I’m about to be attending a new high school that is incredibly academically rigorous (average gpa ~3.82). Is it worth it to attend this school, with better educational opportunities but incredibly challenging course load, but to risk my perfect 4.0 at my easy high school?
If you live in Texas stay at the easy HS
In general, challenging yourself is good. Just make sure that the new school is not a total pressure cooker. If everyone is freaking out over every grade that is not an A, that is not healthy. Work with your guidance counselor to choose the classes that are right for your level of preparation, maybe even take a study hall if you need to ease into the higher power academics. Good luck, and take advantage of the opportunity the new school offers!
The school isn’t a pressure cooker at all. In fact, it takes a very collaborative approach to academics and tries to limit people from sharing test scores and such, to avoid unhealthy competition. It offers lots of academic opportunities like study abroad, research, and upper-level college classes. It’s very similar to NCSSM.
My biggest concern is not standing out during the college admissions process. At my current school I’m Rank 1, top of the class, loved by teachers and staff, class officer, president of multiple clubs, etc and I’m only a rising junior. I wouldn’t be such a big fish in a small pond at the new school.
I think it’s best you stay at your current school. From what I’ve read online, adcoms seems to compare you to your classmates, so if you stay at your current school, you’ll stand out more. I’m not really certain, but that’s my input.
It’s probably better to stay at your current school if you are the valedictorian.
Colleges place a stupid amount of weight on class rank.
It may depend on the state you live in and if you are planning to go to a state school that takes Rank into account. Texas was mentioned as an example.
But otherwise, your GC will include a school profile which will tell adcoms how rigorous the school is. Challenging yourself will prepare you for college.
Let’s rewind a bit.
How many AP’s does your ‘Easy’ school offer?
What’s its average act?
What percentage students attend college? What percentage a 4-year college?
How good is college advising?
Is the new school private? Boarding? Did you get a scholarship? If you applied, do you remember why?
What percentage students at the new school goes to college? A 4-year college?
Will you need financial aiding college?
1.) About 7-9, it fluctuates each year.
2.) 20
3.) Somewhere around 75-80%, with nearly 100% attending in-state schools (I think maybe 4 students are going out of state, and even then they didn’t attend a top colllege).
4.) Terrible college advising. My counselor was usually too busy with failing seniors who needed credit recovery to graduate to help me out significantly. . ALL of the programs I applied for and found were on my own.
5.) It’s a public high school attached to a university. All of the classes are actual college classes, taken with college students, and we live on campus in dorms. There aren’t any APs or honors, and students can take up to 300 level college classes.
6.) 100% attend a 4 year college. They usually send about 4-5 kids to an ivy or equivalent each year vs my school who hasn’t sent anyone to a top 20 in about 10 years.
7.) Yes. I’ll need almost full financial aid, as my family makes >40k a year.
In that case, go to the hard new school.
Because your family is lower income and you’ll have challenged yourself to the max, you’ll be in a good position for a Questbridge full ride as well as top universities with the best financial aid. You’ll also have good advising. And since 100% go to 4-year college, what’s the worst that could happen? You end up ranked bottom 10%… and still go to the best college for you.
And I don’t think you’d rank bottom 10%, do you?
If you worry about recommendations, ask two current teachers who would know you well, ask them if they’d agree on writing you a recommendation for college when time comes.
Isn’t an average ACT of 20 a ridiculously low score? The high school I’m going to attend has an average ACT of 28, and it isn’t even consider a hard school whatsoever. Maybe you should go to the “hard new school” after all. I mean, if you aren’t challenged at your current school, I don’t see the point in you staying. Maybe it’s just my competitive mindset, as I always need somebody better than me so I can compete to become better than him. Good luck!
Actually 20 is average nationally. But it’s still not a school likely to challenge a student who got into a top public boarding school.