<p>Right now I'm a freshman, so I will have to apply for junior year if I were to go (deadlines for this year are already past.)
I was planning on applying last year, but then there were some major family issues that made it too hectic for me to apply.
Anyways, until this year I attended a small private school in our area, but recently made the move to a public high school. It's a good school, being one of the top in our state (Pennsylvania), and having an IB program. 20% of the last graduating class went off to an Ivy.
However, I don't know if this is due to the fact that many people at my school are very affluent and have legacies. I have neither, coming from a middle-class background with no Ivy legacy. So I don't know if I necessarily have the power to 'make' it here, while boarding school would be able to provide me with internships/volunteering/study abroad etc.
And there are other issues besides colleges. I want a top-notch education. Although I take all honors classes, I am sure that public schools fall way behind prep schools...
But I'm worried that it's too late for me to go to boarding school. I will probably be behind if I were to go junior year. It's true that I could fall back a year and repeat sophomore year (which won't be too big of a deal, since I skipped a grade), but I feel like that would make people perceive me as stupid. Also, I would probably have trouble completely integrating in to the school community and taking leadership positions, being such a late starter.
I'm mostly interested in Hotchkiss, by the way.
Any advice?</p>
<p>repeating a grade is very normal. We asked all the schools I applied to the same question. All of them considered it a positive.</p>
<p>“Repeating” a year is VERY common at boarding school. It is not viewed negatively by the prep school or by colleges, the way being set back a year in public school is.</p>
<p>FYI
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1231415-repeat-students-academic-red-shirting.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1231415-repeat-students-academic-red-shirting.html</a></p>
<p>Apply next year to repeat tenth. Since you skipped, you will likely still be one of the younger ones since so many are true repeaters. You likely would not repeat any subject matter.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would stay at your current public school. I bet many more people at prep schools are “affluent and have legacies” than your public school. Repeating a year isn’t worth it if you’re already at a good school imo.</p>
<p>I also skipped a year and, when I went to boarding school, I chose to repeat Freshman year. I was glad I did. Age wise, I was right in line with my classmates, but more importantly, it gave me the time needed to adjust to being away from home, the increased time pressures, and the higher general/expected level of work required. I recommend it. But you need to think about what works for YOU… and how YOU will meet each challenge as it is presented at boarding school. Good luck.</p>
<p>If 20% of last year’s senior class matriculated at an Ivy League college, I don’t think you would improve your college chances by transferring to a boarding school. If you are middle class, you parents would be able to finance extra opportunities during high schol more easily without the burden of tuition. You would also have more time to pursue individual interests at home.</p>
<p>By the time you’re a senior in high school, you may very well have developed interests which will only be satisfied at a handful of colleges, none of them in the Ivy League.</p>
<p>IB is an internationally known (and standardized) program with very rigorous standards. If you are in the IB program for 11th and 12th grade you should get an excellent education. </p>
<p>Some boarding schools take more students than others in later grades - most post this information on their website. Some kids applying for later grades repeat a year, especially if their prior school was not very rigorous. </p>
<p>It is not an easy decision, but sounds like you are trying to research and get information. Right now most admissions offices are working on the class for the fall of 2013, but in the spring/summer will switch focus to next year. You can visit schools and talk to some AOs. </p>
<p>Technically some deadlines have not passed, but it would be very rushed for you to get everything in by the end of January. Some schools take late applications if you want to consider for next fall, though FA may be less - again, it is all school specific.</p>
<p>MBVLoveless- I guess what I’m trying to say is that though many more will be affluent and have legacies at boarding school, there are also a broad range of diverse students. Public schools, which are based solely on region, tend to be composed of one group. I think my school only does good because a lot of students have financial support and far better opportunities than those of middle class, while boarding schools are more supportive of students who don’t necessarily have a good family background (through internships, college advice etc.) I don’t know if I’m making any sense, but yeah.
I think I will reapply next year to enter as a sophomore and see how it goes.
However, does anyone know any schools that accepts a lot of students beyond freshman year? I’m assuming the acceptances are a lot more competitive starting sophomore year.</p>
<p>Schools generally nearly double the size of the class going from Freshman to Soph year</p>
<p>If not prep to lower (or frosh to soph or 3rd form to 4th form–) then absolutely at the third year entry point.</p>
<p>Repeating a grade is pretty common in boarding school. Nobody really cares. But schools also take a couple of juniors each year if you don’t want to repeat.
Hotchkiss is also full of ivy legacies who have a lot of money, by the way.
Aside from that, boarding school is not the only place to get internships/study abroad/etc. You can do it on your own or through your public school, and it won’t cost you private school tuition. Talk to your advisor about these things before applying out next year and check out the SYA website.</p>