<p>I am currently in 7th grade going to a school called BASIS Tucson, a charter school with a very high curriculum. My parents would like for me to go into a boarding school, Philips Exeter Academy or Andover, Etc. I have not yet taken the SSAT nor have i started preparing yet. I understand that the chances of getting into top boarding schools are incredibly hard. I was wondering if i could get tips, advice, etc to get into a good boarding school. One of the main questions i had is, What are the requirements to a good baording school. Do the boarding schools look at my grades from 7th grade? What kind of Math is on the SSAT?</p>
<p>I play drums, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, etc. I do not play sports but I get what i would consider good grades. The curriculum of BASIS is very advanced and I have struggled with a couple of my classes during the first grading period.</p>
<p>Spanish : Gp1 97, Gp2 96
English : Gp1 85, Gp2 95
Algebra 1 : Gp1 96, Gp2 98 Gp = Grading Period
Rhetoric : Gp1 97, Gp2 96
Biology : Gp1 100, Gp2 93
Chemistry : Gp1 85, Gp2 93
Physics : Gp1 97, Gp2 95
Music : Gp1 100, Gp2 100
World History : Gp1 95, Gp2 95</p>
<p>Next year i will be taking Ap Spanish, Algebra 2, English, Economic, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, AP Music Theory, World History(Continued from 7th Grade)</p>
<p>Wow, your course load looks extremely challenging. I mean, 2 APs are in eighth grade is pretty impressive, and AP Music Theory is pretty hard. How much work do you have a night? Do you enjoy doing all those classes?</p>
<p>what type of music is it?
just wondering</p>
<p>Why would you want to go to an Eastern BS when you have what looks like a great resource at home?</p>
<p>(I hope you don’t answer “Because my parents think that it will help me get into an Ivy League school.”)</p>
<p>@pittsburgher,
AP Music Theory covers a first year college Music Theory course. You learn about harmony, triads, the tonic and dominant, ear training, etc. It doesn’t matter whether your listening to “Classical” or “Indies” or whatever, theory still applies.</p>
<p>@ Ifax108
The music theory class is not very hard for I play drums and have a good understanding of theory.
It depends how much work i do a night, The average student at BASIS takes 1-2 hours a night on homework sometimes less, sometimes more, I spend about an hour unless there is a major assignment due the next day, etc</p>
<p>Most schools look at grades for 7th, although Exeter does not.</p>
<p>You have all of this year and part of next year to prepare, so don’t worry about it too much. Your courseload would be quite impressive for a 9th grader in my area, and your grades are very good. You’ll be far ahead in math and science in particular (even at my new school, which is a reasonably well-ranked private school, the majority of 9th graders, including myself, took algebra and basic science in 8th and are in geometry and biology). Consider Bs in those courses as As. So as far as academics are concerned, you’re set. What you really need to ask yourself at this point is: Do <em>I</em> want to go to a top boarding school?</p>
<p>@heps1996
May i ask what boarding school you go to?
Someone has told me that the SSAT(Upper Level) will be hard for the 8th graders, What kind of Math is on the Upper Level SSAT?</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice</p>
<p>no way, the math is actually really easy - only problem is, many people find it really easy, so the percentiles are way skewed. so while the math section may be easy, the percentiles can be brutal. yikes</p>
<p>i think that the highest level of math on it is like angles related to geometry… buy the princeton review book, it basically covers everything. and there were only like 2 geometry questions on the dec test</p>
<p>@DiveAlive</p>
<p>I thought the math would be hard someone told me that there would be very difficult math on it,(Pre-Calculus,Etc) Maybe he was wrong. </p>
<p>Could you explain what percentiles are? And what you mean by "Percentiles are way skewed "</p>
<p>@DiveAlive
If i am applying to Exeter or HADES or whatever I have to take the upperlevel SSAT correct></p>
<p>@pks4561,
If your theory class is “easy” now, you’re in for a surprise next year. AP Music Theory is very hard, even for an extremely accomplished musician.</p>
<p>@pks4561, you will need to take the Upper Level SSAT for admission to 9th grade. When people refer to the percentiles being skewed, they are referring to the fact that the results of the test-takers are tightly clustered. The effect is that missing even a small number of questions can result in a disappointing percentile, since a small change in scaled-score can move you ahead or behind of a large number (percentile) of test-takers. This seems to be particularly true of the math section.</p>
<p>@kraordrawoh</p>
<p>Oh i understand now, So the boarindg shcools look at the percentiles, Not the percentage of the test?</p>