Heyy im a 7th grader planning to apply to PEA and I’ve been stressing over this one B+ in my band class (an elective) and my constant low A’s (90, 92, 91, etc) on my recent report cards. Does philips exeter care too much abt those if you have other redeeming qualities??
I think if you just show PEA that you can handle the academic rigor, and have fine EC’s it’ll be fine
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You basically have an A average and showing that you are a solid student. A B+ in band isn’t going to be a major thing. I know kids who got into PEA with a few B’s on their transcripts, and they weren’t top athletes or artists either.
The AO’s often talk about the entire application, and I think they mean it. Don’t stress too much about outliers if your application is otherwise solid. They look at the whole application.
You don’t need “other redeeming qualities” to make up for one B+ in band. PEA is a tough admit but I can’t imagine the B+ in band will move the needle in terms of admissions. Relax and breathe.
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Your grades are totally fine! As an example, my oldest kid applied to PEA back in 2020-2021 and got waitlisted – and they were a straight A student, with high SSAT scores great essays, etc. (this was also during the pandemic, so applications were higher than normal). But they went to another boarding school comparable to PEA where they flourished.
My middle child did not apply to PEA last year (despite being advised to), and they definitely had a B+ in French one trimester, as well as a couple of A-. However, they also got into other good boarding schools. They ended up at the same school as my oldest, and is also doing well.
My youngest applied to PEA this year and was accepted – despite having a few A- on their record. Whether or not they accept will depend on revisits.
All this to say is that these schools are not necessarily looking for the “straight-A” student with perfect SSAT scores. They are going to look at your whole application: grades & SSAT scores, essays, letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, the interview… These schools are looking for kids who they feel will perform well academically at their school, which your grades definitely show, but other skills/qualities you have will also be taken into consideration because they also want kids who will add to the community at the school.
And keep in mind, there are more fish in the sea than PEA, so do your research – I am sure there are other schools that offer academic/extracurricular/athletics that align with your interests where you would thrive.
Good luck with your applications!
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