Hi guys, so I come from a newly founded small private school (only one graduating class before 2020), and I was wondering whether our lack of a “history” could affect college decisions. Will private schools look down upon an applicant from my school for coming from a lesser known institution in a very competitive state? How much will this affect chances?
It will be like everyone else - you will need a solid GPA with strong test (SAT or ACT) scores.
Thank for your response, but will a lack of past acceptances from my school affect my chances to T20s?
No.
Colleges won’t hold it against you that your school doesn’t offer this or that class. For T20’s you will need to take the most rigorous classes you can (ask your GC what this means for your particular school and path, if it is not obvious to you), and you will need to do very well in them. After evaluating your transcript in that light, they will move on to test scores, extracurriculars and the rest of the application.
Thanks for the advice, but I am concerned about how a lack history of past acceptances to certain schools will affect chances rather than history classes.
@majesticAffect, that’s the question that was answered. What colleges will look at is your coursework - whether you’ve challenged yourself. The fact that you’ll be a member of the second graduating class is not relevant in the way you’re asking (that is, whether or not students from your school have applied to/been accepted by/been denied by certain schools). It’s relevant insofar as colleges may not yet be familiar with what kinds of challenges your school offers. Your school’s job is to explain itself to colleges via the school profile. (Ask to see a copy if you’re curious.) That document goes to every college a student from your school applies to. If it’s an informative, well written one, then the fact that the school is not well known won’t make a significant difference.
@HarrietMWelsch Ok, understood. It’s just that too many of my classmates have been unsuccessful in the application process for reasonable schools. Do you think this is just a coincidence or could it be a sign of something much bigger, like a document my school is forgetting to submit?
It’s December 9. How many of your classmates already have decisions? And whose definition of “reasonable” schools are you working with?
@HarrietMWelsch
I don’t wish to disclose too many details, but it’s a state school with approximately 50% acceptance rate for in-state applicants. My classmates are well above the average SAT/ACT scores, and on par with the GPA. They were all deferred or rejected.
Is your high school accredited? A no answer would be the only explanation I can think of, other than pure coincidence, as to why that may happen.
I would check out your school profile to see what is on there. It is up to the rejected applicants to have their guidance counselor call the college and find out where those apps fell short. Encourage them to do so, and hope they share the information with you. You should also express your concerns to your GC. S/he can’t tell you what is going on with other students’ applications, but s/he may have some insight of which you are not otherwise aware.
@Groundwork2022 thank you. This was great advice. I will try to do so!
You’re interested in private schools, and you’re troubled by some responses some classmates have received to their state school applications? It doesn’t seem relevant.
The answer to your original question has already been offered and explained, I think.
If OP told us that no one from his/her high school was getting into T20’s, no one here would blink an eye. That’s rather common.
But OP, who wants to try for a T20, is telling us that strong applicants from his/her high school aren’t even sending any students to state schools with 50% acceptance rates. That would be a bit of an oddity. Granted, it’s a new school, but as state schools are more apt to value applicants stats, this is worth investigating a bit, to the extent it can be done without violating anyone’s privacy.
Whether or not it is too late for OP to try and do anything about it (maybe, maybe not) is another question.