<p>This is something I've been wondering about over the summer. What do colleges like better? The fact that you went to a prestigious school or that you're a valedictorian of your high school?</p>
<p>I dont know if this exactly answers your question,
but my dad always says this:
What do you call the guy who finished last in his class at medical school?
-Doctor</p>
<p>haha,
personally i think that graduating from a BS with a good reputation would be better because then the college knows you know how to study and work and have good habits and such...</p>
<p>Well it matters how bad you mean you are at the boarding school. If you can get B's or above at a top notch boarding school, then you should go. However, if you are a C student at a boarding school and an A student at your public high school, stay at the public school. The valedictorian (or top 5%) always gets into a very good school.</p>
<p>Has this tradeoff ever occurred in the history of planet Earth?</p>
<p>you always have to upstage me!
haha
just kidding.</p>
<p>the top 5% of my public school gets into the state university,
which isnt a bad school,
but isnt exactly the greatest.</p>
<p>haha sorry ballerinamazing, its just ur always posting right before me and i dont want to say something random lol</p>
<p>It also matters what school you go to. You have a much better shot at getting into Harvard being the top student at Salisbury then being a C student at a school like Hotchkiss.</p>
<p>i think your chances of getting into a selective college would be slim if you got C's at any school.</p>
<p>Your probably right about that with 95% of the schools. But even the bad students at schools like St. Pauls, Hotchkiss, Andover, and Exeter usually get into good schools.</p>
<p>is there such thing as a "bad" student at St. Pauls, Exeter ect..? Becuase you have to be very smart to even be admitted</p>
<p>yeah...if you're the best any school, even a bad school, I <em>highly</em> doubt you'd be the worst at BS.</p>
<p>Example of schools some "bad" students at Exeter got into: UMich, Brandeis...and they didn't have a hook or anything!</p>
<p>As far as colleges go, it's better to be the best at a bad high school. I mean, if it's a terrible high school, then you should definitely be going above and beyond and taking initiative through outside programs -- but in general, it's way better to the best at a worse school. In the eyes of colleges, that is. As far as college PREPARATION however, I have to say that boarding school is a far better option. This is a gross generalization, but I think it would offer the student a far better education, and college/reality wouldn't beat them into the ground after graduation.</p>
<p>Our public hs matriculation (from last week's newspaper):</p>
<p>219 in graduating class (10% dropout rate this year)
66 list "employment" or armed forces
25 list local technical college
2 list online technical college
4 list cosmetology/hairdressing school
2 list LNA (nursing assistant program - 12 weeks long)
60 list one of our three state Universities
Remainder to other New England state U's. One or two to "specialty schools" like Johnson & Wales, Rhode Island School of Design. A few to less competitive private schools (Sacred Heart, Colby Sawyer, St. Anselm, Rivier College, Southern NH University, Franklin Pierce, New England College, etc.)
The Valedicatorian is going to Dartmouth. Only Ivy on the list. Salutatorian and most of top ten going to state U (not bad school, but not competitive admissions).
Handful of kids going to strong LAC's (4 or 5 at most).</p>
<p>The HSs are ranked by the colleges. They know an A at one school may be a C at another. Getting at C at a top school is better ... first you did get in and second, you ARE being pushed amongst a demanding crowd. Also the top schools have their well worn connections and can advocate for the kids who did not perform as well.</p>
<p>at the public high school that my oldest sister attends the top ten are going to Dartmouth, Carnige Mellon (3), Johns Hopkins, Hamilton, Rochester Institute of Technology, Bates, UNH, and a post grad. at Exeter. So its not that bad of a list for public school there are also other kids attending competitive schools and there are a handful of communities..but most of those kids where good students who can't afford college. Like most public's there are kids who aren't attending college.. My sister graduated and will be heading off to Trinity (CT) in the fall</p>
<p>What was the size of your sister's graduating class?</p>
<p>I agree with you, MQD, when myolder son graduated from NMH, the advisors told him that the school's profile was very respected and an "A' pretty much equated to a "C" from his public hs.Having had a child attend the public hs, I can attest to the fact, that except for some of the honors courses, this is the case.</p>
<p>keylyme, dont you mean a "C" from NMH equates an "A" from public school? or am I missing something?</p>
<p>My goodness, yes, that is certainly what I meant!</p>
<p>Thats probably a little too big of a difference. An C in NMH is probably equal to a B/B+ in public school.</p>
<p>I doubt it....I had children attend both. The NMH non-honors courses are more rigorous than the honors courses at our public school. Also, my son graduated NMH with a 3.1/3.2 GPA....no AP's. He got into two selective LAC's. Kids who graduate from our local public with that GPA and honors classes have trouble getting into the local University. Many of my daughter's peers were turned down from our state U with solid B/B+ gpa's.</p>
<p>Sooo ... the reason for the popularity of the AP classes ... a leveling of the field. Now, my child's highly selective boarding school does not offer any AP classes (though you can take the AP tests) and about 1/3 get into Ivies every year. The colleges know the high schools ... it is the college advisers job to get the HSs properly rated by the colleges. It can take a few years but a good college adviser can get their school on the map and further up the list with persistent effort.</p>
<p>Unfortunately it is not just grades, SATs, and ECs ... it is a package and some of it is out of our control. If your school is known to inflate grades, what has the kid done with the extra time and brain power ...?</p>
<p>I think it is important to think realistically about our kids and how they stack up ... what are their strengths? what do they enjoy? how do they stand out?</p>
<p>After reading thousands of application essays, I would sure enjoy reading something quirky and fun!</p>