Chance Me for Prep Schools! (yall I'm anxious)

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Like others said, good for you for starting and thinking about applications early! I’m pretty sure at least Andover releases some materials for essays in July, but I could be wrong. Definitely would not advise to take my route where I was still finding and researching schools in like October - November.

First, I don’t think you need to worry too much about sports, but I also may not be the most qualified to give advice as I definitely did not have the most outstanding results, but I did get into one of the schools on your list. I only put 2 sports on my application (if you’re counting dance as a sport bc ik its debated sometimes), volleyball and dance. Both of them were just on my school team. The main one I highlighted though was volleyball because I started in 6th grade and progressed a team each year and got an award at the end of my last season. Even if you didn’t earn a reward it’s okay, but highlighting any sort of progression can’t do harm! I did that through interviews mentioning my progression to higher teams and practicing a lot at home.

Another very important question that you will get asked in interviews is “Why boarding school”

I think for me I would not have been able to answer that question as well as I did without reflection, so I would say keep coming back to the question along the process after learning about the schools you’re going to. I also was somewhat forced to keep asking myself when adults would inevitably ask why I wanted to apply if I told them (usually happened when I asked for letter of recs which makes sense). If you need advice on how to answer it I can give you some, but you also said that did research and are comfortable with interview settings so if not fine by me!

You genuinely seem very qualified and I know how intimidating reading a bunch of threads on CC can feel as I was in your spot a year ago. You seem pretty well rounded which helps imo. Also remember that the AOs are looking to build a class (i’m sure you’ve heard this before), so part of admissions are also just luck. They may have a lot of applicants who do for example volleyball next year, or that may be exactly what they’re looking for if a bunch of their students who played volleyball graduated.

If you need more advice or have any questions just dm me, I’m happy to help!

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Hi there, thanks for the lengthy and thorough response! I have a few questions if you don’t mind.

  1. How did you answer the question “why boarding school?”
  2. Could you talk about your EC/stats?
  3. What do you think was the differentiating factor in your application that made you stand out to AOs? Why?
    Thanks in advance!
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  1. I went broad first and then specified for each school what I liked about them. So I talked about the amount of opportunities and resources, wanting to be challenged more, and having a different environment as I’ve been at my current school for 5-6 years. After, I did specific things I liked for each school, i.e for Choate I talked about their science program, Hotchkiss I believe I talked about co-curicculars and the farm, etc. Make sure when answering you’re specific, you show you actually researched their school and genuinely like it, and just be honest.
  2. Honestly my ECs and stats arent that impressive but I can dm them to u so its not as lengthy and bc i can share like demographics and such
  3. Honestly I’m not sure what was my differentiating factor but I think I connected my interviews and essays well bc in my interviews I just rlly wanted to show I’m very curious, love learning, and am interdisciplinary, and one of my two essays focuses on me being interdisciplinary through my one notebook that has debate, science, art, etc.
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Update: I was just elected student council president! How important/impressive would this seem to AOs?

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I would say definitely include it on your application!
Looking at your profile it seems quite like mine lol.
Just one thing to be aware of; I notice you have lots of activities/awards but please, please, please connect/link them to tell a story about one aspect of who you are and how everything you do contributes to that.
For most of my friends who got into these schools, they had very clear spikes. (Not all successful applicants do, this is just from my perspective.)
Interviews are also very, very important.
Also this isn’t related but will you be at middle school NSDA nats this June?

1 Like
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Bumping if anyone else has something to say!

@Speromeliora Unfortunately I won’t be going :frowning: