Whenever I tell someone that I went to an all female high school, one of two stereotypes tends to pop up in their heads. A school filled with catty, overly-dramatic girls in short, plaid skirts, driven by hormones and jealousy. The real life version of some god-awful teen drama filled with lesbians, knee-highs and betrayal or nerdy, socially awkward girls who have never actually witnessed a real live boy out in the wild. I am here to set the record straight. While there are definitely nerds, lesbians and a fair share of drama, it's no more or less than at any other high school in the world. Going to an all-girls high school was one of the best decisions I've ever made and has had a huge impact on making me the independent, confident person I am today.

SEE ALSO: A Thank You To My All-Girls High School

1. Leadership

Everywhere I looked in my high school, without even trying, I could find examples of female leadership. I was constantly surrounded by women in power. Our entire student government was made up of women. It never even occurred to me that at other schools it would have likely been boys in most of those positions. Principal? Woman. Class President? Woman. Yearbook Editor? Woman. Star Athlete? Woman. Valedictorian? Woman. Salutatorian? Woman. Prom King? Okay, you got me there, but you get the idea. My environment showed me leadership was completely within my reach.

2. Academic success

Competition was a focal point of my high school experience but not in the way one might expect. We didn't fight over boys or petty drama, we competed over grades. Alison Booth, a CEPR Research Fellow, found that an all female environment makes girls more competitive and less risk averse. Without boys in their classes, girls are more likely to be leaders and reach higher levels of achievement. Studies have shown that single-sex schools are more likely to have higher standardized test scores and graduation rates. So basically, without any cute boy distractions in class, I was able to learn and achieve more.

3. Confidence

The fact that the private school girl trope is viewed as sexual is really ironic if you've experienced the real deal. There was absolutely nothing sexy about my friends and I as we strolled the halls in our plaid skirts, frumpy sweaters and wallabees. No one wore make-up. It was a rare day if anyone had even bothered to brush their hair. If someone showed up looking half decent they would be bombarded with questions like, "Do you have a hot date today?" or "Is it picture day already?" The fact that we didn't have to stress about how we looked made us more confident. We were able to be ourselves without having to worry about impressing anyone. This environment taught us that there are more important things about being a woman than how you look. We have more to offer the world. We have brains and a voice and we intend to use them.

4. Sisterhood

A lot of girls go to college hoping to find their future bridesmaids. But I already had mine. People often think that women are naturally catty, jealous and hateful towards one another. But in reality, when taught in an environment where girls are empowered and encouraged to be leaders, the result is women who are supportive and thrive off of each other's success. My high school friends are a group of the most empowered and driven women I know (They are also some of the weirdest people I know. Genius and madness is a fine line.). These beautiful women were the people who enabled me to truly feel comfortable and confident in my own skin for the first time in my life. We support each other in all that we do because that is what we were taught. What I am trying to say is that we are a group of boss ass bitches ready to take on the world together. "Behind every successful woman, is a tribe of other successful women, who have her back." A never-ending gratitude to my tribe, quirks and all.