<p>Hello everyone. And so, I'm going 7th grade in the fall. The reason I was so unfortunate was that I came to America in December 2012. So I went in the middle of the school year. We were supposed to leave at July or August, but there is some mistakes in the embassy. I came from a country where there is no middle school; six straight to freshmen. I attended sixth grade in a private school back home, and when we finally went in America, they did not offer me an entrance exam to determine my grade. Now, i felt as if my lessons were so easy and so behind me. My father has a contract of 3 years in a hospital, so if you do the math, after three years since dec. 2012 is dec. 2015. I will be high school then. i felt so unlucky to be placed in a very poor performing school district and I need to endure, what, like, 4 months in the high school around here? then I can finally be free? i want to go to Dallas to apply for TAG or SEM magnet, but the problem is, im coming in the middle of the school year and they dont accept late applicants. i live in illinois, and i would also like to apply for Northside or Walter Payton but they it requires 8th graders in the CITY only, and im not really in Chicago. we're in the low middle class family. I knew if they gave me the opportunity to show them my learning capability, i deserve to go to such schools, not in this low school district. sorry, i sound confused, but I really feel unfortunate. I am the best in the whole school guess they dont really have much, straight As, and will be attending the gifted program of the school , which also sucks. Back home, before I left, i took a national competitive exam to gain admission to one of the best schools back home. but well, life is unfair, and so i went here in hopes for a better education. i will apply for Andover and Exeter when the time comes and someday, I wish I can attend Harvard.</p>
<p>How old are you? If you are the same age as the students who are in your classes, it will be very difficult to convince the school to move you to a different grade.</p>
<p>How many years of school did you have in your home country, and when did you start? In the US most children begin kindergarten when they are five years old, and begin first grade when they are 6. If you began school at age 5 or 6, and had 6 years of school in your home country before moving here, then it placement in 6th grade would be reasonable.</p>
<p>How many years of school total would you need to complete in your home country before applying to study at a university? In the US students are in school for 13 years if they start in Kindergarten.</p>
<p>How many years of “high school” are normal in your country? Four? Five? Six? More?</p>
<p>If you and your parents firmly believe that you have been placed in the wrong class, your parents should make an appointment with the guidance counselor at your middle school and find out what can be done to move you into 8th grade.</p>
<p>ask to be tested for Talented/gifted education. Then you’ll be placed in harder classes. At the very least explain you were in honors back home and need to get back on track now that you speak English. Your parents can also explain that you’re bored to tears. 
If your teachers can back you up and/or if you can score high enough on a qualifying test, you’ll be okay.</p>
<p>7th grade? The best thing you could possibly do would be to get off this website until halfway through your 10th grade year.</p>
<p>Maybe you could self study English grammar, people might take your complaints more seriously. I’m not trying to be snarky by writing this- I really think you have some work to do.</p>
<p>I agree with EliKresses. You’ll worry yourself to death if you start reading this website before high school even starts.</p>
<p>you can take a placement test for a day school. If your scores are very high, you would likely get a scholarship. A day school is a private school where you only go during the day, but don’t stay at night (that’s a boarding school). Most cities have a few of them. They’re also very expensive so it’d be very important that you prepare very thoroughly for the selection test.
What town/city do you live in?
This is the website for one of the tests so you can look at what it tests and how.
[Independent</a> School Entrance Exam (ISEE) | ERB](<a href=“http://erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee]Independent”>http://erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee)
If you’re really advanced ( if you can do algebra, solve geometry problems, write an essay in English…) you can take the SAT, since a good score from a 7th grader will surely impress admission officers.
I disagree with Etuck24 and Omedog: being very advanced and mature compared to 12 year olds in the US is no picnic, and when you were being tracked into the best school around going to a lousy school also feels terrible.</p>
<p>happymomof1, thanks for the reply. well, i’m currently 13 years old going to 7th grade. I feel old for my grade because most of my classmates turned 12 this year while I turned 13. In my home country, we got 4 years of pre school, 6 years of elementary and 4 years of high school. So 14 years in all to high school. Students were usually 16-17 yrs old to apply for college.</p>
<p>MYOS1634, thanks for the reply. yes i got to a gifted program, but the program is just average compared to better performing schools. I think i cannot take more steps because we have a very tight budget and, well, my parents think that “every local public school is the same”. i strongly disagree with that.</p>
<p>EliKresses, yes, i quite agree with you:) i am a certified worrier, couldn’t help it. i am ambitious, hoping for a bright future. I am the kind of person who carries her burdens early to reduce shock and just get used to it. But I appreciate your opinions:)</p>
<p>omedog yeah i know. not offended though, thank you for being honest. I admit that my english grammar is not that good, math is my specialty:)</p>
<p>** Now before I give any advice, please note that I’m a high school junior-to-be. I’m not an admissions counselor, guidance counselor, college counselor, etc. I haven’t even applied to colleges. These are just general tips, take them and apply them as best you can to your situation. If you feel something won’t work for you, don’t do it. Do what you feel you need to do, and please don’t overwork yourself. You’re in 7th grade, that’s too young to stress yourself out this much. I know it’s easier said than done, but make friends at school, join clubs and find passions, volunteer and develop self esteem and confidence. College is important, but your mental health is too. **</p>
