Is applying to the eleventh grade impossible?

Prep School Admissions
1

Hi. I currently am a sophomore in an average city school in Indiana and I am applying to boarding schools again this year. I was admitted to one in my 8th grade year but sadly it was not financially feasible at all (they gave us 0 aid when we needed full). I won’t need full aid this year, thankfully, as I have a job and we make a lil more, but that’s beside the point.

I’ve seen posters here saying the 11th grade is a lot more difficult to get into and that it’s generally reserved for student athletes. Is this true at every school or are some schools more forgiving toward 11th grade applicants? And would it be better for a student to repeat their sophomore year, even if they really don’t want to?

2

Schools tend to have fewer spots for 11th grade than the earlier ones. They also have fewer applicants. Not always student athletes who are accepted. (At least at George School! )

But it can be a tough year to start at BS – it is academically tough and everyone else has had a year or 2 to understand the expectations. So it can be tough to get admitted, not only because there are few spots but because the schools really want to be sure you will succeed. There’s no time for remediation if you aren’t quite ready.

My personal hunch as to the bias for athletes is that exceptional ones will do fine in the college search even if the academic transition is tough and they will be better equipped to be a college athlete. In other words, little risk and high value for BS. Less sure that a "normal " kid would have the same risk return profile.

As for repeating 10th grade, could you pay for the extra year of BS? You might be better off paying more for 2 years than looking for more FA for 3. But you should ask at each school where you interview what their thoughts on this are for you.

3

@gardenstategal I honestly probably couldn’t pay for 3 years. My dad also doesn’t want me to spend 5 years in high school- he thinks it’s weird. My only choice would to be to apply as an 11th grader. I’m just worried I’ll have next to no chance. I’m looking towards Concord Academy as one of my top choices and I’m scared they don’t admit many juniors, especially someone who doesn’t really have a hook.

4

Research United World Colleges, a network of boarding schools that take top students from different countries for their last two years before college (typically junior and senior years OR senior year plus one post-grad year). Also: For US students, tuition is free… other countries offer different scholarship levels to the students they sponsor. https://www.uwc-usa.org/page.cfm?p=571

5

There are 16 United World Colleges outside the United States (and one in the US):

UWC-Adriatic (Duino, Italy)

UWC-Atlantic College (Wales, UK)

UWC Changshu China (Changshu, China)

UWC-Costa Rica (San Jose, Costa Rica)

UWC-Pearson (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

UWC-Dilijan (Dilijan, Armenia)

UWC-ISAK Japan (International School of Asia, Karuizawa)

UWC-Li Po Chun (Hong Kong)

UWC-Maastricht (Maastricht, The Netherlands)

UWC-Mahindra College (near Pune, India)

UWC-Mostar (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

UWC-Red Cross Nordic (Flekke, Norway)

UWC Robert Bosch College (Freiburg, Germany)

UWC-Southeast Asia (Singapore)

UWC-Thailand (Phuket, Thailand)

UWC-Waterford Kamhlaba (UWC of Southern Africa in Mbabane, Swaziland)

6

@CaliMex I’ll check them out, but I’m not sure if my dad would let me go out of the USA!

7

There’s a campus in New Mexico

8

As having a cousin attend Concord, and applying there 2 years for myself, it can be difficult to get into Concord. To put things into perspective, there were only like 20 or so kids accepted into grade 10. Plus, they aren’t the richest school like Andover, Exeter, etc, who can afford to give out aid like that. So, requiring aid could be an issue for a small school like Concord

9

@RChen006 Dang, that’s unfortunate. I really like Concord.

10

I mean, I do not want to discourage you from applying. My cousin got into 9th grade with Full Aid. But, I am saying that applying to small schools has this caveat.

11

@RChen006 Yeah, that’s understandable.