<p>I was wondering, how much does going to a prestigious school like Philips Exeter help with college admission?</p>
<p>Will it help you to get into college? Definitely. </p>
<p>Will it help you get into HYPS? No</p>
<p>Unless you graduate at the TOP of you class at a prestigious prep school, it could HURT your chances of getting into HYPS.</p>
<p>While I agree with GMT, I always feel like we that last point bears more weight than we sometimes acknowledge. As the valedictorian of his public school back home with multiple EC’s, my kid would have had a far worse chance of getting into HYP as he does being in the top 20 percent (possibly higher, but they don’t tell us) of his class at Exeter–because of the academic rigor and EC’s possible at Exeter and not at the original school. So, as always, it depends…</p>
<p>Exeter has a fair number of kids matriculating at top colleges. But, the entire class is hand picked and excelled before they got there. </p>
<p>A parallel school, Phillips Andover, has a survey each June, “State of the Academy” and in recent years more students think Andover hurts their chances for a top college more than it helps.</p>
<p>So the answer to the question can be seen from many different angles. If getting in to an Ivy is your goal, you may be better off at home as your class valedictorian. If getting a great education is the goal, you will likely be very satisfied. </p>
<p>Lastly, students increasingly are turning down Ivies if substantial merit aid comes from another top school (Ivies do not offer merit aid, just need-based aid). And Ivies may not provide the best fit for particular students, so matriculation data do not mirror acceptances.</p>
<p>2013 matriculations self-reported in Exonian graduation issue (by no means final or official), class size 311</p>
<p>Harvard 13
Yale 11
Princeton 7
MIT 5
Stanford 6
Cornell 7
Dartmouth 2
Columbia 12
Brown 7
U Penn 9
U Chicago 7
UC Berkeley 5
U Michigan 7
Duke, NYU, Tufts, Wash U, and USC and other top schools are well represented.</p>
<p>I definitely agree with 2prepMom here. If trying to get into an Ivy, is your goal. I really wouldn’t go to a school like PEA, or PA. Going to a prestigious high school, usually tend to benefit students more in the long run, better preparing them for the rigorous academic environment and give them better connections in the world after graduation.</p>
<p>There are many public schools like TJ which have self selected pool of kids. Some of those kids take more than 10 APs with straight 5s. How would Exeter be more rigorous than this?</p>
<p>At Exeter, every student is taking at least three classes at the college level by the time they are in 11th grade. AP’s are optional and the teachers certainly don’t teach to them. The reasoning is that most of the schools the students matriculate at don’t take AP credit anyway, so that that testing might represent time better spent on another activity. </p>
<p>That said…many kids do take AP’s. My kid took one after taking sophomore level (not considered college level) history and got a 5 without much studying–and with A-'s for final grades some terms. That’s an (admittedly anecdotal) testament to Exeter’s rigor. If you scroll down in this document, you’ll see better statistics–again, keep in mind that there’s not much emphasis on taking AP’s so the overall numbers are probably not what you’d see at TJ. <a href=“https://www.exeter.edu/documents/2013_Profile_for_Colleges(1).pdf[/url]”>https://www.exeter.edu/documents/2013_Profile_for_Colleges(1).pdf</a></p>
<p>As far as HYP acceptance goes, most of the time, people who argue that there’s no edge to attending a top BS have excellent public schools as alternatives. For those of us who don’t, there’s obviously an edge. That said, I agree that the student who goes to boarding school solely as a bridge to the Ivies is setting him or herself up for disappointment. Sure, your chances might be better, but they’re still not great. The stats posted above might look promising, but take out the hooked students, and you may be back to where you were at even a less than stellar public school.</p>
<p>TJ (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology) is an amazing test entry public school, and gives Exeter students stiff competition in math and science. Problem is, you have to live in that school district to attend, and moving to Virginia was not an option for our family. </p>
<p>However, taking the most advanced coursework available in your local public and supplementing with college/online work is a very reasonable alternative to a boarding school education. It really depends on what works for each individual and each family.</p>
<p>Regarding AP at Exeter, my D has already or is now completed most math and science APs, and the reason she chose Exeter was because 2-3 years of post-AP level curriculum in most subjects is not only available, but filled with students. Not all students take that track, but it is an opportunity for those interested. ClassicalMama is not exaggerating, by 11th grade taking multiple college level classes each term is common.</p>
<p>AP tests are taken by many Exeter students interested in demonstrating their level of proficiency to colleges who may not be familiar with specific Exeter courses, and the score distributions are on the link posted above. The large majority of scores are 5s. But the courses go well beyond the AP curriculum.</p>