So here’s my situation.
I am currently attending a college prep school ranked very high nationally (I’m a sophomore). Next year I will most likely be leaving because of several reasons: 1) I have certain family/personal circumstances going on that the school is not willing to accommodate 2) The graduation requirements are very rigid and you can only take 6 classes per year, which means everyone is forced to place more focus on humanities despite their individual interests 3) The teachers there aren’t any better than the average public school in my state.
On the flipside, the school I am planning on attending has a very low national and state ranking. Most of the kids there would drop out if they had the choice and only 20% of students there take an AP or honors class in their high school career. However, I am planning to take most of the AP courses they offer as well as some dual enrollment classes, and for the classes they don’t offer AP in, I may self study for the exam. So far I’ve gotten good PSAT/SAT scores and I’m doing lots of extracurricular activities that I genuinely enjoy.
I really enjoy learning (I know I sound like a nerd here) and my ideal choice would be a college prep school, but my former school is literally the only school of that type in the entire city, and it just really wasn’t working out for me. Am I going to be penalized in the admissions process for the poor reputation of my new school, despite the fact I am working hard and doing well?
I suggest that you talk to a guidance counselor at the school you are planning to transfer into and ask how their top students do in terms of college admissions.