Reply to Are the new 9th graders the top of the class?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Are the new 9th graders the top of the class?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thinking about applications to various schools next year and how to think about the later grades and whether to do K8 or K12. Not sure if there is any way to know this, but are the kids who enter at 9th grade typically the strongest academically in the more competitive schools? I mean, in a K12, does it generally track that the later the student enters, the stronger academically they have to be? Or does it not really work like that because the more competitive schools are really good at teaching the kids they have so they all kind of even out?[/quote]

If you can afford it (taking into account any FA you might receive), I'd apply to a K-12.  When you're in, you're in.  You don't have to repeat the process later.  If your child thrives in the school, they will be ahead of the curve as to the parameters expected at that particular school.  If you or your child feel that another school would be a better fit for US, I think a strong candidate transferring from another top private K-12 would be viewed favorably (assuming good grades and reason for transfer articulated (not upset with current school, just think XYZ would be a better fir because.....(particular program/commute/athletics/etc.). [/quote]

Think this comment should be taken with a giant grain of salt.  It depends on wildly on the nature of your public school vs the nature of the private schools you are thinking about.  We reside in an incredibly strong public school zone and our child entered Big3 for HS. I do not know child’s rank (nor do I care) but child is excelling and I suspect pretty high.  Child was prepared for Big3 work, but part of that was just adjusting to HS.  For example, when child took a quiz and didn’t get child’s normal 100% from public, child immediately adjusted and prepared differently for tests, etc.   Child knew and understood how to take feedback — and this was learned at public school, despite always getting 100%.  Teachers in our local public elementary school were terrific and, importantly, the peer group was top notch.  My experience was that the kids who left our very good elementary school for privates tended to be have a lot of needs — parents getting a divorce, problems paying attention in a large classroom, not testing well, one parent got sick.  I don’t think the Big3 kids had any real advantage over mine but I do believe strongly that my child’s HS experience is vastly different from their public school peers.  Who knows whether that is better/worse in the very long run but for now child is happy and working hard.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics