<p>So was my S's hs, Kirbus. He had a good time, too (and got into an Ivy).</p>
<p>Munkeegirl: I just kinda assumed...Stuy's got kind of a rep, doesn't it?</p>
<p>The OP is right. The majority of the people on here do not go to "competitive" and "prestigious" schools. Someone else mentioned it, but it didn't seem to get any commenting: the prestige of a school does not help its top students as much as it helps its weaker ones. Many people are saying that they are getting a 3.8 at their random public school and that they could probably get a 3.8 at an elite private/boarding school. This is probably true. Where prestige comes in is the fact that kids who are in the bottom half of the class still end up at top 50 or even top 25 colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Anecdote: 3 kids from my class of 47 ended up at skidmore, and they are certainly not even close to being in the top of my class. I dont think they would even try to say that. I was with my friend from NJ and her friend, and they were like "I can't believe Natalie got into skidmore, I didn't realize she was such a-" "stoner?" I said, "The 3 kids from my class going there are huge slackers/stoners." "No," she said, "I was going to say I didnt realize she was so smart"</p>
<p>Prestige does not play that much of a factor in getting the top kids into top schools, its role is getting the bottom kids into schools that many close to the top kids dream about.</p>
<p>Yeah I was accepted by Harvard and MIT. You don't have to go to a great HS. Like I said, I had a blast during high school, and wouldn't trade it for anything.</p>
<p>amazingspiderman's post displays an uncanny lack of knowledge about prep schools. first off, nobody expects 14 year olds to have a resume. i applied on an absolute whim, to only one school, nothing to prepare me except three strong years in a normal public middle school. i didn't do stupid CTY type programs designed for overbearing rich parents to deal with their guilt at never being around to care for their children. what the admissions committee at lawrenceville seemed to be looking for was just the curiosity and spark that may indicate what a 14 year old may become. because i was so well-spoken, my interviewer loved me, not because i have a blue-blooded lineage or a fi****l of bills in my wallet. today's prep schools may not be able to convince stubborn-minded morons like amazingspiderman, but nevertheless, they'll keep improving and democratizing their admissions process. </p>
<p>and, calculus is not calculus everywhere. i learned that quite easily after i took an intro bio course in 8th grade at my average public school, and then moved up to real bio at lawrenceville. same subject, entirely different experience. and, contrary to amazingspiderman's assertion, my grades WENT DOWN. prep schools are actually suffering (sometimes) in college admissions because their grading systems are too tough on students, and students who could easily get 4.3's are getting 3.5's. </p>
<p>amazingspiderman needs to relinquish his ridiculous and outdated association of prep schools with the conservative elite. that stereotype became insulting to us preppies about 40 years ago, and it became totally wrong a few years later. the most good-hearted, liberal-minded people in the world (including a few Republicans) I've met at prep school. Personally, I too think Bush is ****ing over the poor, but it ain't because his daddie got him into Exeter.</p>
<p>btw, why did they bleep out "fist-ful"?</p>
<p>Bush went to Andover, not Exeter. :)</p>
<p>For all those who understand what I'm saying, thank you - you have basic reading skills. Obviously I can tell that the prep school kids that are reading this thread and are disagreeing with it got a once over on their high school educations :-P.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Spetsnaz Op, you are COMPLETELY misunderstanding jags' posts. I suggest you read them all again. He is not coming even close to saying that a 4.0 at Exeter is given no extra merit over a 4.0 at a weaker, urban city. He is saying, that the people who get the 3.6-3.7 are Exeter are already driven enough to get the 3.9+ at the public school, giving them the top 5% at the weaker school, as opposed to the top 25% at the stronger school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I understood this completely. The fact remains that a 3.7 at Exeter is better then a 4.0 at your average public school in america. THAT is my point. The public schooler would likely need many EC's to evenly match up in many cases - and it would be an assumption to say that every 3.5-3.8 at "elite prep" would. Why is this so hard to understand? 4.0 at a public just won't necessarily guarantee Ivy League. 3.7 at Exeter.....well I hope I don't have to spell it out. Again I don't necessarily like it either but this is the real world here. Read this:</p>
<p>
[quote]
has roughly the same chance of getting into the schools as the person ranked 50 or 55/200 at a "preparing me for the rigours of the world" high school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Personally I think this sounds like the remarks of someone who is at least a little bitter....especially the "preparing me for the rigours of the world" in quotes part. Call me crazy....I could be completely wrong about this.</p>
<p>Someone in the post mentioned that Bush went to Andover and not Exeter.
