has a strong image, but yes I would say it is fading, just like every other 'elite private' school in my opinion
Are you referring to Wesley's academic reputation?

Better in the sense that there are more academic connections these days. In that MHS graduates are doing more things than Xavier graduates. Heck, just yesterday in the news a graduate from the class of '09 was awarded a Rhode's Scholar, just one example of many that are becoming increasingly common. It was an assumption though, but I think that in the future Old Boys associations from these selective schools might be more useful (aside from Scotch, MGS and the like, those are top-tier elite that still have academic prowess to heir name) for someone with goals like Medicine. Sure, Xavier has a great AFL-player producing history, but it doesn't seem to be producing many big names elsewhere (I could be wrong here). 

And yes, I was referring to their academic reputation. Thought this was most relevant given OP wants to study Medicine.

[no steez]

Better in the sense that there are more academic connections these days. In that MHS graduates are doing more things than Xavier graduates. Heck, just yesterday in the news a graduate from the class of '09 was awarded a Rhode's Scholar, just one example of many that are becoming increasingly common. It was an assumption though, but I think that in the future Old Boys associations from these selective schools might be more useful (aside from Scotch, MGS and the like, those are top-tier elite that still have academic prowess to heir name) for someone with goals like Medicine. Sure, Xavier has a great AFL-player producing history, but it doesn't seem to be producing many big names elsewhere (I could be wrong here). 

And yes, I was referring to their academic reputation. Thought this was most relevant given OP wants to study Medicine.

I actually agree with you on that, MHS Old boys are picking up huge momentum in their achievements, however for these networks, it takes years and years to build up. But your right, MHS old boys will be very strong in future years.

Two of my good mates go/went to Wesley and they say the reason the VCE academic performance is no longer as strong as Scotch/MGS is because the 'smarter' students typically complete the IB program, apparently weakening and reducing the size of VCE cohorts and restricting subject choice. It's the same for Geelong grammar, who even get a worse 32 SS median. However there are amazing IB scores coming out of Geelong and Wesley.

[pi]

Two of my good mates go/went to Wesley and they say the reason the VCE academic performance is no longer as strong as Scotch/MGS is because the 'smarter' students typically complete the IB program, apparently weakening and reducing the size of VCE cohorts and restricting subject choice. It's the same for Geelong grammar, who even get a worse 32 SS median. However there are amazing IB scores coming out of Geelong and Wesley.

Ah ok, I didn't know that! Makes a lot of sense actually, there seems to be a shift in a few of the stronger private schools towards IB, including many girls schools too. Interesting.

[ggmgggmm]

I think Xavier and MHS both had five people who got an ATAR of 99.95 last year...

[ggmgggmm]

http://www.xavier.vic.edu.au/our-school/latest-xavier-news/230--xavier-congratulates-all-its-vce-students.html
http://www.mhsviceduau.com/#!yr12acaresults/c1e2v

[spectroscopy]

not sure how relevant this would be to the OP but i could have gone to an aps school on scholarship and i also got into melbourne high
i didnt go to either, i dont really have any regrets about either of them, but if i could go back in time i would probably choose melbourne high

[pi]

I think Xavier and MHS both had five people who got an ATAR of 99.95 last year...

There's more to a school than the number of 99.95s it produces

(interesting how all 5 of them did Latin, such a winner for the ATAR in APS schools)