<p>Question about repeating grades (looked for some old threads, but couldn't find one with an article that another poster referenced): I think that repeating is a great idea for some students, no question about it. But, my niece is finishing 8th grade and will be attending boarding school this fall, entering as a first-time 9th grader. I don't worry at all about her maturity level and independence, and we are all very happy and excited, but I am beginning to wonder if she will be at any disadvantage in sports or academics against the second-time 9th graders....Can anyone give some comments for this side of the repeat coin? Thanks.</p>
<p>This thread becomes a discussion about repeating <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/210419-any-questions.html?highlight=new+york+times%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/210419-any-questions.html?highlight=new+york+times</a>. I was new to the concept then. The majority of students do not repeat, so your niece should be fine.</p>
<p>While it is common to repeat a grade, it's certainly not like there are so many repeaters as to put your niece at any sort of disadvantage. Most of these schools have so many divisions of each team, that their is generally room for most who want to play. If she has her heart set on making a varsity team right away....well, that can be difficult for a freshman anyway, but I suppose it could be a disadvantage both size and experience-wise.
There is definitely no stigma attached to repeating, but if your niece is ready to go now, I wouldn't hold her back. My older son says that in retrospect he wishes he'd waited a year, but he has a late birthday (August).
I do see that the poster above me has linked to the thread that has the article in it. Thanks!</p>
<p>Thanks! I didn't find it in my search because I was only searching on titles of threads.</p>
<p>The NY Times article was interesting. I was surprised at how high a number at some schools.</p>
<p>For my niece, we don't have any expectations of varsity teams in 9th grade, so that is not a big deal. For a variety of family reasons, boarding school is the best option for next year. She is on the young side, she will be 14 in September, but I know that she will do well. </p>
<p>I think now that the anxiety of waiting for acceptance letters has passed, I just must need something else to worry about :) That's what we Jewish people do, we worry!</p>
<p>The age range at BS is 13 to 20, so there is certainly quite a range in athletic abilities. I expect it is more apparent at the higher age range though.</p>
<p>In terms of intellectual ability, I would expect a younger female (just 14) to be right up there with the 14 and 15 year old boys and to be right in line with the freshman girls. Girls at this age are 1-3 years ahead of the boys intellectually. The boys' brains don't completely mature until age 23!</p>
<p>(Information I could have used 25 years ago!)</p>
<p>It is much more common for boys to repeat than girls.</p>
<p>That's because of the physical maturity aspect of it. If you look at many bs varsity teams, you'll see that they are quite heavy with PG's (they are not generally listed as such, but you can bet that lots of those with a "senior" graduation year are). Most of the top prep mens basketball teams are PG's, actually.</p>
<p>This is an interesting perspective. My school has a no-cut athletics policy so it is very common for ninth graders to be on the varsity teams. We would never recommend repeating a grade for athletics reasons although I suppose a parent could request it. Most of our students who are asked to repeat do so because they need some remedial help. A student who hadn't been asked to repeat wouldn't be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Is yours a bs? Because it is at the private bs where that is common (maybe it is a New England bs thing). It is a privilege to be able to do so. I know that at my son's school, it is not just done for athletics, but they really feel it is important for students to have the full 4-year experience, so they encourage those who have already done a year of 9th, to repeat 9th. It is in no way remedial. When my son entered he had already had an excellent 9th grade year and was one of the few "freshman" in several of his bs classes.
Even at most public schools, it is rare for a 9th grader to be on varsity. What is the quality of your varsity teams?</p>