Yes @jwalche That is the same idea for me, but I don’t see any harm other than admission, however that isn’t a big problem if I go to a certain boarding school, as there are more beds in 9th than 10th
Ok. The interviews are done and not one AO recommended that she repeat. Not one. (Again, one AO did say that it was good to know that she was open to repeating 9th…made a note in her file…but that repeating would only be recommended if it came down to FA.) In terms of being ready for the BS experience, none of the schools questioned that 10th was the right fit. We’ll see what happens come 3/10… Oh, and most (not all) of these schools are east coast.
We are FA. Perhaps that’s a reason too. Not only FA needs to impress more, but also they would feel more free to suggest a repeat when they are going to pickup the bill.
I entered Andover as a 10th grader (lower), so that is the only perspective I can speak from. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I don’t doubt that entering as a freshman has its advantages, but being a new lower at Andover is fantastic. People are pretty friendly. You won’t have social groups handed to you on a platter, but you can become very close with returning lower groups. There are some who stay in new lower groups, which is fine, because new lower groups are really great, too.
I also happen to know that Andover’s acceptance rate for new lowers is a touch higher, but also it is a self-selecting pool, as someone said earlier. The general perception from returners is that the average new lower is slightly ahead, but I don’t know how true that is. Andover admits about 70 new lowers.
Whatever you do for your other schools, I recommend applying to PA as a 10th grader.