selective school application 2022 for y10 (1 Viewer)

[libestraumno3]

ok so I'm having trouble deciding which schools to apply for, I'm definitely trying for baulko and girraween (efficient travel time) but I'd rather if I use all my 3 preferences so I don't miss out. I'm contemplating if I should try out for fort street bc I live kinda far?? like more in the hills area, although I'm fond of the idea of writing a piece for the application.

the schools I'm thinking of for the third/second option are
- girraween
- fort street
- penrith
- hornsby

I don't know about penrith, cause I'm aiming for a higher rank but it is closer than the other schools

I've recieved straight A's in my year 8 reports
so far for the half yearly I've gotten all A's and 1 B
dux of the grade two years in a row
I'm part of debating, volleyball team, art club, model un
i play piano, clarinet and guitar (elec + acous)

let me know what u think!

 

[wzsmartypants]

ur reports and extracurriculars are outstanding, so I reckon u should go for Hornsby for ur third option but tbh you'll probably make baulko

 

[jimmysmith560]

I think location is more important than the school itself. You mentioned that you're definitely applying for Baulkham Hills High School and Girraween High School which is good considering both schools are not far from you currently live. In terms of applying for Fort Street High School, you should consider travel time as the Hills area is quite far from Petersham - will you be able to cope with this on a daily basis? Based on this, I would prioritise Penrith Selective High School over Fort Street because of its more convenient location.

Also, I don't think ranks really matter that much when you're in a selective school i.e. which selective school you end up going to doesn't really matter. Being in a selective school already gives you an advantage over many students in comprehensive schools and gives you a better chance/ability to achieve a high ATAR. Sure, it's good to attend a school like Baulkham Hills but it doesn't mean lower-ranked selective schools won't offer you a chance to excel the way Baulkham Hills would. Solely enrolling at Baulkham Hills doesn't mean you're guaranteed a high ATAR, it is about all the determination and effort you put into your studies throughout your final year of school. Your academic profile looks pretty good so I believe you will perform well regardless of which school you end up going to, provided you are determined and are regularly studying.

To sum up, taking into account travel time and your school rank priority, this is the list of schools I'd suggest you apply for:

1 - Baulkham Hills High School
2 - Girraween High School
3 - Penrith Selective High School


I hope this helps, good luck with your applications!

 

[idkkdi]

I think location is more important than the school itself. You mentioned that you're definitely applying for Baulkham Hills High School and Girraween High School which is good considering both schools are not far from you currently live. In terms of applying for Fort Street High School, you should consider travel time as the Hills area is quite far from Petersham - will you be able to cope with this on a daily basis? Based on this, I would prioritise Penrith Selective High School over Fort Street because of its more convenient location.

Also, I don't think ranks really matter that much when you're in a selective school i.e. which selective school you end up going to doesn't really matter. Being in a selective school already gives you an advantage over many students in comprehensive schools and gives you a better chance/ability to achieve a high ATAR. Sure, it's good to attend a school like Baulkham Hills but it doesn't mean lower-ranked selective schools won't offer you a chance to excel the way Baulkham Hills would. Solely enrolling at Baulkham Hills doesn't mean you're guaranteed a high ATAR, it is about all the determination and effort you put into your studies throughout your final year of school. Your academic profile looks pretty good so I believe you will perform well regardless of which school you end up going to, provided you are determined and are regularly studying.

To sum up, taking into account travel time and your school rank priority, this is the list of schools I'd suggest you apply for:

1 - Baulkham Hills High School
2 - Girraween High School
3 - Penrith Selective High School


I hope this helps, good luck with your applications!

the difference between selective schools is huge.

 

[jimmysmith560]

the difference between selective schools is huge.

OP can still achieve a high 90's ATAR at any of those selective schools though.

 

[idkkdi]

OP can still achieve a high 90's ATAR at any of those selective schools though.

u can achieve a high 90's atar at any school lol.
but the score in the 90s and the % of people varies largely enough to be quite noticeable.

 

[jimmysmith560]

u can achieve a high 90's atar at any school lol.
but the score in the 90s and the % of people varies largely enough to be quite noticeable.

Yes, but this isn't particularly relevant to what I'm trying to say here.

