<p>I'm really scared about applying to boarding schools...
i'm not sure what my chances are and wonder if anyone could help...
I'll give you a little info.</p>
<p>I'm African-American, Born in Canada, I'm applying for grade 11( I know most schools accept only in grade 9 and 10).
I have had an 80% average since I was in grade 6 (except this semester, when I bombed math-69% and only got a 76% average)
I have been a strong cross-country runner since grade 3 and have always been in the top 15 at the regional fianals(out of over 200).
I do tutoring for math, science and english.
I also am part of a school-wide choir, community choir(audtion only) and take singing lessons
I have been first trumpet in both the jazz and concert band since grade seven and am soon going to join a youth orchestra.
I also play soccer for the school team as defense
I do track and field- mostly 400m (3rd in finals three years in a row.)
and i do relay (4th and third in finals).
I can speak french(not fluently yet but..)
I am also a member of the debate team and take cooking classes(doubt these matter but are very expensive)
I took a writing course at the durham college and have won two awards for my poetry.
I also sculpt, and in a city wide contest placed second in the youth category.
* I haven't taken the SSAT, or PSAT yet-in december- but hopefully i won't do badly ( i've already started studying, and hopefully i'll get an 85%--> 95%</p>
<p>Sadly here comes the bad news...
I need finacial aid, and we're probably looking at full tution too...
I know you need to be extra qualified to get it.
What are my chances and what schools should i apply to? Should I apply to a lot to make sure I get into one??
I really wnat to go so I can be well prepared for university, and because of the strong academic programs the school offers...
Pleasre help!!!!</p>
<p>i say your chances are no good if you dont know how to spell 'are'. haha. but what schools are you applying to? your grades aren't very good to be frank, but maybe you have a really good personality?</p>
<p>Are you still in Canada? Are you going to a public school there? Do you know or have a rough idea what your class rank is? In the US, we have been going through a few decades of grade inflation. What used to be a "C" is now a "B." Perhpas Canada has a different grade curve. Please let us know as this might help put your profile in perspective.</p>
<p>50 % is a fail... that's basically all i can tell you about the grade system here in Canada where, yes I still live. umm, i go to public school. Is there no chance at all for me if I only have an 80% average? 80% gets me into all the advanced placement courses though here in Canada but is it bad in the states?? Is there any shcools that will accept me if I only have an 80% average and need full tution in Aid? Anyway won't it help that I have a lot of EC's and am the best cross country runner in my grade at school?</p>
<p>I am only a parent who went through this process with my son last year; I'm far from an expert. I am sure that there are schools out there that would find you a great candidate. Do you have any idea where you might be in your class ranking? This is a holiday weekend in the US, so you might not get many responses right away. For a start, you might want to look at the Peddie School, Mercersburg Academy and possibly Blair. Take a look at <a href="http://www.boardingschoolreview%5B/url%5D">www.boardingschoolreview</a>, and look for schools that give out a large % in financial aid. Generally, these are schools with large endowments, but this is not always the case. You should also look for schools with strong running and cross country teams because you seem to have a strength in this area. I'm sure you'll hear from other people. Keep bumping up your thread until you do. Good luck!</p>
<p>Off hand I would say that with only an 80% average your chances as a Canadian applicant for a grade 11 admission into a first tier prep with full financial aid would likely be very low. I wonder if your best bet would not be to stay where you are and improve your grades to the 90% range which isn't that terribly difficult--87% being the cut off for admission into Queen's/UofT/McGill. If you did that you would, with your profile, probably have a shot at Williams or another First Tier Liberal Arts College. That would come with full financial aid and as an educational experience be very close to a first tier prep like Exeter/Andover/ St. Paul's.</p>
<p>That being said, I would encourage you to take a hard look at Peddie. Peddie looks at courage, honesty, public spirit as well as grades as a major factor in admissions. Essentially the test is "can frenchvanilla233 benefit from being here in order to become the person he was born to be?" What is he getting? What is he giving? There is an important "Annenberg" scholarship you should apply for. It still would be a long shot, but the surest way not to get in is not to apply. Nevertheless, the irreducible fact is that your fallback position is Queen's and to get in there you need to pull up your average to 90%.</p>
