Anonymous wrote:There are colleges out there for everyone. It’s not a prize at the end of your parenting journey. It’s about fit for your child and where they can thrive. Kids should take the hardest classes they can. Admissions see right through public school grade inflation and/or easy classes for a high GPA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So should these kids with lower GPAs just move to public? To increase their college chances?

yes. average GPA is 3.65 at top DC privates. Anything under a 3.8 would do better in public. Honestly, 3.8s are sort of rough too at some of these schools. It's hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Most colleges recalculate GPAs. Most colleges don’t weight honors. And some courses are given less weight than science and math for example. Just fyi.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DC goes to a private HS known for its rigor, as a freshman gets Bs in honors level courses, A’s in all other courses, they should assume that the game is over and they should move to public to try to recover?

Here is what I think:

If DC ends up below the top quartile in class, with no hooks or sports T20 is a far reach.
If DC returns to neighborhood public high school, the chance of going to our reputable state colleges is 20-30 percent and I don’t think DC needs to try very hard.
We have modest income and are willing to support DC by sacrificing (we have no financial aid), but if DC ends up at a SLAC that needs another 80-100k a year, after paying 250K for 4-year private HS, I am not sure if it is better to just save the tuition now for state college tuition later. That would reduce our financial burden greatly.
While it is not all about college placement, DC would enjoy one year of the benefits of education and extra curriculum activities of an elite private HS (or 2 years if DC really wants to stay and a chance to improve, and by end of sophomore year the GPA would be more or less settled as the room for huge improvement would be small with just one more year of courses).
I can’t tell DC’s chance of landing at our state colleges with an average GPA in the private HS, but if that is the best DC can aim after two years, wouldn’t it be better to just switch in junior year?
If DC performs well by end of second year, we will continue to pay for the HS and apply for financial aid and student loan to finance part of the college tuition if that is needed.

Yes, because nothing says that you’re concerned about your kid’s mental and social well-being more than the transferring them from one HS to another after their junior year in high school because of some kind college strategy.

Anonymous wrote:So should these kids with lower GPAs just move to public? To increase their college chances?

Anonymous wrote:That was my son's GPA when he applied to college. He got in everywhere he applied with good merit aid. Take a deep breath.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DC goes to a private HS known for its rigor, as a freshman gets Bs in honors level courses, A’s in all other courses, they should assume that the game is over and they should move to public to try to recover?

Here is what I think:

If DC ends up below the top quartile in class, with no hooks or sports T20 is a far reach.
If DC returns to neighborhood public high school, the chance of going to our reputable state colleges is 20-30 percent and I don’t think DC needs to try very hard.
We have modest income and are willing to support DC by sacrificing (we have no financial aid), but if DC ends up at a SLAC that needs another 80-100k a year, after paying 250K for 4-year private HS, I am not sure if it is better to just save the tuition now for state college tuition later. That would reduce our financial burden greatly.
While it is not all about college placement, DC would enjoy one year of the benefits of education and extra curriculum activities of an elite private HS (or 2 years if DC really wants to stay and a chance to improve, and by end of sophomore year the GPA would be more or less settled as the room for huge improvement would be small with just one more year of courses).
I can’t tell DC’s chance of landing at our state colleges with an average GPA in the private HS, but if that is the best DC can aim after two years, wouldn’t it be better to just switch in junior year?
If DC performs well by end of second year, we will continue to pay for the HS and apply for financial aid and student loan to finance part of the college tuition if that is needed.