I’ve found myself in a bit of a dilemma. I want to go to a Boarding school starting in 11th grade and there is one big question I currently have: Which boarding schools should I apply to, which is a realistic goal?
My HS is a very challenging STEM school in the center of silicon valley. I am currently a Sophomore and am struggling my way through two honors classes and one AP. Here are my current grades:
AP German - A+ - I’m a Native Speaker
Adv. English - B- (she nailed me for “self-plagiarism” when I copied a part of my essay from a character chart which I wrote, hence I got a 0 on the essay"
Wind Ensemble - Lead Trumpet
US History - A+
Honors Alg2/Trig H - A
PE - A
Chemistry Honors - B- - I’m struggling to keep my grade above a C
Jazz Ensemble - Lead Trumpet
I know these grades are not too impressive, especially considering I want to go to a top-25 college. I went to a school in DC the last semester of 9th grade while being an intern, I took the same classes I had at my HS yet received straight-As with no trouble. The DC school is known to be rigorous yet my HS is not as-well known. It’s a weird situation and I’m starting to wonder if it’s just me Btw; I have not taken any PSAT or big-time standardized tests. I am very good with interviews so I hope that won’t be a problem in any admissions process.
As to extracurricular activities:
I have been in numerous all-state ensembles for both Jazz and Trumpet. I am known to consistently be the best in the state while holding 1st chair and Lead positions in numerous local, county, and state-level honor bands.
Furthermore, I’m very intrigued by politics. I run a Youth-Run institute which has over 250 interns focusing on pushing nonpartisanship and civil discourse through numerous initiatives. We have interviewed famous politicians and professors such as Dr. Jorgensen and HR. McMaster. I am also a right-wing libertarian, and I want to go to a school at which I won’t be ridiculed for being one. (Is this a deal-breaker? If so, I can just keep my mouth shut haha)
Final Note:
I am wondering which Boarding school is best, most reasonable, and fitting for me. I have attempted to do research over the past week but tend to not get anywhere. I am fortunate to be in a situation where the money is not a problem, though. My biggest concern right now is my academics and the fact that I am a die-hard musician/libertarian.
PS. Does anyone know my chances of going to Phillips Academy? I have a friend that goes there and he loves it.
Getting into a boarding school for 11th grade is pretty tough. Here are a couple of questions I have for you:
Why do you want to go to boarding school?
How many schools are you going to apply to?
What caused those low grades you have had?
Was it because of something out of your control, or was it because of you as a person (tough teacher does not count as an outside force mostly)? If it was because of an outside source, make sure to explain this in your application. If it was because of you, share how you have learned and grow from your past mistakes.
I’m no expert, but I think your extracurricular profile is good. You introduce your passions, and you clearly demonstrate how you have taken action on those passions. Schools love to see that. As regard to grades, if adcoms (admissions counselors) know about the school you go to and they have had past applicants from your school, they will know how tough the grading can be. Don’t mention the “self-plagiarism” unless you have to, it reflects negative qualities.
I’m going to recommend you visiting boardingschoolreview.com which is a GEM of a website for researching boarding schools. You can sort by criteria you have (I’m a big entrepreneur so I looked a lot for entrepreneurship clubs/programs). Once you identify schools you can compare them, look at their clubs, check their enrollment, read detailed past reviews, and more! Like I said…a gem of a website.
Remember to keep an open mind. Don’t pay attention to just rankings. Don’t discard a school because of one person’s opinion. Good luck with this crazy, wonderful, and stressful application process.
You can check out single gender schools, also. For guys, you may want to learn about Salisbury School, Avon, Trinity Pawling School , and Woodberry Forest (nice golf course) - sure there are more, but those come to mind.
In addition to the resource mentioned above, there is a virtual event planned on Dec 9th by great boarding schools -dot-org. You can learn more about several schools on their website. I believe the virtual event is focused on applications. Bon Chance!
Thank you so much for the extensive and thoughtful reply. I imagine applying in 11th now should be easier as people are likely withdrawing Boarding Schools due to Covid. As to your questions -
Why do you want to go to boarding school?
I want to go to boarding school as my school has announced they will be closed for the whole year of 2021. Furthermore, my Dad and a few of my friends go/went to a prestigious boarding school on the east coast. The way everyone’s described the experience makes me want to go too. Obviously, the individualized help, smaller classes, and academic rigor are all big pluses.
How many schools are you going to apply to?
I‘m not even sure! Likely 4-6?
What caused those low grades you have had?
In English, it was because a teacher marked a 0 on one of my essays due to “self plagiarism”. She said that copying commentary off of a sheet you filled out earlier in the year constitutes plagiarism. Normally you would get suspended for two days at my school for plagiarism but even my counselor said it was very unreasonable of her, hence, I did not receive a suspension.
Chemistry Honors is know to be one of the hardest classes at my school. They actually encourage all of us to take the AP test at the end of honors. Nearly all work we do is AP level course work. I asked my College Counselor about getting a B or C and she said getting a B puts you in the top 10% of Chemistry Honors kids. I’m just worried the schools I’m applying to won’t know that.
Btw; I have not taken any PSAT or big-time standardized tests. I am very good with interviews so I hope that won’t be a problem in any admissions process.