Chance Me For Boarding Schools

GideonM
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:42:07 +0000

Hello!

I understand that predicting my chances of admission to Phillips Academy (Andover), Choate Rosemary, and The Lawrenceville School can be difficult. However, if someone could provide me with an estimation of my chances for admission, I would greatly appreciate it. For your reference, I am applying for the 9th grade.

Here is a summary of my whole application:

Ethnicity, race, gender:

I am a male of Russian and Middle Eastern descent. I live in the UAE, and my parents are from Turkmenistan and Israel.

Extracurricular Activities:

Regarding my extracurricular activities, I was a member of an advanced math club and a swimming team in Russia. Although it may seem like a lack of extracurricular activities, opportunities for such activities were scarce in Russia.

Grades:

While in Russia, I attended an advanced math school and managed to maintain straight As in all subjects except for Geography, where I received a B. However, in Russian schools, a B in one subject is okay since the curriculum doesn’t offer any electives, and all classes are mandatory. Later on, after moving to Dubai, I enrolled in an American school where I continued to achieve straight As in all subjects except for PE, where I got a B. Similar to my Russian schools, my school in Dubai doesn’t use the plus or minus grading system.

Achievements:

1. For the academic year 2023-2024, I was selected to be a member of the Dubai American Academy’s Middle School Innovation Robotics Team, which required passing a rigorous selection process.

2. During the academic year of 2023-2024, I moved from a school in Moscow, where I was in 6th grade, to Dubai American Academy, where I joined the 8th grade. While this may not be considered a significant achievement, I am proud to say that I got into 8th grade based on my excellent performance on the CAT test.

3. I won the prize for the All-Russian Olympiad of Schoolchildren in English Language in 2022.

4. All-Russian Olympiad of schoolchildren in Mathematics, 2020 prize winner. It’s a tough competition. For instance, I would have qualified for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) if I were a bit older (9th grade).

Passion Project:

I am developing an iOS app called ‘Sustainable Citizens’ for COP28. For your information, COP28 is a UN conference on climate change.

Recommendations:

1. Math: My math teacher has informed me that she would write an outstanding recommendation for me. I am taking Integrated Math 1. It’s considered highest-level math course in Grade 8 and an honors course.

2. English: My English Language Arts teacher will likely write a positive recommendation for me. I actively engage in class discussions and work diligently in her classes. Additionally, she can see that I am making good progress in English as a non-native speaker.

3. Third Teacher (Choate only): I expect the third teacher’s recommendation to be excellent. I consistently receive high grades in this teacher’s subject and demonstrate a keen interest in the subject matter.

4. Personal: My aunt, who knows me well, wrote my recommendation. It should be great.

5. Counselor: I am unsure about my counselor’s recommendation since she doesn’t know me well. However, I believe that she has a positive impression of me based on the information she has.

Legacy:

I don’t have a legacy.

Test Scores:

My MAP test scores were in the 99th percentile for Math and Language Usage and 95th and 93rd percentiles for reading and science.

On the ISEE, I scored in the 98th percentile for Math Achievement, 92nd percentile for Reading Comprehension, 90th percentile for Quantitative Reasoning, and 76th percentile for Verbal Reasoning.

My TOEFL IBT scores were 110/120: 30/30 in Reading and Listening, 28/30 in Writing, and 22/30 in Speaking.

Interviews:

It’s difficult for me to determine the outcome of my interviews, even though I think they went well.

Volunteering:

In Russia, I helped an orphanage by purchasing clothes and toys as gifts for the New Year. In Dubai, I offer free math tutoring to my classmates whenever possible. Additionally, I created a TikTok channel to share fun math content with my classmates, hoping to spark their interest in the subject.

Short Answers and Essays:

I believe I have written a well-developed essay about my experience with self-censorship in Russia. Additionally, my short answers seem to be well-written too.

Additional Information:

By the way, I want to let you know that English is not my native language. I was born and raised in Russia and have only lived in Dubai for a few months.Dubai is the first city I have lived in where the society primarily speaks English.

All in all, thank you for any assistance you can provide, and best of luck to everyone applying to these schools and others!