By Maddy Gilner ’22, News Reporter
To repeat or not to repeat? That is the question that many students must ask themselves before coming to Mercersburg. If deciding to repeat a grade in order to get into Mercersburg, a student can expect a fairly unique experience. After all, being a year older than most of one’s classmates could be a difficult adjustment. Another worry for many repeaters is the possible embarrassment tied to assumptions about a do-over.
Eliza DuBose ’20, for example, said that she thought a major drawback to repeating a grade would be “the stigma that I thought might come with that.” She soon found out that that was not the case at all. Indeed, her fears of ostracization “turned out to be a complete non-issue.” So many people repeat here that it’s just part of the culture. In fact, according to Senior Associate Director of Admission Zach Swope, up to 15 percent of students entering Mercersburg repeat a year. There really is no stigma.
Even if there are a few cons, why would a student be asked to repeat in the first place? Swope said there were quite a few possibilities. “For some, I think the academic benefit is far away the best one they walk away with.” This was DuBose’s main reason to repeat. She came to Mercersburg from a school whose courses were very different from the standard curriculum. This meant that she didn’t have the academic credits to get into eleventh grade—she would have to repeat tenth. She said that she’s glad that she made that decision, though, because it allowed her to spend more time at Mercersburg and make “some of the closest friends I’ve had in my entire life.”
Another possibility has to do with student’s age and maturity level. A student much younger than most classmates, for instance, might be asked to repeat in order to make sure that they’re on the same developmental level as their peers. Swope said, “Having another year to mature and develop is really beneficial.” On a similar note, sometimes a student will most benefit athletically and physically by repeating. With another year to grow and train, that student can become a better athlete.
For Jack Quagliaroli ’23, a combination of factors contributed to his decision. His adviser recommended that he repeat in order to improve both his GPA and his soccer skills. Quagliaroli could become a D3 soccer player. “Repeating would give me another year to develop my skills and my body, especially with the competition we play here,” he said. Quagliaroli can, however, identify some cons that have come with repeating. For instance, many of his friends back home are juniors and seniors, which can make it more difficult to keep those friendships strong. And because he’s already completed tenth grade, some of his courses contain topics he’s already learned. Nevertheless, Quagliaroli believes that repeating will positively affect him in the long term. He’s grateful for the new friendships that he has started to foster at Mercersburg. “There are people here that I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t repeat, and so I’m glad I got to know them because of it,” he said.
A hidden benefit to repeating, according to Swope, is just having more time. Time can seem a bit crunched at Mercersburg (that’s the understatement of the year), and therefore it can be difficult for many to truly find themselves and their direction. Having that extra year allows students to discover themselves and their interests. Swope said that even he wasn’t sure who he wanted to be when he graduated high school, and he thinks that having a student repeat can be very beneficial for discovering that.
Sarah Noorbakhsh ’21 agrees that having an extra year has been a great benefit to her. She said that it was very important to have “four years away from home before college and to get the full Mercersburg experience.” As a dancer, Noorbakhsh wanted to have another year of competitive dance in her hometown but also be a four-year senior here. Repeating has allowed her to get the best of both worlds—freshman year back home and the four-year boarding experience. Noorbakhsh also said she’s glad she could have another year because it would allow her to grow and mature. Her verdict on repeating? “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”