I have been learning about Junior Boarding Schools last few days, and am impressed by both their offerings and their students’ forum writing skills/maturity. I have these unresolved questions:
It seems 9th grade at junior boarding schools is great experience, “full of leadership opportunities” and so forth. But secondary schools usually begin at 9th grade too. How common practice is for junior boarders to repeat 9th grade at a BS?
How many students start JBS as a 9th grader?
Only a few repeat
And few start as 9th graders, although it’s possible. If you’re new, you’re less likely to get all those leadership positions, and it’s somewhat harder to get letters for your secondary school applications because you won’t know faculty as well–although current teachers can still write for you, of course.
Oh well. It was worth asking. 
Thank for your help.
So, I guess I’m an outlier here - but my son not only entered a JBS as a 9th grader but also decided to repeat for secondary school. There is massive attrition at the JBS we chose between 8th and 9th grade. Leadership opportunities were earned as the year progressed were plentiful as the class essentially has just lost over a third (possibly half) of its population. There were a few other boys who did the same thing - essentially an extra year to mature before entering high school.
@liddyb4, Thanks for sharing. So more than half of 8th graders at the JBS continued to 9th. That seems big enough population. It seems that entering as a JBS 9th and then repeating it in a BS has many advantages over entering as 8th for a BS.
We sent three kids to JBS ( 7th-9th grade ) and applied to SS for 10th but knew a few kids along the way who applied to SS during their JBS Sixth Form year - mostly for SS Die-Hard status or for financial reasons. I’m sure there were some kids who wanted to move on and didn’t care about graduating with their Class ( or their JBS alum status ) , too… but that’s rare.
As far as repeating at SS goes… Some families ( who don’t repeat at JBS ) will apply to SS for both 9th and 10th … again - some will want Die-Hard Status ( Four Year Status ) while others will let a SS know they’re open to both ( for whatever reasons ) prior to sending in their app and then they’ll let the school decide and find out M10.
That said, I’ve seen many kids enter JBS for only one year ( Seventh Form and repeat Seventh Form ) and flourish… and go on to awesome SSs prepared and ready to go.
In my mind… going to JBS for any amount of time is worth it. Plus - if you’re on the fence about your child being ready for BS/SS - you couldn’t ask for a better launch pad.
I went away to JBS when I was very, very young… different era but it was ( without question ) an amazing experience. The campus has changed quite a bit but little else. Everything I loved and still cherish today ( culture, traditions, etc.) is still there- including some faculty members. Better than ever… I truly envy the students who are there today.
Our son is not repeating and was at a JBS through 9th grade. His sister is a year younger and attending the same secondary boarding school so that is one of the reasons. The most important is that he really matured and is ready for 10th.
The JBS my son attended had almost everyone stay for 9th-- I think only 3 kids left after 8th-- and they did have some kids join for 9 th. Because it’s all boys, they have a fair number of kids who apply to SS as repeat-9th graders (boys do so more than girls-- for sports reasons, maturity reasons, etc.) every year-- though the bulk of the class does not. My earlier point certainly wasn’t that it wasn’t worth it-- just that it makes it a little more difficult for the leadership positions and letters. But liddyb4’s point that leadership positions are more available as the year progresses is probably a good one-- and means your child can still get a lot out of the year, even if they haven’t done it all by the time application deadlines roll around (at my son’s school, they wanted applications done by the end of winter break). Absolutely you can get a lot out of the year anyway-- no school decision should ever be just about applying to the next school.
We did things a little differently. My son entered JBS as a repeating 8th grader. This way he gets the extra year maturity and has an opportunity for leadership positions in 9th grade and it gave the JBS a chance to get to know him before writing recommendations etc for his SS applications. He will be a 9th grader this year and will apply to SS for 10th grade. We also felt that it would be better to have two years at JBS rather than attending for just one and then moving on.
Thanks for your insights. I think I am getting better pictures. My daughter wants to start boarding school next Fall at age 13, either as an 8th or 9th grader. She can handle academics either way, but academics isn’t why she wants SS. I first thought about going to a SS that has 8th option. But none of her top choices has 8th grade so it will limit her options.
It seems skipping to 9th at a JBS will fit her better than 8th at either JBS or SS. 9th at JBS seems more focused on none-academic stuffs, and it’s academics will fit better for daughter than 8th ones. Also we want that 4 years experience at SS. During 9th at a JBS, she can experience learning with many age peers for the first time since kindergarten, and we will have much better idea on what SS will be “fit” for her. Right now it’s so confusing and uncertain.
She is sort of a teacher’s pet in all her community college classes. I don’t fully understand but she is a bright, outgoing, assertive, and humorous kid at outside classes, unlike when she learns from me. I often see her with several students and giggling a lot when I am at her Ceramics class to pick her up. Many of her professors came out to see me and praised daughter’s bright character. One semester would probably be enough for her teacher’s to know her enough to write the letters.
As a homeschooling parent, I would be writing all three teacher’s recommendations this year, in addition to whatever I have to write as a parent. I tried them last night for a JBS’s application. Boy, it was hard even though I had some good samples to look at. More importantly, they turned out to be mediocre or low quality!!! I would love to be excused from doing this for SS applications.
Well, what do you know? We reviewed the JBS and found one dream school that is just perfect match in every aspects. Unbelievable. They take rolling admission so we already applied for 2016 as a 9th grader. With some luck, admission process may end quick for us.
I just read your post on your son repeating 8th grade at a JBS. I am thinking of doing the same thing, and I am wondering if you can share some lights on SS application after 2 yrs at JBS with repeating 8th yr. Did you get a much better shot at the competitive school?
@AnxiousMom22,
At the end, we debated between doing 9th at a JBS and repeating it at a BS, and just starting 9th at a BS, and then decided to just start 9th at a BS. Repeating 8th seemed too restrictive for daughter’s academic abilities.
Now, although we didn’t do JBS, it seems is very clear that going through JBS would have been a huge improvement for applying to competitive BS. For one thing, daughter incomparably more mature now than last year that will show on interviews. Second BS would know that mine would be a type that will adjust to BS life well.