I go to Phillips Exeter Academy up in New Hampshire; it’s a highly competitive prep school that many agree is in the top 10 in the US. Back in public school, I was always the number one student and the classes were easy so I decided to look for more of a challenge. Hence, Exeter. However, having been here for three years, I’ve realized that I’m nowhere near the top. Currently, I rank in the top 20% of the class, with an unweighted GPA. Although I would probably rank in the top 5% if it were weighted (3 APs sophomore yr, 7 junior yr), Exeter doesn’t weight. Also, the extreme workload has taken time away from my ECs, namely piano. The presence of genius international students (esp koreans ^.^) who all want harvard early doesn’t help either.
Does anyone else feel like going to a prep school has actually lowered their chances of getting into harvard or princeton?
<p>No. Even though I did not get into Princeton, I wouldn't trade my prep school education and experience for anything. I made it easier to succeed in college. I'm far ahead of other freshmen just in the "being away from home" transition, and working hard. You should be proud. You will get into a decent college just by going to Phillips (name recognition).</p>
<p>you'll probably end up at the same college you would've ended up at at your public hs. really, every single college in the nation knows the name phillips exeter and will take that into consideration. a prep school education and experience is priceless, so yea, be proud of being an exonian.</p>
<p>I think the education at a prep school is worth not being number 1. The colleges know how hard it is, and they have good relationships with these schools. I go to a private day school and I find myself wondering if I'm even in the top 20%, but I wouldn't trade the small classes and teacher-access just for a rank.</p>
<p>Being ranked in the top 20% at Exeter is definitely not somethting to be ashamed of. Also, you can rest assured that all the colleges that you will be applying to know Exeter's grading tendencies and curves very well, and that you won't be at any particular disadvantage in that regard.</p>
<p>to the contrary of other posters on this thread, what they say is not really true---the so-called "curve" at prep schools is extremely harsh when it comes to top schools and most of the top schools pride themselves on only taking the best from prep schools these days. top 20% is where is starts to get shaky, but you should still be fairly competitive for most ivies, if not the top ones. im not sure if your school has issued the scattergs yet for matriculations, but when they do, if i'm right in assuming that exeter is similar to andover, you'll see the rather jarring sea of rejections below a certain gpa pt. the kind of kids who are naturally smart but do not have the time management skills to go with it typically get screwed by the prep school grading system. in addition, non-go-getters get screwed similarly. it's not a win-for-everyone environment, and everyone at a prep school is well aware of this.</p>
<p>i think prep school has definitely helped me overall because i know i'm just much more intelligent, motivated, and perceptive after experiencing it. however, i'd be a fool if i asserted that it doesn't seriously damage the chances of getting into certain schools for many of my peers. nonetheless, i think it is worth it regardless</p>
<p>ya, i tend to agree more with justice. very few (probably only 1 or 2) managed to get in to princeton while in the top 20%. it also doesn't help that the class of 2006 is so smart, so many ppl with perfect GPAs while taking 5 APs. It's true that I've gained much from Exeter though.</p>
<p>Jeez S, you're gonna get into H unless you seriously screw up your essays or decide to throw a mixer in your dorm room. Chillax already, will ya? Alright buddy later.</p>
<p>I don't go to a prep school, but i go to a very prestigious public high school that is constantly ranked among the best in the country. I actually think it's hurting my chances to get into a well respected university because i'm ranked in the top 30% of my class. If i went to a different hs i would be in the top 15%. grrrr</p>
<p>Going to a prep school makes college easier. Just look at the placement of their students. Not only that, but you get better counseling and advocation from your college counselors.</p>
<p>mzhang23: our placement is high, that's true, but most of them are the amazing, outstanding students. not that great of chances for us regular ones</p>
<p>I attend prep school and I don't feel it will hurt my chances at possibly being accepted at an Ivy league school. Last year the senior class of 120 had 5 go to UPenn, 7 to Brown and Cornell each. Plus, prep schools are more into the college counseling, and that helps too. Just keep working hard and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>Since you have MIT internship you are fine. In adition you have JKC young scholar, you are one of the 50 kids who are very intellegent and chosen across USA. Tell me what did you do research in MIT? You may not have gurantee at Harvard but you will be placed in a top elite school. Good luck</p>
<p>2003 summer I interned in a biotechnology lab. It was mainly researching different compounds and toxins and their effect on DNA.</p>
<p>2004 summer I interned in an bioorganic chemistry/inorganic chemistry lab; we were trying to synthesize a compund similar to methane monooxygenase that would convert methane into methanol and water.</p>
<p>My observations: The difficulty of the school factors into how deep into the class a university will go to accept applicants. At my D's middling large suburban high school, the top schools will only look at the top 1% of the kids (that's about 7 kids total). At a difficult prep school, the top schools are willing to dip into the top 20-25% of the class. </p>
<p>I think it is better to be in the top 1% of your high school class rather than being in the bottom 50% of a top prep school when it comes to top college admissions chances (unless you have a hook). But even the bottom 50% of the class at a top prep school gets into good colleges and are often better prepared for college.</p>
<p>So, send in your apps to HYP, expand your list to include some schools you really like beyond HYP, and be happy knowing that you'll do well in college wherever you go.</p>
<p>At my children's top NYC preps, kids in the top 40% have a shot at the top schools. Looking at the college book last week I became more clear on this. Kids at the top with 1600s were often passed up for top 20%, 1500, athlete.</p>