<p>Hi All! I know there are a few of you on here who applied to Groton for their Second Form/8th Grade. How was the experience?? I am applying there for next year and wanted some advise and your opinions about the application process, what yours stats were like, etc, and did you get in/waitlisted/denied?? It looks like Groton is the only Top BS with an 8th grade? Its the only one Im applying to.... I started a thread in the Chances pages, but cant PM any one yet because I am totally new to this site. Anything you can tell me would be great. Thanks!!</p>
<p>I am the Mom of a student who was accepted to 8th grade ( II form) a a boarder, she is now a rising iV former.
II form is a wonderful experience- my daughter loved it. The pros: small numbers, lots of cosseting and a definite " head start" on the future incoming III formers.
The cons: small class- everyone knows everyone and with such small numbers you NEED to make it work. That being said- they do make it work, and you will have class with other forms so your friendship pool is much larger
Groton is a real family. Everyone knows everyone and you can never be “overlooked”- I would encourage you to go for it!</p>
<p>My son completed his II Form last year and is a rising III Former (Class of 2017). We did a lot of research and in my opinion Groton is the only highly-selective BS with an 8th grade. Competition for admission is very high for II Form, as it is for all grades at Groton. I understand, however, that historically II Form was not as competitive as III Form because fewer applications were received for each spot. This was one reason that we applied for 8th grade. Also, we wanted to get started and have a “leg up” over those starting in 9th grade. The BS experience can be hard the first year and we found that the II Form year at Groton was very nurturing. Every faculty member that I have met knew my son. They really watch out for their lower schoolers (II and III Forms). The school does not release admission data on a per grade basis but I encourage you to call the admission office if you have any questions. The current Head of Admission was focused on getting the word out about the II Form and encouraging applications. As with all top boarding schools if you are not a legacy, sibling or faculty child you will need top grades, SSATs and extra curriculars. My son’s class as a whole was very diverse. Some were very good athletes, others very good artists, musicians, etc. For the most part all had very good academic records and test scores. You should remember that all BSs have repeats, students that repeat a grade that they have just completed. So if you ware willing to complete 8th or 9th grade at your current school and repeat the same grade at Groton let them know. Once you get past 9th grade there are going to be few openings at top BSs. Groton is very small and not for everyone. My son and his classmates cannot wait to get back to campus this Fall. While he loves it, his younger sister wants a larger school. Just because it is highly selective and highly ranked does not mean that it is a fit for everyone. The admission office, however, has demonstrated that they can find the kids that are a good fit for the school because their retention rates under the current Head of Admission are extremely high. I encourage you to apply, be honest in your application and interview and see whether it will work for you.</p>