<p>okay, so St. Paul’s supposedly has 40% of the student body made up of legacies. These legacies most probably started school there in 9th grade. I’m just guessing that because most 10th grade applicants are generally students who aren’t satisfied with their school in 9th grade. Therefore, does anyone think you have a better chance of getting in for 10th grade if you’re a non-legacy as opposed to being a non-legacy applying for 9th grade?</p>
<p>If anyone has a source of information to back this up it would be appreciated.</p>
<p>There have been a number of debates here on that very point…about all of the boarding schools.</p>
<p>One side will note this: There are many more slots for 9th grade which makes 9th less competitive.</p>
<p>The other side rebuts: The 10th grade slots get filled a year after 9th grade slots have been filled, depleting the talent pool of the applicants.</p>
<p>My thinking is that whatever the case may have been in the past, we’ve seen a couple years in a row with record-setting applications. And the word from the schools is that the additional applications are not just that more people are coming in who are at the bottom tier…but there are more people who are applying who match the profile of their top applicants. So with fewer spots and applications going up and up and up…I don’t think 10th grade admissions will be appreciably easier on anyone.</p>
<p>Let me put it this way…Focus on what changes with you – the variable you can control – instead of fretting over a variable that’s out of your control.</p>
<p>Anyone who’s hoping to squeak in as a 10th grader because they couldn’t get in as a 9th grader ought to think again. Instead of just hoping that the school’s applicant pool will be different, the safer and wiser play is to make yourself different (new and improved) if you want to boost your chances. Seek out challenges, try new things, show you have the mettle to be a valued resident from 7 am to 11 pm, 7 days a week. If you can think of things that might have kept you out as a 9th grader, change that about yourself instead of hoping the school’s applicant pool will change in such a way that it will find the same old you to be a good fit.</p>
<p>“okay, so St. Paul’s supposedly has 40% of the student body made up of legacies”</p>
<p>Where is this “info” coming from anyway? I’ve heard this stat thrown around a few times on this board but what is the validity of it? Can someone reference a source? My guess is if this was true - it was in the past and doesn’t reflect current acceptance numbers.</p>
<p>also the tenth grade applicants have the kids who are going to repeat 10th grade which is common, alot of athletes come in as repeat sophs… so i wouldnt say its easier for a non legacy…</p>
<p>DrNancy is right.
Students from feeder schools who finish in 9th grade apply as tenth graders. JH schools claim there are some advantages to that; leadership roles specially. I would say than over 95% of these kids apply as tenth graders. I can think of Indian Mountain school feeding Hotchkiss/Berkshire/Salisbury or Eaglebrook to Deerfield Academy.</p>
<p>The other variable you can control is the schools you apply to. In addition to having a range of selectivity, you should have some schools that add a decent % of the class for 10th grade. It varies from school to school. Ask them. You can’t just look at the numbers by grade in any given year and subtract because the class size can vary and sometimes a school is changing its overall size or boarding/day mix too.</p>