<p>The OP is asking what to do with a 4/6 GPA at Andover, not asking for a comparison between Hotchkiss and Andover. I think you shouldn’t say things like it will be the end of the world to change the OP’s setting. Given the set of schools faced with a 4/6 GPA at Andover, it will be a reasonable solution to move the setting to a public/local school. This happens all the time. BS is not for everyone. If someone in this setting is struggling, you shouldn’t advise them to stay in a bad situation assuring that it will be all fine and dandy in the end. The OP wants to target IVY from a PS/LS, not stay at Andover and be faced with pretty low tier colleges based on the data you provided. Remember after all these kids are at the top of their local schools before they came to Andover. Basically don’t let your enthusiam of Andover take over and prevent you from giving a sound advice. To put it in perspective, 200 kids in Andover, some millions of kids in PS, they are all making good citizens and having productive careers. Don’t make it sound like Andover is the end of the world as we know it. Right now our country is run by someone who didn’t go to Andover and he is doing a fine job, thank you.</p>