Okay, so I am not the smartest person in the world. I am going into my senior year and I have a combined SAT of 1220 and my GPA is 3.45 unweighted, also I am involved in a butt load of things at my high school. I’ve been searching for schools but figuring out what would be a reach, match, and safety school has been difficult. What acceptance % should I be looking for in a school? Also, does going to a college prep school affect my chances because my school likes to brag about how my 3.4 would be a 3.8 in public school, however, i have a strong feeling colleges do not really care… but ya, please help!!
Honestly, no, going to a college prep school does not increase your chances. In fact, many private schools inflate grades and let kids in honors and A.P. classes just for asking. At large, suburban, very competitive high schools it’s very difficult to get into advanced and honors classes because it is so competitive and the school is very selective keeping the numbers very small who is allowed in those classes. My children have experienced both public and private schools and public is much more difficult (albeit large, competitive, top ranked). At public school teachers don’t think twice about failing a student with no second chances and don’t give out grades. At private, mom and dad are paying to teachers are much more, shall we say, cooperative.
@Empireapple: I can only think of a small handful of magnet-type public schools that would be as rigorous as the more selective prep schools in the US (NE boarding schools like Exeter and Andover)…and if anything, there might be grade deflation at those schools.
@rosa123: If you attend a private school that is known to be rigorous, then perhaps it might help. However, what I’ve read/heard is that colleges do look at how you compare to other people within your school (meaning, you only have the opportunities you have available at your school…so comparing you to a kid at another school is difficult)…so this might actually count against you. After all, there are most likely kids at your own school with higher SAT scores/higher GPA. Get your hands on what’s called a “School Profile” for your HS. That should show you where the 25-75%-iles SAT scores and GPAs are for your school. Also…in terms of targeting colleges in various categories of admission…if your school offers Naviance access, that should be fairly easy to figure out. If they don’t, try Cappex.
I think attending a prestigious or highly ranked private school may help (boarding OR day), if your school is a feeder school for some elite colleges. If say your place in the class (all else being equal) is similar if you had attended public vs. private, the reputation of your school may get you in better colleges. Just my two cents.
Overall, those in my opinion who do best matriculating from elite BS into elite ivies, are the students who have hooks including URMS, and those low income students who apply through Questbridge.