<p>I really want to go to boarding school but I am going to have to apply for 11th grade and I don't know how much help it would be. Another thing would be to go to the local private schools or stay at my charter school. I really want to go to an Ivy League school and somebody told me it is better to be the best of the worst than to go be just another smart kid in a sea of smart kids, any thoughts?? What would you do?</p>
<p>Going to boarding school isn’t about going to an Ivy; it’s about the experience you attain while being a student. Such opportunities are hard to come by in public schools or local private day schools. I’m assuming you’re going to be a sophomore next year? You could always apply to be a repeat sophomore, but think about why you want to apply, and what will you gain.</p>
<p>I think it helps your chances of Ivy League to be the best of the worst than another genius among geniuses.
I still chose to go to boarding school because I love it so much. Boarding school is such an experience. I’d hate to see somebody pass up on it in hopes of going to a more famous college. And, in the end, it boils down to you which college you go to.</p>
<p>I don’t really agree with being the best among worst because schools like HADES, etc have many students going to Ivy League colleges every year. For instance, Andover had 17 students go to Yale last year, and Deerfield had around 9. In the history of our school (supposedly one of the best in Asia) only 5 students ever went to Yale. I’m sure that being at these boarding schools will give an advantage, but more than anything, like AlexMac said, it is the experience and independence that one gains at these schools that is important.</p>
<p>p.s. I’m applying as a junior next year too.</p>
<p>Oh God, not another thread over BS and Ivy League admissions. These things turn ugly pretty fast.</p>
<p>I generally don’t comment on these threads because I’m 14, and college seems a long ways off, and they usually turn into nasty flame wars. However, I think that I should say something now before people start hurling insults at each other, and before we start hearing terms like “prestige whore” and “anti-intellectual” thrown into the mix.</p>
<p>I don’t know about you, but I do better when others around me are motivated. I think I’d learn more in an environment where everyone really wants to learn, and where there are other people as smart, or smarter than me. I probably wouldn’t develop as much intellectually in an environment where I am definitely the smartest kid, and I am not intellectually stimulated by those around me. I think it would be better to be in a “sea of smart kids” and be intellectually stimulated, instead of being the “best of the worst” and not being as intellectually stimulated for the possibly of having a 4.5849130923409823948239048% increase of a chance at an IVY (I hate it when people refer to an Ivy League School as an IVY in all caps. In the Bible, God is referred to in all caps. Is going to an Ivy League School a religious thing for these people?).</p>
<p>Let the flame wars begin.</p>
<p>“I don’t know about you, but I do better when others around me are motivated. I think I’d learn more in an environment where everyone really wants to learn, and where there are other people as smart, or smarter than me. I probably wouldn’t develop as much intellectually in an environment where I am definitely the smartest kid, and I am not intellectually stimulated by those around me.” </p>
<p>This is so true! When I have computation, it drives me to work harder!! I really think I will go to boarding school. I’ve always wanted the experience and my home is really distracting and I want to get away from it all. I’m sure my mom would if I prove to her I can keep my religion in check and if I’m good I’m sure my dad would say yes :)</p>
<p>Amuchan, Andover provides the kind of environment that you are looking for.</p>
<p>Yup. Andover’s one of the schools really want to go to. Do u go there?</p>