<p>I've been a little too involved with the admissions process. I keep looking at the websites of the three schools I'm applying to over. And over. And over. All I think about is how much I would rather be at a boarding school. My dad says we could afford it easily but they won't let me leave without a full scholarship (FA) that I probably won't be able to get. I literally cry myself to sleep every night because of the unwelcoming environment of my public school. I get A+s in every class without paying attention in class or even trying. My parents don't get it. They think I have interpersonal problems and therefore should never leave home until college. But really, I've been antisocial because of my extreme sadness that I have a 99.9999% chance of staying in my small town with the students and teachers who could honestly care less about what drives me: learning. And I don't know what to do. My parents think I hate them. Is there some way I could convince them that BS would help me? I've been getting quieter, extremely introverted, and secluded in my room all the time. I've been debating going silent all together. Please help me find a way to convince my parents!!!! Thanks.</p>
<p>Triangles, I think you need to talk to your parents and tell them how you feel. Many exceptionally bright students feel out of place and have trouble fitting in if they are too far from the center of the bell curve. Who makes you feel alive? Are there true peers in your life outside of school? </p>
<p>Maybe this article will help you to explain. [Finding</a> True Peers | Duke TIP](<a href=“http://tip.duke.edu/node/914]Finding”>http://tip.duke.edu/node/914)</p>
<p>hth-</p>
<p>RL</p>
<p>Boarding school financial aids are need based not merit based, so if your family can easily afford BS tuition then you can’t get FA. period. There are few schools that offer merit based aids so you need to research those.</p>
<p>Yes I know, that is why I am upset - I won’t be able to go most likely.</p>
<p>Maybe ask them the true reason they don’t want you to go. If they can “easily afford” it, then the money is not the issue. See if you can get to the root of what is causing them to react this way. Then you will have a chance at allaying those concerns… good luck.</p>
<p>The true reason my parents don’t want me to go is my emotional “issues”. I am fine emotionally, but around them I’m always sad. And I’m sad because I won’t go to boarding school.</p>
<p>I just want to find a way to tell them that I’m not comfortable in public school. That I’m never challenged, never pushed to excel. My peers could care less about me and about learning. It’s getting to the point where I can’t relate to them anymore. This is causing me to be lonely. I need to tell them that I NEED BS.</p>
<p>You may find that summer programs like CTY or Duke TIP will help you find like-minded friends, or consider studying abroad through a program like AFS.</p>
<p>I had a similar problem. The first thing you should do is get your feelings out, whether to an actual person or something else. The next thing you should do is identify the schools to which you want to apply and make sure you fully understand why you like those schools. Then, tell your parents about those schools and explain how they will help you. It’s easier to do this after school visits. For example, “Mom, I think (school x) will help solve (problem x) because it has (x,y,and z). You saw these in action at the school visits.” Also, explain the unlikeliness of getting full financial aid to them. The key to compromise is understanding, so listen to their reasoning as well. Try not to seem standoff-ish because this could make them mad. Just find a good time to sit down, and have this serious conversation.</p>
<p>Triangles, why don’t you consider BS offering merit-based scholarships, like Mercersburg Academy? Many of them could be still far better than your current school. They just sent my daughter a personal email praising high test scores and encouraging to apply for scholarship.</p>
<p>Siliconvalleymom: I have participated in a CTY event and maybe will attend the summer camp next summer (maybe even this!) I have family living in many different parts of Italy, and studying abroad will be a possibility when I get to high school! 
</p>
<p>Prepschoolhopes: would you mind PMing me? I’d love to hear about your experience</p>
<p>Sharinggift: my local public school is in fact semi private/boarding. In that way it is unique and has many offerings that many prep schools don’t even have! My parents think that if I go to another school, the students AND school must be substantially better - and I agree with them. So for those reasons I am only applying to a handful of schools.</p>
<p>If you remain silent with your parents being alone in your room, it will only make matters worse. It will make your parents think you have a problem with interpersonal skills. You may be getting into a vicious circle. </p>
<p>Don’t try to find a way to tell your parents. There is no shortcut. Just sit down, talk with them and tell how you really feel about your school and your lack of motivation there. Give them the reasons in a more mature and structured way.</p>
<p>You need to convince your parents that you don’t have any emotional issue and that the reason you want to go to a boarding school has nothing to do with your lack of interpersonal problem because it is non-existent.</p>
<p>Tell them u need a fresh start</p>
<p>triangles314: Sorry. I am new to CC and need to reach 15 posts first. I’ll PM you as soon as I do. :)</p>