Repeating 11th Grade

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>I know that a bunch of you have probably read my other thread, but I’ve decided that it doesn’t make any sense to try to enter mid-year for a variety of reasons…</p>

<p>So, now I have a whole new set of questions, and I figured that a new thread would better serve me.</p>

<li><p>Would repeating 11th grade really be worth it? I’m taking 5 classes this year (Honors English 11, Honors US History, Honors Physics, Regents Algebra 2 and Theater). I’m confident that I’ll do well (get at least a B or B+) in English,US History, and Theater (I’ll definitely get an A in that one), however, I’m not so sure about Algebra 2 and Physics. I think that in those two classes I’ll probably get between a B- and a B.</p></li>
<li><p>I want to go to Cornell U. What schools (or at least types of schools) should I be looking at? I want to (at the moment) want to be premed.</p></li>
<li><p>Will going to boarding school and repeating 11th grade help me or hurt me in terms of getting into Cornell? The one way I could definitely see it helping is that they are accepting less students from my school/area now, so I might have a better chance getting in if I’m not applying from my current school.</p></li>
<li><p>What kind of financial aid do you think I could get? I have no idea what my family’s income is, I would guess that it’s at least about $80,000/year if not more. However, I have a huge family. I’m one of 7 kids. I have a brother who is a full time college student (although he does get free tuition), and another brother who will either be attending med school next year or the year after.</p></li>
<li><p>How hard will it be for me to get accepted into a school? I know that admissions for 11th grade are a lot harder than 9th or 10th grade. Will being a minority (African American) help me like it would with applying to college?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Lets see…More information about me:</p>

<p>Background</p>

<p>I am an African American, adopted, live in a small college town. I go to a good public school, but I hate it. I’ve hated the public schools here since 6th grade, but there are very few private schools, and so most people who want to go away go to a boarding school since otherwise there would be at least 2 hours of travel total to and from school each day. I’ve always taken all Honors level classes, except math, I do Regents level math. I’m a pretty independent person, and actually, I absolutely love being away from home. Not that I don’t like my family or whatever, just that I really like being independent. I’ve tried to convince my parents to let me go to boarding school in the past (I started trying in 8th grade), but they’ve never really been into it. However, my mom did say that if I still wanted to go in 11th or 12th she’d consider it as long as the school was within a reasonable distance and I could a heck of a lot of financial aid. Academics are quite important in my family (well, obviously, both of my parents are lawyers). Both my older brothers attended Cornell, and it’s kind of expected that I’ll do the same, but that’s OK by me since Cornell has one of the best premed programs, and that’s what I’m interested in doing. That being said, I’m obviously quite into science, but I don’t really like math that much.</p>

<p>Classes</p>

<p>8th grade - Honors Earth Science (I put this here because it’s a high school
course that you get high school credit for)</p>

<p>9th grade - Humanities (combined Honors English and Global History 1)
- Regents Algebra 1
- Honors Molecular Biology
- Honors French 2 (French 1 was taken over a 2 year period in 7th
and 8th)</p>

<p>10th grade - Honors Global History 2
- Honors English 10
- Honors French 3
- Regents Geometry
- Honors ChemCom</p>

<p>11th grade - Honors US History
- Honors English 11
- Honors Physics
- Regents Algebra 2
- Theater</p>

<p>Of course, I’ve also taken gym every year.</p>

<p>Stats</p>

<p>Female
African American
From Upstate NY
Have always attended public school
Applying for 11th grade as a repeat student
GPA - Is always in the range of 3.1-3.7 depending on the particular marking period.
PLAN score - 27
PSAT and SSAT scores - unknown, I just took the PSAT on Wednesday and I
haven’t taken the SSAT</p>

<p>I think that’s pretty much all I have for that.</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars</p>

<p>Dance - 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Choir - 8, 9, 10, 11
Girl Scouts - 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Afro/Latino Club - 9, 10, 11
Drama Club - 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Link Crew - 10, 11
Key Club - 11
Sister2Sister Mentor (more volunteer, but whatever) - 9, 10, 11 (will do this year)
Track - 7, 8, 9, maybe 11 (it depends on what the spring musical is)</p>

<p>Awards</p>

<p>Back in 2004, I got a local award for community service, and in 2005 I got the Principals Award at school (kind of like student of the quarter).</p>

<p>School information</p>

<p>My school is one of the top public high schools in the US. I think we’re number 131 or something like that…So it’s a good school, and some people consider it a feeder school to Cornell.</p>

