Chance Me - Applying 10th Grade

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Hi! I’m currently a 9th grader at a prep/boarding school in NY and am considering applying to a few schools for 10th grade. I’d really appreciate honest feedback on my profile, not just whether I’m “competitive,” but what parts of my application stand out, what might hold me back, and what kinds of schools I should realistically be looking at. I know 10th grade admissions are significantly more difficult than 9th grade admissions, especially without being a recruited athlete.

For some context, I attend a prep school that is generally considered quite strong (around T20–T30 depending on the ranking), but there are a lot of limitations on what students can start or participate in. For example, we don’t have debate, FBLA, NSDA, or several other programs, and students aren’t really allowed to create them independently. I’m considering applying out to a few schools, although I’m honestly not sure whether I would attend even if accepted. I mainly want to get a realistic sense of my chances and whether applying is worth it. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I stayed at my current school.

My tentative list is: Choate, Loomis, Porter’s, Lawrenceville, Groton, and Deerfield. I chose these based on a combination of factors including school size (preferably small–medium), location (ideally within ~3 hours of where I live), T20 college maltricuration, and opportunities/prestige. The two schools that i’d like to attend the most are Groton and Porter’s because of their size. I’m a bit iffy on Porter’s though, since it is ranked under my school, but it’s closer to where I live.

I know it’s difficult to chance someone without actual grades, but I’d estimate around an A- average for this upcoming year. My average last year was around an A.

My estimated SSAT score based on practice tests is around the 94th percentile. I may or may not submit my actual score depending on how I perform.

Basic Information

  • Current grade: 9th
  • Applying for: 10th grade
  • Location: New England, U.S.
  • Gender: Female
  • Academic interests: Political Science, Business, Law
  • Long-term interests: Political Science/Business in college, potentially combined with a double major in Biology (or minor but i’m not exactly sure how that works), and eventually law school

I’m leaving out some more specific information for privacy reasons, but I’ve tried to include the parts that are most relevant to the past year. I’ll give more context where useful and leave out identifying details where I can.

I don’t know if this is helpful but I consider myself to be a good writer and decently good at interviews.

Extracurriculars

Debate
2× state champion + 1× state finalist (2nd place) in middle school; 1× state champion + 1st-place speaker in a different state (NY circut) in high school. Have a strong record at some major tournaments, including a Yale tournament, and have won some well-known international tournaments. I also mentor younger debaters and compete in 5+ formats.

Founder & Executive Director — Youth-Led Girls’ Leadership Organization
Founded and run a girls’ empowerment organization focused on leadership education, events, classes/lessons, and a podcast. ~50 executive team members across 20+ countries and 20+ U.S. states, with 8+ chapters internationally. 100k+ social media reach and 1.5k+ Instagram followers. Have also been invited to participate in UN-related opportunities and have spoken at several events. Affiliated with a bunch of other NGO’s because of this as well.

Public Speaking Teacher & Marketing/Social Media Director — Youth Leadership Organization
Student-led nonprofit connecting K–12 students with mentors across multiple states and countries. Offers free classes, events, competitions, and homework help. I teach public speaking and help with marketing and social media.

Director of Partnerships & Outreach / Former AI & Finance Researcher — Youth Finance/Education Organization
Another international youth-led organization focused on financial education. I currently work in partnerships/outreach and previously worked on AI/finance-related research.

Director of Events — Youth Civic Action Organization
Student-led nonprofit focused on youth advocacy and civic engagement. Helped with events and outreach; organization has raised $13.7k+, had 1.6k+ students attend events, and generated 50k+ social media impressions.

Athletics
Swim, XC, and track, with various state-level achievements in each. I used to be particularly strong in one of these sports and potentially could have been recruited for 9th grade, but I had to leave my club team because of scheduling conflicts and realistically can’t return to that level now. I’ve qualified for states in all three. I’ve been getting into golf/crew recently, but we’ll see how that goes.

