<p>I've recently decided to attend Taft next year. I will be a new sophomore.</p>
<p>Now, I'm a freshman at Greensboro Day School, which is a regular private day school in my home town. The academics aren't that great, which is why I'm leaving next year. </p>
<p>As far as next year's classes in Greensboro Day's standards, I am currently signed up for Advanced Physics, Advanced English, Advanced Spanish, Advanced Math, and World History II (our school doesn't offer an advanced course for history).</p>
<p>But, as everyone knows, boarding school is a whole different game! I am really worried that I won't place as high as I would hope in my entrance exams for various subjects, and therefore won't be in as many advanced or AP classes. </p>
<p>My actual question is: Will Ivy League colleges (specifically Columbia) be bothered by the fact that I didn't take many advanced classes in my first year at boarding school? Do y'all think that they will realize that I had come from a much easier school that didn't properly prepare me for the more advanced courses at Taft?</p>
<p>Thank you SO much for any help -- I've been worrying about this for ages!</p>
<p>Have a good Easter (or regular Sunday if you're not Christian),
Carmen</p>
<p>Carmen, I have been wondering the same exact thing!!! Literally, the same exact thing (I want to attend Columbia :D). And, well, I got accepted to NMH and SMS for 11th grade, but they both told me that I wouldn’t be able to take any AP courses, unless I score high on the math and spanish entrance exams, since I need to meet all the graduation requirements first. So, there is no way I could score high on the math exam, but there’s a chance I could do well on the spanish exam. Anyways, I’m in the same position as you. I go to a private international school overseas, and I’m pretty sure they haven’t prepared me enough to score high on the exams (■■■) :(. If I stay in my current school, I could have the chance of going into the IB Programme and receive an IB diploma. But, if I go to boarding school, I wouldn’t take any AP courses. So, I’m pretty much wondering the same thing –> Will Columbia be bothered that I didn’t take any advanced classes at boarding school? Or will they realize that I had come from an easier school that didn’t prepare me for the advanced courses at NMH/SMS?</p>
<p>Phew! I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s worrying about this. You know, Columbia will probably think it’s really interesting that you went to school overseas. Definitely a plus!
I think that Ivy League colleges may realize that boarding school is MUCH harder than a day school, but we would be competing with the smartest of the smartest, which is my biggest concern.
Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>I hope so! Columbia is my dream Yeah, I think they realize that. But, when I visited Columbia, I asked my tour guide about AP courses, and she said “Most students ask me: what if I take a more challenging course and receive a B+? Here at Columbia, we are looking for the students who take the more challenging courses and receive As.” So, I don’t know if that is a plus or a minus But yeah, I can’t imagine going to boarding school next year. Right now, I get about 30 minutes of homework or less a night; in boarding school, we’ll probably end up getting up to 4 hours, or more It’s gonna be a huge change. But good luck to you too!</p>
<p>Well, I guess I should start studying for the entrance exams, then! I haven’t actually visited the campus, on account of the fact that I’m only a freshman. If I don’t get into any advanced classes at Taft, then I’m gonna work really hard sophomore year, and hopefully get into advanced and AP classes junior and senior year. I only hope that’s enough for Columbia. The good thing about boarding school is that the teachers are there almost all the time for you. So although it will be a big change for us, there will be a lot of extra help available, so if I wouldn’t worry too much about that! :)</p>
<p>hahahah, yeah. Oh my god, the campus is so beautiful! You have to visit sometime! Yeah, you’ll probably end up getting into advanced classes by junior year. And yeah, that’s true. Having the teachers around you all the time gives you the advantage of going to them whenever you have any questions :)</p>
<p>Based on what level of maths, science, english, history, languages etc. you are currently taking at a Public school, BS typically offer you credits and put you at a level to match you skills, which may be a higher level course at a BS. After you admit, some BS will test you to check what level you should be at and offer you credits for lower level courses. The more credits you received when you joint, if help you accelerate your requirement to obtain a diploma and focus on taking AP courses. Typically AP courses are offered from 10 grade onwards. Hope this help.</p>
<p>Thanks, newebs! That does help - I wasn’t exactly sure of the process. Thanks for clearing it up. I just hope I don’t do badly on my course exams! :/</p>
<p>Most bs students don’t take AP’s until their junior year. I don’t know how advance you are in your language class, but NMH’s language classes are much more rigorous than many public hs courses and AP doesn’t begin until the fifth year. NMH also has a set humanities curriculum for freshmen and sophomores, so there is no possiblity of AP in history or English until you are a junior. The English AP’s are typically only available to seniors. The first math AP is Calc AB, so you would have to be through Precalc first. I don’t think any of this will hurt your college chances as they understand the rigor of the school and don’t expect you to have taken 10-12 AP’s like public school students have to.</p>
Columbia is my dream 
Yeah, I think they realize that. But, when I visited Columbia, I asked my tour guide about AP courses, and she said “Most students ask me: what if I take a more challenging course and receive a B+? Here at Columbia, we are looking for the students who take the more challenging courses and receive As.” So, I don’t know if that is a plus or a minus 
But yeah, I can’t imagine going to boarding school next year. Right now, I get about 30 minutes of homework or less a night; in boarding school, we’ll probably end up getting up to 4 hours, or more