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If you are a private school attendee, you may have heard some of the following reactions when you have told others where you go to school: “Hey, does that mean you drive a Porsche?” “I bet your classes are crazy hard!” “Wow, I would hate having to dress up every day!”

You can't bust all of these common private school myths to your friends at once — but hey, the Teen Camps blog is here to help. Read on to find out what’s wack about these private schooler stereotypes.

Myth #1: Private schoolers’ lives are like the TV show “Gossip Girl.”

If you are a private schooler, you know that this could not be further from the truth. The  students in this popular show may attend private schools too, but the similarities stop there. Instead of jetting to Paris to hang out with royalty like Blair Waldorf, or having a chauffeur deliver us to sports practice  like Chuck Bass, most of us private schoolers wear clothes from Kohl’s and ask to borrow our mom’s minivan.

Myth #2: Private schoolers dress in Vineyard Vines-levels of preppy.

Who says that going to private school means abandoning your individual sense of style? Plenty of private schoolers love bowties, seersucker, and polos, but many of us also opt for different looks. And guess what else? Not every private school requires students to wear uniforms! 

Of course, many private schoolers do require uniforms, but it’s not the worst. In fact, it saves you energy when deciding what to wear! But, of course, we’re always glad to change into our jeans and a sweatshirt when we get home from school.

Myth #3: Private school parents pressure their kids to be Ivy League geniuses.

Some people assume that if you go to a private school, your parents pressure you to study seven hours a night, make a perfect SAT score, and go to an Ivy League school. That’s not true! Most of our families understand that there’s more to life than getting into your first choice school or acing the ACT.

Myth #4: Private schoolers have never had a job.

Ha! You laugh at this myth as you drive to your job at Chick-fil-A. Private schoolers come from a range of financial backgrounds, and most private school students’ parents understand the importance of hard work. That means no allowance once you’re older — it’s time to find a job. If you want to buy a movie ticket or a tank of gas, you know you’ll have to earn that cash yourself.

Myth #5: Private schoolers think they are better than everyone else.

This is the worst myth of all! There are many different reasons that students go to private school — and it’s not because they think they are too good for other types of schools. Many private schoolers’ attend because their parents work at the school, or they go there because of their faith. No matter the reason, be someone who is kind to everyone, and no one will believe this myth about you for long.

That’s it for our “Top 5 Myths About Private Schoolers!” What myths should we bust in our next post? Leave a comment below, and click the link below for more about PHC Teen Leadership Camps!