<p>What I’d do is do the best that you possibly can in academics and do a good amount of extra curricular activities, but make sure to be truly involved in all of them. From what I’ve heard, colleges prefer more involvement in fewer ECs over tons of ECs that have barely taught you anything or helped you grow as a person. Try taking online courses. I take some through New Trier High School in Winnetka, and although they are pretty costly, they’re worth it for the learning in my opinion. I don’t know how much they’ll help for high school credit, but there are courses in ACT and SAT test prep that will help you prepare probably more than your school can.</p>
<p>[New</a> Trier Extension](<a href=“http://www.ed2go.com/ntx/]New”>http://www.ed2go.com/ntx/)</p>
<p>Also, even though your senior year is a long way off, really try to shine on your essay. Show the colleges how much you want to go, but also be sure to convey your personality. Use the tips in this thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/admissions-hindsight-lessons-learned/82799-how-impress-adcoms-your-extracurriculars.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/admissions-hindsight-lessons-learned/82799-how-impress-adcoms-your-extracurriculars.html</a></p>
<p>The Admissions Hindsight and Lessons Learned forum itself is a really good place to go to get advice and tips on applying.</p>
<p>Instead of dwelling on the unfairness of your situation, turn it into something to empower you. Let it motivate you and make you a better person, and use that story to make yourself stand out.</p>
<p>Also, be realistic. I hate to be the one to say this, but Harvard has about a 6% acceptance rate, and everyone wants to go there. Don’t set the bar higher than you can reach. However, if you really want to, it never hurts to try.</p>
<p>On the same token, don’t just look at the big name colleges. Hopefully your high school will start working with you junior year to find colleges that fit what you want to do. Not all schools are great for all majors. Some schools that are great for science related majors may be a poor choice for someone who wants to major in the field of business. Some schools have over 30,000 students. Some may find that overwhelming, while others may find it exciting. Same with schools that have a relatively small amount of students. You need to find your fit.</p>
<p>Use college planning sites like cappex and collegedata, they help you visualize your chances at getting into colleges and allow you to see what you need to do to increase your chances. That being said, they are just an estimate. Don’t take what they said as what will actually happen. They can’t factor in specifics or your essay, and for some colleges, those are a major part of an application.</p>
<p>Above all, the most important piece of advice I have is to take care of yourself and your health. Too much stress and pressure can wreak havoc on your health, mentally and physically. Never be afraid to ask for help, for anything. There is always someone who can help. Find an adult who you trust and develop a good relationship with him or her. A guidance counselor is usually a good place to start.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>raritytheunicorn, thank you so much for the advice!i really appreciate it:)</p>
<p>aliah, day schools are private schools. You can ask your 7th grade counselor for help to get into one. They’re expensive but if you score very high on the entrance exam (both math and English) they’ll probably offer you a scholarship to make it affordable.
Explain to your parents that public schools are not nationally subsidized in the US and have no national program/curriculum; they receive a portion of their budget from the local taxes: Of course, the higher the taxes, the more money for the school. There is, of course, a compensating mechanism, but depending on your state it can be very inadequate and in any case there is no law like “give more to those who have less” (i.e., there isn’t a lower-income school that receives more money than a higher-income school). (I won’t go into details like Title I etc but these don"'t make a school in an impoverished area “rich”.) In addition, parents are meant to participate in the process, including with money and PTA. There is a school board where some parents sit. Schools may have different sets of required classes, different textbooks, etc. In some schools, it’s possible to start Algebra in 7th grade, in others it’s only possible in 9th grade. Consequently, some students will be 2 years behind in math compared to the others. It’s especially noticeable in the math sequence: For example, some students finish high school with precalculus (that’s the norm) whereas in some schools students BEGIN high school with precalculus. UCBAlumnus is someone who knows the math curriculum so if you’re good at math seek him/her out on this forum and ask how you can get into a sequence that is as accelerated as possible. You’ll have to determine what type of math you’re comfortable with. Have you done geometry proofs for example? Have you started working with x2+y2?
What level math are you?
If you’re starting Geometry or Trigonometry or higher, you may be admitted to a community college. There ARE 12 or 13 year olds who are gifted enough for that and the US is very flexible about it.
BTW, for someone who’s been in the country for only a few months, your English is excellent, and I wish all 6th graders, who had the benefits of being immersed in the language for 10 years, could write that well. Even though there are mistakes, they’re likely remnants from your native language. A counterintuitive way for you to improve your English is to keep your native language up by reading, writing and speaking it, since your progress in English will depend on your abilities in your native language. Students who “drop” one often meet a “wall” in their progress. For English, even watching TV, going to the movies, and reading kid books will help 
so have fun.
Finally, in the US you’ll be looked at in comparison to your grade, not your age, so when you get to college this will actually work to your favor. But you have to stay strong till then. :)</p>
<p>Look into CTY, but you’ll have to qualify.
[Johns</a> Hopkins Center for Talented Youth - A World Leader in Gifted Education](<a href=“http://cty.jhu.edu/]Johns”>http://cty.jhu.edu/)</p>
<p>MYOS1634, before i left, we covered basic algebra like solving equations, simplifying expressions, and polynomials. I searched an 8th grade sample ISAT on the internet, and I scored very well, especially on the math. I still didn’t receive my ISAT test score for sixth grade because I took a few months ago in our school. I also took a Terra Nova test, but they still didn’t give me the results.(examples of my school being ignorant when it comes to their students)</p>