<p>Okay. So I used to go to boarding school. One of the PHILLIPS.
I didn't do very well and I was absolutely miserable. My gpa probably translates into a low B. After sophmore year I transferred to a competative private school in my hometown. I absolutely love it and do very well-probably Valedictorian of my class. </p>
<p>Should I worried about applying to schools like Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Brown?</p>
<p>Will I be an automatic reject???</p>
<p>Well, the schools you chose are reaches for just about everyone. That being said, you have an okay shot at Penn and Brown--by virtue of higher acceptance rates.</p>
<p>You might want to look at Dartmouth, UChicago, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Wesleyan, Carleton, Davidson, Grinnell, etc...just to be safe.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, of course I have safety schools. I am just wondering if Andover/Exeter feeders will discriminate against me for leaving and poor grades.</p>
<p>anyone else?????</p>
<p>B- isn't like super poor. Seriously.</p>
<p>I think you still have a good chance at the listed schools.</p>
<p>Make sure you spell-check your admissions essays.</p>
<p>There's no such thing as an automatic reject.</p>
<p>No real reason why any school should downgrade you only because you had difficulties at the Phillips. However, if you look elsewhere on these boards you will see that the Ivies reject a LOT of valedictorians. So you'll need to have excellent credentials aside from that to be given serious consideration at any of them. Be sure to not put a lot of your eggs in the Ivy basket.</p>
<p>I went to Andover from a nationally ranked public school and BOMBED my lower year. Literally, I think 3 out of my 5 classes were the equivalent of C+'s.</p>
<p>I have had many friends struggle with the adjustments their first year at boarding school- in fact, three of my closest friends did poorly. I am currently at Dartmouth; another friend is at Princeton, the third at McGill, and fourth at Wharton. Honestly, I think they understand that these schools are tough and a blow to the ego. To be honest though, I think they will question your perseverance and why you didn't "tough out" the schools. I don't think your grades will hurt you but you should expect questions and know how to explain why Phillips _____ wasn't right for you.</p>
<p>I doubt it. As futurenyustudent said, there's hardly ever a such thing as an automatic reject. When they look at your "stuff" they basically see a personal history, that's the whole point of the AdComs. So, they basically take all your stats, and data, and try to translate it into a picture of you, and your life story, and if you have what they are looking for, then you're in.</p>
<p>Now, specifically to your case, I wouldn't say you're completely screwed, because your story seems to be like one of perseverance and "turning your life around". You were sucking in the beginning, so you fought back, and behold, valedictorian (or high class rank or w/e). The point is, you're better off than someone who was the opposite. Had crazy grades, and then in the very last 2 semesters completely screwed up. Then again, you're not as well off as someone who never even screwed up at all. But all these things depend on stuff like your essays.</p>
<p>Your essays are a great chance to explain something like what happened at Phillips. Especially when they ask stuff like "is there anything else we should know" or whatever. If you can somehow turn that into a really cool essay that explains your trouble earlier...I'd say you have just as good a shot as the next person (which might not be really great, but nobody's chances at Ivies are super...unless you have legacies or donated a 5 million dollar library)</p>
<p>The moral : TRY TO TURN YOUR NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES!!!</p>
<p>yeah there is no such thing as an automatic reject, just make sure your essay is good , it can mean a lot</p>
<p>No you will not be an automatic reject</p>
<p>I just want to say that those alternatie schools aren't safeties for anyone. Chicago? JHU? Get real. They are hard schools for anyone to get into, even 2400 valedictorians.</p>
<p>I think he WILL be an automatic reject.</p>
<p>Test scores and some activities would be helpful in evaluating as well.</p>