omg there are little Yr 6-ers in here?!?!? How cute...
Well, personally I think the whole selective thing is overrated (being a Hornsby Girl myself) but seeing as I've never been to any other high school...
I think it's good that you can be in a supportive environment where everyone has a good work ethic but I think it's bad the way people are actually studying for the Selective Schools test. Like, WHY?!?!
The thing I love about Hornsby is that for Humanities people like me, it allows me to study what I like (Ancient... Textiles... Dance etc) and know that I can do well in those subjects as well as having fun. It's not all about cramming so you can do other subjects (like maths and science) where you're goint to have to cram all over again. You can cram in any high school in NSW. So, if you do get into a selective, I believe that you should take advantage of it. Don't do subjects like 4U maths and Science unless you actually enjoy them (heaven forbid). If you go to a decent selective school (let's face it, some are better than others) you will do well no matter what subjects you do. So take advantage of that and do ones that you like!
People that cram for the Selective Schools Test probably aren't on the right level for the high school they apply for. If you have to cram majorly just to keep up with the rest of the class, it's an indication that you shouldn't be there...