Is it worth it to go to a TOP boarding school senior year.
I am currently in 11th grade at a middle tier, large public high school in Texas. My grades are decent (all A's but not necessary high A's with a difficult/accelerated schedule - AP Physics 1 + Physics C + Modern, Multi Variable Calc, all AP. SAT - 1570) and I was wondering if it would be beneficial to go to a school like Exeter or Andover for my senior year. My Ec's are good (Congressional internship in DC, Published Economics & Political research papers, Boys State, YYGS, non-profit with 6k volunteers to address voter registration & education issues in America, Advisor to my district's superintendent, DECA placed at ICDC, Debate national finalist, etc.) My high school typically only sends maybe one student to a T20 every year and I don't feel confident in my ability to be that one kid. I know that TOP boarding schools send 100+ kids to top colleges but I'm not sure if it'd harm me to enroll since I'd now be compared to kids who have been there since 9th grade with parents who make 500k+ a year. I also know that it's hard to get into elite boarding schools, esp as a senior since they primarily only accept post graduates but I figured might as well apply.
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2 answers
As someone who went the other way (boarding school to public school), switching schools in any form is probably going to hurt you. No matter if you are going up in level or not. Making friends is going to be harder, courses are going to be harder, the work load will probably be more.
But, of course, going to a better school almost always looks good. A better school also might mean better facilities and access to new connections/mentors.
There are clear pros to the school but there are (imo) bigger cons. Just think about it for a little longer. Write a pros and cons list. And make a decision. Whatever you decide will be the right choice for you!
Attending a boarding school might be advantageous given that you will have increased access to resources such as college counseling, even more rigorous coursework, and teachers and counselors with lots of experience in writing recommendation letters for MIT.
However, changing schools might affect your academic performance and it might be more difficult for you to maintain strong grades until you adapt. Also, transferring your senior year will give you little time to make a significant impact at your new school, which could lead to poor recommendation letters from teachers who don't know you well enough. I also think that MIT would question whether you moved to a new school simply as a strategy to try to get accepted.
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