That was an error; please disregard. Thanks.
Boarding school seems like a great option for you, but I think that you are applying to too many schools based on your accomplishments & intellect.
HADES is an acronym for Hotchkiss, Andover, Deerfield, Exeter, & St. Paul’s School. Groton, although small, is academically challenging for almost all students.
The largest elite boarding schools are Andover, Exeter, Choate, Deerfield , & Lawrenceville. None are 100% boarding if that is an important factor to you.
My assumption is that you want to place yourself in a very challenging environment with other highly intelligent & motivated students. If accurate, then I do not understand a few of the schools on your list, but I also do not know your local options.
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I will definitely be retaking the SAT as I am aiming for Ivies and T20s, and I have pretty much finalized on my list and I likely won’t be applying to other magnet or private schools. Thank you, though!
I understand that my list may seem like a lot, but I am definitely trying to expand my options, and I want to maximize at least one acceptance, and as you likely already know, there is nothing certain about these applications, so I am trying to have a large-ish list.
Also, would winning the Caroline D. Bradley scholarship have a positive impact on my applications? Along with that, what are the weaknesses of my profile that I can realistically try to fix before it appears rushed? Thank you guys!
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I believe my resume may be unclear or inflated, so here is the edited and revised edition. Sorry!
Hi all, please chance me for GLADCHEMMS, Loomis Chaffee, Taft, Blair, concord, and Peddie.
Demographics: Full pay, upper-middle class, black female, from North Texas.
STUDENT PROFILE / RESUME
Middle School Student | Mathematics • Investing & Economics • STEM • Music • Leadership
Grades:
6th grade, all A’s or A+
7th grade, all A+
8th grade (all 100s as of right now, but the school year has only just started)
ACADEMICS
- SAT: 1480 (760 Math, 720 Reading & Writing)
- AMC 8: 17/25
- State standardized mathematics assessment: 100th percentile
- State standardized assessment: 99th percentile
- Member of a selective academic talent program
- Recipient of a national academic talent recognition
- Member of a selective gifted-student academic program
AWARDS & HONORS
- 4th Place National — Investment Writing Competition
- National academic talent recognition / SET-level award
- U.S. Department of Education President’s Education Award
- Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship — Finalist
- 2nd Place — District Volleyball Championship
MATHEMATICS
- Advanced mathematics coursework and independent study
- Strong interest in mathematical problem-solving and higher-level mathematics
- Preparing for additional national mathematics competitions
INVESTING & ECONOMICS
-
**Author — **
- Created an independent educational guide explaining stock-market concepts to younger students.
-
4th Place National — Investment Writing Competition
-
Independent study of investing, financial markets, and behavioral economics.
-
Developing a research paper investigating the extent to which behavioral biases contribute to persistent mispricing.
-
Interested in the Efficient Market Hypothesis, behavioral finance, and the work of researchers including Richard Thaler and Daniel Kahneman.
STEM & RESEARCH
- Developing independent research in behavioral investing/economics.
- Exploring biomedical engineering and medical research.
- Interested in experimental research, scientific communication, and student research publication.
- Exploring the intersection of mathematics, technology, finance, and biomedical engineering.
MUSIC
Classical Cello
Advanced Intermediate Cellist | 2024–Present
- Approximately 8 hours/week of study and practice.
- Preparing for chamber music participation.
- Developing classical repertoire alongside independently selected pieces.
Piano
Advanced Piano Study | 2018–Present
- Approximately 8 hours/week of study and practice.
- Long-term classical piano training and performance development.
ATHLETICS
Volleyball
- Middle-school team member
- 2nd Place, District Championship
- Played libero and later transitioned to outside hitter.
Track & Field
- Middle-school track team member
LEADERSHIP
Student Council
Grade-Level Representative
- Represented classmates in student-government activities.
National Junior Honor Society
Leadership
NJHS President
Selected member of PALs at my school
- Pursuing student leadership and service responsibilities.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
Tutoring Business
- Developing an independent tutoring business as a middle-school student.
- Created a website and explored methods for organizing and providing academic tutoring.
ENRICHMENT
Future Entrepreneurship & Leadership Program
Participant | Summer 2026
- Participated in a selective entrepreneurship and leadership program focused on problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.
INTERESTS
Mathematics • Behavioral Economics • Investing • Biomedical Engineering • Scientific Research • Cello • Piano • Volleyball • Entrepreneurship • Writing
Teacher Recommendations
As the school year just begun, my recommendations are looking like this:
Math: Had as a teacher for just this year, but known since last year, my recommendations should be okay as he is also the director of PAL at my school.
English: My English teacher has also known me since last year but I think she would write a pretty strong recommendation as she is the director of NJHS at my school and she has already appreciated me being president of that.
Third teacher (for a few schools only): History: I would definetly recieve a strong rec from her as I had this teacher last year and she also wrote my CDB scholarship recommendation, and I have no doubt she will write me a good one.
Personal: I am still not sure who should write this: any ideas?
