<p>is it particularly hard to get in to a boarding school (particularly andover, and in general, the top tier schools) as an 11th grader? is it harder? are most of the students athletic recruits? my strong area is academics (4.5 gpa & taking college classes & skipping grades w/ independent study) and i've basically played every sport but i've never been a shining star at any of them, besides horseback riding (which they don't offer).. are my chances significantly diminished? what else can i do, if i don't have the athletic "hook"? i'm very good at yoga and i actually teach classes, but that's not a sport there (but they offer classes)..i don't have opportunities to pursue the arts this semester (will do photography, ballet, graphic arts, and possibly sketching next semester), but i've always been a natural artist ( it runs in my family) and was always the best in the class.. i know i need a hook, but what do i do?</p>
<p>Very few spaces for 11th grade, and like PGs, many are athletes. A number of people repeat 10th grade which has a lot more places.</p>
<p>Do you have a special academic strength you could play on?</p>
<p>my dream school (andover) admits 20-25 new 11th graders each year. what do you mean, specific academic strength? i'm taking college classes, i have straight a's, i'm taking all advanced classes, i'm in a charter school that most people have to apply for, but as soon i showed them my ssat scores from last year, which weren't good at all, i was transfered immediately. i whip through the classes also.. a year of math takes me about 4 months (because i spread it out while doing other classes). a year of english took me 2 weeks, world history 3 weeks, etc. if you mean my best subject, it's probably english (especiallyyyyyyy writing) but i am taking college biology and have never studies but i have a 93.5% average, so maybe i have an aptitude for science?</p>
<p>blairt, by the time you hit 11th grade at Andover, you'll find that almost everyone is really advanced in 1 or more academic areas. Lots of kids enter 9th grade having finished calc! Science types have won major science fairs, writer types have been published. I'm not saying everyone, but many, many of your peers will be that accomplished.</p>
<p>I can pretty much think of something about each of my Andover friends that is truly special. Choose something about yourself and your accomplishments to highlight.</p>
<p>If it isn't a top school like andover, is it still as hard to get in for grade 11? Plus, won't the people in admissions be somewhat hesitant to let you repeat a grade?</p>
<p>Admissions actually will encourage repeating a grade. It gives you another year to be at the school and take advantage of the opportunities (and it gives them another year of tuition $$$). My son did junior year again to start at his boarding school, and it was a good decision. Junior year is really important for the college admissions process, and it helped to be able to take some more advanced courses (and some really interesting courses) since he had gotten a lot of things out of the way during the first junior year.</p>
<p>so they probably won't encourage you if you need FA, right?</p>
<p>Agree with MOWC--preps always encourage a repeat year when transferring
Andover even had term for a repeat junior--"11R", it is really that common
My son did repeat 11th grade but if I had it to do over I would have had him transfer a year earlier and repeat 10th grade. Junior year is so intense and having to deal with the increased rigor of a prep school coupled with the general social/emotional adjustment is pretty tough for lots of kids</p>
<p>Kid# 2 will repeat grade 10 if he wants to go to a prep</p>
<p>I got accepted at hotchkiss kent and Willson North Hampton for the 11th grade (fifth form) ...Didnt even think about repeating.</p>
<p>heyy me too! im applying to exeter, lawrenceville, taft, a few others- but current attend a democratic school so i dont know how that might affect my chances of admission. id love to apply to andover but my parents are protesting that i wont get in.</p>
<p>If you're applying to Exeter (assuming you're not a legacy), the notion that you shouldn't apply to Andover because you haven't got a chance is plain silly. Try it, if you're willing to brave Exeter and you really love Andover. </p>
<p>:) I figured out how to use the smiley faces.</p>
<p>ahh i just feel so stressed out right now... lol
its funny tho, ive jsut discovered this board thing, and well, boarding schools really aren't as mainstream here on the west coast.</p>
<p>hey prettyckitty what weapon do u fence? i fence foil but use to do saber.</p>
<p>Foil. Only foil. Foil is infinitely the best type of fencing, and fencing is infinitely the best sport. ;) (I'm sorry. Now that I've learned how to use the smiley faces, I'm going to have to abuse them a bit.)
Actually, I really, really want to learn epee and sabre, but they don't teach it at my club. My coaches like sabre but don't fence it, and abhor epee. Next year, I'll probably get to learn sabre and epee, depending on which school I attend.</p>
<p>oh isee. ^<em>^ fencing's definitely alot of fun, i fenced saber for a couple of months because that was the weapon i really really wanted to fence (cuz my club's basically a saber club), but ya kinda stopped with it tho.
uknow, as ive been looking around in these forums, gah its gonna take soo much talent to merit a spot at one of these schools... >.< goodness, i didnt know there was so much competition out there. i wish there was a way for all students to have access to great schools like exeter and andover, imean think about all the 'talent' that we'd discover if everyone was working at 'top speed', uknow? ^</em>^</p>