<p>Well, I go to a tier 2 boarding school (my parents were there so it was my only option) and I am ranked around 10/100 if you don't weight classes but if you do I am around 4/100 since I have taken all the hardest classes, right after all the kids who came from korea and all they do is study. I am hoping to go to Cornell and I was wondering if anyone has any experience in how hard colleges are to kids who are in the top of their class at private schools. Will I have an easy time maintaining a high GPA? the same difficulty? even harder?</p>
<p>If your definition of “tier 2” is the same as we use here on CC, you are really in “tier 1”. So, yes I think college will be easier for you compared with many students (not all) from other background. Good luck!</p>
<p>From everything I’ve heard from kids, parents, and teachers at a variety of schools, bs kids have a much easier time. Of course, the degree will depend upon the difference in the bs and college and how structured your bs is. With your current success, I wouldn’t worry at all. You obviously have good study habits in place! </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>My transition, and my sister’s transition to college was easier than it was for kids coming from public schools. We’d also already done the whole “adustment” to dorms, course selection, social stuff. Still - college is hard, make no mistakes about it.</p>
<p>I just know that my daughter is now going to be more prepared emotionally and academically for college rigor than the friends she left behind. So don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>Colleges will note that if you’re doing well at BS, you’ll likely do well for them too.</p>
<p>It’s also an issue of time & time management. There a fewer requirements in college–virtually nothing required of you beyond the academic load. Students take anywhere from 12-20 credit hours a semester. So depending on your load and non-school commitments (are you working a job? continuing with athletics or another EC., etc?), you have MUCH more free time. BS kids in general know how to make the most of their time and their schedule, so they have a leg up with study and organizational skills. </p>
<p>One piece of advise: this ISN’T high school. You want to move toward (relative) specialization as quickly as possible within the limits of your U’s distribution requirements. Also know that if you’re at a mid- to large institution, the BEST education happens in upper level seminar courses where you can work directly with professors. So identify your passion, and dive in deep, right from the start.</p>
<p>(I spent frosh year trying to maintain the 2 languages, math, history, and lit classes, like it was “high school-year 5”; worst GPA of my college career! Once I picked a major and started to specialize within one field, I was golden)</p>
<p>Thanks all of you, I think once I’m in college I will definitely have no trouble specializing seeing as I want to be done with english, history and language ASAP. The reason I ask this though is because I am trying to decide whether I should try and do pre med at Cornell or somewhere easier. I have been reading on the Cornell forums that people keep saying it is so hard and I am trying to figure out if I were to go there were I would stand in terms of grades, would I be at the top, the bottom?</p>
<p>Well apparently Cornells’ grade inflation is rampant (much like at other ivies). I see that you’re a premed major, I guess that would make it harder for you to get a good GPA, but since you go to a good boarding school your time management skills should be good and you should be ready for the challenge. Good luck wherever you end up in college !</p>
<p>Pre-med–I beg to differ with Big5. I think the first 2 years a student should relax and get the hang of college and enjoy the college environment. If you ask most people, 75% of the majors people selected before going to college changed before they graduated.</p>
<p>I decided long ago that my d would either attend a LAC or be a liberal arts major someplace else. As a college professor for 17 years I really believe that a well-rounded undergraduate degree with a focus on whatever you find as a passion makes for the best grades and best experience. Nowadays, one must admit that few bachelor degrees alone will work over the next 20 years. Most people will need/require at least a master’s degree.</p>
<p>You dont need a biology or chemistry degree to go to medical school. At some schools you dont need a degree at all just the required courses. Many students with non-science degrees get into med school easier than pre-med majors.</p>
<p>Life is too short and you are an adult way to long to rush this enriching, learning and growing part of your life. Enjoy!!</p>
<p>BTW–I am also one of the parents that thinks students should consider a gap year to explore and mature.</p>
<p>Although you don’t need a Bio or Chemistry degree to get into or go to a medical school, once there, it sure helps to get through.</p>
<p>Kids in my med school class (long ago) who were Russian Lit majors, Psychology majors and the like in college seemed to struggle more in the first two years of the basic sciences, in things like Anatomy, Physiology, Histology, Biochemistry, Molecular Bio etc.</p>
<p>I think if you are serious about med school, but have other passions and interests, it’s best to major in a Science, but minor or take lots of courses you enjoy in the Humanities.</p>
<p>I was a Chem major because I loved it, but also loved American Art History and English Lit including Romantic Poetry and did take a lot of classes for English majors whom I rivaled for grades because I loved the subject matter and it didn’t hurt my GPA.</p>
<p>Medicine is afterall the study of the science of the human body. Good Luck in whatever you decide.</p>
<p>@Alex allow me to rephrase. I was more interested in pointing out that at mid to larger size U’s, “gateway” courses are large and it is not as easy to interact directly with profs as it was in the boarding school environment. However, as RBGG points out, he was successful in more challenging upper level courses, even though they were outside of his field of “specialization”. </p>
<p>I guess I had in mind both Declining By Decrees (which I hope you’ve seen), and the recent Chronicle article that claims something like 1/3 of students have not made isignificant improvement in their critical analysis skills after the first 2 years of college.</p>
<p>[A</a> Perfect Storm in Undergraduate Education, Part I - Advice - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/A-Perfect-Storm-in/126451/]A”>http://chronicle.com/article/A-Perfect-Storm-in/126451/)</p>
<p>Was offering advice, not a prescription. And would love to hear your thoughts on the article…</p>
<p>Yea, I was planning on majoring in bio or chem anyway just because I like it.</p>