Answer These Random Questions and We'll Guess If You're a Public, Private or Homeschool Kid

By: Emily Maggrett
Estimated Completion Time
7 min
Answer These Random Questions and We'll Guess If You're a Public, Private or Homeschool Kid
Image: Virojt Changyencham/Moment/Getty Images

About This Quiz

We all know the stereotypes: public school kids are tough but ignorant, private school kids are fancy little snobs and homeschool kids are dorky know-it-alls. Many have spoken out against these biases, making the valid point that it's not fair to make assumptions about people based on where or how they went to school. But here's the thing: at the core of these stereotypes is a tiny grain of truth, something that started as a positive quality but has been twisted into a negative one. 

Public school kids really do learn a lot about handling conflict by going to school with tons of other kids. Private school kids really do develop sophisticated tastes through being given specialized instruction. And homeschool kids, through being allowed to co-create their curriculum, often develop an in-depth knowledge of the topics they're most passionate about. 

In this quiz, we're going to guess how you were schooled through asking random questions about how you'd react in several situations, from a politically charged Thanksgiving dinner to being granted the ability to succeed in any profession you choose. Believe it or not, the way you'd handle a lucky break or your father-in-law's political rant can tell us a lot about your personality and experiences! So, are you ready to prove to us that you don't (or do) fit your educational history's stereotype? Put away that textbook and come take this quiz!


If you were forced to cosplay a Harry Potter character for a year, who would you pick?
Harry Potter, clearly!
Luna Lovegood
Hermione Granger
I don't like Harry Potter, sorry.

Advertisement

Let's say you're taking over a candy factory. What kind of treat would you make?
Chocolate bars
Gourmet jelly beans
Necco wafers
Everlasting Gobstoppers

Advertisement

You've decided to foster a dog. Which one of these unfortunate pooches would you help?
A sweet pitbull with PTSD
A tiny fluffy Bolognese with bladder problems
An anxious chihuahua who has to be held all the time
A golden retriever with a missing foot

Advertisement

In a giveaway, you've won the ability to redecorate your bedroom from ceiling to floor, for free! How would you do it?
I'd get wood floors, a sleek bed and a new flat screen TV.
I'd pick up some older pieces, such as a Hamadan rug or an oak bureau.
I'd finally splurge on the canopy bed I've wanted since I was 12.
I'd really like some sheer, floor to ceiling curtains, a new mattress and some nice, fresh bed linens.

Advertisement

For the rest of your life, you have to eat the same breakfast every morning. What will you be having?
Bacon, eggs and toast
Crêpes Suzette
Overnight oats with blueberries and chia seeds
Espresso and a croissant

Advertisement

Imagine that you're going to an academic conference. Which panel sounds the most interesting?
"Networking 101: How to Turbocharge Your Job Search"
"Class and Philosophy: How Money Influences Our Existential Outlook"
"A Room of One's Own: Why Solitude is Necessary to the Creative Process"
"How to Win a Writing Fellowship"

Advertisement

You're on your first date with a new guy or gal. They won't stop making dumb jokes (they're nervous). Which of these jibes would be a deal-breaker?
They make fun of someone who has less than they do.
They make a tasteless joke about body functions.
They make fun of their own mom.
They say something racist or sexist.

Advertisement

Would you rather have a tail, a unicorn's horn or scales on your lower legs?
A unicorn horn would be so funny!
A tail. You can hide a tail.
Scales. Might make me good at swimming?
A tail would be really cute, actually.

Advertisement

Dinosaurs are real and small ones are available for riding like horses. Do you buy one? What kind?
Yes. I'd get a tiny T-Rex and ride him like a pony.
Yes. I'd get a microraptor, and we'd fly around scaring everybody.
I would not get a dinosaur because I'd be afraid of getting eaten.
I'd grab a cute herbivore, like a triceratops.

Advertisement

Your boss offers you the choice between a demotion, transferring to a boring department or working overseas for three years. Which option do you choose?
I'd transfer to the boring department. Who knows, maybe it's not so boring once you get to know the work.
I'd go overseas. Sounds like a very exciting opportunity.
I'd take the demotion because I hate change!
I'd say yes to the transfer but start looking for a new job immediately.

