Submitted By: Katherine Han
March 11, 2016, 5:00 PM, anxiety was high as students sat unwavering at their desks. Laptop in front of them, phone in their hands. Students sat staring at their laptop screens, constantly refreshing their email. That was the day private high schools sent out admission emails. Although I, personally, didn’t go through this experience, I went through it with my friends. The instant the clock struck 5:00, the texts started to fire in. Their responses were variations of: “I got in!” And the celebration emoji entered my “frequently used” section on my phone. I go to a private school that goes all the way from elementary through high school, and the academics are pretty solid, so it was a surprise to me when I found out nearly half of my grade was applying to other private high schools. Of course, this rose many questions in my mind. I immediately thought about my own decision to stay at my current school. Why were so many people leaving? And what were the benefits of it? My friends’ responses were all different. Some wanted to move schools because of sports, others wanted a new environment; some even switched because their friends were switching. “Ever since I was in 2nd grade, I’ve wanted to go to an all-girls school,” Nicole Pavlik, a fellow classmate, says. “Of course I still love my current school, and I know that it has given me a good foundation academically.” Pavlik chose to leave her current school because another school was an even better fit for her. Her switch may prove to be very beneficial for her future. Some students found, after a visit, that another school was a better fit for them. The school may have had a sport that they like to play, or had stronger academics than their current school. Likely, the school may have been stronger in a certain department that interests them.
The moving school process is also a worthy experience. “This will be my first time switching schools. I think I will need to learn how to make needed adjustments like getting used to the curriculum, the teachers, and making new friends,” Pavlik says. Since Pavlik is a student who has been at her current school since kindergarten, her experience may be different from a student who has switched schools multiple times. For students who have been at one school since kindergarten, moving schools is almost like uprooting them. They are being moved from a very familiar environment, into an environment they have never experienced before. Students who move schools would need to make new friends, and get familiar with the different teaching style.
Switching schools is a tough decision. You would have to leave your friends behind and make new ones, and you have to get used to a new environment. But this one decision could affect your future immensely.
~Katherine Han
