<p>My son is in 8th grade and will be applying to schools this fall. He has always gotten As and A+s in all of his academic subjects. He gets Bs and B+s, though, in classes like art, drama, and music, mostly because he's not very interested in those classes and so has a tendency to goof around. For a kid who isn't into the arts anyway, will it matter to schools that he gets lower grades in those classes, or do they really only care about science, math, history, etc?</p>
<p>Welcome to CC! Bottom line is all grades count. These schools spend millions of dollars in building their Arts & Music facilities followed up with hundreds of thousands in maintaining the buildings and acquiring boasting rights. They’re proud of their Arts & Music accomplishments and rightfully so. I can guarantee that those departments will play a big part in all the tours, or should. Many students get involved in lighting or stage building. My oldest guy ended up playing the trombone, handbells and theater all bought on by the influential teachers that you’ll find at these boarding schools. The Arts & Academics go hand in hand at most Boarding Schools and your guy just needs the particular teacher to stir his interest.</p>
<p>Sorry, I realize now I wasn’t entirely clear in my initial message. I know how much emphasis these schools put on their arts and music programs. I just meant in looking at how academically strong an applicant is, are they going to be put off by some Bs when all of those came in non-academic subjects or will that not be of concern?</p>
<p>Don’t be sorry, I went on a little tirade about The Arts. B’s are good and the schools won’t be put off by the grade. Besides, that is just a slice of the pie that makes the whole applicant.</p>
<p>Quibono, you wrote: “He’s not very interested in those classes and so has a tendency to goof around.”</p>
<p>In my best impersonation of Tim Gunn, I feel like saying “I’m concerned.”</p>
<p>What makes you think there won’t be required art, drama, and music classes (and which will impact his GPA) at BS?</p>
<p>While of course BSs want “smart” kids, I think many place a premium on the “double/triple threat” student. The kid with solid grades who will play an instrument in the orchestra and then be part of a sports team. </p>
<h2>I’m sure some schools are more into recruiting specialists, but I think the niches they are looking for ARE more arts/sports related.</h2>
<p>Note, despite the above, I think you CAN get into a selective BS with lower grades in non-academic classes.</p>
<p>Well, surely it can’t be the case that you have to play an instrument to get into a good boarding school. Or if it is, then it’s changed a heck of a lot since I was there, and my husband too, as neither one of us play an instrument or can draw even a stick figure. </p>
<p>As for it affecting his GPA, that will be true no matter where he goes, BS or not. I’m not condoning that he’s goofed around in those classes and gotten less than stellar grades, though I have kind of a hard time getting worked up about him getting a B+ in art. But he understands that he needs to try his best even if he has a class he doesn’t love or isn’t talented at. He’s a good athlete (though not likely to ever be the star of the team) and will play at least two team sports competitively in high school, so it’s not like he’s focused only on academics.</p>
<p>You don’t have to play an instrument or paint a Mona Lisa to get accepted but they may ask him to try something once he’s there. I think I just barely got a C- in Art with just absolutely no interest but thrived in theater and athletics.</p>
<p>Did I say one HAD to play an instrument to get in?</p>
<p>I think I’m sensitive to your question because of the recent thread in the Parents subsection about “Working up to potential”:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1388997-working-potential-not.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1388997-working-potential-not.html</a></p>
<p>All I’m trying to say is that there will be kids in the applicant pool with your son’s academic stats and sporting inclinations who didn’t goof around in art classes.</p>
<p>Quibono,</p>
<p>Prep schools like kids who demonstrate passion. </p>
<p>A B+ in art by a kid who says he is passionate about art might raise a red flag. </p>
<p>A B+ in art from a child whose passion lies elsewhere should not be a deal breaker if that child is otherwise an exemplary candidate. </p>
<p>Don’t sweat the B+. If your son’s SSATs, recommendations, essays, and interview match his excellent academic grades, he’ll do just fine. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Oh common,^^
No prep schools dont focus on kids who demonstrate passion. Wait till college admissions for that.
Prep schools like kids who are nice, bright, articulate, understand the ethics of working, get along well with the rest of the community and will accept kids with, gasp, even Bs in academic subjects.
If a kid needs heavy duty fin aid, then the competition heats up more and prep schools will want better grades/scores/some sort of talent. Btw, its not only because they expect kids whom they support financially to be “smarter”, its also because generally kids whose parents traditionally pay for BS go to the type of primary schools where its more difficult to get an A.</p>
<p>At first I thought of this as a trick question–of course the answer is “all.”</p>
<p>That being said, not sure whether BSs want kids pursuing a passion, but it is clear they don’t want well-rounded students, as much as well-rounded classes, meaning they want lots of kids who excel in one thing. If your DC excels in Math, say, I can see a school who would be more forgiving with a B in music.</p>
<p>However, when it comes down to 2 kids who have the same super strengths, the grades in “minor” subjects do matter. Not to mention if they do poorly in something they assert they have a passion for. One thing that hurt my oldest was a passion in one of the Arts, then he got a B because he didn’t like the teacher and copped an attitude, that came out under comments on the report card, such as “not best effort.” Those kinds of remarks are of course the heralders of dooms day.</p>