Highschool Freshman here. Last year I did pretty well in terms of grades, and planned on doing even better coming into High School.
Then my dad died, our family grieved, and my school (since we had just moved towns a few months ago) switched my courses as they had confused my transcript for another person and put me in the wrong classes, leading to me having to complete two months of work for two different classes in less than two weeks. That, coupled with the whole dead parent situation completely ruined me and I bombed the marking period, I’m talking 75.99 GPA.
Needless to say, I rebounded for MP2, if I continue on the path I’m on now I should round out this quarter with a MP average of 99.00.
But does it even matter in terms of prep school admissions? I know I have no shot at Andover/Exeter/Groton etc and I apologize if this post makes no sense (mom barely knows anything about this stuff so I’m basically on my own.) Just wondering if it’s even worth it applying if they wont see past my MP1 grades.
If you are generally a 99 average kid you have a good shot at those schools. You simply need one of the people writing your recommendation (preferably your counselor/principle) to talk about your dad dying and the school messing up your classes. When you do interviews your mom can also bring it up if she feels she’s able.
Schools like Groton LOVE kids who have faced hard times, shown grit, made it to the other side successfully. I’d encourage you to apply to a wide range of schools if possible but don’t nix schools because of one bad term.
First of all: wow I am so very sorry for your loss. What a tough season for you.
I agree with @one1ofeach. I think you will be able to show your general achievement level over the past 3-4 years of work, and if you are primarily an A student, getting a 76 for one term after such a tragic loss would be a non-issue.
I would definitely consider creating a nice rounded list of schools. I would pay particular attention to the culture and support available. I lost my own mom to suicide when I was in school, and my grieving popped up in unexpected ways over the few years that followed. So I would absolutely choose supportive culture – a place where you feel seen, valued and loved.
I would also consider anticipated workload for the next few years. Trust me when I say that there will be moments that come up where you just need to step away from the desk and grieve, and if there is an unsurmountable pile of work that awaits every single day of every week, you might find you don’t even have a few hours to breathe, grieve and center yourself. I would actually ask schools: what is the anticipated number of hours of homework daily for a 10th grader? And what is the policy if someone feels overwhelmed – can they reach out to their advisor and get an extension? Some schools allow this and some do not. I would highly suggest a school that has SOME form of extensions or overwhelm-relief. (Mercersburg for instance allows a mental health day if you feel overwhelmed. One of my daughters took one and was allowed to just rest for a day and then start fresh the following day without any negative consequences – her advisor just had to approve it.)
Let us know how we can support you as you consider this exciting adventure!
Are you applying this year?