I'm an admissions officer at a boarding

Applying to College
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school and I’d be happy to take any questions about boarding school admissions. I also help out extensively in our college counseling office, but my title is, “Associate Director of Admissions”.

There are very very few differences between boarding school admissions and admissions at selective LAC’s or private universities that do a comprehensive assessment and not simple a, numbers driven assessment when making decisions about applicants.

I’d love to take some boarding school questions if there are any out there.

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<p>1) Is it really true that schools that doesn’t require SAT II writing will deduct writing portion of SAT I when adcoms are considering?</p>

<p>2) What about the schools that still keeps old score format? Are they not considering SAT I writing score yet?</p>

<p>3) I did 180 hours of community service so far… (Summer of freshmen year, and summer of sophomore year to march of year after) I’m thinking to do it again, but is it better doing internship (hotel) or continue volunteering? I’m thinking to apply for hotel major and I know many hotel major schools are interested on a student with lots of work experiences in hotel fields.</p>

<p>4) How much does SAT I score vary in selection and what about SAT II Korean? (Is SAT II Korean just to prove that I can understand, speak, and write the material?)</p>

<p>Thank you~!</p>

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<p>How do you know this?</p>

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<p>Because he/she (???) is the Associate Director of Admissions at a boarding school, and understands the application process… Jeez, read what the person said lol.</p>

<p>What would you say my chances of getting into a place like Furman University are? It’s a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, and accepts about 60% of applicants. The median SAT for an entering freshman is 1200-1400 on the old version. Average HS GPA on a 4.0 scale is 3.8. Student/Faculty ratio is 12:1. </p>

<p>My grades aren’t that good… I have about a 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale right now. BUT, my score on the new SAT is 1940, without the writing it’s 1260. I have lots of extracurriculars, including 3 years of Army JROTC (Leadership positions held there include squad leader, platoon sergeant, and batallion assistant supply officer), 3 years of Model UN (president-elect for next year), Young Democrats (I started the club last year), FBLA, Special Olympics volunteering, and volunteer work at the school library. If I can pull my GPA up a point or two in my Senior year and improve my SAT scores, do you think I’ve got a chance at Furman?</p>

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<p>A boarding school is a long way from a major university or a top LAC. It is in fact a prep school, not far removed from your high school. I think he may be misrepresenting his expertise.</p>

<p>From The Association of Boarding Schools website:</p>

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<p>In other words, a high school counselor, well paid perhaps, but still high school. My question stands, where is the basis for assuming he knows the LAC and private university admissions games better than your HS counselor.</p>

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<p>Well, since my counselor told me A. I didn’t have to take SAT until my Senior year, B. I can qualify for the SC LIFE Scholarship if I make a 1000 on the SAT, and C. I’m in the top 10% of my class… He can’t be much worse. Wanna know why? Well, A. I need to take it as early as I can, B. The minimum is 1100, and C. I’m only in the top 25%!!! The guy knows nothing, so there.</p>

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<p>UGGHH!!! This is one thing that I REALLY hate about this site! Everyone’s so eager to say that everyone else doesn’t know what he/she is talking about on any issue! It’s really annoying because truthfully, on a site like this, all you really can do is trust. Actually, many boarding schools/magnet schools/prep schools have to be selective in their admissions (The magnet school that I attended throughout high school had to be). This means that they must take on some of the major techniques that LACs, etc. do in their admissions processes in order to choose the students that they can and cannot take since taking all of them is not an option.</p>

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<p>I agree with you Reeses Cup! People are too mean…</p>

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<p>Hi there:
I am a grad of Furman University-- 25 years ago. Feel free to PM me. Because I receive their emails etc, I see that they are still trying to close a little gap in attracting male students equal to their female students in stats and that there is not always fifty percent males in the class…therefore your sex is an edge. Furman is not highly selective but the classrooms are highly demanding and definitely pre-professional. My fellow grads are reporters, PhDs in economics and psychology, novelists, doctors, lawyers and tenured professors now. They grew up to be interesting people who kept on learning. The student body is less diverse than would be ideal but the faculty is top drawer and will truly support you if you are a hard worker. The place is also beautiful and close to the Pisgah National Forest and Asheville, NC. Greenville is a very hopping New South town. Half of Atlanta seems to send their kids there but hey…Atlanta is a great place to be young.<br>
I would love to see my alma mater have a more religious and geographically diverse student body and it is trying. Applications that show thought and effort are going to receive lots of attention there. You have a great shot. The school has students working as volunteers in many agencies in Greenville by the way and a fleet of cars to use for this purpose. The students sometimes have conservative/Republican leanings but there has always been a club of Young Democrats active there…and they will be eager to make sure the campus always has debate re political leanings so that is a positive for you as well.<br>
Visit and spend the night to register sincere interest! The faculty is their strength…and there are several very strong departments.</p>

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<p>jumbumgraphy</p>

<p>Question:</p>

<p>3) I did 180 hours of community service so far… (Summer of freshmen year, and summer of sophomore year to march of year after) I’m thinking to do it again, but is it better doing internship (hotel) or continue volunteering? I’m thinking to apply for hotel major and I know many hotel major schools are interested on a student with lots of work experiences in hotel fields.</p>

