<p>PEAteacher:</p>
<p>My d is considering entering next yr for 11th grade.-- doing very well at local school but she does not feel challenged. How common are 11th grade admissions and what is your observation of what their experience is like? She really loves the Harkness style and has really relished that type of learning experience (or as close to it as he gets) on the limited opportunities at her school.</p>
<p>Thank-you</p>
<p>We always admit new 11th-graders, even though the group is smaller than the 9th- or 10th-grade group. It’s really hard to say what their experience is like, as it can vary significantly from person to person. Some kids get used to the school right away and thrive very quickly; others struggle to get used to Harkness and the workload (as well as boarding). Upper year (11th grade) is definitely a challenging year academically, so the stakes are a bit higher; on the other hand, you’re older when you start as an 11-th grader, and that helps with some of the adjustment issues. I would encourage your daughter to visit, interview, and see what she thinks.</p>
<p>PEAteacher,
do students with not so brilliant grades have chances of admission, if they have good ECs, recomendations, PSAT grades and a brigth interview? My school’s system makes everybody get bad grades, is too demanding, but not like PEA, in the bad way :/</p>
<p>Brazilian boarder, I think I can assuage some of your concerns:</p>
<p>PEA has accepted other Brazilian students (there was a new upper accepted for this year! However, she decided to stay in Brazil, sniff :(), so the admissions office knows the difference in grades, I’m sure. One admissions officer at least will know that where as in America you might need an 80% or the like to pass a class, in Brazil you’ll only need a 60%. So, don’t think of your grades as ‘bad’ if you’re above average within your own system. Admissions counselors know that each country has different standards.</p>
<p>In your transcript they will also see that you take about 10 classes simultaneously on block scheduling, so a harder schedule will also make you look good!</p>
<p>Disclaimer- I won’t fail to mention that the Brazilian girl accepted for upper year did come from a (I believe) German school located in the state of Sao Paulo, however.</p>
<p>Thanks Metallika. Brazilianboarder, I generally don’t comment on admission issues, but I can assure you that the admission committee is well aware of the differences in grading standards and practices across schools and countries; and grades are just one of the many factors that are taken into account.</p>
<p>oh, that’s really good. thank you. i really imagined that they have to change their standarts when talking about people from different schools systems. i was just worried about it, thank you :D</p>
<p>My daughter thinks that she may have a room in Dunbar? Are they singles? She is a prep. Will the large size make it hard to bond?</p>
<p>Dunbar has both singles and doubles; as a prep, she’s more likely to have a double. They did construction on it over the summer, so it should look nice (or at least nicer than before). I don’t think the large size is necessarily a downside. It’ll make it easier for your daughter to find kids that she gets along with. It strikes me as a tight-knit dorm. She will probably love it!</p>
<p>What were they doing to the science center over the summer? Was it just upkeep?</p>
<p>I have heard that Amen is all singles? Is this correct? I know they had an emergency double last year…</p>
<p>I think they were fixing the roof? Yes, just maintenance as far as I know. The whale should still be there :)</p>
<p>cutiedida, I believe your info is correct (singles, but there could be doubles).</p>
<p>Is it true that Browning House dorms are all singles?</p>
<p>I’m not sure. Students know more about specific dorms than I do, so I would suggest moving the single/double questions to a thread where students can answer, such as [Questions about Exeter](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/909887-questions-about-exeter.html?highlight=exeter”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/909887-questions-about-exeter.html?highlight=exeter</a>).</p>
<p>@mjthomas, Browning is now a girls dorm (not sure if the site reflects that) and there are a few doubles, though it’s mostly singles in there. McConnell and Amen are the only girls’ dorms with all singles.</p>
<p>This isn’t specifically about Exeter, but when I told my mom I wanted to go to boarding school she said it was okay then freaked out and started cleaning the house and she got all sad even though I haven’t gotten in yet. But she also started to think she was a bad parent or something. Is this normal for a parent to be nervous?</p>
<p>Ehphant, many parents who have no personal experience with boarding school tend to have a negative reaction to it when they first hear about it, which is understandable. As they learn more about these schools, they will probably soften their views; in fact, many become enthusiastic supporters. The first step is certainly to educate yourself and your parents about boarding school and help them understand some of the opportunities that such schools offer (and that it’s not about them being bad parents!). I’m sure your parents would also benefit from speaking with other parents who have kids in boarding school (or just visiting the “parents” section of this forum and asking some questions).</p>
<p>It IS very sad to let your child leave. I remember another parent writing that she was not “sending” her child to boarding school; but rather, “tearfully allowing him to go.” I thought that was a good way of putting it. There was a thread a few years ago in the parents forum titled “Why are we doing this?” I searched for it but the search function excluded ALL of the words because they were too common or short. I’ll try a google search for her.</p>
<p>I have to admit though, that I laughed about your mom cleaning and whether that was normal or not. Yes, some moms obsessively clean when upset. It’s a nesting instinct. :)</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/472708-parents-cafe-why-we-doing-8.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/472708-parents-cafe-why-we-doing-8.html</a></p>
<p>God bless google. First hit.</p>
<p>My lionlinks was reformatted so a lot of the buttons are missing…am I the only one? The “Grades” link is no longer there. Does this have anything to do with the fact that we found out our advisers from it?</p>
<p>Your not the only one. Mine was removed too. It probably does have to do with them switching up our advisors, but any day now information about our dorms and roommates should be coming in the mail.</p>
<p>@PEAteacher: Is there a required dress code for orientation and the day after orientation before school starts on Friday?</p>
<p>No, there’s absolutely no dress code for orientation. Most kids wear T-shirts, shorts, and sandals/flip-flops/sneakers. Very informal. The first appointment for which dress code is required is the opening assembly on the Friday of opening week.</p>