Hi! I’m an international student from Korea applying to Andover, Exeter, and Groton for 9th grade entry in Fall 2026. I know these schools are very selective, but due to personal and academic reasons, I can only apply to these three. I’ll also need financial aid.
Part of the reason is because I also need to prepare for high school entrance here in case I don’t get accepted, which is probably, so I don’t have the time or energy to apply to more schools. Don’t get me wrong, I really to dream of going to a boarding school. On top of that, this process is very new and overwhelming to navigate alone, so I decided to focus on the schools I truly want to attend and that I was recommended.
I go to a Korean public school (not international), and I’m female. We don’t have advanced or honors courses in our system, but I’ve consistently gotten all As (over 90–95%) in academic subjects. I got a B in music and P.E. last semester (we only had one singing and one basketball assignment for each). Could this be a minus for me?
Activities:
Member of school broadcasting club (most selective at my school)
Founded and lead an “Advanced Science Club” (that’s the name)
Figure skated for 5 years; certified by Korea Skating Union (not applying as athlete)
Youth Municipal Policy Advisory Committee (appointed by mayor) for a year
Awards/Other:
Certified in Chinese characters (national)
Taekwondo poom(which is like a degree of some sort) rank (national certificate)
Placed 3rd–4th in large private institute-run competitions (debate, TOEFL, essay writing)
Multiple school-level awards for academics, art, and conduct
Participated in a camp hosted by a top publisher in Korea with MIT students, although I don’t know if this matters.
I know my application isn’t the strongest, but I’d really appreciate a reality check. Could anyone chance me or possibly match me? Also—can I include older certificates/awards from 5–7 years ago in the awards section? Do I need to list exact dates? Any advice would be so helpful. Thank you!
One’s SSAT score is an important part of the application process. To be a competitive applicant for Andover, Exeter, or Groton, a very high score is expected. Without a current SSAT score, nobody can chance you based on the information shared by you in this thread.
Thank you for your response. I understand that the SSAT is important, but I was hoping for a some constructive perspective on the other parts of my profile in the meantime. Still, I appreciate your advice, thank you
I think your background sounds excellent - not only academically prepared, but also some interesting extra-curriculars and obviously a great attitude/humility plus organizational skill and self-drive. Your SSATs, if equally excellent, will be a very important factor.
Thank you so much for your kind words and advices. By any chance would you know if I include older certificates/awards from 5–7 years ago in the awards section as well as if I need to list exact dates? Thank you again in advance
I was trying to be polite, but I just don’t see much in your profile that would be attractive to the best boarding schools in the world.
P.S. Once you have received an actual SSAT score, you can better gauge if your three desired schools (Andover, Exeter, & Groton) are possibilities.
Did you just pick the top 3 schools as listed by Niche ?
What are the academic reasons that limit you to applying to just Andover, Exeter, & Groton ?
Are you aware of the intense academic intensity of these three schools ? This should be given attention regarding mental health issues which arise due to the intense academic environment.
Thank you for your honesty and for taking the time to reply to my thread again—you really didn’t have to. I also think highly of your effort to be polite; it’s not always easy to be both honest and kind.
I came here for feedback and different perspectives. Thanks to you, I’ll keep up my good work, and I’m sure the admissions team is looking for potential, not perfection! Most applicants are still just middle or high schoolers anyway.
No need to remind me—I know my application isn’t the strongest (yet!), and there are many applicants way ahead of me. But thank you again for your time and input. I’ll be focusing my energy on more helpful and positive conversations—because we could all use a little hope here, you know?
Also, personally, I really believe in trying. The process matters just as much—if not more—than the results. At least, that’s how I see it.
Wishing you the best too, and thank you again!
Edit: I’m so sorry—I didn’t see those questions down below earlier.
To clarify, I didn’t just pick these schools from a ranking list. I researched each one thoroughly and chose them because they align with what I’m looking for both academically and personally. I briefly mentioned some of those academic reasons in my original post, and frankly, I don’t feel the need to justify my choices beyond that.
Wow, you seem like an extremely qualified applicant WAY MORE qualified than me.
I am not exactly one to chance but just put in the effort and I hope we both get our desired results! PS: I hope we can also work together during this process I’ll message you some of my stats and we can go on from there.
Or 14, or 15, or…anybody.
That was badly played. The kid said why she was applying there. She has to prepare for her exams to get into (probably really good) schools at home, so she’s shooting her shot at the places she likes best. Fully sensible.
Remember to see you are wanting to join a community. When applying and writing about why X school, and If you zoom interview or best, get to visit in person, share in your conversation how much you have learned about what goes on, how you can add to the community of learners and appreciate what their is to experience while attending.
These three schools care about yield too. They want to know how and why you really really like ‘said school’.
This is a great point.
You really need to be specific about why that particular school in each response and interaction with them. The good news is watching their videos and studying the sites gives you all the info you need.
Example: for Exeter, you have to reference the Harkness method and why it’s a fit for you all over the application. For Andover, you have to somehow demonstrate being a kind, supportive leader that gets as much satisfaction from helping others achieve as your own achievements (“kind” is an Andover buzzword, and a legit characterization of the school’s ethos). For Groton, I dunno. Episcopalian morals and virtues?
Point is, be specific about how that school fits you uniquely and how you uniquely for the school.
Thank you so much for your advice and guidance! I’ll definitely keep that in mind as I continue working on my applications and interviews. I really appreciate your insight—it’s helping me understand how to approach this whole process more thoughtfully.
