<p>Hey guys. I am from japan but currently I am studying in Pakistan in 9th grade. When I was in 8th grade I decided that I'll be applying for philips academy andover for 11th grade.but just yesterday I had a huge realisation. In Pakistan , my school.follows the Cambridge o level system. In 9th grade we are supposed to give the exam of 3 subjects I.e. Religious studies, Urdu, and Pakistan studies. In 10th grade we are supposed to give exam of 5 subjects I.e. Biology, English, mathematics, physics, chemistry. But the problem is that Pakistan studies and urdu are of no use to me plus I have a japanese passport so I can easily drop them but then our school doesnot offer any other subjects than that. So, basically studying in Pakistan for 9th grade is just useless. I decided to join philips acdemy andover for 9th grade then . But till now the deadline has been finished. Now , I have 2 choices:
A. Do 9th grade next year but then I will technically be wasting one year . And if I do so, then should I continue my studies in my current school while going through the admission process. ?will philips academy accept this ?
B. do 9th grade this year from my current school and then join philips academy for 10th grade next year. But then , should I give the exam of Pakistan studies and urdu too this year ? Will philips academy accept this ?</p>
<p>Please guys , I am in a dire need of help
Reply soon
Thanks in advance. </p>
<p>The admission rate for Phillips Andover is under 15%. As you noticed, the admission season has well passed for this fall. All seats are filled. The chances of you getting in for this fall are virtually zero. </p>
<p>You can certainly apply for fall of 2015. You will need to apply by January 15, 2015. Take a look at their website now, as the application process for secondary schools is quite extensive. And keep in mind that admissions rate. Fewer than 15% of applicants are offered admission. Many, many highly qualified applicants do not get in. You may want to consider applying to some other schools besides PA, if you really want to attend BS in the US. </p>
<p>momonymous: thanks a lot for your help. I am considering applying to some other schools as well e.g. Deerfield, st.paul etc . But the question is that should I apply for the 9th or 10th grade next year ?</p>
<p>Next year, I would apply for the ninth grade year, as it sounds as if you will not have received the typical, American level of ninth grade studies (algebra or geometry, biology or another science, history, etc.). That’s a perfectly normal thing to do, especially if you explain your circumstances, and the schools won’t look twice. However, the application process begins now, and you need to start prepping for the SSAT, organizing and registering for tours and interviews, etc. </p>
<p>Next year, I would recommend trying to find a place where you could take courses more useful to you than the ninth grade Pakistani courses. CTY Online has some great options, as do other gifted programs, and you can also find a tutoring center or community college in Pakistan. Extra courses will look good, and you’ll come across as well balanced and motivated if you explain your reasonings for the extras to the school. Try to maybe pick some that you haven’t taken that American students will have, or honors courses in interesting subjects.</p>
<p>The other schools that you are applying to are not what Momonymous was talking about. You need safeties. No student is guaranteed a spot into one of these schools. If you must attend boarding school in the United States, you need to do more research and apply to ‘reaches’ (schools you doubt you can get into but might be able to), ‘matches’ (schools where you have a 50/50 chance), and ‘safeties’ (schools you feel you can certainly get into). The other option is to find a solution you can get into in Pakistan. </p>
<p>All of those schools are very selective (<15% admissions rate). You may want to widen your net to include some schools with higher admissions rates. </p>
<p>Are you asking whether to apply to 9th v. 10th grade for fall of 2015? So, should you repeat 9th grade? Well, I would suggest asking each school about that. I’m not sure you’ll get the same answers at all schools. From what I’ve read on this forum (you may want to do a search), repeating a grade is acceptable and not all that unusual (though surely not typical). 9th grade is a very high entry point, though, so it is possible (though this is just a guess) that your chances go up by entering in 10th.</p>
<p>pd100 : I am really very thankful for your advice. My parents also think that I should apply for 9th grade next year. I will definitely start taking courses from now on . I have a confusion that should I do my 9th grade from my current school too this year and then repeat 9th grade next year in u.s? </p>
<p>momonymous : I will start searching for other schools with higher acceptance rates as well. I just called p.a. And they said that it is okay if I do 9th grade next year. My age is also not a problem .i am also gonna call other schools as well. So I am thinking of doing 9th grade next year . I hope I get accepted. </p>
<p>At the boarding schools, you’ll be placed into interesting, challenging classes with diverse classmates and teachers. You won’t be repeating much information, even if you had already taken, say, ninth grade history. Plenty of people repeat grades and don’t find it easy or boring. I recommend that you repeat because you will be behind classmates who would have already taken prerequisites for many of the American tenth grade classes. It’ll give you a year to adjust as well.</p>
<p>I wish you luck. One thing in your favor is your unique background. It differentiates you from the average applicant. You will stand out from the crowd. Search this forum for “Hidden Gem” schools to find more schools worth considering. Or, if there’s a particular type of program or activity you’re interested in, search for that. There are plenty of great schools that just don’t have the name recognition of the schools you mentioned.</p>
<p>pd100: I searched the CTY online that u told me about . But I am confused as to which course I should take. I was considering the grammar one but I don’t know if it would be good. Can u plz give me any suggestion? Please.</p>
<p>momonymous : thanks a lot dear. I am mostly interested in reading novels . I’ll also search for “hidden gem” .
