<p>Yeah, but i’m pretty sure he was expecting to hear positive answers, completely agreeing with him and I haven’t seen a lot of that happening.</p>
<p>Have you discussed all of this with any of the admissions people at any of the prep schools you are considering? I ask, because I had kids at what is considered a top independent school. The admissions office was always very clear that this is NOT a pathway or feeder school to elite colleges. All the school can guarantee to do is to offer the most thorough preperation for students to go to college and provide a top notch high school experience. There were and are many kids who might have done BETTER in getting into certain colleges and getting certain scholarships had they stayed in their public schools or gone to less rigorous schools. A “B” at Prep does not an “A” at Public make. The higher numbers for selective, “elite” school acceptances from these schools are because of a proponderance of legacy, development, celebrity and connected parents, not because of the school.</p>
<p>Many of these schools have what is called a “Post grad” year, and with 5 years of high school, that is how colleges are going to look at that extra year, rather than a repeat of your junior year. The Post grad year is useful for certain kids, athletes, for instance, and for kids in bad school environments that get an opportunity to truly hone their college prep background by going to a truly rigorous school. You don’t fall into that category. </p>
<p>Is it possible that getting top grades your two years at such a school could enhance your prospects vs remaining where you are for just one more year? Yes, it is, but by how much, I don’t know. First of all you have to gain entry to one of these schools, which is easier said than done. But as I stated earlier, you might want to get their reading on whether your chances for a top flight colleges are going to be much better, doing this. It’s also not a slam dunk that you are going to get straight A’s at any such school. Many of these schools have very steep grading curves, and it is not easy to do very well in those schools. There’s a big “IF” factor there. </p>
<p>I think your chances for a school like UVA and most of the very top schools are tanked even if you go through what you are suggesting. That you might have a better chance at some school if you truly excell at a top boarding school and do that extra year, is possible, but not a strong certainty for reasons I brought up. </p>
<p>If it is so important to you to get into one of the very top “name” schools, my advice, and my opinon of your best chance to do so, is to do very well at any college and apply to graduate school at any of those schools. Getting into a master’s program at Harvard, depending on the program is not any where nearly as difficult as getting into Harvard College right out of high school where the chances are in single digits. Therein lies your best shot—grad school.</p>
<p>@midwestlaxer,</p>
<p>So what will you do?</p>
<p>Here’s a thought: why not just apply now and consider your options after you’ve gotten your decision? If there’s not a binding part of an application, you really shouldn’t just rush into whatever you choose to do based on the opinions of a bunch of strangers. </p>
<p>Also, if you’re running around doing extracurricular activities you don’t like, you’re going about it the wrong way. Extracurriculars are a way to have fun while still being productive; instead of doing something you detest, why not try to get an internship at a place you’d like to work in? If you want to do investments, for instance, you could try to get in with a stockbroker and get a background for the trade. To me you come across as someone trapped in a limbo of “I have to do this to do this to do this to do this … to be successful.” If you just see every task you do as a means to a distant end, you’re going to burn yourself out probably less than halfway there. You aren’t a machine. Just keep that in mind.</p>
<p>I’ll probably stay at my current school. I have confidence that I’ll finish the year strong. But this thread hasn’t changed anything; I’m still applying to top 20 schools.</p>
<p>Prep schools like Deerfield and Andover have very few spots available for new juniors, and many applicants for those spots with straight A grades. Perhaps you might want to consider an academic PG year instead?</p>