Other Academic Awards + ECs
8th Grade Student Council President, Cambridge Essay Competition winner, 1st place at a state language competition, Rotary Essay Competition winner, plus several other essay competition awards. I also did a number of STEM-related activities in middle school, including some that reached the international level, and held leadership roles such as school ambassador/equity officer.

Outside of that, I play piano and violin and am currently attempting to learn singing (with mixed results lol). I’ve done some music outreach and am also on my church’s worship team. I also do content creation as a fun side hobby.

Miscellaneous Fun Facts

  • I speak, read, and write English, French, Spanish, and Mandarin.
  • I can read Ukrainian but don’t really understand it.
  • I have some knowledge of a Japanese dialect and can understand it, although I can’t really read it aloud in Japanese.
  • I know some German and Russian as well, although I wouldn’t consider myself fluent.
  • I’m more of a public speaker than a traditional debater, but I haven’t been able to compete in NSDA speech events because none of my schools have had an NSDA membership.
  • I love cats and basically all animals. I also dogsit/catsit, which is probably not particularly impressive but I’m putting it here anyway lol.
  • I’m planning to join some more niche school clubs this year related to my interests and hopefully take on meaningful roles in them.
  • I currently also do some things/youth council work with labs at Yale and a well-known international history institute but i’m not sure if that’s particularly stand-outish. I’m also trying to have some of my writing published right now.

What I’d especially appreciate feedback on:

  1. How realistic are these schools for a 10th-grade applicant with my profile?
  2. Which parts of my application would you consider my biggest strengths/weaknesses?
  3. Does the fact that my current school doesn’t offer debate/FBLA/etc. meaningfully help explain my extracurricular profile? Again, i’ll try to join some more clubs/activities this year in my school.
  4. Would applying to all of these schools be reasonable, or should I narrow the list?
  5. How much would a ~94th percentile SSAT help/hurt me if I submit it?
  6. If you were in my position, what would you focus on improving during 9th grade?

I think that’s it!

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When Should I Go Off to Boarding School? by R. Kennedy

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Huh? The premise of that article is incorrect.

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Comments like these indicate the writer is unfamiliar with his subject:

The most common entry point for American college prep boarding schools is 10th grade.

…

Most schools follow the Advanced Placement or AP program.

…

Most prep schools take in a much smaller number of students in 9th grade than they do in 10th grade.

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Also:

most boarding schools will offer ten to fifteen AP subjects

10th grade is also a sensible entry point at boarding schools that offer the IB or International Baccalaureate programme. The IB programme has many program-specific features, and it is best to start at least by 10th grade.

My God, what an ill-informed article

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I find this the most interesting/impressive item in your list. :smiling_cat_with_heart_eyes:

Everything in your post indicates you should stay at your current school. None of the reasons you list for leaving will impress any of the schools you’re considering applying to. If your current HS is strong and you avail yourself of what it does offer and do well, your college options and lifetime opportunities will not differ from any of the boarding schools on your list.

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I too find this the most interesting/impressive item. Even though I’ve never owned a cat. Or a dog.

Perhaps OP’s passion for debate is strong enough to consider looking elsewhere. But, if that’s the case, why did they not consider this before applying for 9th grade?

Starting at a new school thinking of transferring elsewhere makes it really difficult to fully immerse yourself in your current school.

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I also want to emphasize that, beyond the school not offering debate—which is a major passion of mine—it also does not offer several other competitive clubs and programs that I am interested in, such as FBLA and History Day. Again, I understand that it is not the end of the world if I do not have access to these opportunities, but I do not want to spend my entire high school career wondering, “What if I had done FBLA? Would I have qualified for an international competition?” It feels like I would be giving up opportunities that I know I am capable of pursuing and would genuinely enjoy.

Before I even started at my current school, I actually came in thinking that I could create some of these opportunities myself. I spoke with classmates I met after revisit and during the summer and proposed starting a debate club. Unfortunately, the school ultimately said no. I understand that there are reasons schools cannot accommodate every extracurricular idea, but it was disappointing because debate is something I have already invested years in and genuinely care about.

