<p>Well it seems that we have reached a consensus that the main point of boarding school is no longer to feed into ivy institutions but to be institutions of repute all on their own. Some claim prep schools are in decline while others claim prep schools are better than ever. Well my question to you is this: is all of the test prep, the midnights spent studying to notch out that perfect GPA, the hours upon hours spent on application essay, and potentially the thousands of dollars shelled out on this education was it all worth it ? .. and of course once you get in there is the possibility of getting burnt out in HADES' pressure cooker. </p>
<p>Are HADES gates truly worth the struggle ? </p>
<p>Say regardless of what school you went to you would end up at Harvard - would you still go through all the trouble ? Are prep schools worthy educational institutions in of themselves ?</p>
<p>Personally I think that it is worth walking through HADES' hell because I believe that there is light on the other side. So what do you guys think ?</p>
<p>Hehe. I never test prepped, don't study, the app essay didn't take hours upon hours of grueling work, it took a good night of writing, creativity, and fun with my family talking it out. The money I can't speak for, because I am a full FA candidate.
But... I think it's worth it. Personally.
It means a lot to me to get a good education, but the prestige isn't half of it. It's not even a tenth, or a 30th, of it. It's about the programs, the FA, the amazing warmth I felt there... It is worth it. To me.</p>
<p>I agree with Saer, the process isn't that hard and the essays take a good night of writing each. If you have the money for the fees I think its worth it if you want it.</p>
<p>sure, the process is stressful at times and you do need to put a lot of work into it, but if you want it enough, then it's definitely worth it (:</p>
<p>Ya people say their procrastinating, but I don't see why most aren't done. It will be very easy if you've experienced some stuff in life, you'll read the question and be like "O, I can talk about so and so".</p>
<p>I don't live with doubt. I do things, I don't regret opting out, because I don't opt out.
I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I didn't pursue every opportunity. A 3rd grade education is the average in my family before we came to America. I was born in the states and that alone is an amazing opportunity. I speak English. Another amazing advantage that I gained from being born here. Why miss an amazing opportunity I could grasp? I've been told my entire life that I was a failure. I was doubted, and often despised. I grew up very angry and narcissistic. I've been told that I'll be moved down to lower classes if I can't "keep up". I prepared to spend my entire life working a truck in Jersey when I was told I was unintelligent. I accepted their reality as reality. I decided to substitute my own and now I'm happy. I took an IQ test to see if I qualified for a program and I killed it by over 20 points. An IQ score is derived from the tested mental age being divided by the physical age. Then you take that ratio and multiply it by 100. I didn't tell the school. It took me a while to learn to ignore what other people say and figure out things for myself. I got into all honors classes and I take 1 junior and 1 senior class to keep myself busy. I'm taking 3 AP exams as a Sophmore(Three times the number taken by the most advanced sophmore. I'm taking more than most seniors and I got picked over seniors for an advanced mathematics competition that is a real world theory analysis on chaos theory. I got picked over them and that got me respect). Sorry to brag, but I've come a long way from what I expected of myself AND from what I was told I would become.
I know nothing can stop me, because challenges arn't there to stop us. They are there to give us the opportunity to show how much we want something
I live in the moment. The moment that I wanted to go was the moment I knew I would have to do it... Or at least try. </p>
<p>The end. Nothing more. My thoughts, take them for what you will.</p>
<p>I agree italian, not going to go through my whole story but pretty much just different experiences that lead you to believe that no one can stop you from what you want. The belief may be right or wrong, but hey its a belief no one can really change that easily.</p>
<p>lol italianboarder... I don't envy your previous experiences but I do wish I had such experiences to talk about in my essays... I come from a boarding school family of stockbrokers, executives, and teachers, and up until three or four years ago the only reason I worked hard in school was because that was just what was expected... I imagine you can guess that none of what I just said is going into my essays</p>
<p>thank you italianboarder, you jst inspired me and snapped me out of my procrastination and to get a hold of myself and to really work on those essays. thank you.</p>
<p>All my alumni interviewers all tell me how easy they felt college was after the experience of attending such a school.</p>
<p>Before this, you probably had no control over many aspects in your life. This is your chance to make a difference, to choose your own path in life.</p>
<p>"For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today".</p>
<p>Even if you don't get in, the process is worth it. You may be shocked, but as my interviewer said "occasional shocks are actually good".</p>
<p>You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. </p>
<p>Opportunity only knocks once, so think about it.</p>
<p>LOL. honestly, most kids at boarding schools will be there, because they have to. its like their most logical step in life. they've got the money to dish out, their parents probs attended these schools, they have older siblings who went here, everyone from their middle school will be there, etc. Most students there will rarely sit down and ponder deeply upon the dilemma, "is boarding school worth it?" like you guys. i just find it that u guys on CC are somewhat unusual bunch to be found at prep schools. a lot of you guys are unusually smart and very driven. well-informed and alert enough about your life to be visiting online school acceptance forum.... and worrying about getting into boarding schools!</p>
<p>i just wanted to say that not many of my friends at BS worry about this stuff. i have so many friends who are dumb but got in because of their parents jobs and towns they live in. they dont care "IS IT WORTH THE STRUGGLE". they worry more about getting high and winning lax games. so... this is really cool</p>
<p>Hellomacy: I think we are on here because we sought out a community (online) to discuss our doubts, insecurities, joys, and quirks about this entire process. We have kind of a naturally occurring selection process- those who care about their boarding school experience will take the time to be known on this board, and those who don't will just stay off the computer and talk to their parents about their yacht club. (Joking, joking.)
So, yeah, we're unusual, and we don't care about getting high or lacrosse games (unless we're athletes), and we're going to be the next generation of BS students!</p>
<p>Yay Saer! I totally agree (and hope you're right about us being the next generation of boarding school students)!</p>
<p>I do honestly hope, though, that some of the most qualified are here and that they're the ones posting their insane stats because they know they're the smartest, and that these people are the best we'll be in competition with, because if they're not among the smartest and I find out that there were a million true super geniuses that we hadn't heard about that we ended up being in competition with I am gonna be ANGRY!</p>
<p>C'mon, the statistics can't be wrong. The schools have to select SOMEONE, and with the amount of students on this prep board, some of us have a chance! It's all numbers, baby ;)</p>
<p>If you look back to old threads the majority of them got into atleast one that they applied to. And I can only find one person who only got rejected from everywhere and not waitlisted to a few.</p>