Hello,
I am a freshman at a “lower-tier” boarding school. Applying to schools last year, I chose this school because it is closest to home, yet I board. I feel like I want to “expand my horizons,” a little bit because I was restricted to stay closer to home last year. I don’t find that the school I’m at is necessarily the right fit. It has low SSAT scores and I don’t feel like I’m held to my full potential. Most of the kids here have learning disabilities, and sports are not too great. I can’t find any passion here. I would really like to transfer to a more prestigious school as opposed to this one. The teachers are absolutely horrible, and I wish I had not chosen this school in the first place. I am extremely unhappy but REALLY want to be enrolled in a top boarding school. Any advice?
Thanks.
Kids transfer every year for good reasons. More prestige is not one, but more robust offerings in your area of interest, better opportunities in a sport which you may play in college, an IB program if you are contemplating college abroad (i.e., foreign parent) are examples of ones that are.
You will need to show that you can make the most of your current environment even if it’s not the best one. So don’t disparage your current school or its students. Explain what you have learned about yourself and fit.
How can I demonstrate that?
What are the things you cannot do at your current school? Classes you want to take? Activities? These should be things at your new school. If you want more rigor, make sure you are bringing them a transcript with good grades on it.
Schools understand that the fit is sometimes wrong, but they want you to be able to tell them what will be right and that they are not going to be getting dissed a year from now if you go there.