Advertisement

Let's say you have the money to put a giant greenhouse in your yard. What would you grow in it?
Avocados, peppers and tomatoes
Orchids
Peaches and roses
Mushrooms and herbs

Advertisement

At a dinner party, you have the choice of sitting across from any one of the following guests. Who would you pick?
The tech entrepreneur
The celebrated county lawyer
The local minister
The aging experimental poet

Advertisement

Recently, you moved to a new city and are looking for new friends. You decide to take a night class in order to facilitate that. Which one of these courses would you try?
"Master Gardener Training"
"Film Appreciation"
"Pottery 101"
"Spanish 101"

Advertisement

You have the choice of being a stay-at-home parent, the main breadwinner for your family or a very busy part-time worker and parent. How would you choose?
Main breadwinner. It would make me nervous to completely leave the workforce.
Part-time worker. I want to stay involved with my kids but would lose my mind if I didn't get to talk to adults regularly.
Stay-at-home parent. Honestly, that sounds like heaven to me.
Part-time worker. Having a healthy work-life balance is really important to me.

Advertisement

Which one of these events would you most like to have free tickets for?
A Drake or Lady Gaga concert
An innovative production of the opera "La Boheme"
The state fair
A scientific exhibition about the human body

Advertisement

Your next boyfriend can only have two of these qualities: rich, tall, young. Which qualities will he have?
He'll be tall and young (but not rich).
He'll be rich and young (but not tall).
He'll be rich and tall (but old).
None of those qualities is essential, as long as he's an interesting person.

Advertisement

A magical fish offers you the ability to succeed in any profession. What profession do you ask for his help in?
I want my small business to become really profitable.
I'd like to get a promotion at my corporate office job.
I want to become a better teacher.
I'd like to assist my nonprofit in getting more funding.

Advertisement

At Thanksgiving, your father-in-law disrupts dinner with political opinions that you disagree with. What do you do?
Offer to get him some coffee
Change the subject
Freak out and leave the dinner table
Pour myself a glass of wine, then calmly start debating him

Advertisement

As a punishment from the cosmos, you have to relive your worst birthday experience. Which one of these would it be?
That time that only one friend came to my party, even though we invited the whole class
That time when my parent got sloshed and said something inappropriate in front of my friends
That time when the only people at my birthday were blood relatives
That time when all of my birthday gifts were practical instead of fun

Advertisement

You're buying fresh flowers at the farmer's market. Which bouquet do you pick?
A selection of pink and purple dahlias
A sheath of red tulips
A huge bunch of sunflowers
A colorful blend of local wildflowers

Advertisement

Imagine you can live in a gorgeous mansion, as long as it's located on one of the United States' many islands. Where would you dwell?
Hawaii
Martha's Vineyard
Orcas Island, WA
One of those charming islands in North Carolina

Advertisement

In order to receive your inheritance, you have to run one of your grandmother's businesses for six months. Which one do you choose to take over?
Her hardware store
Her advertising firm
Her cattle ranch
Her newspaper

Advertisement

You get to have lunch with any celebrity, living or dead. Who do you want to meet?
Solange Knowles or Channing Tatum
Banksy, Basquiat or Andy Warhol
George Washington or Benjamin Franklin
Jesus

Advertisement

At the library, you decide to pick up a new nonfiction audiobook for your commute. Which one of these sounds the most compelling?
An embedded journalist's description of what it's like in Trump's White House
In-depth interviews with poets in their 70s about art and mortality
Humorous real stories from stay-at-home moms and dads
A scientific exploration of how the internet is changing the way humans think and communicate

Advertisement

Would you rather fight a giant dog, a wolf or a slow tiger?
A slow tiger. I'm fast and can take her.
A wolf. Game recognizes game if you know what I mean.
Is running away an option?
I guess I'd take the dog. Maybe he or she is friendly!

Advertisement

Let's say multiverses are real and you have the power to live your life as a professor in one of them. What would be your area of expertise?
I'd be a math savant, like "Good Will Hunting."
I'd be a professor of Russian literature.
I'd be a charming English professor.
I'd be a stressed-out politics lecturer.

Advertisement

You're going to prison. Who's your best friend on the inside?
A tough car thief with a heart of gold
A white-collar felon like Bernie Madoff or Martha Stewart
A sweet mom who just happened to have murdered her husband
Anybody who's quiet and not looking for trouble

Advertisement

Imagine you could learn to play any guitar solo in the world. Which one would you shred on?
That epic solo in "November Rain"
Jack White's solo from "Ball And Biscuit"
Chuck Berry's solo in "Johnny B. Goode"
Prince's "Purple Rain" solo, hands down

Advertisement

You're going out to eat. Which restaurant sounds good?
The new Cuban taco truck around the corner
An exclusive Indian supper club
A 1950s diner with booths
A cozy trattoria or bistro

Advertisement

Let's say you have three children. How would you educate them?
I'd send them to public school but make sure they get lots of tutoring, after-school program time, etc.
I'd send them to private school but like, a hippie Montessori one.
I'd keep them at home until they were eight, then send them to private school.
I'd educate them the same way that I'd been educated.

Advertisement

You Got: