4.0 GPA
Really heavy course load
I take 3 years ahead in math courses,1 year in science and 1 year in
Language Arts.
Payload Specialist for our TARC team that qualified for nationals
State winner of a video contest
Clarinet for 2 years
NJHS
Teen-Attorney at teen court
I have a blog mostly on the topic of Economics
Play Chess(not competitions)
I enjoy making movies
(Not much else, but I’m good at what I do
I am aiming for Andover and Exeter. PLEASE GIVE SOME TIPS!
There’s no “tips” to give without knowing your weaknesses. If you are asking for reassurance that you will get in, sorry that is not in store either. Your qualifications are impressive but Admission to Andover or Exeter is highly competitive with many candidates just as impressive as you are, All you can do is to keep up the good work , and when it’s time present your strengths and achievements as well as as possible to the AO, and give your best run!
OK, @Bottom2Boston: Why are you focused on Andover and Exeter? Is your goal to only attend one of those 2 schools, or is it to attend an excellent prep school? If it’s the latter, you’ll want to widen your net. What panpacific said is correct. There are many, many highly qualified applicants, and a relatively small number of spots in each class.
Not sure if others would agree, but I know two people who did not get into “top” schools last year and both on interviews were told that if they’d applied to repeat a grade they would have been likely to get in. My son was waitlisted at Deerfield and was strongly encouraged to re-apply, as a freshman again. Having watched this process for a while (and also having a son who is a tour guide at BS), I’d say that the ways to improve your chances are: 1) be recruited for a sport - this is huge, unfortunately 2) apply for one year below your grade level and 3) not need any financial aid.
I agree with everyone else - find some other schools that provide what you are looking for but that are not Andover and Exeter. Otherwise, you appear to be just doing for the “name.” Look at the “hidden gems” thread for some ideas. Make sure in interviews you can explain why you want to go to boarding school, and make sure you talk about what you can ADD to the community, not what you will get from it.
I am applying to these two mainly because I love that their not small, like just 50 or 100 kids. Yet they are both very rigorous and competitive. The name is an important factor too becuase I dont want to go to a school that won’t be known at all after working crazy hard to get into. The final factor was that I need financial aid, and I’m going to be a day school unless I can somehow convince my parents.(not gonna happen) I am completely open to any school like this. I can’t remember the acronym for the top schools but I know Deer field is amazing. My only doubt is that it’s small with only about 50 kids in each grade when I’m looking for around 100-150.
Also, this forum was just to figure out what I’m lacking because this is the first time anyone in my family is going to a competitive private school, so we are quite confused what they expect from an 8th grader.(from what I’ve seen, they want a lot)
Also I want to see if anything pops. Are leadership roles like a club president or founder important? I mean I want to do this anyway, but just wondering if it means anything significant.
THANKS!!
This is not a reason to choose a boarding school. Colleges are familiar with all boarding schools.
Each year, Deerfield’s graduating class is ~200. If you’re looking for a school with 100-150 students per grade, Andover and Exeter may be too large; they graduate ~300 each year,
You should be involved in the clubs and other extracurricular activities you are interested in and that is what you are expected to do in BS as well, but a leadership role is not mandatory or determinant for your admission to BS. Stretch yourself but don’t chew more than you can swallow. Focus on your passion and do it well is the key. Good luck!
And check out Choate and Lawrenceville. They are bigger and well known boarding schools.
Not small, rigorous and competitive… I can pull out a list of all the boarding schools in America, blindfold myself and pick one, and it probably would fit that criteria.
Picking a boarding school for prestige is foolish. I know a young lady who chose a school for it’s name and she’s about to walk into a wicked and very unforgiving hornet’s nest in about a week all because prestige trumped fit.
All BSs are capable of giving full or very generous FA . You are picking schools for the wrong reasons and need to backup. It’s time to start over and do your research.
The other issue is that the “needs” of each school (as they craft a class every year) change. So, be the best you can be, apply, and expect not to be accepted. Then you will be very happy if and when you are accepted. This is especially true if you only apply to A & E.
If, however, you conduct a more exhaustive search, and try very hard to find the school that “gets” you, that offers you specifically a place to grow (vs. a place that many others want to attend), you might just find that you get accepted to a school where you can shine, not just survive.