Hey everyone! I’m currently a freshman thinking about applying to Exeter, Lawrenceville, Choate, Loomis, and maybe a couple of other schools for sophomore year (Fall 2027). I’m a little stressed about admissions, especially essays and interviews, so I’d really appreciate some honest feedback!
Background
Applying for 10th-grade
Dad graduated from Phillips Academy Andover; mom graduated from Milton Academy
Both parents went to boarding schools and have encouraged me to look into similar environments
U.S. applicant; not pursuing athletic recruitment (not like i’m getting recruited anyways)
Academics
My current school has a pretty intense curriculum, and some courses are adapted from Exeter’s curriculum. Grades have definitely been an adjustment, and not many students maintain averages above a B. We also don’t give out A+'s.
History Course #1: A
English: B (teacher hates my writing style)
[] Studio Art: A
Geometry: B (I genuinely had to fight for this B)
French: B+ (college-level course)
History Course #2: A
[] Science: B
Random Tech Course: A
Grade 9 Seminar: A (basically a free A, though)
I know my grades aren’t exactly amazing for these schools, so I’m wondering how much they’ll hurt me, especially with the rest of my profile. I did take the SSAT, though, and received a 99th percentile. Will that outweigh my grades?
Extracurriculars
1. Debate & Competitive Speech
6–7 years of competitive debate experience
Ranked #10 nationally in my primary debate format and currently the highest-ranked freshman
Qualified for the Tournament of Champions (TOC)
Reached elimination rounds at multiple major national-circuit tournaments
Semifinalist at a major national invitational
Won multiple first-place speaker awards at regional and national-circuit tournaments
Invited to be a demonstration debater at statewide events
Judge novice, varsity, and open divisions
Compete independently, prep cases, and mentor younger debaters
Founded a free summer debate institute for middle schoolers from under-resourced communities (over 200 attendees!)
2. Athletics
Swimming
Varsity swimmer
Qualified for state championships in four individual events
Previously competed on a highly competitive club team
Won multiple regional meet medals
Training to become a certified swim official
Certified lifeguard (not sure if this belongs here, but including it anyway)
Soccer
Varsity soccer
Helped take a historically struggling team to an undefeated regular season and state qualification
Received a coaches’ award for leadership and contribution to team culture
Track & Field
Varsity track and field
Qualified for state championships in two events
Regional medalist in one event
Other
Volunteer assistant coach for a local youth sports program
Planning to try crew this spring
3. Founder & Executive Director, International Nonprofit
Founded an international, youth-led nonprofit focused on education and access to opportunities
Expanded outreach and programming to 25+ countries
Educational campaigns reached 600,000+ people
Built an online community of 5,000+ followers
Organized fundraising campaigns that raised $20,000+ for partner organizations
Established partnerships with community organizations across multiple countries
Recruited and managed an international executive team
Created a free educational resource library used by students internationally
Launched a youth ambassador program with local chapters
4. Public Speaking & Debate Education
Teach four public-speaking and debate courses every week
Have taught 100+ students
Designed original lesson plans and practice materials
Founded a free summer debate workshop for middle school students
Mentored novice debaters who later competed at regional tournaments
Invited to lead workshops at youth leadership events
5. Public Policy Research
Co-authored a research paper on youth civic engagement with a Yale university-affiliated mentor
Presented findings at a regional academic research symposium
Research interests include youth representation, education policy, and civic participation
National finalist in a student policy-essay competition
Selected for a competitive summer institute focused on public policy and leadership
Published an article on youth civic participation in a student research publication
6. Writing & Publishing
Received a Harvard-affiliated writing award for an essay exploring an original philosophical theory about ethics, society, and political decision-making
Published a book developing the theory further
Have continued writing about philosophy, politics, and questions about how society should be organized
I’m not all that boring though, I also wrote and published a dystopian novel (it became a #1 bestseller in its Amazon category)
7. Nonprofit Marketing & Civic Engagement
Director of Marketing at a major state-level nonprofit
Lead social media strategy, outreach campaigns, and communications
Event coordinator for a large student-led civic engagement organization
Helped coordinate a statewide youth civic engagement summit
Work with student organizers and community partners to increase participation in youth-led initiatives
8. Model UN & Mock Trial
Chaired committees at two Model UN conferences
Received Outstanding Delegate at a regional conference, a couple other MUN awards
Selected for a conference secretariat team
Mock Trial competitor
9. Entrepreneurship & Finance
Founder of a student-led social entrepreneurship project
Finalist in a youth social innovation competition
Developed a proposal for a scalable educational initiative
Member of Stock Market Club and Entrepreneurship Club
Participated in a student investment challenge
10. School Leadership & Service
School admissions ambassador
Student mentor for incoming students
Organized peer workshops on public speaking and student leadership
Volunteer tutor for younger students
Helped coordinate school-wide community service initiatives
Personal & Family Context
Dad attended Andover; mom attended Milton
Have visited several boarding-school campuses and am familiar with the general residential-school environment
Looking for a school with strong humanities, competitive debate, rigorous academics, and opportunities for independent research
I know I have a lot of different interests, but most of them connect back to debate, writing and public policy
Questions
How much would my parents’ Andover and Milton connections matter (if at all), especially at schools they didn’t attend?
How concerning are my grades, considering my school’s rigor? I know many of my ec’s revolve around English, so it may be weird that my English grade is lower than many others.
