<p>So i'm currently a freshman at a public highschool right now. However, I was acccepted and am highly considering to transfer to a private high school for next year. Is it true that the ivy league schools and anything in the top 20 prefer private schools to public schools? The public school I am going to right now is not that bad. I think it was ranked #100/300 schools in my state. What I like about my current school is that there is an IB program, I'm president of clubs and the freshman class, and I start in sports. If I move to the private school, I won't know anyone and it will be hard for me to have leadership positions. I also might not start in sports since i'm new, and there is no IB program. But what I can get in return from transferring to the private school are smaller class sizes, better technology use, and possibly a higher chance to get into an ivy/top 20 college. Although the private school isn't exactly "elite", it does send a few kids now and then to schools like cornell,upen, etc. </p>
<p>So do you think it is worth me transferring?</p>
<p>Anyone have any advice?</p>
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<p>I don’t think that’s true - I think colleges are looking for applicants who have made the most of the opportunities available to them, whether that was at a public high school, a private high school, or even if an applicant was homeschooled. Highly selective colleges look for an applicant to demonstrate:<br>
- challenging course work (showing an interest in pushing yourself)
- very good grades (showing you have the discipline to work hard and succeed)
- involvement in sports or activities or clubs that you are passionate about - not just things you’re doing to “check off a box” or “look good on apps” (showing that you can be a part of a team, or demonstrate leadership abilities, or show initiative in pursuing interests that may be “outside the mainstream”)
- test scores in the range for the college you’re applying to (to show you can be academically successful at the college and handle the rigor of their coursework)
- your ability to build successful relationships with adults/teachers/mentors (as evidenced in your letters of recommendations)</p>
<p>It sounds like you have the ability to accomplish most, if not all, of these things at your current school. You say you were accepted at a private school. What made you decide to apply? Can you articulate those reasons, and has anything changed since you applied?</p>
<p>One advantage that private schools often have is good college counselors on staff. (Many public schools have cut these positions as part of the budget crunch.) You can hire professional college counselors to help you in your college search, though, at perhaps a fraction of the cost of tuition at a private high school.</p>
<p>No, if you’re happy and successful where you are, I see no point in transferring. Certainly not just to improve your chances if Ivy admission! In applying to college, you’ll be evaluated on how you best made use of the resources available to you at your school, not how you made best use of the available schools in your community.</p>
<p>It sounds like you attend a strong school - with an IB program as well as a variety of leadership opportunities and sports you excel in. Unless you want to change schools, I see no reason to.</p>
<p>There’s a lot to be said for being a big fish in a small pond. There’s also a lot to be said for enjoying your four years in high school, and not putting yourself in a miserable situation just for the slight chance that it might improve your odds of admission to “College X.”</p>
<p>That having been said, I have no doubt that you would make new friends if you transferred, and would likely eventually attain starting positions in your sports and leadership roles in the clubs that interest you. But if your primary purpose in transferring is to enhance your chances of Ivy admission, then I wouldn’t bother.</p>
<p>By the way, and I’m no expert on college admissions, my understanding is that schools appreciate seeing an applicant from a public school that rarely sends them applicants.</p>
<p>Edited to add:</p>
<p>Okay, what mountainhiker said. (She just types faster. :D)</p>
<p>And ExieMITAlum, who posted below me, is a college interviewer.</p>
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<p>No it’s not true. </p>
<p>You go to private school if it will give you better educational, social, and/or emotional opportunities. You don’t go because you think it will make you more attractive to an IVY. I’ve seen too many “let down” kids who thought that attending a private school was their “ticket” only to be left behind when the admissions decisions are turned in.</p>