I am gonna decide the schools I want to apply to tonight and then I’ll send them the request information form tomorow. </p>
<p>I would take courses that seem interesting to you- that’s really the basis of programs like that. You also do need to get in, so you can’t just register for courses. But the boarding schools have good relationships with programs like CTY. Find courses that look interesting to you. CTY is not a replacement for school but rather a fun, challenging supplement. </p>
<p>You seem to be rushing into this school decision thing. There’s not a rush. Take your time. Search everything you can, scour websites, make pros and cons lists. Your shortlist should come naturally and be the result of lots of time, not a quick sitdown. It’s a difficult process, but it’s a very important one, and it should be treated as such. Good luck!</p>
<p>Hey, its nice to meet a fellow Japanese on here!
Although I do not go to the schools you mentioned (I didn’t even know they existed till this year), many of my Japanese friends are currently attending the schools you mentioned, and I would be happy to talk to you, so please pm me if you would like, and yes I’m fluent in Japanese</p>
<p>pd100: i am gonna think about the courses. I might not take CTY online courses because for that I need to give a PSAT test which would take several weeks and the deadline for the course I am interested in would be expired till then . I will try taking any other course in Pakistan if possible. I am not sure about it.
What you said about rushing into a decision, well, I always planned to go in u.s boarding schools . So this time I am just applying 2 years earlier than I planned. I decided 8 schools ( philips academy , deerfield, Milton academy, choate rosemary, kent school, episcopal school, Middlesex school and st.paul’s school) that I’ll applying to. Hopefully, I’ll get accepted in one of them. I am gonna start ssat test practice from next week too and will start the admission process too. </p>
<p>That sounds like a really great start. You have a wide range of schools in diverse locations and with many offerings, so you’ve done well there, and you’ve easily planned ahead. You can start the application process sooner, if you’d like, by registering on school websites and ordering viewbooks if possible. Then call and arrange for an interview; it’s up to you to decide whether a visit, Skype, or phone interview is right. Always be willing to add or remove schools.</p>
<p>One thing I would recommend, if English isn’t your first language, is to take the ESL test as well. The SSAT verbal section can be difficult for those without extensive experience or knowledge in English, and scores might be a bit relieved if accompanied by a passed ESL. If you’re not eligible, I would try to take English classes, read English books, or watch English movies to really ensure the language is great- just an general tip, no worries!</p>
<p>Yes I have just requested for the inquiry form .
I am taking the toefl test on October 26 . My English is good . I don’t know much about ESL so toefl is good for me . </p>
<p>Do 9th grade this year and take the three exams offered OR take online classes in other subjects (I would recommend English, Math, and Japanese for GCSE’s. Strong students take two of these in Year 9 and take 6 or more in Year 10, including History, Geography, Foreign Language, at least one science, one art or RE or an elective.) Do very well in them as much as possible.
You may want to see with IGCSE or Cambridge PreU or AICE if you could take IGCSE/preU/AICE subjects instead of Urdu and Pakistan studies, such as Japanese and something else (Modern History?)</p>
<p>MYOS1634 : thank you for your opinion but the problem is that the subjects you mentioned eg. Japanese and foreign language are not taught in my school . :(</p>
<p>Which is why I said to contact AICE/IGCSE/PreU, because some modules may be online and could be studied through distance learning, i.e., even if they’re not offered at your school.</p>
<p>niinuma007, you could try studying English and Japanese outside of school independently. I know CTY has a course called Crafting the Essay for English Language Learners. EPGY at Stanford is also a program to look at if you’re looking for class credits.</p>
<p>I am also interested in the course “crafting the essay” on CTY but it’s deadline is in September and it requires PSAT test which will take several weeks and I might not be able to take it before the deadline . </p>
<p>If you cannot take it before then, you can see if they offer it at a different date. Is it a semester long course? If so, it might start up again in the wintertime. Rosetta Stone or other online language programs can be good- you could learn Japanese or another language. </p>
. I will try taking any other course in Pakistan if possible. I am not sure about it.