To keep things short, I attended a local public school and ended the year with a 4,0 GPA. However, once I transferred to an elite boarding school this year, I ended with a B- for the year. Will colleges take into account how my school situation drastically changed? If I bounce back this year and get A- overall, would it improve things?
Yes, colleges will take the rigor and reputation of a familiar feeder school into consideration, and yes, an upward trend in grades will help. Good luck!
Be careful with you schedule choices and don’t take too many difficult classes if you think you will continue to get B-s.
What did the counselors at your “elite boarding school” say when you asked them?
One of the advantages of such schools is said to be access to skilled and experienced counselors so you don’t have to get your information from other high school kids on the Internet.
Right, the GC is your expert here.
Find the colleges that are right for the strengths you do have.
Colleges definitely note improvement. I am sure that at a school like yours, your advisor and teachers helped you pick a schedule now that you have a year under your belt.
I get that. I also like having multiple opinions under my belt (especially from those that have gone through the process)
Growing up I wanted to attend Yale (I now know that I must broaden my range which I have. Including Georgetown, Washington University in St. Louis, Duke, etc)
Nonetheless, I felt content with my academic GPA until this past year. However, I’m just unsure if colleges will buy the fact that I transferred from a mediocre public to an elite private school.
In any case, I have switched my schedule this year to make it a tad bit easier, and I hope that I can bounce back to end my year with an A- overall.
Yes, my schedule this year is a tad bit easier than last year. In your opinion, how much will college take into consideration that I was essentially thrown into the wolf den coming from a mediocre public school?
Going to be honest. Your new school is probably more like those colleges you listed. So those colleges may kick your butt, too. It would be rougher to find that out as a college frosh. Make a list of schools realistic with your ultimate stats. If you can bring up your GPA and test well, you might still get into one of those. If you don’t, then they wouldn’t have been a good academic fit anyway.
Remember, too, that your current school is valuable for what you learn academically and about how to study — those are long term benefits regardless of your final GPA.
[/quote]
Trusting that you have broadened your range rather farther than those or you may be sadly disappointed come April.
Your GC is your best source for chancing, as they will know how their students do in admissions at these schools. Re your GPA, if the GC addresses it well in your LoR (as in, ‘although Bunny8280 was not prepared for our rigorous curriculum and very high grading standards, s/he really rose to the challenge, as can be seen both in the recovery of her grades, and the reports from her teachers. S/he is really ready for the demands of a selective university’). Talk to your GC and whichever teacher is writing an LoR for you about this- their comments will count more than yours.
as mentioned above if an elite high school “kicked your butt” then the elite colleges you list will likely do the same. elite college adcoms will know this and not judge you favorably, especially if you take an easier course load senior year.
I’m actually a rising junior, and I heard that this is the most important year when it comes to college.
You need to broaden further because the answer to your question:
is no, they won’t “buy” the excuse. Every incoming student had to adjust to the rigors of your school, and based on my experience, I would say 80%+ have a GPA higher than 2.7… Yes, if you pull your grades up, that will help, But accomplishing this with an easier schedule will also be reflected in the rating your counselor gives the rigor of your schedule.
As others have said, one of the advantages of these select schools is that their counselors are very adept at matching students with appropriate colleges. A fact of life is that fully 50% of the graduates will be in the bottom half of the class. They will all get into fine colleges, just not necessarily their “dream school.” Good luck.
What classes did you take last year and what is your current exact GPA?
What classes are you taking this year?
I did not mean it as an excuse, rather, I’m just asking if there is more sympathy upon recognition of said school when compared to my public school. I know I screwed up sophomore year, but I’m just trying to find ways to position myself for those schools this upcoming year.
The college counselors at the school can assist you, but higher grades and strong test scores are the starting point. You need to find what the issues were that impacted your grades and then take measures to correct.
People are telling you that similar colleges will also “kick your butt.” Here’s the thing…if you get a B- at an elite college you still get a degree from an elite college.
Press on. Do your very best. Create an application list with match, safety and reach schools. See where you land.
Yes, the upward trajectory will help and I sense a college essay in here somewhere.
Good luck! You’ll be great.
That probably isn’t a great essay topic. Ran into academic rigor, it kicked my butt, but I recovered. Yawn. Not much to hook an adcom on your personality there. And adjusting to the rigors of boarding school — first world problem. I wouldn’t use it.
As others have suggested, you need to see if you can figure out how to do better at school. See where you stand near end of jr year and with test scores, then make your final list. I wouldn’t stress about specific schools right now.
LOL. So true. 
Try your best.
Colleges will grant you a semester of adjustment but you need to how you are up to the task academically. Give it your best.
Rather than “academic adjustment” you could write about CULTURAL adjustment from Public to private school, from rural area/inner city/working class exurb … to elite environment, from family to boarding…
Use all the services your school offers. Meet with tutors and counselors, in particular.