I transferred from a public high school to a rigorous college prep school in my sophomore year. At my new school, I took Advanced Placement Calculus AB, AP World History, and Honors English. But I did poorly, getting a 3.2 GPA. Now, as a junior, I have a 4.2 GPA and am taking 3 more AP courses. Will colleges consider that I had an adjustment period when I transferred, and will this affect my chances of getting into a highly selective college?

A: I think you are actually asking three questions:

  1. Is it advantageous to transfer to a private school from a public school?

  2. Will colleges realize I had an adjustment period when I switched schools?

  3. Despite the temporary dip in grades, will I be able to get into a highly selective college?

Transferring from a public to a private school does not automatically confer increased chance of admission to a specific college. Applicants are considered in the context of their academic environment. Admissions readers will look to see what the most challenging courses are at that public high school, and whether the student accepted the challenge and did well. It is very, very rare for high school to offer AP courses to freshmen, but they may have honors classes. You freshman year counts. And down the road, will applicants from that public high school be admitted to fine colleges? Of course they will – the top achievers, wherever they go to school, will be successful. If a school does not offer AP courses, the student will be considered in that context as well, and cannot be penalized for not taking what is not offered. Attending public high schools does not hurt a student's chances of being admitted to selective colleges. It's all about the academic context and additional factors that can enhance an application.

College admissions readers are experienced in observing not just grades, but patterns in grades. They also know that many students have a period of adjustment not just when they switch schools but when they change their curriculum. For instance, a student who moves up from all honors courses one year to 4 AP courses the next year is likely to suffer a dip in grades. A small dip will be the expected adjustment to much more challenging work; a huge dip, however, may signify that the student is in over his head. But since your GPA has improved, it will be clear that you have mastered the new challenge. The dramatic upswing in grades will be observed. Excellent! You have met the challenge head-on and have succeeded! If you can maintain your higher grades without stressing yourself out too much, you will be a strong academic candidate.

The more selective a college or university is, the more closely the applications will be read. It is really impossible to predict your outcome. Your curriculum will be strong, that is certain. But there are so many other factors: test scores, your involvement in your school and community, evidence of leadership and/or personal initiative, evidence of intellectual curiosity, what you write in your personal statement, and what others write about you in their letters of recommendation.

There is no "formula" and sometimes admissions decisions may seem, on the surface, arbitrary. For instance, a student with a 3.6 GPA may be accepted over another candidate with a 3.8 – it looks inconsistent, but there is always a reason. And the more selective an institution is, the more unpredictable things may get.

In taking challenging classes, you are doing the right thing about your curriculum and grades. Do not neglect the other factors. And please remember not to stress yourself so much that you forget to enjoy your high school years!