You can get some real stuck up assholes but most people and nice, genuine and fun to hang around with - same as with public schools. You tend to get more studious peers which can push you up due to the competition.
take this dudes words with a grain of salt. syd gram is quite different from your average independent school. good academics are a sign of less problems.
I know a lot of people here go to public schools but asking for a friend:
What is the atmosphere/environment like at private girls schools like Pymble Ladies College, Abbotsleigh, PLC Sydney, SCEGGS, Meriden, Queenwood, Wenona etc? Are private schools really better than public schools (not just in terms of facilities)? Would selective schools be better than private schools?
personally heard that bullying is pretty bad at certain girls private schools. searching the web might reveal a bit more. it's to be expected of girls who realise their family is rich and that they can do whatever they want/be bothered about rather meaningless things.
imo, the higher the academic ranking, the better the indication that people aren't caring/bothered by meaningless things on average, and the less 'messed up' stuff going on.
selective schools depend. ranking to ranking there's quite a big difference. top tier, we're looking at a very *cough* imbalanced demographic. academic environment is more competitive on average than private schools and average intelligence should be higher. however, teaching quality should be lower due to higher wages at private schools lol.
if very academically inclined/curious perhaps go ruse. frankly being around smart students accelerates development of smartness.
otherwise, imo, always take the private school route if it's comfortably affordable. ngl, I kinda want an swimming pool inside of my school lol.