Switching from Public School to Prep School...

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Right now I am a high school freshman (will be a Sophomore this August) and am thinking of applying to a top-notch boarding school. I have great grades (nothing below a 95), challenging courses (heaviest courseload possible), great ECs, etc. It is my dream to attend an ivy league school and my parents and I know that by attending a prep school, I would boost my chances. However, by switching schools, I would be losing all my leadership positions (editor of newspaper, president of Key Club, etc.) and would be starting the new school as a junior. My worry is that by switching schools, I will not show continued interest b/c I'll be put into a whole new school</p>

<p>The bottom line of my question is:
Is it worth it for me to switch schools and enter prep school as a junior? Will colleges understand that I won't be able to hold leadership positions as a junior (very important year!) b/c I switched schools? And, lastly, what happens with class rank and GPA when you switch schools? Do your grades simply transfer?</p>

<p>I appreciate you taking the time to read my long post (sry...) and look forward to your advice.</p>

2

<p>Hey! Well, first of all, your chances of getting into an ivy decrease at prep school. They do not increase because you end up competing against legacies, donors, the rest of the kids at your school, in addition to the rest of the world. You don't just compete against America for a spot, you compete against your classmates, too. I doubt that colleges will care that you don't have any leadership positions because, well, they'll get it- they're not stupid. You're not ranked at good schools, usually. If you were, people would kill themselves. Already, a few kids leave boarding schools every year for suicide attempts- they'd actually succeed if they were ranked. </p>

<p>It is worth it, in my opinion, because you'll learn so much more than you would have at your school now. However, if learning a lot is less of a priority than where you go to college, stay where you are, get really good grades, and you'll have a much better chance at going to an ivy.</p>

<p>edit: oh, and your post actually isn't that long. You should see some of the other ones!</p>

3

<p>First of all, let's dispel this myth that the pipelines still exist from preps to the Ivy League. Yeah, the numbers are great, but there's a lot more beneath the surface. </p>

<p>Don't pick your high school specifically to step into a good college. Do it because you love the schools--maybe they have something that your current school doesn't. And know that prep schools are an end in themselves: if I could attend Andover or Harvard but not both I'd choose Andover in a heartbeat. </p>

<p>Just my two cents. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I agree. If your dream is to go to an Ivy League school, that's great, but it's not a good idea to go to prep school if it is.</p>

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<p>If you want to go to boarding school for the experience: yes.
If you want a guarantee to an Ivy League: no.</p>

<p>P.S. I want to go to Yale too.</p>

<p>But if I don't get into Yale but I still go to boarding school, I'd be happier I went to BS instead.
I'm going to CRH (Choate Rosemary Hall) next year as a freshman, if you have any questions.</p>

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<p>I would have to say that, having a child who has attended a bs and one who has not, there is a better chance of getting into an Ivy from a prep school. I would imagine that it depends on the quality of your public school. We live in a small state and don't have access to "magnet" schools. Our school is considered strong by our state's standards, but from reading, I see that that larger areas have much more choice in public schooling for higher achieving kids. Our local public school has about 1200 students; maybe one or two go to an Ivy each year (some years none). The majority do go on to further their education. Even the "good" students (and I am talking kids with 4.0 averages and honors/AP courses....our school offers 12) do not generally go to elite/Ivy schools. It is not a poor or under-educated area, either. I just think our school profile is not as strong as some of our area (I am in New England) BS.
My son who attended NMH (not even considered a "top tier" by most on this board....although I feel differently) struggled to maintain a B average (after being number one in his class through middle school) and got into several elite colleges. Never would have happened at our public schools. And, of course, many went to Ivies. I understand that, in a private school setting, you are competing against your peers for spots, but I do feel that, depending on the opportunities available at your public school, you could very well have a better chance at an Ivy if you attend a private school. Also, the experience is, well, priceless!</p>

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<p>Well, that's arguable. Firstly, although I love my life, boarding school is NOT for everyone. While the people on here seem to enjoy their experiences very much, don't forget that private schools do disappoint some people. There is a girl who is leaving because she dislikes it here, another who, even though had an A average in middle school, absolutely flopped here. She doesn't show up for the required events, traditions, etc., and though I know there are specific incentives for her lapse in....responsibility, most likely, the administration's probably not going to ask her back. There is also another girl, who came here because of the glowing reviews from her sister, only to find she absolutely despised it here. </p>

<p>And really, I think that this school has nourished me in a much healthier, thoughtful environment than my old cutthroat public school, but the ivy admit rate is about the same. And these girls at my school are amazing, wonderful girls, remarkable on both paper and personality, but they are definitely not going to yale or harvard. There is a girl whose uncle is Howard Dean, was head of various clubs before she became Head of School, etc., and got rejected from Brown. </p>

<p>My personal opinion (and obviously, anyone is free to express their rebuttal) is that now, in our college-crazed nation, the competition is so intense that the colleges simply can't worry about maintaining the status quo with their prep school ex-darlings. There are A-students even at infamously hard schools, and colleges can no longer afford to just look at your schools. They consider your personal essays, recs, etc., much more significant attributes. </p>

<p>Possibly I'm wrong, but I don't think going to a prep school raises your college chances in any particularly significant way. Go for the experience. Most people don't regret it and have the time of their lives.</p>

