I often feel strange explaining to other people where I go to school, but I know that online education is really beginning to take off, and I'm sure that in a few years my situation will be far more common. That being said, people have to remember that OHS and other schools like it attract a very special type of student, the type of student that is intellectually motivated and enjoys learning for its own sake (a student who thinks "outside the box"). In the course of my academic career, I have attended both public and private schools, and it was not until I came to the OHS that I found an environment truly suited for the gifted, independently-minded student, both in the way that the courses are taught and structured and in the environment created by students and faculty. Ultimately, I think choosing a high school should be about finding what works for you, and I think it's great that online schools like OHS are providing a whole new way to experience education perfect for people who have formerly fallen through the cracks in the traditional education system, which, I also agree, is failing many of our students today. Additionally, in an age where more and more students are being afforded the option of a college education, the purpose of high school should shift to prepare students for the rigors of college academics. Though OHS and other online schools may not present the social opportunities common to physical high schools, the students that attend OHS have made preparation for post-secondary education their top priority, and usually seek social fulfillment (at least face-to-face social fulfillment) in extracurricular activities.
