<p>Is it ok to say that you, as a parent, don't feel that your DS's current grades reflect their ability? Is there a way to get this across without soundingnlike you are trying to come up with excuses??</p>
<p>DS gets mainly A's and B's with a few Honors classes thrown in here and there but would certainly not be considered a "straight A student.". We just got SSAT scores and he did very well (95% overall- ranging from 89-94%).</p>
<p>Or is this something we might discuss more thoroughly in our Parent Statement as to why we are seeking a BS experience for our DC?</p>
<p>Newbie: I’m unclear why you think your son’s excellent record needs any justification. I think trying to explain why you think your child can do better than excellent will only make you seem anxious and overbearing. Being a “straight A student” is not a requirement. Your child’s grades and SSAT indicate that he is academically admissible to even the top schools. Relax, and move on to other parts of the application.</p>
<p>While poor grades will always be a red flag (as in Cs), as long as there are more As than Bs I think you are fine. </p>
<p>In particular, if you can point out that the Bs were in classes of unusual rigor for an 8th grader (geometry, for example, or a second year foreign language) the school will be impressed that your student is willing to take on academic challenges. So focus on the rigor of the classes, which should be reflected in the teacher’s recs too. </p>
<p>Straight As in basic level classes (when more challenging levels are available but not taken) just for the sake of an A - is not wise.</p>
<p>Suggest not being critical of current school in any way, be appreciative of current school. It got your student this far.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for responding to my post. I know in one AO interview, I had a hard time trying not to talk about my frustrations with the LPS-hope it didn’t ruin DS’s chances.</p>
<p>We are new to this process, so seeing what the BS has to offer and comparing it to the LPS…all I can say is wow!</p>
<p>I would advise NOT talking about either grades or your local public schools. The AOs are pros at deciphering transcripts and will not need you to point out the rigor of, say, an eighth-grader taking geometry. Also, your child’s teacher recommendations will fill in the rest of the academic picture. Unless you are homeschooling, the perspective you bring is parent, not teacher. You are the one who can describe what kind of person your child is, what drives him, what lights him up, what he needs, what about him drives you crazy, why you think school X will bring out the best in him, and why he is uniquely able to contribute to the X community. The state of your public schools has no part in that discussion; at best its uninteresting, at worst AOs have heard that song so many times it rakes on the ear. If you are looking at boarding schools, obviously you are looking for something better than what you have in your own back yard.</p>
<p>Dont waste the parent statement discussing these topics either. Instead, use it to breathe life into the two-dimensional kid the rest of the application presents.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t dis the LPS in an interview or parent essay, but I can imagine scenarios in which you could discuss the mix of your child’s grades in a positive way. If he got the lower grades in advanced courses, you could reasonably comment that you were proud of him for being willing to step out of his comfort zone and try something he knew was going to be hard. Or if (like my son) yours did better in his more challenging classes and got lower grades in the easier classes, you could talk about wanting him to go to a school that will challenge him across the board, because he thrives on the challenge.</p>
<p>So far not one AO has shown any interest in grades or current school (although they may have asked the kids about their school). Each interview has been a little bit different. I would just go in whatever direction they take the conversation and not have any particular agenda. You can always put something in the parent statement if you feel it’s important. Honestly, I doubt a couple of Bs make that big a difference to them.</p>