<p>is it easier to get into top colleges if you’re a student from one of the top 5 prep schools? will the same student attending one of the best prep schools have a better chance than if they went to a good public school?</p>
<p>You are asking about “easy” and the answer is NO. There is nothing easy about the top 5 prepschools. While I do believe that you will be better prepared for college in ways that are not all academic one cannot tell you that choosing a top 5 will definitely get you into a top college. You will compete against your cohort in the admissions process, legacy, development,URM,special talent. Please take into account that admit % to the top 5 preps is highly selective and then the process of selectivity begins anew for college. Does that help you?</p>
<p>There are many sides to the situation, and I warn you I come from a southern California very, very public high school (700 something in my class, incredibly lax standards) so I’m prejudiced. But here’s my take:</p>
<p>Upsides: If you are from one of the top prep schools, you will earn top scores on SATs, APs, and IBs. Adcoms know the curriculum is more rigorous than at a public school, so the occasional B flies a lot better and A’s look more impressive than usual. The school probably has connections, and you probably have friends who’s parents have connections, so your chances are improved.</p>
<p>Downsides: EVERYBODY is applying to the top colleges. There will not be a single person there who doesn’t think of attending Harvard. Harvard, in good conscience, can only accept a certain number of people from your area and background. They want a diverse student body; not the entirety of your prep school’s. So you’re in a very competative group. This, in my opinion, is heavier than the connections, reputation and so forth.</p>
<p>I don’t think attending a prep school, in name, betters your chances of acceptance. The academics will up your chances, but just the fact that you go to a top school does not mean you will get in to a top school. This is America.</p>
<p>People look at how many students get into Ivies from prep schools and they automatically think that if they attend a prep, they are guaranteed something. The competition at a top prep school is a lot more fierce than at many public schools. It may be easy to shine and be the perfect-GPA superstar at your local public school, but it will be a LOT harder to do so at a prep. You’ll get a great education and really good college counseling from prep schools, but it doesn’t make it easier for you to get into competitive colleges.</p>
<p>Just to let you know from the inside tkm256…NOT all students consider/want/do apply to Harvard. The same is true of other IVY also. There is much diversity in the schools that preps apply to. Be careful of assuming that because a school is highly selective, well known, connected etc. that all students have the same goals.</p>
<p>It depends what you mean by top college. At great prep schools, almost everyone goes to a top college, but only 30% go to ivies. At the top ivies it hurts as the competition is STIFF. And even when Harvard takes 10 or 12 from a relatively small class, you know the kids from North Dakota and Arizona would have been vals at the local public and had a better chance.The bottom of our class goes to places like UMich and Smith, argueably top schools.</p>
<p>School sjust below the very top really want kids from top preps in great numbers. It’s just a sure thing anyone who made it through one will be a star student in college, is well rounded and has much to contribute. They were already chosen once by a school with similar admission objectives and admit percentages.</p>
<p>True, hazmat, but all those schools are still competitive to get into (they are all four-year colleges ranked in the top 50 probably)</p>
<p>Here’s the way I see it. Even if you own face, you can only get so far at a public school. It will be hard for you to compete against the prep school elites in terms of accomplishments. Being at a prep school will be tough academically, but if you own, you’ll go even further. Really it’s just a function of how much you can accomplish within your given environment. Prep schools just happen to possess more connections and resources than public schools and this is why so many people are qualified.</p>
<p>There is one easy component to consider when evaluating the prepschool experience. NO driving to activities, sports, lessons,social events. Teachers easily accessible…even in the evening. Open schedule during the day allows for more personal responsibility. Huge curriculum with highly qualified teachers in every subject. Mostly it allows for doing more while using the time more efficiently. To me that was a huge consideration.</p>
<p>Yeah at my public school the teachers were not entirely knowledgable in their subjects at times. What do you mean about driving? Literally? Driving was a huge issue for me as it was just so difficult to get to everything and it was very cost-heavy. My school was cutting a lot of courses constantly.</p>
<p>Well if you’re going to boarding school you don’t have to drive to activities since you kind of LIVE there. It’s like the college dorm life with less freedom.</p>
<p>hazmat, I totally agree with everything you said, except the part about disagreeing with me :)</p>
<p>What I meant is that the idea of Harvard is floating around so much more at good schools like that. As you said, everything you could want to do to bulk up applications is right there, and people are achieving so much. I didn’t mean everyone who goes to prep school wants to become a doctor, or anything like that. But it is called a “preparatory” school–you are preparing for higher education, whereas at a school like mine people are worshipped for making it into UCSD (a perfectly respectable school, but the fact that it is considered an unheard-of achievement is sad).</p>
<p>So, at some point or other, the idea of going to a top university should flit through the students’ minds. Even if it gets squashed after a second or two.</p>
<p>What I mean by driving is that it is a black hole for time. IF the HS student must drive to all activities ie things that don’t take place on the HS campus such as sports, music lessons, job, library, social events…it is a black hole everyday. Most boarding schools have all needed experiences on the campus or within close walking distance so one saves drive time and uses it for an additional club or socializing or another sport…boarding school saves dead time for stuff like that. No domestic chores too much…eat and run those things are all support services in a way…allowing more personal development academically and socially.</p>
<p>Ooh, I hear you on the driving. My flute teacher lives an hour away, my dance classes are half hour drive, I gave up piano because of that…and it doesn’t help my relationship with my mother to be constantly holed up in a car with her (lovely person, but there’s just so much parenting one can take!)</p>
<p>I commuted an hour each way to school everyday…ahh i’m going to be so happy when I can just roll out of bed and walk to class :)</p>
<p>I know, living on campus seems like it grants you soo much more time</p>
<p>Okay tkm256…you said it well. I can see what you meant now. Yes you are right on target…well prepared, lots of resources, great cohort. These things are all true. I would say the additional factor is that many prepschools “eliminate” problems by aggressively persuing problem students…they just go.
Roudiness in classes is not tolerated and such.</p>
<p>The best part of living on a campus is that you are so close to everything you need. Food, sleep, friends,study, library,art,music,entertainment…even food deliveries to your at nite…pizza etc…you never have to make a big time commitment to thrive…it is bliss.</p>
<p>well, i’ve been going to prep school for a year now, and i’ll be a sophomore this fall. i know that about 20% of the seniors this year went to ivies and ivy equivalents (15? to PU), so i was wondering if it was easier.</p>
<p>and yes, hazmat, i do love the campus because there are always friends and fun things to do :)</p>