All I have to say is that -- it shows in the way he speaks! My 10 year old cousin can speak better than that dude, no wonder he went to Andover (known for accepting rich but not so smart people).</p>
<p>Spets, just explain to me please how I'm bitter. I've already told you all about myself. I went to a private all boys prep school (that my parents forced me to go to, I didn't have a choice in whether or not I wanted to go nor which private school I went to). I wore a jacket and tie and everything. I had a great time, and constantly thank my parents for sending me there. I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I applied to 8 schools, the most competitive of which were UVA OOS and Georgetown. I got into all 8, and I'm attending my first choice(UVA). I don't have a loan for high school, nor do I have a loan for college. What do I have to be bitter about? </p>
<p>Don't confuse sarcasm with bitterness.</p>
<p>Also, don't misunderstand me as saying a 4.0 cut and dry public school. You can take regular classes, you can take shop for that matter - and have a 4.0. I'm not saying someone at joe public school with 4.0 in basketweaving. But a person in the top 1, 2, or 3% of their class at a public school, taking the most challenging curriculum available, and making use all of its facilities, is just as competitive as someone with a 3.5 or 3.6 at some fancy pants boarding school. This is supported by a Johns Hopkins admissions representive who said...</p>
<p>"In the end, there is no added benefit is you attened a top school that can offer extensive AP/IB courses, or no disadvantage if you attend a small school that does not offer the same. We review applicants in context of their school."</p>
<p>Now also, remember its within context with a school...if your fancy pants school no.1 has a 3.6 gpa, then obviously someone there with a 3.2 who is still in the top 20% is going to be just as competitive as a 4.0 at a public school. Its all relative - GPA is a very vague number to go by.</p>
<p>I think it's mainly for GPA conversion, and for the basic school profile. </p>
<p>I got to a private school where in order to take Honors and AP courses, you MUST have high grades. For example, to take AP US History, not only do you need to have a B+ average in your previous Social Studies, course, but you need an A average in English as well...they typically look at the grades of two courses to consider your acceptance to that particular class. On the other hand, the public schools in my area don't require anything for APs, so kids are taking 5 APs with ridiculously high GPAs because they're grading scale is different.</p>
<p>Whoever said that a person with 3.8-4.0 at a regular school can probably do just as well in a competitive school DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE - - - - THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. </p>
<p>Most people at my school got CRAZY high grades at their regular middle schools. Few stayed that way. </p>
<p>Also - taking the most challenging classes at a regular school is just not the same as take challenging classes at a magnet/prep school. The quality of an AP class at my (very selective) school is second to none. A three is rare and a five is the norm.</p>
<p>worth2try, no one said a person with a 4.0 at an easy school will definately get a 4.0 at a hard school. I said if you're getting like B's at a really hard school you'll be likely to get A's at an easy school.</p>
<p>Also, while how well you do on AP tests can be a credit to how good your class is, you can have a very hard class that doesn't prepare you for the AP exam. For example, I had a ridiculously hard time in calc my senior year, I still got an A, but that was because we had a crazy curve. (31 on the midterm got curved to a A). The class was very very difficult. I got a 3 on the AP exam. Conversely, I coasted through AP statistics, didn't find the instructor difficult at all. Didn't assign a ton of work. Tests wern't ridiculous. Only 2 people in my class of 11 got 4's...everyone else got a 5. Once again, everything has to be in the context of the individual school. </p>
<p>Also, students arn't penalized because they have a crappy teacher. I'm sure you'll find an EXTREMELY low number of schools that use AP test scores to determine admissions. It might be looked at if your borderline...but I find it very unlikely that you'll get denied because of poor AP test scores, especially if you're getting A's in the class. Once again, everything must be looked at in the context of the school.</p>
<p>"no wonder he went to Andover (known for accepting rich but not so smart people"
Please shut up, you have no idea what you are talking about, Andover is not "known for accepting rich but not so smart people" I'm sorry if you got rejected and are bitter about it, but Andover is respected throughout the world as a great school. (I don't even go there, too liberal for my tastes, but the point remains)</p>
<p>"Whoever said that a person with 3.8-4.0 at a regular school can probably do just as well in a competitive school DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE - - - - THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT."</p>
<p>Actually, yeah, I think do recall someone saying that if we're getting great grades now, we can probably get 3.8 at a competitive school. Yep, that conception's wrong, or at least missing the important fact that you're gonna have to work EVEN HARDER to keep up.
And, just because someone goes to a competitive school with resources up the wazoo, doesn't mean it makes succeeding in school any easier. I know most of you understand this. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Spets, just explain to me please how I'm bitter. I've already told you all about myself. I went to a private all boys prep school (that my parents forced me to go to, I didn't have a choice in whether or not I wanted to go nor which private school I went to). I wore a jacket and tie and everything. I had a great time, and constantly thank my parents for sending me there. I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I applied to 8 schools, the most competitive of which were UVA OOS and Georgetown. I got into all 8, and I'm attending my first choice(UVA). I don't have a loan for high school, nor do I have a loan for college. What do I have to be bitter about?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Where you went is irrelevant. I merely said that you seemed bitter in your post and I even provided an example of such a "bitter" statement. What else do you want from me here?</p>
<p>Wow this board just exemplifies how everyone goes to "the best, most competitive school." Get off your high horses.</p>
<p>You mean... transfer to other schools? :P</p>
<p>I think this is hilarious. My HS experience is best summed up with two words: "Varsity Blues." Chill out guys, it doesn't matter where you go to HS. If you're smart and driven enough, you'll be fine anywhere.</p>
<p>You need to remember that first noone gets a 4.0 at exeter, it is basically impossible (unless you use the 11 point scale, as exeter does, where a 4.0 is a C-) For the most part the validictorian at exeter gets an high A- average.</p>