I just went through the admission process with two good friends and their children. Because Disneykid’s application was unusual (strong hook, only applied to one school), his experience would not produce much general insight. But with these applications, I can make some generalization that may be helpful.
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March 2 acceptance e-mails sent to agents
My friends received acceptances from two schools (Wyoming Seminary and St. Johnsbury Academy) over a week before the in/famous March 10 date. Schools higher on the food chain stuck to the traditional date but I was very surprised to found out some schools notify agents so far in advance. Further, one agent was pushing my friend to make her decision by MARCH 14th, telling her the school requires a response by that date!! I was telling her that it is not the school policy and offered to write an e-mail, but she feared annoying the agent. She and her daughter visited the schools before being accepted (most internationals only go after acceptance…) and they were fine with making an early decision. -
Different categories of Asian applicants
There is a general perception that all applicants from Asia fall into the category of Over Represented Minority. I would say there is a huge range of how schools view candidates in terms of diversity. Applicants from mainland China are clearly held to very high standards because of the sheer number of candidates. Those from Korea and Taiwan are probably also considered ORM. However, if you are from an international school based in Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand, etc. – then you are a very attractive diversity candidate. You don’t even have to be of that nationality, just having lived there makes you more “exotic.” Then there is Japan which is probably the most Under Represented industrialized country when it comes to boarding schools. In February, Andover finalised a deal with a top Japanese private school to admit one student (on full scholarship I assume) per year. It is of interest to note that Andover reached out to form this agreement. Agents will note that schools want Japanese students so much, that they are usually accepted with far lower hurdles. In my son’s case, I have no doubt that we received generous financial aid because of his nationality. -
Acceptance at schools 20 points below SSAT average
This is a continuation of the second point. That BOTH kids I know were accepted at schools well above, around 20 points, their SSAT average. At some schools, apparently they look at SSAT quantatitive to gauge math skills and then TOEFL, rather than SSAT. They were accepted at some pretty good schools like Williston Northampton, George School and Mercersburg… I worry about the boy especially because he was heavily tutored to begin with. Still, he is applying as a 9th grader (same birthday as my son who will be a junior in September)… so he will have four full years to adjust. In addition, the school he selected has a strong ESL and tutoring program so he can get help. -
Whether it’s better to use an agent
Because English is not a problem for me, I would have never paid to use an agent. However, from my friends’ experiences, I did find out there are benefits. They do have strong contacts with schools which can make application easier, though if the school you select is one that they have little contact with, advice is minimal. While they used different agents, they both had plenty of complaints. When we all met, that was the longest topic of conversation! Their biggest advice would be that you still have to do your own research, you still have to be your child’s biggest advocate, you have to make the agent accountable.