California Jr. Year ------> Exeter Sr. Year?

JamesChang · September 27, 2009, 2:50am

I posted this in Prep School Admissions, but I wanted to consult you guys as well, being my fellow public-high-school-students.

I'm from SoCal and I'm a junior who has attended public schools all his life.

So while browsing this site, by chance, I came across "Phillips Exeter Academy". I was like, what is this?! I did a bit more research and it would be an understatement to say how blown away I am by what these kids get to do (: Truth be told, I've always wanted to attend a school where you're basically immersed in learning since you're living there as well.

As a result, I'd love to have the chance to join them. My question is this: how hard is it to go there for junior year, and if I need financial aid, will it make admission more difficult?

Also, how will transferring to another school midway in my high school career look to colleges? I'm thinking of applying to HYPS and a couple of other ivies such as Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, etc.

Sorry if these questions come off as kind of newbish, but I've never really considered going to a prep school until now.

James

Edit: I was kind of googling and I found this. It pretty much summarizes my exact situation, except I don't live in Canada.
<a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081231203505AAiea4G%5B/url%5D">http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081231203505AAiea4G</a>

Wartsandall · September 27, 2009, 3:18am

Hmm…well I’m not too familiar with the school, but I just did some research on it and looked around on their website. It seems very advanced and challenging, but assuming you can handle that, I would suggest you look into it. Make sure you are doing this for YOU though, not the Ivies. If you switched schools, especially to one of this magnitude, I think Ivies would accept that, and would also understand how advanced this school is. However, as I mentioned, understand that this decision is because you feel you aren’t being challenged enough and want to learn more, and therefore are switching. Ultimately, colleges will have to accept that. I hope you give this serious thought though. This decision and idea can’t be taken lightly. After all, you would be moving(I’m assuming, correct?), paying almost $40,000 per year, and taking on a whole different environment both locally and academically. Really think about this. If you are doing this for Ivies, don’t go. It’s not worth it. Plenty of people get into them from public schools without paying college tution prices at prep schools. However, if you are willing to invest that much money due to the fact that you are not being challenged enough, then I suggest you go. In the end, it’s a difficult decision, and only you know what’s best for you. I hope everything works out:)

JamesChang · September 27, 2009, 3:24am

Thanks for the advice!

Technically, I wouldn’t have to pay anything except various miscellaneous expenses (our family’s income is < $75000).

I think I’ll discuss it with my parents tomorrow… they were asleep when I found the school. I’d imagine competition to be intense to get in though.

Wartsandall · September 27, 2009, 3:36am

Ok, well that really changes things then. Think about it for a while and then decide. I would definitely suggest you visit the school in person before making a commitment. I know what you’re going through in terms of switching schools. I’m a junior too and have recently made the decision to go to an online school after being enrolled in public schools all of my life(like you). However, my situation contrasts with yours a little. I definitely thought about it and talked with my parents about this possibility for about a month before we came to a decision. You really need to consider this. Are you willing to leave your family, friends, and current school for this new one? Regardless of what you decide though, I wish you all of the best:)

yoursky · September 27, 2009, 9:48am

Exeter boasts under 20% acceptance rates these days. I heard Andover went down to like 16% this year, it was ridiculous.

I always had the vibe that Exeter loves stereotypes from Asians. Not trying to be mean to it or anything, just I’d always see the same stereotype of a nerdy asian boy on their website. then again i don’t personally like Exeter because its too large in size and much too competitive for my taste.

however, boarding school in itself is definitely worth it. The idea of living, actually living, in a learning environment and being able to foster friendships with teachers, etc. I suggest you expand to other schools as well, not just Exeter. For example, right in that New England area there are at least 25 schools I can name of that are just as awesome, if not better :P, than Exeter.

Be aware it’s not all learning though. Friends at boarding school talk about how everyone uses drugs. There are dropouts, there is sex on campus. There’s a lot of plagiarism. lol.