Special interest: My orchestra teacher, i’ve had her since 2024. She has really liked me as I went from beginning orchestra to chamber and have shown a lot of hard work and dedication.
Thank you all!
St Marks is an all boys day school. OP is female.
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Not sure what this means.
You are well qualified academically for all of your listed boarding schools.
You seem to be mature for your age based on your achievements and based on what you have written in this thread.
Assuming that your teacher recs are strong, you should expect multiple offers of admission if your application essays are clear & convincing.
If you were to be admitted, would your parents stay and continue to reside in Texas?
Minor correction: Deerfield is becoming 100% fully residential in autumn 2027, the year for which students are currently applying. The new dorm is already under construction.
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I think it’s based on the fallacy that sending applications to more schools guarantees the probability of acceptance.
It is better to focus on exactly who you are, what you want, and let that be reflected in your applications to a shorter list, focused on schools that seem fit you best.
OP is an URM from a geographically underrepresented region. She keeps on repeating that she would be full pay, but desperately needs a scholarship in order to attend… so I half wonder whether she is not going to apply for financial aid in order to increase her chances at the schools that are not need blind.
OP is an interesting applicant who has a lot going for her. With finely honed, targeted applications to 6 schools she has a higher probability of success than spreading her interests over a dozen plus applications. It’s hard to come across an genuinely interested in any one school when you apply to that many.
This is an odd question. It gives me the impression that you are unfamiliar with the type of boarding schools being discussed here. The whole point of boarding school is to allow a student to further their studies independent of where their family lives, otherwise they’d be day students.
Yes, it’s nice (and practical) for a student to have a contact nearby that can be counted on in an emergency. That does not have to be immediate family.
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Are you asking this to advise on the impact of going out of state on acceptance/cost at in-state public universities in Texas?
You’ll likely get in to every boarding school to which you apply that believes there is a realistic chance of your accepting the offer. However, you should apply for financial aid, even if you win the Bradley scholarship, as I’m not sure that covers everything.
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Hi @Publisher, just wanted to clarify that that was a typo. I meant that I want to maximize my chances of getting at least one acceptance.
Thank you, @stalecookies I will definitely try to consider that as i do my applications.
I guess I should clarify, sorry! I actually went to a private school for a few years, and my family could afford the cost of boarding school but not comfortably at all, so I am applying for the scholarship because my family makes too much to qualify for enough financial aid for me to be able to attend, but with the scholarship only paying for tuition, my family is comfortable paying ~14-16k per year (depending on the school that I attend) as opposed to $60k plus.
Thank you! I have definitely understood how schools may reject me or waitlist me due to lack of interest or yield protection, but I have done thorough research on each school and I will do more research when it comes time to do interviews, so it shows that I am geniunely interested in attending. It does seem like a lot of applications to handle, but I think of myself as an organized and coordinated person, and I think I can do this. Thank you guys!
I do agree with @stalecookies as I was a bit confused, but in case it was not clear before, I will be applying as a boarding (not day/commuting) student, and I think I will focus more on the emergency contact/family friend living nearby if and when I get accepted into a school. So I’m thinking i’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
To reitirate, I am pretty aware of the private/magnet/independent schools in my area, and I have researched and they are not quite what I am looking for. But thank you so much for your perspective!
Thank you all for your kind comments, and I appreciate the advice. Please let me know how else I can strengthen my application.
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You’re welcome! One thing that I am not comfortable with is the fact that you haven’t won the scholarship money yet. Even if your chance of winning it is, say 90%, almost a sure thing, but not 100% guaranteed. Assuming that you have a zoned high school option & perhaps some magnet programs & school alternatives available in your local area. You cannot completely dismiss these local options (the worst scenario) until you’ve won the scholarship, renewable for four years. According to you, your parents cannot afford the boarding school options otherwise.
“Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs: A “Fit” for Gifted Learners?” (November 2006)
I’m sorry if this wasn’t clear, but if I don’t win the scholarship, I won’t be attending any private school at all. I will be attending public school. They will notify me in about a week or so, so I am just preparing for the chance that they do.
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The schools you are looking at are more like $80k+.
You really should consider applying for financial aid.
I’ve made the decision not to apply for financial aid, actually. But thank you!
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This comment will hopefully be moot in a week or so when you hear back from CDB, but if you aren’t awarded the scholarship, I hope you will still consider applying to boarding school… assuming it’s what you really want and your family supports the idea. A number of boarding schools do offer merit scholarships, although you would have to look beyond the GLADCHEMMS. Culver, Peddie and Mercersburg come to mind, and I imagine there are a few others. I’m rooting for you!
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@ridleyroo, I didn’t even consider that! Thank you, I will definitely look into those schools if I am not awarded. I will let you all know if I am or not! They told me they would let me know around labor day.
To clarify, I asked because having Texas residency is a tremendous opportunity for medical school admissions, as it gives you preferential admissions and (very cheap) in state tuition at a very large number of public medical universities. So if your parents stayed in Texas for the next 8 years or so, that would be very helpful if you were to apply to med school in the future.
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