<p>I personally think that you need to play to your passions; if you love doing service, do that and if you would rather do the internship do that. Either option has it’s strengths, but schools love to see passionate people. It almost doesn’t matter what the passion is about.</p>

<p>I can think of people I’ve interviewed who impressed me with their passion for things like, ecology, community service, children, marine biology, basketball, racial justice, dance, German, Latin, etc. I could go on and on, but I was thinking of very specific people as I listed that rather diversified list of passions. The point is, schools want a diversified group of people who bring their passions to the community. Enjoy your high school experience and do what you want to do, there is no correct answer about interning vs service; to me, the correct answer is do what energizes you the most and convey this enthusiasm to the schools that you apply to.</p>

<p>Question:1) Is it really true that schools that doesn’t require SAT II writing will deduct writing portion of SAT I when adcoms are considering?</p>

<p>Answer:</p>

<p>Schools are all over the board right now when it comes to how they are handling the new SAT. Some schools are immediately emphasizing the new score and others are looking at the Verbal and Math and they want to wait awhile to let SAT iron out the inevitable kinks of the new test. Others are just comfortable with the old test and skeptical about the subjectivity of the writing portion. There is no standard answer here.</p>

<p>Question:</p>

<p>How much does SAT I score vary in selection and what about SAT II Korean? (Is SAT II Korean just to prove that I can understand, speak, and write the material?)</p>

<p>Answer:</p>

<p>I’m not quite sure what you mean by saying, how much does SAT vary in selection? Do you mean, how much weight is put on the SAT 1 in the admissions process? If so, a recent NACAC survey found that, grades in advanced/AP and IB courses is the single biggest factor in admission decisions and SAT 1 scores are the second biggest factor.</p>

<p>Most schools just want 3 SAT’s and your Korean score can count for one of these three scores; is it weighed as heavily as the Writing SAT 2 or the Math 1 or 2 score; most schools would look at the math and English scores more closely, but truthfully, it’s not a big deal. Remember, schools have so many factors to consider that whether you take the SAT 2 test that is of most interest to a school is pretty much a non factor with almost all schools. </p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

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<p>Admissionsrep, any advice for kids who are good, strong students who enjoy everything they do, and they do a bit of everything but have not outstanding passion? I have one like that after a bunch who all had a strong hand in some if not many activities. This one is a strong tri athlete but probably not interested in playing any one sport at college–equally enjoys a number of sports. Likes doing communtity service and is active in it, but part of the enjoyment is the variety of different organizations he serves. Active in music, but no intention in studying it further, and probably just slightly above average–no superstar like his siblings who could compete at state and even national levels. Very strong in the maths and sciences, but not like many of the IT types who live and breathe it, just intuitively very good. Not really interested in pursuing it over the summer, is very much a kid who wants to do a variety of things over the summer.</p>

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<p>I think this comes from the frustration of seeing a lot if misleading and flat-out-wrong information being spewed here (not in this thread, necessarily, but on the boards in general).</p>

<p>There’s so much mystery about college admissions, so much that isn’t transparent. Lots of students here are eager for knowledge. Anyone who has some insight to share gains immediate status with those who are most hungry (or desperate!). Frankly, I think that leads some people to overstate their knowledge. They like being The One With The Answers so much, they aren’t careful about making sure they separate their assumptions and opinions from their facts.</p>

<p>To be honest, it’s one of the reasons I like being here–the chance to correct misinformation.</p>

<p>I guess it does lend a snarky air to the forums at times, which is unfortunate. However, I think incorrect information must be addressed promptly because letting it stand unchallenged is unfair to students and it is unfair to colleges.</p>

<p>Again, I’m not talking about this thread–I don’t have a dog in this fight.</p>

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<p>That is a tough question. I can tell you, we all hate it when we interview someone and they seem to have no sense of direction. I think in the case you are describing, you can help your son identify what he likes; sure it may not be a burning passion, but what type of material does he like to read, what does he do in his spare time, what type of friends does he find interesting. Use questions like these and others to at least identify some of his likes. Now, you shouldn’t present these likes as burning passions, but if you keep hitting the them in an essay (or perhaps even better, in a supplemental paragraph), ask whoever is writing a reference to mention this like, and if you have an interview, mention it again, it will serve you well. You won’t be dissembling by acting as if it’s been a passion all your life, but your son won’t come off as directionless, which in my opinion, never serves as applicant well.</p>

<p>Your son reminds me of someone I worked with who drove his mother crazy in the college process; hard not to compare the second son to the oldest son, but I guess it’s our job to love our kids unconditionally.</p>

<p>I am working with a pair of roommates who are both high achievers, but one has absolutely no sense of what she wants in a college and the other will tell you immediately: I need a diverse school, I need a school where teachers really get to know their students, I need a strong history and French department and I need to be in a major metro area. This one is the one who will interview much much better and present better on paper. I say, if they don’t have a clear sense of direction, do your best to help them identify their likes and make sure that this comes across in their application.</p>

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<p>Bandit_tx, I believe that Admissionsrep was trying to share admissions tips with other students. You may find some of his old posts in August 2004 archive in the old message boards. I hope this will help you or others to decide if he is trustworthy.</p>

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<p>admissionsrep,</p>

<p>About how hard is it to get into the elite boarding schools (Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, Hotchkiss) for a postgraduate year? I will probably be 1st or 2nd (4.0 u/w GPA) in my class at a public high school in KY. I would want a PG year b/c I’ll only be 16 when I graduate HS and my school is really bad (ie no chemistry teacher). Thanks for any advice!</p>

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<p>admissions rep -
This is a longshot but is worth a try…
am counseling several minority students who are excelling academically but getting a great deal of negative flak for this from their peers. Scared that one very bright girl might abandon her academic goals because of the persistent ridicule and taunts, we actually secured her a scholarship for her last year at a private school so she could complete her jr. and sr. years in peace and hopefully move onto college. Needless-to-say, it was difficult finding a boarding school capable of admitting a student at late notice on full scholarship…given your position and knowledge of the private scyhool world, do you know of any NE or Mid-Atlantic pr8ivate schools that are actively seeking to recruit very bright, motivated, disadvantaged minority students to their campuses - and (always the rub) are willing to provide scholarships for them?</p>

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<p>Admissionsrep, please PM Roger_Dooley, our discussion board administrator, or myself, or use the tag below that says “Contact us” to do so. We do have some specific rules here regarding certifying that admissions reps are really who they say they are in order to protect our members and the veracity of information delivered on the board. I tried PM’ing you to explain them privately, but you do not have PM turned on. Thank you.
Moderator Skyhawk</p>

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<p>I didn’t mean to come off as accusing with my comments. I really would like to know his basis of comparison between his school and LAC/private U. Has he worked at both?</p>

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<p>bandit_TX. I am not offended by your comments because I don’t regard myself as an expert; all of us is learning more every day about our jobs. I do think that I have some info that can help others and I am willing to share what I can divulge. I guess I feel it’s simple, if someone doesn’t trust me, they can choose to ignore what I have to say; if they think I’m credible, they can choose to either ask me a question or at least read what I say in a response.</p>

<p>I have a lot to learn and every year I learn more about my craft. As far as why I believe that boarding school admissions is similar to LAC admissions:</p>

<p>I help out with college counseling at my school, so I am frequently interacting with college reps. IN fact, right now, I am organizing a huge college Fair that will have over 100 selective colleges and Universities in attendance. I am the initiator of this event and the contact person for the colleges and universities. I also frequently join our Director College counseling at the evening dinners or the Q & A sessions that occur when the college reps visit our school and meet with students. As a result of my considerable interaction with colleges and universities, I know that they do the same thing I do:</p>

<p>deliberate over standardized testing and how much weight to give it
travel extensively to Fairs, feeder schools and presentations.
give significant weight to early decision (we attempt to get placement directors to let us know whether a student will come if we accept them and that can significantly impact whether a kid is accepted or WL’d)
we read multiple essays.
we study transcripts
we do feeder school research to evaluate the impact of certain teachers and certain courses.
we do evaluative interviews which are more likely to occur by admissions staff at LAC’s than at National Universities which usually use an alumni network.
we have a supplemental, “Why our School” essay which is common in colleges.</p>

<p>Basically, as I interact with admissions reps from coast to coast at colleges and as I see them at Fair’s that I take our kids to; their job description mirrors what the boarding school rep does in almost every area.</p>

<p>Also, a lot of my colleagues in boarding school admissions come to admissions from a selective LAC boarding school background. My conversations with them surface one major difference: at colleges that are 1400 students or more, usually the college admissions rep doesn’t get substantial interaction with students once they matriculate on campus. IN college admissions, you bring them in and then get revved up to bring in the next class, but in boarding schools, you are still an advisor and do dorm or weekend duty, so you really get to see the fruit of your labor. This is the main reason that the people I know have left college admissions for boarding school admissions. Both groups often do refusal, attrition and matriculation surveys. I could go on and on about the similarities, but I thought I’d also put some of the differences out there. One more difference is the power of the ranking guides in college admissions makes the job of the admissions officer that much harder than in boarding school admissions.</p>

<p>Skyhawk, I’m going to try to PM you or Roger right now with the info you requested. I haven’t figured out all of the features of this site and it’s the first time I’ve even heard of this PM feature you refer to.</p>

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<p>Thanks.<br>
Another difference might be the actual weights given to the factors you evaluate? All schools have their individual wants/needs.<br>
I would imagine that you have a far smaller pool of applicants to match with available slots? What is your selectivity rating?
Money might be a much bigger factor in your admissions, as I would imagine you have nowhere near the endowment pool to work with? </p>

<p>I absolutely believe you have insight and valuable opinion to offer here. I’m sure you interact with adcoms far more than I do. I just wanted to clarify the perspective you bring.</p>