Curious about boarding schools

CavsFan2003
Sun, 26 Apr 2020 21:25:23 +0000

Welcome to PSA! Boarding school is a great option for a specific type of student. If you feel you aren’t being challenged at your school and want an “out”, it might be a good option!

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Are my chances lower because I go to a lower rank highschool?

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No, not at all! I went to a very low-ranking high school before I applied as a sophomore (I’m a repeat sophomore now) and was accepted to a handful of very good schools! Your high school will not impact your application in any negative way; you cannot control that.

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Do boarding schools look at past rejections and judge based on that?

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No, unless you previously applied to said school, then they’ll see that you applied before. I’m not sure how much this affects your chances, however, as I applied in 2 cycles but none of the schools overlapped.

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What is the best way to lay my potential out on the table when applying?

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Just be the most genuine you. Talk about your real interests, your real skills. The AOs will be able to determine your academic potential and personality from your application, if done right. You want to be truly yourself; don’t inflate your accomplishments, don’t try to write just to impress them.

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How many times should I take the SSAT?

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Depends on what score you want, how you do the first time, etc. I took the SSAT once and was happy with my score. I have friends who took it 3 times before they got a score they were happy with. It also depends on the schools you’re applying to; whether your scores put you in a decent range. However, SSAT isn’t a huge measure of anything. If you don’t do perfectly, that’s 100% alright!

@CateCAParent brings up a WHOLE bunch of good questions to ask yourself! All of the boarding schools are so different. You want to find the schools that fit you. If you can tour, I highly recommend it.

Also, if you have any questions about Choate (cause I see you’re applying ;)) feel free to send me a message! I’m a current sophomore there and have absolutely loved it.