<p>Schools I’ve been looking at ones in bold I’ve looked at before</p>

<p>Foxcroft School
Linden Hall
St. Johnsbury Academy
Miss Hall’s School
The Ethel Walker School
Perkiomen School
The Andrews Osborne Academy
Marionapolis Preparatory School
Stuart Hall
St. Margaret’s School
Oldfields School
Cushing Academy
The Madeira School
The Stony Brook School
Virgina Episcopal School
Western Reserve Academy</p>

<p>I know that’s way too many schools to really be looking at seriously, but you know…</p>

<p>Sorry about the length of this post, but I’m trying to make sure that I’m including everything. If I left anything out, please, feel free to point it out to me, and I’ll be happy to provide the information to you!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for all of your help! This forum is really great. I’m really glad that I found it or else I wouldn’t have half as much information as I have gained since I joined just a couple days ago.</p>

2

<p>Does anyone have anything to say?</p>

3

<p>Question #1) Is it worth it? Who knows? But one concern that I would want to address is continuity. You don't want to be in a position where you've tapped out of the offerings for a particular subject so that you have to wait until college to continue studies in that discipline. It would be a shame to be at BS and have parts of your brain atrophying.</p>

<p>Question #2/3) The prevailing view on this message board is that boarding school -- statistically speaking -- is not the best way to improve your odds of admission to an Ivy. The thinking goes like this: many BS students are legacies and have other hooks that get them on a fast track for the Ivies. So, even though gaudy numbers of BS students matriculate to the Ivies, a goodly number of them do so because of their pre-existing or independently-established hooks. There are spaces for the regular Joes and Janes, to be sure, and there may even be a few more "open" spaces available than there would be at your public high school -- but your competition has probably increased by attending BS at a rate (if one can measure "competition") that grows geometrically compared to the arithmetic growth in Ivy spaces that are available. That's sort of the general overview. Clearly people do get into the Ivies. And there are schools of thought that take exception to the above. But that's one point of view about how this decision could affect your chances of being accepted at Cornell...especially if you're planning to leave a school that's considered to be "a feeder school to Cornell." Now you might have some sort of edge based on ethnicity...but it's not like that changes, for better or worse, based on this decision.</p>

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<p>I disagree somewhat w/ D'yer. I have been astounded by the college acceptances of unhooked prep/day students attending less schools - - suggesting that pvt shc give an applicant a definite boost.</p>

5

<p>In regards to #1, I'm pretty sure that it's impossible for me to go to a school, any school, unless it's absolutely terrible and not have classes to take. Science would be the only subject of any concern in that regard. After this year, I will have completed Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, all Honors. So, as long as there are classes like AP Bio, environmental science, or anatomy and physiology, I'll be good since I'll only have 2 years to take science.</p>

<p>In regards to #2/3, I have relations to Cornell, so that will help no matter where I go. My mom's a professor, and both of my older brothers attend. Basically the reason that my school is considered a "feeder school" to Cornell is that so many people have connections to people there. TONS of people have parents who work there, and TONS have parents who go there (especially the international students). So, I mean, it's mostly just because of all that, not because people here actually deserve to go to Cornell more than other people.</p>

<p>If this makes any difference, I got my progress report today, and here are my grades:</p>

<p>Honors English 11: A
Honors US History: B+
Honors Algebra 2: F
Gym: B-
Theater: Says that effort is good
Physics: C</p>

<p>Now, some comments on that:</p>

<p>My grade in Algebra is really bad because I actually really suck at math, and made the huge mistake of moving up to Honors from Regents after being in Regents in both 9th and 10th grade. I've dropped Honors, and am now in Regents, so by the time my actual report card comes out, my grade should be at least a C+ (factoring in the grade from before, I'll probably get a B or so next quarter).</p>

<p>My grade in Physics...Well, it's really bad! I generally get anyway from a B to an A in science classes, but physics is more of a math based science so, it's a lot harder for me! It also doesn't help that half the time I lack motivation since I didn't even want to be taking physics in the first place. My guidance counselor actually just put me in it, and my mom said that I should take it, so I didn't change it.</p>

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<p>From what you have said, your reason for wanting to go to boarding school is that "I go to a good public school, but I hate it. I've hated the public schools here since 6th grade." Maybe if you could say what you hate about your school and what would be different about and what new opportunities you would have in boarding school, I would change my view, but without that info I think you should stay where you are. Lots of kids are fed up with their high schools by junior year and in 2 years you'll be in college.</p>