<p>I'm sure that there are boarding schools that would find you a good candidate. The problem is that I have no clue about which schools those might be. Above I suggested Peddie, Mercersburg and possibly Blair. I suggested these thinking that grade inflation has not been so rampant in Canada as it has been in the US. An 80 average from someone in a US public school is probably not very attractive to these schools. Once you have a rough idea of your class ranking, you might email the schools you are interested in, and ask them what the class ranking is for 25% - 75% of their students. This will let you know if you are in that range. Of course class ranking isn't everything. However, you are seeking full financial aid, so you want to be a very attractive candidate. Other than the unknown class ranking, your background looks promising, and I encourage you to research schools that would be a good match.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help, everyone. If in this last semester before I apply If I pull off like a 98% average and score really well on SSAT and PSAT will I get in... or at least have a better chance??? Also someone said in america a C is now a B, what do u mean?? could someone give me a quick overview of the marking system? Also my guideance counsellor told me my grade point average (which we don't normally do in Canada) is about 3.7 , but it goes up to 4.3 the one she showed me and i'm not sure if that's how America does it.... 3.7 Sounds good to me but i have no idea please help:)</p>
<p>To: palezoic
I'm a she LOL!:)</p>
<p>Give it a try, apply to schools across the board, reaches, matches, and safeties. You never know, you may be surprised. I do think you would be better situated if you were applying as a U>S> citizen, vs. an international student.</p>
<p>Many decades ago in the US, a grade of "C" represented average work. This is no longer true in many schools. What I was trying to say is that an 80 average in Canada may be better than an 80 average in the US because of grade inflation in the US. No need to dwell on this. Boarding schools will ask your current school what you class ranking is to put your grades in perspective. This is on a form that is part of the application called the "School Report."</p>
<p>I have two children who applied to grade 10 at a First Tier american prep from a Canadian school, the one from a Jesuit Highschool, the other from an advanced programme in the public system. Both had Canadian grade averages of 90+ and SSAT scores between the 94 and 99 percentiles.</p>
<p>I think by american prep school standards child #1 was considered academically slightly above average while child #2 was an academic all-star. </p>
<p>On the basis of my experience with acceptances and rejections, I would still suggest that applying as an international student with financial need for a grade 11 admission puts you in an extraordinarily competitive pool and that you focus on Peddie as the school most likely to admit you with sufficient money to enable you to go.</p>
<p>If I were you I would focus my applications on why I would want to go to a prep school in the first place rather than on trying to turn myself into an academic allstar. It would help if, as a Canadian, you could tell them you played hockey. You would still need VERY strong teacher recommendations and a SAT score in the 1400 + range. To prepare for the SAT, I would suggest you buy a SAT practice exam book ( 10 real SATs) and do a few TIMED practice exams. The rest is up to the gods. Good luck.</p>
<p>By the way, if you're serious about educating yourself, there are programmes in Canada that are as good as what might be available to you in the US. I would think of the Foundation year at King's in Halifax, perhaps the Brock Great Books programme or Liberal Arts at Carleton or Trent. The ambience at any of these places would compare pretty well with an american prep.</p>
<p>Paleozoic, what schools did your children attend? (in the U.S.)</p>
<p>My dad went to Carleton and occasionally teaches there now.. :)</p>
<p>Jonathan: St. Paul's.</p>
<p>What does the average person who applies to peddie or Govenor Drummer look like??
Does anyone know? What about like sports talents etc.</p>
<p>It doesn't matter what the average looks like. It does matter what you look like and why you want to go. Rather than go up and down the scales on this and invoke paralysis by analysis, do a test SAT, determine whether you fit the profile academically( you can find out the average SAT range for a school on boarding school review) and if you're in the top half apply. It is not that hard.</p>
<p>Thanks-- but can't i take an SSAT?? I'm only in grade 10! Do I have to take a SAT? What about PSAT? If I'm applying for grade 11 what can I take?</p>
<p>if you're in grade 10 you are SUPPOSED to take the ssat. so yes you definitely can.</p>
<p>I suggested a test SAT because the outcomes can be compared against the outcomes of the schools' current seniors. If you are now in grade x the SSAT (which you will have to do for application purposes) doesn't tell you very much about where you sit relative to the rest of the pack. For example--if you can find out that the average SAT of graduating seniors at a particular boarding school is say 1350 and your practice SAT after 2 attempts is only in the 1150 range you have a problem. If it is 1450 you are in the ballpark for a FA admit. For your information the SSAT is only an age corrected SAT with some magic statistical formula to predict the future SAT. It is relatively easy to work the calculation backward and predict the PSAT from the practice SAT. Anyway as practice for the SSAT the SAT practice test is pretty good.</p>
<p>riiiiiiight. i didnt read all that, but i still think he should take the ssat. if not that, then the psat. not the sat.</p>