Chance me! Should I Reapply Next Year?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Today I was rejected from the only school I applied to Choate. I understand the applicant pool is extremely competitive but does anyone know how much harder it is applying for junior year? I don’t play any sports or do any type of arts, however I spend a lot of my extracurricular time managing channels for Youtube. Does anyone think my lack of traditional extracurriculars-sports and arts-affect my chances? I had a tough time today thinking over my rejection and possibly reapplying for junior year next year. I guess my question is would it be worth the time and effort to reapply next year, even though the junior year applicant pool is so competitive. Anything I should do differently, or improve upon extracurricular wise? The decision hit hard considering ‘I would never live the Choate life.’ Please let me know if it’s worth another shot to apply again next year, reclassing.

Sophomore Details:

Male, African American and White, Middle class, Christian, applied for (11th) FA, almost 2,000 students at my public high school

Favorite learning experience was realizing how much of French I actually knew and I then realized how many doors knowing multiple languages opens.

Described myself as a High-achiever, Leader, and Energetic

8 classes: 3 A+’s, 2 B+’s, 2 A-’s

5 Honors, Didn’t take SSAT

Model UN and FBLA Clubs (Future Business Leaders of America)

National French Honors Society

Electives: Business Basics, up to French 3, piano, Law

Vogue Business Summer School student

3 years on the swim team, but no longer swimming. Expressed interests in multiple sports including joining swimming again.

Letters of recommendation
Math teacher 7/10 (blind but I know shown growth)
French teacher 9/10
English 6/10 (same, blind but I know shown growth)
Counselor 7/10 (he doesn’t really know me since school is so big)

Parents’ responses talked a lot about how applying to choate was 100% my decision and they would never stop me from an opportunity like this. They want the best for me and they know I have big aspirations and goals.

35 minute long interview with a Choate admissions officer but he didn’t seem enthusiastic (20 with me, 15 with mom)

Focused on my passion for business and how my dad’s business/hustle and my Youtube channels have sparked my love for entrepreneurship. I worked with many brands and that showed me some of the ins and outs of business. Additionally the critical thinking and analysis it takes to grow such large channels. Averaged about 5 million views on my videos.

In my essay I talked about how I wasn’t very confident growing up with things I wanted to do career wise, but when I became a Youtuber with a substantial audience I realized anything is possible with hard work.

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Omg i also got rejected from choate. Apply for grade 10 :sob:

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But why only Choate? You’d have better chances if you expanded your list.

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What other schools would you suggest? I only chose Choate because of the balance of rigorous academics and the ‘fun’ scene, but also college admissions.

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Most boarding schools fit those parameters!

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What schools do you think would be worth applying to with my stats?

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I cannot possibly answer that! You need to research the various schools. Here’s a place to start:

If you decide to reapply I would focus on schools with much higher acceptance rates than Choate’s. The combination of no test score and unclear academics (at least to me) plus applying for 11th grade make admission a little bit tougher, hence the need to apply to schools where your odds are better.

You could also take a look at the Prep Schools with Rolling Admissions thread.

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My first reaction is that there are some advantages to staying where you are. For one thing you get to know your teachers over time. You also get to know other people at your high school and what activities are available at your high school. Some academic disruption also is likely if you switch high schools half way through.

There are a lot of students at highly ranked colleges and universities who came from rather average public high schools.

What is the motivation to switch to a private high school?

Perhaps the level of motivation that you have to switch high schools might dictate whether you should apply to a wider range of schools next year, or just plan to stay where you are and do as well as you can until they give you a high school diploma.

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If you will be a junior next year, I’d put the focus on finishing strong at your HS – academically, standardized tests, making meaningful contributions to ECs, etc.

If you want to re-apply that is your perogative but understand it still may not work out. If you feel strongly about attending boarding school, expand your application list.

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It’s not just an issue of matching stats, but matching YOU.

Start by looking at the Hidden Gems thread:

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Look at some different options to see where you think you would be happiest.

Check out George School ¶ and Cambridge School of Weston. Do you like that schedule? It’s different from most schools. It has pros and cons, but the kids who choose it seem to like it!

Look at Putney and Holderness. Too hands on?

Mercersberg is more traditional and has a nice community. Westtown is also a school with a nice community but less isolated.

You need to look carefully at all the options and figure out what it is you want and why. Schools want students who will thrive, and an important part of that is you knowing what makes you tick.

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