How to Get into a Hard Private School?

Updated on June 26, 2019
燕.张. asks from Los Angeles, CA
9 answers

Dear: experts,
I really want to be with my friend at a local Christian private school that is competitive about student's grade school. I have a short amount of time to prepare, and my grades right now aren't very good:( What can I do?

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More Answers

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If you don't have the grades - and school just finished here - I'm sorry but I think you are out of time and luck.
Are your parents aware you want to go to this competitive private school - because those places are not cheap.
Sometimes there are waiting lists to get in and you have to apply years in advance - and that's assuming your folks can afford to send you.
I wouldn't want them taking out a second mortgage to get the money to send you because that takes away what will be available for your college costs.

Hopefully this will be a valuable learning experience and you will study, ask for help from the teacher, stay after school for help, get a tutor, take practice tests, etc.
Being with friends is all good and well but the level of work required to keep your grades up in a competitive school might be more than you could handle.

You can still get together with your friend even if you are not going to the same school but you will both be meeting new people and making new friends.

5 moms found this helpful

W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Yara, welcome to mamapedia!

The only way you are going to get in to a school that requires good grades is by having good grades.

What level of school is this? Middle, high school or college/university?
Do you or your parents have the money to pay the tuition for said school? If not? You need to find out how you can pay for it.

Bust butt and get your grades to where they need to be.
Talk to a teacher who might be familiar with the school and see if they can give you a recommendation.
Talk with your counselor at your current school and find out what he/she can do to help you get where you want to be.

3 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

What is your reason for wanting to be there, besides to be with your friend?

Admissions offices aren't as swayed by social reasons much.

But I have mixed feelings about highly competitive schools for teens - I don't know what your goals are, but I want to assure you that there are good colleges out there, and there's a school for every student. The idea of kids slaving away only in pursuit of good grades breaks my heart. Our next door neighbor was obsessed with good grades, and he had a terrible high school experience. Because he had fewer social skills and fewer activities and leadership opportunities, he didn't interview well and didn't have the college choices that other kids with lower grades (but more balance overall) did.

So, what are the reasons for your lower grades? Do you need help and tutoring? Are you unfocused? Do you have family distractions? Or are you doing other valuable things that are developing you as a person? Think more broadly.

Also, what are the costs of this school? Is your family really able to shell out that kind of money? What will you all be giving up for that to happen? Is it worth it?

Without you articulating your overall goals and your current situation, it's hard to give you advice on how to achieve admission. But it's also impossible to know if this truly would be a good decision for you anyway.

You can't do anything about your past. You can, however, learn from it and try to prioritize your steps going forward. You could learn more about the school's requirements, what other factors they consider, and what their timeline is. But switching schools may not be a good choice for you. Don't look at your friend's placement or your perhaps myopic view that only this school can offer you opportunity. Part of maturing is making the best of your situation (financial, academic) and turning yourself around, learning from mistakes (if any), and broadening out your definition of success.

Updated

What is your reason for wanting to be there, besides to be with your friend?

Admissions offices aren't as swayed by social reasons much.

But I have mixed feelings about highly competitive schools for teens - I don't know what your goals are, but I want to assure you that there are good colleges out there, and there's a school for every student. The idea of kids slaving away only in pursuit of good grades breaks my heart. Our next door neighbor was obsessed with good grades, and he had a terrible high school experience. Because he had fewer social skills and fewer activities and leadership opportunities, he didn't interview well and didn't have the college choices that other kids with lower grades (but more balance overall) did.

So, what are the reasons for your lower grades? Do you need help and tutoring? Are you unfocused? Do you have family distractions? Or are you doing other valuable things that are developing you as a person? Think more broadly.

Also, what are the costs of this school? Is your family really able to shell out that kind of money? What will you all be giving up for that to happen? Is it worth it?

Without you articulating your overall goals and your current situation, it's hard to give you advice on how to achieve admission. But it's also impossible to know if this truly would be a good decision for you anyway.

You can't do anything about your past. You can, however, learn from it and try to prioritize your steps going forward. You could learn more about the school's requirements, what other factors they consider, and what their timeline is. But switching schools may not be a good choice for you. Don't look at your friend's placement or your perhaps myopic view that only this school can offer you opportunity. Part of maturing is making the best of your situation (financial, academic) and turning yourself around, learning from mistakes (if any), and broadening out your definition of success.

2 moms found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Can your parents afford this school? Private schools are super expensive usually...like paying a college tuition! If they say yes then go talk to your school counselor to ask for advice and call the school and schedule a meeting with someone there to ask for advice and to tell them you are VERY interested in attending their school. If you get in are you willing to start doing hard work to keep up your grades?

2 moms found this helpful

T.D.

answers from New York on

Talk to your parents and the school counselors about this. Local Christian private schools where I grew up were expensive and they would take anyone who would pay. They were not hard to get into.

2 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

study hard.

i mean, what else is there?

khairete
S.

2 moms found this helpful
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N.K.

answers from Miami on

Find out about summer school, tutoring (can your parents afford private tutoring? If not, your school might have tutors), and I would also find out if they have scholarship opportunities, maybe based on income, merit, or whether you're a minority, for instance. Are your parents aware of your desire to go to this school? Are they on board, can they afford it? I agree with others, that choosing to go to a school just because your friend attends is a poor reason. Kids grow up and often DO move on. Very few people remain friends with the friends they had as small children. As people grow up, their personalities, hobbies, and attitudes often change drastically.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Portland on

Can you take summer school classes to get your grades up? Usually you'd talk to a guidance counselor at the school(s) to see what your options are for increasing your grades - to see if that's a possibility.

Other times, there are other factors that are considered in getting into private schools. Your parents could contact the school and talk to the administration.

1 mom found this helpful

R.P.

answers from Tampa on

I say you need to contact the school and see what are their qualifications besides the grades. Maybe volunteering or sports, etc.

If it’s only grades maybe you need to get your grades up and after they are up you can try to get in. In my daughters school to transfer my boys ( they started in public school, while my daughter we signed up with pre-K in private from the start) besides school they need to play sports, write essay and go through an interview.

Speak with the school, discuss with parents and figure things out. Good luck!

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