<p>Hi, I want to reapply to private schools but my parents and I are stuck between the decision of whether to apply as a repeat freshman or as a sophomore. It sounds like I'd have a better chance to get accepted if I apply as a repeat but does that have any effect when applying to college later on? Does repeating a grade look bad or does it not matter? I really need some help... Thanks</p>
<p>Hey yongatilla,</p>
<p>You heard it first from me: repeating a year will have absolutely no effect on college admissions, or anything else for that matter. None. I didn’t repeat when I entered Andover as an 11th grader, but, to my surprise, about half of my fellow new uppers were repeats. That amounted to about 12 kids. The proportion was definitely lower in other grades, but repeats were common - it was just an accepted fact, and there were no social repercussions or stigmas. Additionally, the repeats got just the same level of college acceptance as their non-repeat peers.</p>
<p>Your only consideration should be cost. If you are accepted as a repeat, that’s another year of private education to pay for. My family and I decided that that was not an option, so I took a chance and applied as a non-repeat. Honestly, I almost wish I had been able to apply to lower year rather than upper year because a) I would have been able to spend an extra year at a school that I ended up absolutely LOVING, and b) upper year was hard! I had to really hit the ground running. This may not be the case for others, but it was for me. It was tough! I probably would have benefited from an extra year of preparation before entering, but everything ended up just fine, I’m going to a great college, and I can safely say I had an amazing high school experience.</p>
<p>Ditto - Tom the Cat!</p>
<p>Good advice. One thing - if you repeat, you don’t really repeat your classes, Boarding schools have enough levels that you are put in whatever classes is next in your sequence. They don’t work like a lot of public schools do (where everyone takes standard classes).</p>
<p>My D entered BS in 10th grade. So did I. But there are fewer slots. So that’s the caveat. But the competition is tough at any level. So you might ask each school what’s the best course of action for your situation. It’s not true that you have to apply as a repeat everywhere. But doing so also doesn’t harm you at college time. Most Adcoms know that “repeating” a grade at a Boarding School is not the same as “repeating” a grade at a public school.</p>
<p>I agree that repeating a grade has no impact on college admissions. </p>
<p>It never occurred to me suggest that to my D when she went as a 10th grader but If I were doing it again, I may have suggested that she apply as a 9th grader as she was young for her 10th grade. </p>
<p>When she was visiting colleges in the spring of her Senior year, I had to sign off on some papers for her to sleep over at some colleges because she was not yet 18.
It worked out fine for her. She just loved Andover.</p>