Does my extracurricular profile look too spread out, or is there a clear enough focus?
How important are essays and interviews compared with grades and test scores?
Are there major differences in 10th-grade admissions at Exeter, Lawrenceville, Choate, and Loomis?
Is there anything else I should focus on before applying?
Thanks!! I’m trying to be realistic about my chances, so feel free to be honest
Your ECs look quite strong & varied. You have an estimated 3.5 on a 4.0 GPA scale. I think your SSAT percentile should provide you with a boost. I think you’ll get admitted to several boarding schools.
Why aren’t you also applying to Andover & Milton? I would think the legacy parental connections would matter for these schools. Are your parents major donors? Would you be a full-pay student or need to rely on need-based or merit scholarships?
Hi! Just to clarify, the only sport I qualified for states in during 8th grade was track. This fall, I’ve been doing both swimming and soccer at the same time. My school’s athletic programs aren’t particularly strong historically, and after looking into the level of athletes who get recruited (and actually talking to a couple of coaches), I don’t think I’m quite at that level yet. I also don’t think i’ll be continuing all 3 of my sports next year, since athletics are extremely time consuming.
I’m not applying to Milton for personal reasons, and Andover doesn’t appeal to me quite as much as the other schools. Its student body is pretty large, and I’d prefer a medium-sized school. Exeter is an exception, though, since I have a few connections there and have been talking to a couple of teachers and there are things there that really interest me. I might still apply to Andover, but it’s currently more of a “maybe” school for me.
I haven’t completely ruled out Andover, but it’s more of a maybe for me right now. I’m looking for a medium-sized school, and Andover’s student body is a bit less appealing to me. Exeter is an exception because I already have a few connections there and have been talking to some teachers. I’m not applying to Milton for personal reasons, so I’d rather not get into too much detail about that.
As for legacy, I’m aware that my parents’ connections could be helpful, but I also want to choose schools based on fit. Regarding financial aid, my family would be full pay, and my parents are not major donors.
You’ve written quite a bit about your background, but not as much about why you want to go to Boarding School and why you’d like to go to these schools beyond that you want a medium-sized school. How much thought have you give to this? AOs will ask you quite directly, so it’s important to have a thoughtful answer.
Why aren’t you applying to Milton? It’s a competitive medium-sixed school similar to Lawrenceville or Choate in many ways. I also think that if Exeter is in the mix then you should also consider Andover given your legacy status.
Based on your research, which schools have the best debate programs?
I also think that you have a shot at many of these schools, but don’t really understand the motivation yet.
Obviously these are the big names, feels natural to want to be connected to them lol. You’re varsity in 3 different sports I really dont understand why wouldnt you apply as a recruit considering that seems to be a big strength in what you’ve provided us, don’t stress out too much about BS apps, you’ll mentally drain yourself out if you constantly think about what the outcomes going to be, enjoy the process because trust me you will miss it, and last thing listen to Mr.IndySceptic, provides debatebly the best advice, it may seem harsh and meaning to make you feel bad, but eventually you realize everything they are saying is valid advice, and that you should follow, and please don’t let the schools you get in and don’t get into affect how you feel, specially if you don’t get into a school where you are legacy at (trust me I have been at this spot).
Your parents’ connections to Andover and Milton Academy are not relevant, but their boarding school experience is as it suggests that you should be comfortable in a boarding school environment.
Your grades in English (B) and Geometry (B) will get attention, but your SSAT composite score of 99 should remove any concerns regarding ability so motivation may become an issue.
Based on your listed activities, you are a well rounded individual.
Do not underestimate the importance of being a certified lifeguard.
Teaching and tutoring are both attractive activities.
Interviews are important, as are teacher recs, to gauge an applicant’s maturity level and to address issues not fully explained in one’s application. Such issues might include explanations for B grades for a 99th% SSAT applicant, why you want to attend boarding school, and to elaborate on your activities.
Because you are a well rounded applicant athletically, academically, and with respect to public speaking/debate/writing, you should be given very strong consideration for admission to all of your listed boarding schools.
Additional schools to consider might be Deerfield Academy and St. Paul’s School.
I disagree with this. In an Andover and Exeter context at least.
If OP’s a legacy at Andover, and if they apply to both, they won’t be accepted at Exeter. Waitlisted at best, and then have crawl through broken glass to prove that they really really want to go (“Only applied to Andover because my parents made me”). They believe the kid won’t come. We were told that in “off the record” discussions with both schools (“Seen it too many times”).
If they only apply to Exeter and make it clear that they aren’t applying to Andover, then it’s open season. I don’t know how they feel about legacies from other schools, but I suspect similar approaches are taken.
OP, at least at this time, does not plan to apply to Andover.
OP asked about relevancy of his parent’s connection to Andover with respect to his applications to other boarding schools. Not relevant beyond the fact that OP’s family has familiarity with boarding school experience.
Heyy I’m also applying as a 10th grader for a lot of boarding schools and I was wondering how you prepared for the ssat. My verbal is terrible and I’m really reconsidering if I should apply.
Aside from reading SSAT - prep school :) - #6 by enewton and/or starting your own thread, you should research boarding schools well beyond the GLADCHEMMS.
There are many wonderful prep schools out there. One should worry less about the SSAT and expend more time finding schools that fit who you are.