The same concern extends to some of the academic opportunities available at my school. We do not offer AP courses; instead, we have our own advanced-course system. Students can and often do self-study for AP exams, but the school limits students to six advanced courses, and we are generally encouraged to take AP exams that correspond with the advanced courses we take. From what I have learned by speaking with alumni, many of the students who have matriculated to Ivy League schools had to be very proactive in creating opportunities outside of school. Most of their strongest extracurriculars were not school-based, and I have even heard stories of students encountering pushback when trying to take additional AP exams or pursue opportunities outside the school’s established structure. That makes me wonder whether I would be better served by a school with more flexibility and a broader range of opportunities built into its environment.

I also want to consider the financial aspect. My parents currently pay around $80,000 per year for my tuition. This is financially possible for my family, but it is still a significant expense and a strain that we have consciously chosen to take on. Because of that, I want to make sure that the money is going toward an experience where I can take advantage of as many opportunities as possible and really make the most of my high school experience. If we are making that kind of financial commitment, I want to feel that I am getting an education that gives me room to explore my interests rather than limiting some of the things I already know I want to pursue.

Another factor is college matriculation. My current school has strong college outcomes, but its recent matriculation is concentrated primarily around schools like Cornell and NYU. Both are excellent universities, but they are not necessarily the schools I currently aspire to attend. Obviously, I know I am young and my college preferences may change significantly over the next few years, but if I had to name my current top three, they would probably be Yale, Georgetown, and Barnard. In the past four years, no students from my school have gone to Yale or Georgetown, and only one or two have gone to Barnard. I do not expect any school to guarantee admission to a particular college, but I would like to be in an environment where students regularly pursue a broad range of highly selective colleges and where I feel that my ambitions are supported.

I also want to clarify the timeline around considering debate before 9th grade. This was something I did consider, but my circumstances were a little different than they might sound. When I was applying for 9th grade, I initially only applied to one school. I then applied to the school I currently attend largely because a close family friend attended and encouraged me to apply. At the time, I genuinely did not expect to get into or attend a prep school. I was waitlisted at the first school I applied to, and since my current school was a better option than my local public school, my parents and I ultimately agreed that it made sense to attend.

I am also not approaching this as though my current school has been a bad experience. Quite the opposite: I genuinely love the people and teachers here, and I would say the academics and community are unmatched. Athletics are a whole different story, lol, but overall I am very happy here. I would be completely okay with staying for all four years. I am not trying to leave because I dislike the school or because I think another school would automatically make me more successful.

I think the real issue is that I am genuinely torn. There are meaningful pros and cons to both choices, and I honestly do not know what the right decision is. Part of me thinks that I am already here, I love the people, and I could have a great high school experience if I stayed. Another part of me keeps wondering whether I would regret not taking the opportunity to attend a school with more of the programs, flexibility, and opportunities that I am looking for. I don’t want to sound indecisive, but I am indecisive because I think both options could be genuinely good for me. At this point, the question is less do I like my current school? —because I absolutely do—and more would I regret not finding out what could have been?

(I’m so sorry for the literal essay)

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What do your parents say about this?

Also, if you value APs, you’ll need to take Choate off your list. Unless things have changed since our son graduated, Choate does not formally offer an AP curriculum. As I always post on this topic, I don’t believe APs have any place in good boarding schools as these are the schools the APs were designed, in part, to measure against. I sent my kiddo to BS to avoid scripted teach-to-a-test curriculums; he could get that, in spades, at our local schools. Also, at BS, it’s generally the teachers who draw the short straw who end up in those boring classrooms; the best teachers do not want to waste their time and talents on APs. Choate only started offering an AP curriculum in response to parental pressure and later eliminated it after (re)educating parents on why it is unnecessary at a school whose rigor the colleges know well and whose regular curriculum is far richer, deeper, and more challenging. I scratch my head trying to understand why on earth anyone would dumb-down their experience at BS with AP classes that they could take at home. BS students can sit for any AP test they want if they want the credit and are applying to colleges that accept them, but the fact that some of the more selective colleges are questioning their value or not giving credit for them speaks volumes to me about their worth. I say if you want to load up on AP classes, you’ve missed the boat on what a BS education is all about.

