RP Confession: I love magic schools, but I never know how to make them without just being SoL

• #1 prestige academy in the world and everyone goes there, even with a horribly conflicted world state that spills into the school?
• It's not actually a "school" so much as a "training facility" and they're all in some kind of active training program? _{(( but then why a school and not just a - ))}
• Maybe the Dragon Age/The Magicians route, where magic has serious drawbacks and if you're not actively learning to defend yourself from demons, your degree will be awarded to a lobotomized vegetable?
• is it bullies? are bullies the plot??

I can't with the "there are also supernaturals and people are shitty to them" takes

I guess there's always the argument that "this setting inherently leans itself to personal development and therefore doesn't need overarching turmoil — you get exactly as much plot as you bring to the table", but then that just doesn't feel satisfying to my political-intrigue loving ass

More aside, but ponderances like this are also kinda why I dislike HP, because people just don't bother making original magic schools when everyone and their grandma knows the lore for HP and you can just go "It's HP, but Ancient Egyptian and the houses are our Gods" and like ten million more people will jump on that over reading original lore

Idk, anyone else got a similar sticking point, whether it's with magic schools or another genre?