<ul>
<li>EDIT: One thing you will find is that boarding schools select a lot more on geography and “uniqueness” so being Asian really really hurts the playing field. Then again you live in the US so it’s a different story. When it comes to geographical priority, often it’s the Mid-west, then the West Coast, primarily California, that gets first consideration. So with that you have an advantage. I know a person from Socal that got into Exeter for freshman year, and she wasn’t the “stereotype” i mentioned before, so they do accept a diverse range of people. Senior year is tricky though, there aren’t as many seats left, though with Exeter’s size the competition should be equal to that of incoming freshmen.</li>
</ul>

StepIntoTheArena · September 27, 2009, 9:54am

I go to a boarding school and do think it’s worth it if you’re going to transfer. Just make sure you like the environment of the school before you do so. I visited Exeter when I was looking for schools, and I really liked it, the only problem was that I got rejected. I am very happy at the school I am at now though :).

Not “everyone” uses drugs, but some do, just like in public school. A school like Exeter, you can expect some dropouts with a cutthroat competitive atmosphere. Yes, of course it’s not all learning, who can study 24/7? People need to have fun even if it’s a high school.

almost_there_1 · September 27, 2009, 2:15pm

The thing that’s probably worst for you is that you need financial aid. As of this year Exeter isn’t need blind which makes it harder to get in. I mean I got on partial financial aid this year but the percentage was less. Last year they accepted 46% on financial aid this year they accepted 27%. And they still have a lot of budget cuts which sucks because we only get soft serve icecream on weekends now. And each room get’s only one extension so you have to share the phoneline with your roommate (that’s not really a problem for me though because I have a single )

JamesChang · September 27, 2009, 2:29pm

Hmm, my parents were kind of ambiguous about their support of my idea. They mentioned how they thought that “everyone there was rich and stuck up” but I was like, uh, Exeter’s website says that 30% of the students receive finaid. Can any current Exeter students confirm/deny that?

almost_there_1 · September 27, 2009, 3:55pm

I go there and actually more than 30% do. I think it’s about 40%. I haven’t really noticed people being stuck up though.

cs12345 · September 27, 2009, 5:08pm

you should just stay at your current high school. transferring to the east coast for just one year seems like too much of a hassle.

JamesChang · September 27, 2009, 5:11pm

Yeah, I think you’re right, CS. My parent’s made it pretty clear this afternoon they weren’t comfortable with the idea.

Wartsandall · September 27, 2009, 5:15pm

While the idea is nice, I’m sure you will still get into very good schools, even if you do decide to stay at your current school. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do:)

Gryffon5147 · September 27, 2009, 5:57pm

No. No. No.

Stay in California. Even if you can get into Exeter.

JamesChang · September 27, 2009, 9:04pm

@ the Yalie: why?

Wartsandall · September 27, 2009, 9:08pm

Maybe he is suggesting this because you have a greater chance at UCs? You’ll have to wait until he confirms this though.

almost_there_1 · September 27, 2009, 10:12pm

Here’s the 2007-2009 college matriculation thing for exeter:
College Matriculation 2007 - 2009

