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Ashbury which is a VERY good preparatory school, academically easily as good as any of the schools to which you aspire
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<p>That's not true. These top prep schools are on a whole other level academically. </p>
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You can't (won't) go because your mom is afraid of terrorists? In Ottawa?
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<p>It's cant, not wont. He wants to go it's his mother who doesnt and she's the one who makes the decisions. and the terrorist attacks he's talking about would not occur in Ottawa he's applying to U.S. schools, so they'd occur in the U.S. Pay attention.</p>
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After thinking about it, and this is the last I will say about it, I think your chances of getting into Andover grade nine from your present middle school are darn near zero. You have no academic focus, you have no solid support from your parents, no "hook" and no sports
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<p>Prep schools accept students who flourish at below average schools all the time. and in middle school, how much academic focus can one expect for any of the applicants. Also, if i recall I think he DOES do sports....swimming and something else? Also, why do you keep mentioning Andover exclusively? He's applying to many schools, is he not?</p>
<p>My recommendation to JK is that he let his threads sink to the bottom. He once mentioned this and I think it's a good idea. JK, I believe you're a good person, but you have been all over the place. You have been given all the advice that one person can possibly get, yet you're no closer to a plan that you were in the beginning. What if ascoms are reading these threads? Frankly, I think you may be easily identifiable. If so, you may be perceived as "wishy washy" and may be , I say may be immature and not ready for bs. I say this because, man, the whole summer its been JK and more JK and you are still at point one spinning your wheels. Now I'm not an adcom person and I may be wrong, but what if they are thinking what I'm thinking?</p>
<p>I don't think it does anyone any good to jump all over an upset kid. He has few people to talk to about this--empathy or constructive criticism is preferable to snapping at him. If you find his posts irritating, don't read them.</p>
<p>JK, again, take a deep breath and remember that whether or not you go away <em>next year</em> does not determine everything. Lots of kids go away their sophomore or even junior years and have a great experience. And lots of other kids find ways to be happy at their day schools. Lots of things change when you leave middle school and go to high school, even if you stay right where you are. You have lots of time. I think Prepparent is right that you've gotten to the point where you're worrying unhealthily about this and you should probably take a week or two off. Go do something you really enjoy so you'll be refreshed for the new year rather than haggard with worry.</p>
<p>Prepparent as always gave very good advice. Like him, I think Jonathan is damaging himself by compulsively multiplying threads. If he really wants to go to an Andover like school, i think I gave him what may be his best application strategy. You may not like the way this was worded but it is reality as I see it.</p>
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You have no academic focus, you have no solid support from your parents, no "hook" and no sports.
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<p>Uhh.. what? I play soccer, swimming, and tennis. I couldn't get better grades, either.</p>
<p>I agree with GDF, if you'r egoing to reply to my threads, at least get your facts straight. I wasn't talking about terrorists in Ottawa. I was talking about schools in New England.</p>
<p>You still don't get it. What prepparent in his kind way was trying to tell you was to be conscious of how your more unbuttoned comments may appear to an adcom. What picture will such a person have built up about you?</p>
<p>If he looks for academic focus, where is it? Languages, humanities, mathematics, arts, music? </p>
<p>Everybody who applies has good grades. If the adcom is looking for maturity, which they will, where is it? Everybody, not just me has been telling you that you're all over the place. Adcoms like all Americans like green lights but not so much that they will take a flyer on an immature FA applicant who may not stay the course.</p>
<p>Boarding schools do care about how committed your parents are to the idea of an exceptional education for YOU. How have you painted your parents and your relationship with them? It doesn't sound to me that either of your parents are seriously committed to the venture either financially or educationally. In addition if your mother is seriously concerned about terrorism in Concord NH or Deerfield Mass, the adcom at that point may well have decided that this is a degree of paranoia that they would rather not have the school deal with. Anyway, good luck in your future endeavours</p>
<p>The point is you didnt pay attention at all. you claimed he didnt play sports. Oh...the 3 he does dont count? And he's asking for advice on how to get his parents to accept his decision, not people telling him to give up it'll be easier.</p>
<p>Wow, maybe this is getting out of hand. GDF, I know you have been on these threads for along time, however, I'm not sure whether you have been on more recently. Anyway forgive if I say something you may already know. I Don't need to say this, but paleo as you know has been contributing on these prep threads for some time. He has always been helpful with sound and thoughfl advice, and there is no denying that he is quite bright. I say this because it appears he is being msinterpreted here, I too have been confused and I think it is because of the daily drama and changes that go on with JK. Sometimes it's hard to keep up. GDF, paleo has gone to the moon and back attempting to help JK in anyway he can, but there comes a point when all the advice must be acted on. I do remember that early on JK was advised to get his parents involved which I guess he ignored. From one day to the next, schools have changed and I guess I can understand this t0 a certain degree. Then it was FA or no FA aid. Then the language question that really confused me, and to top it off he never spoke to his parents. So please understand that it has at times been confusing for some of us.</p>
<p>So Sorry, I hit the post button before I was finished. I will ask this one qustion again..............What if there are adcom people reading these threads? What if...................... My advice, if you are a prospective student be as excited as you please, but remember this may be your resume you're posting.</p>
<p>Are you guys making up stuff as you go along?</p>
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JK was advised to get his parents involved which I guess he ignored.
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<p>My mom has known that I was interested in going to boarding school for over a year now. </p>
<p>I haven't really changed schools all that much. I just narrowed down my list like every else does. </p>
<p>The financial situation changed so much because my dad kept changing his story. When I first told him I wanted to apply to boarding school, he supported me and said he'd pay for it. Since I've returned to Michigan, he's claiming he cannot afford it.</p>
<p>I honestly have no idea why my mom keeps changing her mind. She's just so... ughh. It's really frustrating. She doesn't know anything about prep schools and when I bring it up she just says that she doesn't want to talk about it. </p>
<p>You guys don't know how tough it is to have no one around to talk to about something you want so bad and they just don't care or listen. My mom says that she wants the best education for me, but obviously her actions don't confirm that.</p>
<p>JK I only ask then that you consider my question regarding the adcoms. That has been the message today, yet I'm not sure if you understand where I'm comming from. That would be on your side .</p>
<p>I have been thinking about this all day, and though i have hardly any knowledge on the subject (thus why i am a member of this site), i wish you good luck Jonathan, and keep on hoping. it is my thinking that as parents, they will understand what their child wants and needs, and act upon that. I hope it works out for you.</p>
<p>All I want to say is good luck finding wherever's right for you. It sounds like a difficult situation and I don't think I know nearly enough about your life to judge on anything-- I hope you and your parents can find some place you'll be happy. :)</p>
<p>Edit: and of course, if you want to talk to someone who is trying to convince their parents too, you can always PM me. :)</p>
<p>GDF: For the record, I did not tell Jonathan to give up. I told him that it may not be in his interest to ventilate all his application anxieties on a public forum. Although the various excentricities of parents is a burden all children necessarily have to live with, it is unhelpful to say the least, to put a tombstone on your application by painting your father as perhaps not entirely up front about what he could reasonably contribute financially and your mother as paranoic about terrorism at prepschool. None of this is JK's fault. However if he wants to get into the places he wants to get in, he has to secure a place in competition with some of the very best students on the continent who may not come with as much baggage. In my view for what it is worth, under the circumstances, JK's best strategy would seem to be to go to Ashbury for a year and to apply to a US prepschool from there.</p>
<p>JK, don't go to ashbury, just make sure your reasons are because of what you feel and not someone else who may comment on its academics versus other prep schools in the NE.</p>