<p>Groton applicants for 8th grade are competing for very few spots with the children of the Groton faculty; it is unclear how many “real” openings there actually are, and siblings may get an advantage. Check the admission statistics for Groton on the CC thread “admitted students”, I think there was one admission we heard about, don’t remember if they had a hook.</p>
<p>For 9th grader, the dual citizenship from Sweden may help, it is an uncommon country for applicants, so make sure to mention it. Sailing is not a common BS sport, but tennis will help; you may want to send a DVD of athletic performance in a game. Realize you may well be competing against national champions for admission, so be careful with the “gifted athlete” phrase. Guitar is not likely to contribute to the orchestras either. </p>
<p>Know a lot about each school, they will ask why you want to attend that particular school. Do your homework. If the kids are rusty with Americanisms, have them practice a bit with people here, explaining what’s special about them, and why specifically it will be a good match for that school.</p>
<p>Please realize that for every student admitted, 7 or 8 more extremely well qualified students are turned down to most of the schools you list. IMHO, full pay does not significantly help. Increase the number of “safeties” if you do not have a good local back-up plan.</p>
<p>And yes, they sound like awesome kids. Congratulations.</p>