<pre><code> College 2007 - 2009
</code></pre>

Allegheny 
1

American 
4

Amherst 
7

Arizona, U 
1

Art Inst. Chicago 
1

Babson 
3

Bard 
3

Barnard 
4

Bates 
8

Bentley 
1

Boston College 
7

Boston U 
7

Bowdoin 
6

Brandeis 
3

British Columbia, U 
1

Brigham Young 
1

Brown 
20

Bryn Mawr 
6

Bucknell 
4

Cal Berkeley, U 
6

Cal Los Angeles, U 
2

Cal San Diego, U 
1

Cal Santa Barbara, U 
1

Cal Santa Cruz, U 
1

Cambridge 
1

Carleton 
2

Carnegie Mellon 
22

Case Western Reserve 
1

Centre 
1

Chicago, U 
12

Claremont McKenna 
3

Clark 
1

Clemson 
1

Col. of the Atlantic 
1

Colby 
11

Colby Sawyer 
1

Colgate 
5

Colorado College 
3

Colorado, U @ Boulder 
1

Columbia 
24

Concordia (Canada) 
3

Concordia (MI) 
1

Connecticut College 
4

Cornell U 
27

CUNY - Hunter 
1

Dartmouth 
27

Davidson 
2

Deep Springs College 
1

Delaware, U 
1

DePauw 
1

Dickinson 
2

Dominican, U 
1

Drew 
1

Drexel 
1

Duke 
13

Edinburgh, U 
2

Elon 
2

Emerson 
3

Emory 
2

Fairfield 
2

Fordham 
3

George Washington 
13

Georgetown 
33

Gettysburg 
1

Hamilton 
6

Hampshire 
2

Harvard 
42

Harvey Mudd 
2

Haverford 
5

Hofstra 
1

Holy Cross 
4

Howard 
1

Illinois, U 
1

Indiana U 
2

Iowa State 
2

Iowa, U 
2

Ithaca 
1

James Madison 
1

Johns Hopkins 
17

Kenyon 
1

Lafayette 
3

Lehigh 
1

London Sch. of Economics 
1

London, U 
1

London, U - Royal H 
1

Loyola Marymount 
2

Loyola (New Orleans) 
1

Macalester 
1

Maine College of Art 
1

Manhattanville 
1

MIT 
23

McGill 
12

Miami U (OH) 
1

Miami, U (FL) 
5

Michigan, U 
16

Middlebury 
9

Monash, U 
1

Morehouse 
1

Mt. Holyoke 
6

New Hampshire, U 
7

New York U 
25

North Carolina State 
1

North Carolina, U @Chapel Hill 
8

Northeastern 
2

Northwestern 
4

Northwestern Dual Med. Prog. 
1

Norwich 
1

Notre Dame, U 
4

Oberlin 
2

Oklahoma State U 
1

Oxford (UK) 
5

Pennsylvania State 
1

Pennsylvania, U 
23

Pepperdine 
1

Pomona 
1

Portland, U 
1

Princeton 
33

Providence 
1

Purdue 
1

Queen’s U (Canada) 
3

Reed 
1

Rensselaer 
4

R.I. School of Design 
2

Rhode Island, U 
1

Rice 
6

Rice U Dual Med. Prog. 
1

Roanoke 
1

Rochester Inst. of Tech. 
1

Rochester, U 
4

Rutgers 
1

San Francisco, U 
2

Santa Clara 
1

Sarah Lawrence 
2

Savannah A&D 
1

Scripps 
2

Simmons 
1

Skidmore 
7

Smith 
7

Southern Calif., U 
16

Southern Methodist 
2

Springfield 
1

St. Andrews (Scotland) 
4

St. Johns (NM) 
1

St. Lawrence 
1

St. Olaf 
1

Stanford 
20

Stonehill 
2

Suffolk U 
2

SUNY - College Environmental Sci 
1

Susquehanna, U 
1

Swarthmore 
6

Syracuse 
2

Texas, U 
2

Toronto, U 
1

Trinity (CT) 
12

Tufts 
20

Tulane 
2

Union 
3

US Naval Academy 
3

Vanderbilt 
7

Vassar 
5

Vermont, U 
6

Villanova 
1

Virginia Military Institute 
1

Virginia Tech 
1

Virginia, U 
3

Wake Forest 
1

Washington U (MO) 
5

Washington, U 
3

Wellesley 
14

Wesleyan 
10

Wheaton (Mass.) 
3

Whitman 
4

Whittier 
1

William & Mary 
6

Williams 
8

Wisconsin, U 
2

Worcester Polytech 
2

Wyoming, U 
2

Yale 
33

Year Off* 
19

Ruby_x3 · September 28, 2009, 10:06pm

If your actual goal is to get into an ivy, you’re better off staying at your current public school. Being at an Exeter calibre school, you will be competing for admission with hundreds of others that are equally if not more impressive than you are and colleges can only take so much student from one school. So Exeter will hurt youre chances of admission into top colleges; you will have to be the best of the best there whereas at your public school, it is a lot less competitive. There has been much discussion about how these prep schools will affect your chance of admission into top colleges on this board but you’ll find that most agree that the opportunities and life skills you’d gain at boarding school are invaluable. Though since you’re already a junior and will not get the same experience as those who have been there since freshman/sophomore, it’s best that you stay at your current school and be sure to be in the top 1% or something and you’ll be much better off in gaining admission into ivy-calibre schools. Or if you really want to experience Exeter or any of the top prep schools, you can try to get in as a postgraduate student once you finish your senior year. From what i’ve heard it is totally worth it and very enriching as most who do choose this path do it because they felt their high school wasn’t challenging enough and because they want to add more to their stats, etc.

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