<p>Does anyone know what a typical GPA coming out of of one of the Top 7 boarding schools would need to be for a two sport athlete in order to get into an Ivy? How about a NESCAC school? He is not necessarily the “best” athlete on either team, but one of the top 3 on each team (football and lax.) Would the GPA need to be an equivalent of a B+ or would a B average fly? Any thoughts or personal/anecdotal experiences you can share? Thanks!</p>
<p>Please see my message above. Thanks!</p>
<p>To be recruited? That’s not something these boards can help you with.</p>
<p>Would they “recruit” an athlete of that caliber from one of the HADES schools? I was just thinking the athletics would help, especially at a NESCAC. I don’t know anything about athletic recruiting for the Ivies/NESCAC, is there a thread that deals with it? Thanks!</p>
<p>recruiting is mainly up to the coaches at each school, and what they need.</p>
<p>To answer your question about where boarding school kids with somewhat low GPAs end up going, most end up going to great top 20 schools (as they rightfully should) that really fit them and have good programs suited for them, people really explore their options here. I go to Exeter, and some colleges, like Tufts and Carneige Mellon, have really good relationships with us and take a lot of our kids after a cut-off. Having a 3.0 or 3.3 at Exeter is SIGNIFICANTLY harder than shooting straight 4.0s (or 5.5 weighted… whatever) at your average public/private high school, loaded with your toughest AP courses, so don’t take that for granted. Exeter’s education is comparable to what you would get a state school university, or even at times more difficult; the running joke is that you’ll have less work in college after Exeter except for UChicago and MIT. It’s no coincidence that our kids habitually fill cum laude lists at top 20 colleges, and really are valuable assets sought after by top schools. There is practically no grade inflation at Exeter; back in the 70s the majority of the class got into Harvard or Yale with C averages. Colleges know this, and readily take account for it. </p>
<p>And not everyone is rich at these schools, thomaschau, half of Exeter’s on financial aid.</p>
<p>vk77, thank you for your perspective. Is a 3.3 considered a “somewhat low” GPA at HADES schools or at Exeter? Is 3.3 the equivalent of a B+ or a B? It’s been so long since I’ve had to worry about GPAs!! Does anyone at HADES boarding schools have lower than a B average??!!</p>
<p>At Exeter, the “official” average is an 8.6/11, most kids get roughly a 9/11, so you can do the math, I don’t know off the top of my head what that converts to on a 4 point scale.</p>
<p>If most kids at Exeter get a 9 out of 11, why wouldn’t college admissions officers fear grade inflation is going on? I am assuming a 9 is the equivalent of a B+. That seems rather high for an average…</p>
<p>Elite BS are rigorous. The work-load is heavy. The grade curves are competitive because the class is selected. The grading is tough. It is hard for an elite BS student to get as high an average or class rank (hypothetically- these are usually not given out, but there are honors level cut-offs, so the ranks are somewhat visible) at BS than he/she would at any school at home. The elite BS prepares the students very well academically AND for living independently. Performance comes without coddling or tutoring or intensive support or parental nagging. Students manage their own time and make decisions about following rules.</p>
<p>So, the fairest ways to look at the college acceptance results are;
- Trends over time with the same colleges: these elite BS are not getting worse at preparing nor are the students worse candidates, but college admissions has gotten more competitive. Elite BS are not getting in as many to tippy tops as they once were. Diversity is very important to college admissions.
- Compare results with those of competitive admission privates and publics, and high-achievement/wealthy publics
- look at at what colleges a given candidate gets into from an elite BS compared to very similar candidates at same types of schools in 2.</p>
<p>TBH, the results show that for students with good school options at home, they are LESS likely to get into as good a college as they would if they attend an elite BS.
PROOF:
If you look at Naviance results, the test score averages for those accepted from elite BS are significantly higher than national averages, and even for good local school options. This is even more pronounced, when you consider that the elite BS averages probably contain more acceptance of “boosted” candidates like legacies, recruited athletes and URM’s.</p>
<p>Colleges just cannot take too many from the same school, so they skim the cream. They also cannot take too many from elite schools or BS. The cream at an elite BS is excellent! These students would get into as least as good colleges if they stayed home at an very good local school. So it is a GOOD thing that the elite BS GC’s are working hard to support these candidates (as they do at most other privates.)</p>
<p>Be forewarned- going to an elite BS is absolutely NO guarantee of getting into a tippy top college. The independent lifestyle can take the wheels off: some kids do get in trouble on their own, lose academic focus, etc. The coursework is challenging, the grading hard and the intra-class/intra-course competition is stiff. ALSO, it is harder to be “unique” in EC’s.</p>
<p>Go to an elite BS for the incredible education and the experience, not for a boost in college admissions. It can change your life, enrich your mind, soul, and heart. It makes a difference in how a student does in college and later in life.</p>
<p>Well said, performersmom. Thank you for your insight. Do you have a child attending one of the HADES schools?</p>
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<p>What the hell. If this isn’t the most ignorant stuff I have ever seen on this site, I don’t know what is. This has to stop. IMMEDIATELY. The way people put down “minorities” on this board is ridiculous. </p>
<p>I am going to a boarding school, and I am doing VERY well, and so are many of the “URMs” at my school too. Actually most of the " URMs" (god I hate this term) do better than most whites(not Asians though, they are just smart). So please, don’t even try to say oh they under privileged or whatever. Good thing you guys aren’t admissions officers…that would be horrible and frightening. </p>
<p>I get so offended by this site the way people just casually put down blacks and latinos like its so normal. You guys are just so offensive and ignorant its ridiculous. But you know what, this is not even somewhere I should be. Because I cannot be apart of a board that just puts down blacks and latinos. </p>
<p>And its funny how you guys wonder why you got rejected with these kids of attitudes. =/</p>
<p>I’m done. Don’t comment on this just read and reevaluate yourself.</p>
<p>@Obwannabe in post #30—Yes. And I went to a different one myself. And many in my extended family have attended a large variety of BS as well as local privates and publics over the last two generations. </p>
<p>It is absolutely true that for some attending a BS, or private, for that matter, can enhance a student’s overall education opportunities, thus, maybe a chance to get into a better college. BUT the competition in getting into college is with one’s class-mates, first, since so many are so “qualified.”</p>
<p>Also, HADES schools are well-endowed and, while ?some/all/most? do not have need-blind admissions, they DO try to create diverse classes across many matrices, including SES and race/ethnicity, geographic region, in a manner not unlike that of colleges.</p>
<p>Just BEING at BS is like taking an extra class: it demands a bit of energy to be the one to decide HOW to spend one’s time, organize, make ethical and moral decisions, avoid distractions, defer immediate gratification, know when to ask for help, etc. etc.
Not every student will thrive in that environment, and many will have to overcome this obstacle, so to speak, at first. But the potential for personal growth and opportunities to develop maturity and a sense of responsibility are HUGE at BS.</p>
<p>The quality of teaching and academics and also EC’s and sports is generally excellent, as well. And the friendships can be very illuminating and life-long.</p>
<p>IMO the college AdComms may not necessarily really understand quite what an achievement it is to make it through BS!!! LOL
These BS kids are well-prepared academically and to live independently in the college environment.</p>