Waiting for @skieurope to help you understand that colleges accept students, not boarding schools. From what you’ve described, your high school will not in any way make you less attractive to any college to which you apply.

If your parents are on board, go ahead and apply to other schools. Can’t hurt, but I don’t see any real value to a transfer, and I’m betting your reasons aren’t going to appear “meaningful” to other schools.

Stay where you are very happy. Your entire life, you will make decisions where you will never know what the alternate path would have been – jobs, marriage, house purchases, children, etc. That’s just the way life goes on this planet. Regret over expensive boarding schools choices will not seem meaningful in the rearview mirror.

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I heard my name.

Admissions officers admit people, not high school pedigree. While prestigious boarding schools boast exceptional academics, personal growth opportunities, and strong counseling, competitive private and public schools provide those exact same benefits. Additionally, boarding school matriculation data can be misleading: it is often heavily inflated by hooked applicants (recruited athletes, legacy students, faculty children), and fully 50% of students at top-tier institutions like Deerfield or Choate will fall in the lower half of their graduating class. While their outcomes remain strong, they aren’t automatically bound for Yale or Barnard. The right choice ultimately hinges on personal fit and broader individual goals.

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Elite Private High Schools Serve as ‘Feeder System’ Into Top Colleges (2002)

Is it still true, 25 years later?

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I’m not engaging with a 25-year-old article on this topic. While higher education usually moves at a glacial pace, the admissions landscape has shifted dramatically. Gone are the days when an Exeter college counselor could simply call up Harvard with a list of students to admit. Parents and applicants today need to be extremely cautious when hiring high-priced private counselors who rely on their past experience as Ivy League admissions officers from a generation ago.

Do elite boarding schools still send plenty of students to top universities? Absolutely, for all the reasons I outlined previously. But are their raw admission numbers for HYPSM lower than they were a decade ago? Without a doubt.

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Even 25 years ago, boarding schools were not feeders as is commonly understood. Maybe 60 years ago. But not 25 years ago.

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So my two cents is if some activity being available is important enough to you, then it is OK to transfer for that reason, but obviously it better be REALLY important.

And one good test of how important it is would be if you would be happy transferring to a “lower ranked” school than your current one, as long as it has your activity available. I note I am not particularly a fan of generic school rankings to begin with, but to the extent you have some in mind, this litmus test may help you clarify your thinking.

And I am not saying you can’t think that way. Indeed, I know about plenty of kids who, say, got serious enough about a certain sport they transferred to a school that was very good for that sport. And the exact generic ranking of that school was not particularly important to them.

But if you would not consider choosing another school in that way in order to get this activity in your life, well, I think you might want to reflect on what that means about how important it really is to you.

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No. This is not still true.

And after COVID-19 it has become even more unpredictable.

My perspective is as a parent of a student at a “top college”. Or at least, it’s one mentioned in thearticle you cited, and it made it onto U.S. News top 10 best “National Liberal Arts Colleges”. My kid did go to private high school - one of hidden gems, not one of the “elite” ones.

Thank you for clarifying @non_scholae . I don’t think that it’s a horrible idea to apply for admissions elsewhere, just one that you should weigh. My POV: my cookiecrumb was satisfied with her boarding school, and it happened to be the best choice for our family. However, cookiecrumb was not as satisfied with the college she went to freshman year, and successfully transferred to another college for sophomore year that she had previously been waitlisted at. Her first college was a good fit with her personality, but lacked some things (academically) that were important to her (both subjects and pedagogically).

Good luck!

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