@YoungThriver yeah i’m in public school and i’m on spring break now. rn i’m vacationing in florida but still mostly doing homework and studying for tests the day i get back
@YoungThriver Do you need a high school diploma to apply to college? I am only questioning this because I have just recently read “Educated” by Tara Westover (great book by the way) and she went to college without even going to school prior to applying…
@ImWaisian To my knowledge, most colleges do require a high school diploma (or something equivalent) in order to enroll into a 4-year bachelor’s degree program.
Tara Westover passed the ACT exam which may be the reason why she was accepted into college despite her lack of a high school diploma. Of course, I’m just speculating here.
@YoungThriver I think we’re both speculating here :lol:
Tara Westover applied as a homeschooled applicant, which is not uncommon for BYU. Whether her homeschooled credentials were up to muster is a matter of speculation.
But yes, there are colleges that accept students without a HS diploma or equivalent. Whether that is an appropriate route for any student on this subforum is a different question, but I’d posit that it is not appropriate for 99.9999…%.
The class of 2020 came in during an election year and are leaving during the upcoming one.
That’s just one of my 2 AM thoughts.
I wished I took US History this year since I could have been eligible for the presidential election class next year. Guess that’s probably happening in college.
@sparkatzz I know I took US history this year and literally one of the reasons I chose loomis was because of that class I’m a HUGE history and politics buff so I AM LITERALLY FREAKING OUT ABOUT THAT CLASS. I’m actually kind of scared I might not get it because I assume it is a popular class and I’m coming in as a repeat sophomore and the class is for juniors and seniors…admissions said I would be able to take it since I have met the prerequisites but we will see if the academic department agrees.
Just a passing question: how are international students defined? I know that if you’re living outside the States without American citizenship you’re considered an int. applicant, but what if you’re living in the US with a permanent residency or something? Would you be considered a domestic application then?
@CC4life I’m so jealous! Good luck on getting in that class though, it’s probably super popular.
Each school is free to define. For admissions purposes, in general, applicants who are green card holders are not considered international. US citizens (and/or dual nationals) living abroad are considered domestic for admissions, but may be classified as international for other purposes
Just as a general comment. At almost all schools, for course selection, seniority trumps everything. Obviously if there is space in the class, it does not matter. But when a class is full, and it is not a graduation requirement, there should be no expectation that additional sections will be rolled out; the administrator in charge of course schedules correctly prioritizes requirements over electives. And a sophomore who meets the prereeqs will never bump a senior who has also met the prereqs.
That said, many schools (and this will be true in college as well) offer courses (particularly in English and social sciences) that will never see the light of day after the first offering. So if you find a class that you’re dying to take that you’re qualified for from a course prereq but not from a class standing perspective, go ahead and ask. The worst is that they say no.
@skieurope That’s interesting!
@YoungThriver because i got rejected this year, i’m thinking of reapplying next year as a repeat ninth grader, and that means class of 24, which would also have an election in the first year at the school and in the last year at the school. and @CC4life, i’m also a huge politics buff too so hahah
@muchanxieotea Why repeat a year? And, at which schools would you be willing to repeat a year?
@YoungThriver @muchanxieotea I’m currently going into BS as a repeat sophomore and I too was very hesitant about it. My original thought was that you are, in essence, “losing a year” of your life. However, after I spoke with AOs and students at several different schools, I found that it was much different than losing a year of high school. Overall I learned the following things:
-One of the most common regrets that alumni have from boarding school is that they wish they could have spent more time there. students at boarding schools, particularly large, well-funded schools such as PEA, PA, SPS, DA, etc. have literally endless opportunities to take a variety of courses and join countless clubs, therefore when you repeat a year, you really won’t be stuck doing the same thing you did the year before outside of BS. I ultimately compare repeating a year to being in the next grade, but just tacking a year on to your high school experience.
-You will NOT be taking the same classes that other 9th graders will take, and in fact, assuming you are academically capable, most of your classes will be with people one or two grades above you, particularly when it comes to math, language, science, and history. Thus, you will actually be one of the more advanced students in your grade.
-I also want to dispel the myth that repeaters don’t fit into their grade. You will find, at almost all BS that repeating has become incredibly common. While the exact percentage varies from school to school, you will not, in any case be within a small handful of repeaters. The AO at taft told me that by graduation, 50% of the grade will be repeaters (keep in mind that almost all 1 year seniors and juniors come in as repeaters). The lowest percentage I’ve been told was by the Exeter Dir. of Admissions and he said that around 10% of the grade was repeating. Therefore, no matter where you go there will always be a large number of repeaters and, to my knowledge, they have no trouble fitting into the school atmosphere.
-Another notable reason that people repeat is due to the hope of growing athletically. Many students want to get recruited to college sports and want to take an extra year to become stronger in their sport, thus making them more competitive recruits come college time.
-Repeating, particularly as a repeat 9th grader insures that you haven’t “missed” anything. All the students in your grade are new and essentially everyone is starting out together, thus ensuring you get the full boarding school experience, all the way from 9th grade orientation to graduation. Now, this might not be huge reason for some people, but being there from the beginning to the end, rather than jumping in in the middle makes a difference to some families. Keep in mind that boarding schools alums tend to be a lot closer with each other than regular public or private high school alums. BS continuously push for alum involvement and having had a better grasp of the school you went to not only gives you a stronger tie to the school, but it also makes the school feel like a larger part of your life.
-Another benefit of applying as a repeat 9th is you end up bypassing the huge Junior boarding school pool that floods into the app process come 10th grade. Therefore, while AOs say that admissions chances for 9th and 10th grade is relatively the same because they end up with the same acceptance rate, a huge portion of the accepted 20th graders are Junior Boarding school kids who often have much stronger boarding school counseling, admissions help, etc. than the regular student coming from public or private high school.
While I understand the uneasiness when it comes to repeating or feeling like one lost a year, there are numerous benefits to repeating that I think may ease many families fears.
@CC4life Honestly yes. I’m repeating a year but I still feel like there’s not enough time for me to take all the classes and resources I can at the school. Plus, you get to go to all these abroad and domestic programs like SYA, CITYterm, The Mountain School, etc. Loomis is also expanding its CS program next year, so I can only take those classes in junior year.
though i’m obv. not applying again next year (da 22!), i think that something to consider when applying to (possibly) repeat a year would have to be paying for another year of tuition. if it applies to you, the financial aspect is probably something important to consider as well.
That’s a huge consideration for some families. Had I not been accepted for 9th grade, applying as a repeat 9th grader was not an option
Bottom line - there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer
Aye, new 10th-grader!! Congratulations on Deerfield!