<p>You should focus on getting those math and science grades up and doing other things to boost your college and potential med school chances. I can't see repeating a year to leave a well-regarded high school to go to a mid-level boarding school where you would be new and adjusting to bs life as a junior. And while others may disagree, from my kids' experience, I would say that turning 18 in the fall of junior year would definitely make you old, especially for a girl. </p>

<p>If you leave your high school now to go to the sorts of schools you listed (as opposed to say Andover or Choate) you need to have a very good reason. Maybe you could do your "away" time through an international or urban US summer program or maybe even a program for the 2nd half of senior year.</p>

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<p>See, while the academics at my school are good, the school environment and such suck. Half the teachers really don't want to be there, they'll even sometimes say that they want to be there less than we do. We also have a whole bunch of really crappy teachers. In this past year especially, there has been a lot more tension in the school community. I remember that last year, a pregnant girl got kicked in the stomach, and some guys cut down the huge tree that had been growing in the quad for years. Earlier this year, some kid brought a gun to school. Lately, there have been protests regarding racial equality, and then these escalated into just plain old racial problems (it's the blacks vs. the hicks). Last week, there were threats of a school shooting, and just yesterday there was a bomb threat. The situation really is just getting worse year by year...</p>

<p>I would love to go to a school like Choate, but you know, I don't think that there's any way in the world that I would get into a school like that! I mean, my grade are only in the B to A- range, and I don't have tons of EC's either. From what I've posted, do you think that I'd be able to get into a school like that?</p>

<p>In regards to "away time," summer programs are good. Last year, I applied to TASS, but I didn't get accepted. I'll probably apply to TASP this year. My youth groups has 2 trips every summer, and I'll go on those too, unless I try to get a job at the summer camp I go to, then I'll be away all summer. </p>

<p>Programs abroad probably wouldn't happen. I doubt that my parents would let me do one of those, and, they're way too expensive!</p>

<p>I would go somewhere the second half of senior year, but my parents have already clearly stated that I can't go abroad or anything senior year. Otherwise, I totally would because I think that it would be an awesome experience!</p>

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<p>I also agree that you should maybe look at some other options besides a private boarding school -- it may not be "the answer".</p>

<p>Take a look at the United World Colleges (my older son attends the one Wales), Congress Bundestag Exchange, Study Year Abroad and the scholarship programs through YFU and AFS (Awards for Excellence).</p>

<p>All of these programs offer full to near full -financial aid. Several are totally free, regardless of whether you show financial need. All are excellent programs with a history of providing students with a great opportunity.</p>

<p>A year abroad might be just the thing you need.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for the info on those.</p>

<p>Are they all like regular schools?</p>

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<p>No -- they aren't much like regular schools and they are all different.</p>

<p>The United World Colleges are a group of international boarding schools located in various parts of the world (including Wales, New Mexico, Canada, Norway, Swaziland and more). If you are accepted, you attend the school for two years and earn the IB diploma. The schools are excellent with many placements to top US schools. Those kids selected are also awarded full scholarships to cover tuition, room and board. Financial aid is available to cover personal expenses and transportation. For the right kid, this is a wonderful opportunity.</p>

<p>YFU and AFS (and Rotary -- I forgot to mention them) are more traditional student exchange programs. The countries you may visit may be limited by the scholarship program (there are multiple programs). You will live with another family and attend a school in another country. In this type of exchange, the amount you actually "learn" academically is limited (unless you are fluent in the other language, it is hard to get much in class at first). But you learn a great deal about other cultures and the world. Colleges like to see kids who have studied abroad.</p>

<p>Student Year Abroad is a program where you attend school in another country -- living with a host family -- but the classes are in English (except the foreign language courses). The academics are rigorous. The kids generally go to excellent schools. Financial aid is available and is based on need -- they are quite generous.</p>

<p>congress bundestag is an exchange program in germany -- you live with a german host family and attend a german high school. you go to a camp before starting the year where you get a "jump start" on learning german. The program is completely free for those accepted.</p>

<p>There are many options available -- my older son applied to all of these programs, except the rotary one. The application process is similiar to that of boarding schools. Teacher recs, essays (lots of these) test scores (the psat is fine) transcripts, activities, etc.</p>

<p>do a google search on these programs and see what you think, then let me know if you have any specific questions.</p>

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<p>Hmm...UWC sounds interesting.</p>

<p>Since it's the IB program, my parents would be more likely to let me do that next year than letting me go abroad because they're worried about college apps and all that, and an IB program definitely is good for that.</p>

<p>I guess any info you can give me on that is good.</p>

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<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_World_Colleges%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_World_Colleges&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.uwc-usa.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.uwc-usa.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>those are some links to more info about the united world colleges.</p>