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<p>Dearest Yale,</p>

<p>Attending a prestigious boarding school LOWERS your chances of getting into the Ivy League. Stay at your public school if that's what you're aiming for. If you are a workaholic looking for a place to work all day and all night with other kids who love to work work work as much as you do... then go to a top 5 BS. But otherwise, stay home. You'll have more fun and a better chance at college.</p>

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<p>only rich people go to prep schools. if u not rich, dont go becuz theres probably spoiled kids there. be with normal people, like in public school. a lot of people in my school (more than 10 maybe?) went to uc berkeley, ucla, 1 guy dartmouth, kenyon college (i have no idea where this is), Reed (i have no idea either), 2 went to Stanford. i have a friend next year who will probably accepted anywhere</p>

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<p>"if u not rich, dont go becuz theres probably spoiled kids there." </p>

<p>Ummm...is that a joke? 40% financial aid buddy.</p>

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<p>Iildimsum7, are you serious?</p>

<p>Many prep schools are needblind. Fear of the rich is hardly a reason not to attend a better school.</p>

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<p>It looks like Yale never answered his post, I wonder if he has seen all the answers. I agree with the others that prep school won't make it easier to get into an Ivy. The other thing is that you are taking a risk that your grades might suffer. Junior year is an important year, and you are going to a new environment, away from home, teachers you dont' know, a much more intense and sophisticated work load. If you are able to maintain A's and B's, it will be impressive, but much easier to maintain your grades and activities at home. </p>

<p>I don't know what the answer is for you...maybe you will do really well at boarding school, but that is a risk all new juniors take,</p>

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<p>mm i don't think he was referring to his financial state...</p>

<p>but new juniors are envied, because they skip many of the hardships younger students face, and are quickly accepted by the community. also, leadership positions will equally be open to everybody, and even more so if you had a similar position in the past.</p>

<p>i'm pretty sure your past grades are sent along with the grades of your prep school.
for exeter, class rank [as in cum laude] are based on the grades you receive from the start of exeter (another aspect that makes being a new 11th grader a great thing)</p>

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<p>I think that you should stay at your current school, honestly. You sound like a great student, and you seem to really be thriving there. If you don't feel academically challenged, that's one thing, but I say: why rock the boat? At a prep school -- especially entering into the 11th grade, a prospect which I shudder at -- the competition will be much steeper, you will most likely no longer be at the top of your class, and you may lose those distinguishing characteristics which colleges are really looking for. </p>

<p>Also, sorry to contradict Blee0507, New Juniors / Uppers are not envied in the least. You're not skipping any hardships whatsoever--you're plunging into them head on. Freshman year at a Prep school gives you time to become accustomed to the way a school works. My house counselor told me in an advising session: "Oh, Freshman Fall doesn't matter." That second-chance attitude will not be given for Junior fall. You're going to have to start looking at colleges that year, your courseload will be the hardest it ever is at prep school, and then there's the project of assimilating into a new atmosphere. New Lowers are envied for skipping straight to high school's party year; New Uppers are generally pitied.</p>

<p>I think you could get into the college of your choice from the position you're in now. I sometimes think about how my college chances, etc. would be different if I'd stayed at my old school, where I was consistently at the top of my class. I don't regret my decision to switch schools because I picked an easy time to switch: freshman year. I have two years to mess up and figure things out before things really start to matter, and at this point I know my school well enough to get my act together. You won't have that advantage. My verdict: stay put. You'll end up at Yale anyway.</p>

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<p>40% financial aid still makes prep school like $30,000 per year. i'd say thats a lot</p>

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<p>hmm sspixie most of that is true
new 11th graders say that the college application process gets a bit more complicated...</p>

<p>but in the case of the ones i know, they did not have to face 90% of the hardships new 9th graders had to</p>

<p>which range from living away from home to adjusting to high school in general, respect issues from upperclassmen/teachers to insanely cramped schedules</p>

<p>in the case of exeter, while the workload increases with age, so does the time available to do it in
a new upper in my dorm had a solid 6 more hours a day to do his work, because the credit requirements are much looser for the older of new students, as well as restrictions</p>

<p>lol yeah, probably a big reason they're envied is because they dont have to check-in until 10, even as new students</p>

<p>but... yeah, new uppers say things were great</p>

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<p>"I know that by attending a prep school, I would boost my chances."</p>

<p>As others have said, this is not necessarily true. </p>

<p>"You don't get into Harvard (from Andover) unless you're A. rich B. a genius or C. black" -- I read this un-PC remark somewhere on CC -- not sure about the accuracy.</p>

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<p>woohoooo</p>

<p>yeah, i don't have to take US Hist cuz i did it here.
i'm takin' ceramics, west african drumming, and why are poor nations poor instead! hahahha!</p>

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<p>"You don't get into Harvard (from Andover) unless you're A. rich B. a genius or C. black" -- I read this un-PC remark somewhere on CC -- not sure about the accuracy." </p>

<p>I would add - D. hockey and crew stars. Otherwise, the statement is (sadly) not too far off from the truth.</p>

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<p>it's pretty darn meritocratic for admissions to accept a genius from a good school</p>