<p>Can anyone talk about academic transitioning from private/public 8th grade to boarding school 9th grade? It seems that almost everything Ive read indicates it can be an unsettling transition because of the level of academic work and some students are counseled out early.</p>
<p>If the admissions committee has done its job correctly, they have accepted kids who they think can do the work (based on years of experience with building admit classes). Admitting kids who don’t have the academic/organizational chops would be doing their school a disservice, because nobody wants to have to explain attrition rates.</p>
<p>Whether the kid lives up to the promise shown in their application is dependent on any number of factors.</p>
<p>All this said, I think many kids who go from public/private 8th grade ARE surprised by just how hard the more rigorous BS are…and how fast they ramp up. Based on informal conversations with other parents and our my daughter’s own experience, I’d say that many kids experience some grade deflation in the transition. So if they had straight As in 8th grade, perhaps they have some B+s (or lower) in BS.</p>
<p>I think having no parents to nag you to do your homework and hundreds of new friends to make is, for some kids, a potentially bad combination. But obviously, hundreds and thousands of kids make it through 9th grade just fine and go on to graduate from schools.</p>
<p>What your question underscores is something that I have harped on pretty much since I joined the forum: More than “prestige” or some notion of “best”…a student/family should pick prospective schools by “Best Fit” or “Best for student’s needs/interests/temperament”.</p>
<p>Of course it depends how the rigor of your student’s current program compares to the program they are considering. It may not be that different, or it may be a stretch.</p>
<p>For us, I would say that SevenDad’s comment about grade deflation is spot on. When most of the incoming class is formed of high-achieving/all-A students, the all-A student becomes average. Obviously, it’s much tougher to excel in such a pool and will be tough for any student who defines himself too much by grades or wasn’t used to expending much effort for top grades. DS had to get used to the fact that he could not expect to “make up” a grade or do extra credit to ensure an A. He gets one shot at a test/quiz/homework, mostly straight scale, no curve. He’s landed in a good place as most do, but there were bumps, and I’m sure more to come. He’s learning to balance many demands and finding satisfaction in concepts deeply learned and work well done, regardless of the final grade. It was/is unsettling to find out that he’s not the smartest or best at anything, and I’m sure his ego has been bruised, but how else can he know where he really stands and what he can do if he isn’t pushed like this?</p>
<p>I’m unaware of any students being counseled out. I think the counseling efforts are more targeted to helping students learn to thrive in the environment they are in. Sometimes it’s just the the definition of “thrive” that has to be worked out.</p>
<p>My DD has found the homework load in 9th grade at boarding school substantially higher than what she had in 8th grade at her private day school. She’s still trying to figure out how to best manage it since she has all her classes on both Mondays and Tuesdays. She has the weekend to prepare for Monday, but the Tuesday situation is hard because she has no free time during the day on Monday to get a head start on the night’s homework. I’m not concerned about this - she’ll figure it out. The difference in boarding school is that she has to make her own decisions about the use of her time, rather than having us oversee her schedule.</p>
<p>Dealing with the increased homework load and the new challenges of balancing time in 9th grade rather than 10th or 11th grade (when it “matters” more for colleges) is one advantage of starting boarding school in the 9th grade.</p>
<p>For my son it had been an easy transition. He went to a very rigorous primary though. Generally it was thought that 9th grade is made easy in BS, across all the BS, from very academic to less so, specifically in order for the kids to acclimate themselves to the new living arrangements, etc.<br>
I think that this is an excellent question to ask the various schools during re-visits.</p>
<p>Most or at least many schools have enforced study hours particularly for freshmen. No temptations of watching TV or going to the mall or spending hours on the phone. Faculty are more available, usually living on campus. It’s too early to remark on my daughter’s adjustment but reports so far are good and no complaints from her. She was in a mediocre middle school.</p>
<p>If the kid arrives from a private pre-prep, he or she should be prepared for the level and amount of work. If he or she arrives from a public school, it could be a shock, as many public schools these days don’t track in most subjects. </p>
<p>Most schools ease students into the academic load. The work ramps up in Sophomore year, and of course Junior year is the most pressured, and Senior year is frantic. As students get older, they should be becoming leaders in their ECs, which means they have less time to study. </p>
<p>Grades–ECs–sleep–social life, you can’t have all four. Or at least, you need great time management skills to make it work. Unfortunately, many students seem to choose to sleep very little during school, which is not a good long-term solution.</p>
<p>I don’t think schools counsel kids out for academic reasons early. There are usually many resources at hand to support a struggling student. </p>
<p>As a parent, though, my kids are my only source of information. Only close friends may know the reasons for a child leaving–and they may not tell their parents. I think admissions committees admit kids who can do well, but they don’t expect every student to receive straight As. On the other hand, I think many parents expect straight As. If a student is struggling, some parents may choose to bring him home, thinking it’s better to get As at a good public school than Cs at a good boarding school.</p>
<p>I look forwarding to sharing your thoughts on our local private school forum which offered the question I posted (a direct quote). As usual, CC has stepped up to the plate with solid comments to pass on. Thanks.</p>
<p>The adjustment for many new boarding school students is that almost all of their peers received mostly As, had good extra-curriculars, and scored well on the admission test. They are the top students from around the world. </p>
<p>Now, they are compared to each other, and shocking as it is to experience, 50% of the class will be in the lower 50% of the class. This is for kids who have never been a place or two out of the top. There are kids in your classes much better than you in almost everything; faster, smarter, with more math, or a better throw, or more advanced in violin, and many are willing to work 16 hours a day. </p>
<p>The challenge/adjustment is to let that happen, and find out what you ARE really good at. It may not be what you thought, and may take some exploration, and there are many people to help you and suggest possibilities of new things to try. It can be painful at the beginning, but the admission committees do a great job and chances are excellent that you will succeed.</p>
<p>2prepmom is spot on; however, keep in mind that the lower 50 percent are still maintaining B and, at the lowest, C averages. Those that don’t may well be encouraged to leave, but that doesn’t seem to be very many kids at all.</p>
<p>That said, the work load is significantly greater for many kids–but as others have pointed out, everyone is in the same boat. And with time management (which mostly means significant studying on week-end afternoons or mornings and during some free periods in addition to regular study hours for my kid), it is possible–most of the time–to sleep, socialize, get good grades, and participate in e.c.'s. The biggest trade-off, it seems to me, is that the increased amount of studying means choosing e.c.'s more carefully; my student was involved in tons of activities in middle school, but now limits himself to athletics (biggest time commitment) and music (more casual), with occasional jumps into other groups when he has time.</p>
<p>At the elite BS’s, the bottom line is that there is little idle time. Be prepared to work your butt off. DS came from a fairly rigorous private school, but was floored by the huge increase in his workload-- it definelty took some adjusting time.</p>
<p>There are athletic or extracurricular activities every day after class hours, and many schools even have Saturday classes. Even free periods between classes will be used to keep abreast of homework.</p>
<p>There is a saying that a student can have 2 of 3 things:<br>
GRADES, SOCIAL-LIFE or SLEEP</p>