<p>one requirement that they have is that you have to be 17 (not 18) on September 1st of next year -- will that work for you? It is fine if you turn 18 after September 1st (my son did)</p>

<p>The links should give you some good information about what it is about -- admission is competitive, 50 kids are chosen each year -- 25 attend school in New Mexico and the other 25 are divided up amoung the other UWC's. The academics are top-notch -- the Ivies (among others) all visit and recruit from the UWC. The application is due the beginning of January -- so you need to work on it now. </p>

<p>take a look at the websites and let me know if you have any questions</p>

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<p>The United World College of the American West admits 50 US students per junior class, and 50 international students per junior class. It is a two year program. All US students receive full tuition, room & board scholarships. The "F" in Algebra is not good, and may significantly reduce your chances for admission. As you are already a junior in high school, even though willing to repeat, I would explore several other options as well. Admit rate for the New Mexico UWC is expected to be about 10% for an extremely accomplished applicant pool. Your chances are much better at a boarding school seeking diversity, as that is one of your "hooks", and UWC is already extremely diverse.</p>

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<p>close -- The US committee selects 50 kids each year to be "Davis Scholars", of which 25 represent the US as students at Armand Hammar school in New Mexico and the other 25 students go to the other UWCs. Armand Hammar had approximately 100 kids in each of the two grades (11th and 12th) -- approximately 25% US kids and 75% international kids.</p>

<p>I agree with icy -- I would be very concerned about he F in algebra II. You lower grades in math may point to a lack of good, basic math foundation. If the F won't show on the report card, that might be better</p>

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<p>The F is only the grade for the first 5 weeks. I moved down to a lower math, one that's a lot easier, so I should be able to get my grade up to at least a C+ by the end of the first quarter, it depends on if my new teacher factors the old grades into my grade for the quarter. If my teacher doesn't factor in my grades from when I was in honors, my grade will probably be about an A.</p>

<p>I am turning 17 next week, so by September 1st next year, I will still be 17.</p>

16

<p>That is good about the math grade -- you might go in and talk with the teacher and see if he/she will give you a fresh start, grade-wise.</p>

<p>Check out the UWC's and talk with your parents about it -- although the US UWC (Armand Hammar) sends approximately the same number of kids to ivies as the top boarding schools, it is much easier to gain admittance. this year, 27 of Princeton's freshman class are UWC grads. Plus, all graduates of a UWC school (both the US one and the ones abroad) are also Davis Scholars when they go to college in the US. The Davis Scholarship provides financial aid to the student that covers their loan, work-study and summer earning requirement -- which means that when you go to college, you graduate with no loans. It is quite a perk! </p>

<p><a href="http://www.davisuwcscholars.org/html/about-story.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.davisuwcscholars.org/html/about-story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

17

<p>I can ask my math teacher about my grade tomorrow. She's pretty nice, so she might just give me the grade that I've earned which thus far should be an A since I've done all my homework and I haven't taken any quizzes or tests yet, so there's not that to bring my grade down.</p>

<p>With the UWCs, considering what you know of my stats, classes taken, and all that, how much of a chance do you think that I would get accepted?</p>

18

<p>I think you would have an excellent chance at admittance to the UWC. As much as I hate to say it, they get very few applications from African-Americans and I also think they get fewer applications from girls.</p>

<p>The application pool is not that large -- they get about 400-500 applications for 50 positions. This is not because the school is bad -- but that it isn't well known and many kids are happy with their high school (with the UWC, you graduate from them).</p>

<p>Your stats and activities look solid -- one big factor in admission is how much your family supports you desire to attend a UWC. </p>

<p>They look for solid grades -- but it doesn't have to be all A's -- and the tests need to be high, but nothing stellar. </p>

<p>Take your time with the essays and I think you have a great chance.</p>

19

<p>Interestng that UWC gets few apps from girls - - the opposite is true for SYA.</p>

<p>So "solid" grades would be in the B range; what are "high, but not stellar" test scores? 1200+SAT (excluding writing)? 180+ PSAT (or 120+ w/o writing)?</p>

20

<p>I don't know for certain, but it seemed like the majority of kids interviewing were boys. </p>

<p>For grade range, I would say B+ average would be acceptable and PSAT of 180+ (just going by kids stats that I know of). </p>

<p>The main use of grades and test scores is to make sure the student can handle the work -- you are earning the IB diploma. </p>

<p>The recommendations, extracurriculars and essays count for alot. I think by they time they make it to the interviews, they have narrowed down the group quite a bit -- they only interview 25% of the applicants.</p>