I suggested that OP should place a bigger emphasis on location as travelling to a school that's far from where one lives can be quite tiring if done on a regular basis.

Considering OP's current academic abilities and assuming she will maintain the same habits going into Stage 6, she will most likely score an ATAR in the 90s regardless of the selective school she ends up attending, making the percentage aspect you mentioned insignificant in OP's case.

 

[idkkdi]

Yes, but this isn't particularly relevant to what I'm trying to say here.

I suggested that OP should place a bigger emphasis on location as travelling to a school that's far from where one lives can be quite tiring if done on a regular basis.

Considering OP's current academic abilities and assuming she will maintain the same habits going into Stage 6, she will most likely score an ATAR in the 90s regardless of the selective school she ends up attending, making the percentage aspect you mentioned insignificant in OP's case.

I was commenting on this:
" Also, I don't think ranks really matter that much when you're in a selective school i.e. which selective school you end up going to doesn't really matter. "

your above point is fair if she wants to score in the 90s. She can indeed score 90s regardless of the school she attends.

personally i don't think the travel distance vs school rank argument is as slanted towards travel distance as others think. From what I've seen, between ranks, the students behaviour varies a lot.
But to each their own.

 

[jimmysmith560]

I was commenting on this:
" Also, I don't think ranks really matter that much when you're in a selective school i.e. which selective school you end up going to doesn't really matter. "

your above point is fair if she wants to score in the 90s. She can indeed score 90s regardless of the school she attends.

personally i don't think the travel distance vs school rank argument is as slanted towards travel distance as others think. From what I've seen, between ranks, the students behaviour varies a lot.
But to each their own.

Fair enough, OP still has Baulkham Hills High School as her main choice so if she ends up getting accepted at Baulkham Hills she won't have to worry about any of this stuff considering she lives close to the school anyway.

 

[libestraumno3]

I think location is more important than the school itself. You mentioned that you're definitely applying for Baulkham Hills High School and Girraween High School which is good considering both schools are not far from you currently live. In terms of applying for Fort Street High School, you should consider travel time as the Hills area is quite far from Petersham - will you be able to cope with this on a daily basis? Based on this, I would prioritise Penrith Selective High School over Fort Street because of its more convenient location.

Also, I don't think ranks really matter that much when you're in a selective school i.e. which selective school you end up going to doesn't really matter. Being in a selective school already gives you an advantage over many students in comprehensive schools and gives you a better chance/ability to achieve a high ATAR. Sure, it's good to attend a school like Baulkham Hills but it doesn't mean lower-ranked selective schools won't offer you a chance to excel the way Baulkham Hills would. Solely enrolling at Baulkham Hills doesn't mean you're guaranteed a high ATAR, it is about all the determination and effort you put into your studies throughout your final year of school. Your academic profile looks pretty good so I believe you will perform well regardless of which school you end up going to, provided you are determined and are regularly studying.

To sum up, taking into account travel time and your school rank priority, this is the list of schools I'd suggest you apply for:

1 - Baulkham Hills High School
2 - Girraween High School
3 - Penrith Selective High School


I hope this helps, good luck with your applications!

thank you sm !

 

[jimmysmith560]

thank you sm !

No worries, all the best!

 

[Eagle Mum]

u can achieve a high 90's atar at any school lol.
but the score in the 90s and the % of people varies largely enough to be quite noticeable.

This may, in part, be a self reinforcing phenomena, whereby the most capable and motivated students aim for the higher ranking schools so these schools have their pick of the higher calibre students and maintain their high rank. On an individual level, travel distance has been/is the predominant determining factor for our family (my kids and my nephews). It’s not just that an extra two hours a day equates to 2400 hours over the six years of high school, but the energy drained by long daily commutes. The OP currently enjoys a wide range of extracurricular activities which may be very difficult to sustain if she has to commute several hours a day. FWIW, one of my nephews was offered a Yr 7 place at Penrith HS. He did a trial return trip by public transport from the Hills area to Penrith HS and decided he was better off going to his local school which is two minutes walk away.

 

[tito981]

you should apply for schools which are application only (no test) as the schools that have tests are significantly harder to get into as they normally accept 2-3 kids prior to year 11.