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Chances for Choate, Exeter, Andover, Hotchkiss, Emma Willard, Hockaday
hotcocoacharms
0 replies1 threads New Member
-applying for 9th grade, FA
-Demographics: ORM, female, Tri-State Area
-all A's (90+) in school
-Coursework includes Geometry, Advanced English and Spanish
-95% SSAT
Activities:
-Saxophone (Regional band, school Jazz ensemble,school band),
-Girl Scouts (Silver and Bronze Award), Counselor in Training at Girl Scout camp
-4-H Junior Council
-Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club
-Violin (private lessons, Chamber ensemble)
-school Volleyball team
-FIRST Lego League
-Yoga club
14 replies -Demographics: ORM, female, Tri-State Area
-all A's (90+) in school
-Coursework includes Geometry, Advanced English and Spanish
-95% SSAT
Activities:
-Saxophone (Regional band, school Jazz ensemble,school band),
-Girl Scouts (Silver and Bronze Award), Counselor in Training at Girl Scout camp
-4-H Junior Council
-Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club
-Violin (private lessons, Chamber ensemble)
-school Volleyball team
-FIRST Lego League
-Yoga club
Replies to: Chances for Choate, Exeter, Andover, Hotchkiss, Emma Willard, Hockaday
All 9th graders complete the same English course so I am not sure what to say about that. Otherwise our daughters have a similar profile... There are lots of opportunities for music and I know that there is a volleyball team. Who knows what your chances are but nothing ventured, nothing gained...
Just as a heads up, Emma Willard announced to their students last week that they are phasing out AP courses. The class of '23 (current Gr. 9) will be the last class who will be able to take any courses with AP in the title, and they are hard capped at 6 (one in sophomore yr., two in junior yr. and three in senior yr.) I don't see this decision reflected in the material on their website yet. This may or may not be a factor in your decision-making but given your advanced standing in some areas, you may want to bear it in mind.
You need APs or similar if you have a kid who wants to apply somewhere which is not a university/college where the BS/HS regularly sends students and the counselors have relationships with the admissions deans. If your student doesn't have APs or similar that Acceptances List the school produces is likely to be the menu of choices for your kid.
APs or similar are going to be helpful unless you are the biggest donor in the graduating class, in which case getting rid of APs is to your benefit. If two kids want the same university/program and you are heavily relying on College Admissions Counselors to advocate as the gate keeper, why wouldn't they want to keep the biggest donor happy and supporting the school.
The trend in BSs seems to be towards eliminating AP courses in the curriculum. There are still advanced/excellerated/rigous courses, their syllabus is just not limited to AP exam components. Students can still choose to take an AP exam in that area.
Perhaps someone should make a list of schools that ascribe to your theory about the necessity of AP classes in a quality BS/HS curriculum.
Perhaps you would advise @hotcocoacharms to consider a BS with an AP heavy course catalog, like The Stony Brook School. https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/the-stony-brook-school-profile
Bonus: it's right by an LIRR stop.
1/ You need APs to apply to some top schools overseas, I know Oxford and Cambridge for example require them.
2/ While in theory you will not be penalized for not taking APs if your school does not offer them, if there are a lot of kids who still take the AP tests and post 5s on them it is expected you do the same to be competitive. Our boarding school is in this category, no designated AP classes but lots of kids do take the tests, so many they offer AP testing on campus. Of course it means kids have to cram to, in addition to studying for finals, to cover the 20-25% of content that is on the AP but was not covered in class, take practice tests etc. I don't find it that great, but it was the same at my older kid's private that too ditched AP courses years ago.
3/ The AP credits are very nice to have once you get to college, many schools (including T20 ones) do give you college credit and even if not, it will waive you out of the large entry level classes into more interesting one. Especially for classes outside of your major, this is great. We know kids who managed to graduate in 3 years due to all their AP credits.
You don't have to take AP courses in order to take AP exams.
It is much more difficult to take AP exams as a student at a BS without an AP test center simply for logistical reasons. In addition, it is much more work to take APs if you are having to self-study the material that was not covered in the course. It is probably optimistic to think that most students wouldn't be negatively impacted taking AP exams without the preparation that they would have received in the past from the school compared to before.
If APs are an important factor for a student/family for whatever reason, and both 417WHB and I have given you some, then the information that a school has suddenly changed their policy between application and M10 day is not inconsequential. This factor might not be relevant or of interest to you, but no one needs your snark.
Choate doesn't offer AP classes: http://thechoatenews.choate.edu/2019/05/10/let-curriculum-dont-need-ap-classes-2/
Andover doesn't offer AP classes: https://www.businessinsider.com/phillips-academy-andover-doesnt-offer-advanced-placement-2017-11?op=1
Exeter doesn't have AP classes.
That's half the schools OP listed.
I am not questioning the wisdom of applying to those schools.
I would hope that those applying to these schools have done their research before applying, and are at peace with whatever choice they make.
Move on from the AP discussion, please; the OP did not ask. Nor did the OP indicate that s/he will be going to college overseas, so the derail to present facts not in evidence is not needed.