<p>My sister's kids attend a very small K through 12 fundamentalist bible-based private school. Small...as in less than 12 people on staff for the entire Junior/Senior high. They don't have specialized high school teachers for different subjects, about 40 kids in the whole upper school, I think they use ABEKA (?) or Bob Jones for their texts. I'm not sure about the accreditation- I think it's accredited through the church or something.</p>
<p>My nieces and nephews are pretty sharp kids, have always done well at this school and like it. They say their standardized test scores are in the upper quartile but I don't know what tests they take. I am concerned though because they are starting into their high school years and have aspirations to go on to flagship state university or selective LAC. Does anyone know how students from schools such as this fare in the college process? How do colleges judge their preparation? There are some years when this school only has 1 or 2 graduates; other where there are maybe 6 or 7. </p>
<p>Anyone out there have any experience with kids getting into selective colleges from teeny tiny bible-based schools such as these? Do they have a tougher time?</p>
<p>My cousin's kids attended schools like this. First they attended one even smaller than the one you describe and then later a slightly larger one. I remember my cousin telling me a friend's son (who I think went to the really tiny school) was attending MIT. This was about seven years ago. I don't know any more than that about it, though.</p>
<p>Edit - My cousin's oldest child was the ONLY one graduating from the tiny school in her year. (The other kids switched to the other school after she graduated.) She went to Georgia Tech - she is a very outgoing and talented girl,. Another goes to Clemson, I think, and another to a small college I am not familiar with. The fourth one, who was the least academic, went to Bob Jones. The family's faith is in line with theh philosophy of Bob Jones.</p>
<p>As long as their grades are good, and standardized test scores are good, I don't see there being a significant problem---I'd think they may face the same issues that home-schooled kids might face, except they'd have someone besides their parents to write letters of recommendations. If you were saying they wanted Ivy-League, it might be different, unless they showed other general signs of brilliance. However, for a public state university (and probably for lots of the LACs), they'd be fine. Especially so if they are inclined to go to a religious school..........</p>
<p>There are a lot of respectable Christian colleges like Grove City, Wheaton or Seattle Pacific where this kind of background will not be a negative; just make sure they identify those and have one or two in the quiverfull of applications.</p>
<p>I'm not mocking; I'm genuinely respectful of the intellectual rigor of these schools--it won't appeal to everybody but coming from this background won't be a hindrance. </p>
<p>Intellectual rigor and Evangelical Christianity are not mutually exclusive.</p>
<p>If they have the scores and write well, there's no reason they shouldn't aim for the very top colleges, if they want to. There are no guarantees, of course, but these kids add genuine diversity and would stand out in the applicant pile.</p>