<p>thats interesting, I had a hard time scheduling an interview</p>
<p>Well there goes my chances</p>
<p>Yeah your right, but the courseload is still pretty challenging. Nothing compared to Andover or Exeter but still. No I don’t think Andover has honors classes but I do know that they have some courses which go beyond AP courses. I was just saying that all in all, they should more evenly disperse AP/ Honors in all Public High Schools, giving every student a chance to thrive to their highest potential. I do know for a fact that in the county that I live in, money is dished out to the schools depending on how much the residents in the area earn. So basically a “richer” part of town gets more funding than a “poorer” part meaning that the schools have more money for facilities and other stuff. Anyways good luck to everybody and I hope you all get in to the schools you are applying for. :D</p>
<p>Someone on this board - can’t remember who - repeatedly said that applications to one of the HADES/GADES was down 10%. If he’s right, then it’d be Deerfield or Exeter then?</p>
<p>I remember that too Benley. It was Exeter (I have no idea if it is true). We hypothesized that it was because they abandoned their unstated need-blind policy last year. I don’t think the information was cited, however, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.</p>
<p>nylecoj-like you I have not looked at an application this year, so I have no idea what a candidate profile is and what impact it may have.</p>
<p>If it’s true, then Exeter may be easier to get in this year, which is good news to Exeter applicants.</p>
<p>I heard first hand that Exeter has more applications this year.</p>
<p>I go to school with swissbrit and I looked at the curriculum for next year. It may be pre-IB but it’s easy and anyone can go into honors. Right now in the feeder middle school I’m in all 'GT" classes which are to prep you to go into honors next year. You go to class with normal students and the only difference is an extra question on the test. Anyone can be in GT as long as they maintain a C. Having been in true honors courses at home i find it ridiculous. That being said our school is considered a v. good high school and is probably more challenging academically than neatos. Doesn’t change that I could probably pass most of the 9th grade exams right now if given a textbook and a week.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to brag, I’m just so bored with school right now. Prehaps high school will be much more challenging than the curriculum briefs suggest. Which reminds me I need to go fill in my course shedule: I can choose whether to be in Honors English 9 or reg english, honors Bio or reg ect… I don’t know if this is just me but I think this is the form everyone gets because it doesn’t have my name on it plus it has the ESOL courses avaliable. Seems to make the whole honors thing redundant, shouldn’t you have to test in?</p>
<p>I should have included the first half of the article earlier, but here goes:</p>
<p>Mr. Bonhom largely attributes the unexpected over-enrollment to the state of the economy. Due to the recession, “the public education system is just not as good as it used to be,” says Mr. Bonhom. Public schools that were previously considered to be “good schools” now suffer from funding cuts and program losses. "Suddenly, we have more parents looking at their child’s education and saying, “Our public school isn’t good enough.”</p>
<p>This “flight to quality” seems logical in hindsight, but was surprising last year. The majority of accepted students who chose not to attend St. Paul’s stay at home, and the admissions office calculated their yield projection based on those statistics. “We had a lot of families who wouldn’t normally have left public schools deciding, when the letters came out, that they don’t want their kids in public schools anymore.”</p>
<p>Including my son, 4 of the top 10 students in his grade are applying to prep school. Those are just the ones that I know about. I don’t know how many others are looking at just somewhat better day schools an hour away (many parents in our town work in the “big” town south of us so the commute is doable), tuitioning their kids in to neighbouring districts that haven’t cut programs for higher ability kids, or opting to homeschool. There are less than 100 kids in each grade, so even this small amount should be noted. I don’t know if the admin is noting it, however. They seem to look at it as if it’s just a personal choice.</p>
<p>I have been attending our local distict’s budget meetings. Since they cut what little gifted programs they had two years ago, they are looking to cut APs now. They talk about saving 1000 dollars here, 1000 there, and not taking into account the 1000s they lose in state aid for each child that leaves. And every dollar I have to pay in school taxes is money not available for my children’s education.</p>
<p>I am surprised, however, that the kids who turn down SPS’s offer stay home. It’s probably a reflection of the economy. They may not have been able to face writing that big check and thought, “Well, our local options are good enough after all.” But who really knows what goes on in people’s heads?</p>
<p>Haha, swissbrit, of course Andover doesn’t have designated honors courses - ALL of their courses are heavily accelerated and cater to the top 16% of kids - e.g. all the kids who were accepted. Then you get into the area of the designated advanced classes - 500 and 600 level courses, and certain 300 and 400 level classes. They’re TOUGH. I’m having… quite an experience in French 520 at the moment. French 420 is standard AP level - French 520 is college seminar. We finished the AP syllabus three weeks ago. However, I still have French 600 left to take next year. Another college seminar course.</p>
<p>Yeah Blue, you do not need to test to go into honors classes for next year, as long as you maintain a strong B throughout the year you can go into honors next year.</p>
<p>I only know of one person applying at our school and thats swissbrit and I don’t actually know who he is. I knew one girl applying but she pulled out when her SSAT wasn’t great which is kind of funny considering her grades are much better than mine. I don’y know many people at my school, I’m a bit of a book-reading loner and applying to BS isn’t something you parade around.</p>
<p>@swissbrit. Thanks, I was touring BSs when our counsellors spoke to our english classes so I don’t know the specifics. It’s nice to know.</p>
<p>Yeah basically the counselors were like oh we expect most of you to take honors classes next year and basically they just explained how life at our high school was different and all that stuff … It was boaring</p>
<p>If i’d been there I would’ve been reading under the table the whole time.</p>
<p>And the idea or some kids in my english class taking honors makes me unsure whethere to laugh or cry :D</p>
<p>Tom, lets say I got accepted to Andover , would I be allowed to take french 400 because I speak fluent french and I just recently started going to an english school , so french is my mothertoung, would Andover let me take french 400-500 as a Freshman ?</p>
<p>Yeah it makes me chuckle when my friends hesitate between taking honors english or normal english lol</p>