What Does It Take To Graduate From STA With A Top GPA?

[Anonymous]

Wow. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reiterating what other posters have said: I haven’t encountered HS boys having tutors.

And also, my kid tells me that many of his classes have in-class assessments where the boys have to explain their thinking/answer verbally/write essays in class so that would be hard to fake.

My kid worked pretty hard, loved his teachers and friends. But there are lots of equally good paths.

Then you've had your head in the sand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel so bad for your son. And I feel bad for mine that your son will be in my son's class. A professional editor to proof read essays? You clearly lack any moral compass. Praying your post is a joke and that you are troll.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son will be attending St. Albans for 9th grade, and we are determined to have him graduate near the top of the class and have his pick of elite colleges. What does it take for an STA student to graduate with a 95+ GPA?

In your experience, what should we be doing from day 1 to maximize his academic performance at the school? Should I hire tutors for each individual class? Should I hire a professional editor to proofread his essays?

What does it take?

Here is what it takes:

Starting from Day 1, you need at least one live-in tutor for each class plus a professional editor to proofread all of your son's writing. You should carefully vet the tutors to ensure that they have, at a minimum, a Ph.D. from HYPSM, at least 10 years of tutoring experience, and no family obligations or pets. The editor should have at least a decade of experience at a Big Five publishing house in NYC, and at least two New York Times Top Ten Best Seller List books under his or her belt.

The tutors/editor need to live on or next to your estate and be available 24/7. If you don't already have a "tutor house" on the grounds, you should purchase an adjoining estate and build a tunnel or overground passageway to connect the two properties to allow easy access at any time.

[Anonymous]

Lol

[Anonymous]

Every STA parent who goes through the college admissions process is given access to a book that shows the GPA/SAT scores (anonymous) of the last three years of students, where they applied to college and their results. It's a big book of data.

I mention this because in looking through it I think there were only a tiny number of kids who were >95 over the last three years. You could count on one hand the number.

If you are serious, the key is organization. The kids at STA are taught "how to study" starting in grade 7. The Cornell Note Taking System is taught, and how to make outlines and study guides. How to budget time and plan ahead for major projects, with a series of mini-deadlines before a final submission.

Many kids who enter STA in Grade 9 are extremely smart, have always been smart in their schools, but didn't necessarily have to 'work for it'. You want your kid to learn "how to study" and "how to learn" because these fundamental skills will allow them to succeed in many subjects, not just the ones they know or are passionate about.

My son's friend's older brother was one of the two kids in his graduating class at STA. He conveyed to his younger brother (and thus on to my son) that "everyone thinks I'm smart. I'm really not. I'm just disciplined about learning." I think that's the real edge you should be looking at, not a math tutor or something like that.

[Anonymous]

typo in last paragraph: "one of the TOP kids in his..."

[Anonymous]

Omg your poor son! If he got into STA he's obviously a smart kid. Please don't ruin his love of learning with all this bs you're speaking of.

[Anonymous]

My kid just went through the college admissions process and I never saw a binder like the one mentioned above. The office did give my kid a sheet with a list of where kids with his approximate GPA were admitted, which was helpful (as opposed to matriculation data).

But I never saw anything with specific GPAs of graduates.

You could also look at naviance when in the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son will be attending St. Albans for 9th grade, and we are determined to have him graduate near the top of the class and have his pick of elite colleges. What does it take for an STA student to graduate with a 95+ GPA?

In your experience, what should we be doing from day 1 to maximize his academic performance at the school? Should I hire tutors for each individual class? Should I hire a professional editor to proofread his essays?

What does it take?

First of all you would be breaking the code of ethics in the handbook if you hire a professional editor without revealing it and you would be expelled.

Secondly your poor kid. It is very difficult even for the top students to get a 95 and above. Your son can still get into top 20 colleges with a 92 plus gpa. Mental health is at an all time high and don’t put pressure on your kid you will end up regretting some day when he realizes he can’t fulfill your expectations of him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every STA parent who goes through the college admissions process is given access to a book that shows the GPA/SAT scores (anonymous) of the last three years of students, where they applied to college and their results. It's a big book of data.

I mention this because in looking through it I think there were only a tiny number of kids who were >95 over the last three years. You could count on one hand the number.

If you are serious, the key is organization. The kids at STA are taught "how to study" starting in grade 7. The Cornell Note Taking System is taught, and how to make outlines and study guides. How to budget time and plan ahead for major projects, with a series of mini-deadlines before a final submission.

Many kids who enter STA in Grade 9 are extremely smart, have always been smart in their schools, but didn't necessarily have to 'work for it'. You want your kid to learn "how to study" and "how to learn" because these fundamental skills will allow them to succeed in many subjects, not just the ones they know or are passionate about.

My son's friend's older brother was one of the two kids in his graduating class at STA. He conveyed to his younger brother (and thus on to my son) that "everyone thinks I'm smart. I'm really not. I'm just disciplined about learning." I think that's the real edge you should be looking at, not a math tutor or something like that.

We never had access to any such book. Our son had access but we as parents did not. It was like pulling information out of the air randomly to try to figure out where he may or may not have gotten accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairly sure this is a troll, but if not, you can't throw money at this. The top students are naturally the brightest of the brightest and work hard. No amount of tutoring will change that.

Nah not necessarily the brightest. I know kids with perfect SAT scores that have lower 90’s GPAs. You must be organized and have good time management. Easy to say but difficult to master. Kids who are organized, on time, and prepared excel more easily than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Tutors, yes. Professional editors are unethical and not worth it.

Be aware of burnout! There will be 4 years of pressure, OP, and I cannot tell you how much exhaustion and fatigue makes students miserable by the end of it. So much so that their grades start to slip. I've been there with my senior, because junior year is the most stressful.

So please pace your kid. Absorb all the stress, and don't dump it all out on him.

Don’t forget that he also has to go to college…and then get a job. It’s a long road and there is only so much propping up you can do. I mean, you can’t take his tests for him and if you’re on his case too much managing things he’ll probably have a crash landing in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every STA parent who goes through the college admissions process is given access to a book that shows the GPA/SAT scores (anonymous) of the last three years of students, where they applied to college and their results. It's a big book of data.

I mention this because in looking through it I think there were only a tiny number of kids who were >95 over the last three years. You could count on one hand the number.

If you are serious, the key is organization. The kids at STA are taught "how to study" starting in grade 7. The Cornell Note Taking System is taught, and how to make outlines and study guides. How to budget time and plan ahead for major projects, with a series of mini-deadlines before a final submission.

Many kids who enter STA in Grade 9 are extremely smart, have always been smart in their schools, but didn't necessarily have to 'work for it'. You want your kid to learn "how to study" and "how to learn" because these fundamental skills will allow them to succeed in many subjects, not just the ones they know or are passionate about.

My son's friend's older brother was one of the two kids in his graduating class at STA. He conveyed to his younger brother (and thus on to my son) that "everyone thinks I'm smart. I'm really not. I'm just disciplined about learning." I think that's the real edge you should be looking at, not a math tutor or something like that.

We never had access to any such book. Our son had access but we as parents did not. It was like pulling information out of the air randomly to try to figure out where he may or may not have gotten accepted.

There is a difference between discipline and raw intelligence. You need both. Your kid can be very smart and a hard worker and still not be at the top. Also, have you not seen enough cautionary tale stories on here? He needs a hook. Hope your kid is already playing water polo so you don’t have to go the Lori Laughlin route.

[Anonymous]

If you are asking this question starting in 9th grade you are already too late.