<p>Hello!
I am currently a freshman at one of the best private schools in Texas and even the South. It is extremely competitive to say the least. This is my first year and I am not enjoying it at all. I am not sure if it is the people (most of them come from very wealthy families) and that a lot of them have been here their entire lives or that my grades are suffering for the first time in my life.</p>
<p>Before freshman year I had gone to public school my entire life. The district I was in was also one of the best in Texas and super competitive as well. I had never gotten less than an A. Now at my new school, classes are not weighted and sometimes I am satisfied when I pass. </p>
<p>My hardest subject is math because I skipped two grades in math and am currently taking Honors Pre-calculus. It is very difficult for me and my lowest grade is in that class (B- to a B). The rest of my subjects are decent - high Bs and low As and sometimes an A.
My math grade pulls my GPA down by a large amount. Although I am ahead of everyone in my grade by one year, I know many many people who have much higher GPAs than I do.
My dream is a HYP school (my sister went to one) so I do not know if my math grade will hurt my chances. My sister went to a private school as well, but not the one I am currently in. The private school she went to is not as competitive and she was Salutatorian. </p>
<p>If I do switch schools (to the one she went to), will colleges think I am stepping down to something easier? Are my chances of going to an IVY better at this well known school or if I go to a lesser known school with better grades?</p>
<p>Wow. That’s a lot of stress for a 9th grader. I have no helpful advice for you on your questions but maybe it’s time to start thinking about high school for the sake of high school. </p>
<p>This sounds really tough. Honestly, at this point, it sounds like you need to take a good, hard look at yourself. Colleges will look at and compare schools to GPA, or you might already get an added few points. But you also need to be happy at your high school, as well as having a challenge. You want and need to have a social life, experience leadership and extracurriculars, and play sports if you want to get into college, particularly an Ivy. I would honestly say that this is not about your college acceptances but about your happiness for the next three years. If neither of those schools seem to be working, maybe it’s time to try a different approach - homeschool, boarding school, public school in different areas, or even a private school. Good luck!</p>
<p>Are you happy at the current school? That would be the first question I would ask if I were you. </p>
<p>Will you be happy if your grades improve a great deal, including the math? If so, hang in there and do your best to improve.</p>
<p>If there are other things than just grades that make you feel unhappy - such as people, culture, etc - you may be better off with transfer. College issue should wait. </p>
<p>College entrance is a different issue. Nobody at this point can tell you which is a better option for you. There are so many factors to consider. I wish you all the best. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry so much about your ninth grade grades, especially in a difficult math class. There is naturally going to be a period of adjustment when you move to a more rigorous environment, and you appear to be doing well.</p>
<p>HYP is a crapshoot for anyone these days, so if this is all about that, I’d gently suggest that you find some other great colleges to aim for as well–schools that fit YOU and not just because they have Big Names. You may be surprised at how much stress that takes off your shoulders.</p>