Hi I will be going into 9th next September. Any advice on how to prep for the interviews for Groton? Are day students preferred? I would like to be a day student. Is it ok to go in school uniform as I will be going to the interview from my school directly. I did not see as many FA from Asian acceptance listed in some of the discussions - most of them were FullPay - does the ethnicity matter for getting FA? are there any day students who got FA ?
Any insight is helpful.
Thank you & Have a good day!
S
My daughter and I have followed the rule that you at least dress appropriately for the school’s dress code. From the Groton website:
“Morning School Dress” refers to the dress code for the academic day, from 8 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., when dress should reflect the serious purpose of classroom study. Girls must wear appropriate tops, pants, skirts, and dresses. T-shirts and jeans (blue or black) are not allowed for “Morning School Dress,” though they are acceptable during nonacademic hours.
Your school uniform probably conforms to this but I have no advice beyond that.
My interview advice is to be ready to talk about yourself, not in one-word answers but in full sentences. Have something interesting to say about yourself. Have some Groton specific questions to ask. Make sure you make eye contact and don’t shake hands like a limp noodle. From our experience the interviewer is not trying to trip you up, they are just trying to have a quick conversation with you to find out a little bit about you and most importantly to find out if you can hold a conversation and have something interesting to say. Sorry, I don’t know specific questions that my daughter was asked and I suspect the questions vary based on who the candidate is anyway.
- Make sure to know your stuff about the school. Groton views their small size as a tremendous strength, so plan on playing to that during the interview. In addition, try to know other things about the school that would interest you if you attended, such as clubs, sports, etc.. If you can find an activity that is unique to the school, even better!
- Like all interviews, you have to be authentic and confident. Treat your interview like you are having a conversation. Nonetheless, you have to sell yourself to them, which means making sure they know about your accomplishments and genuine interest in the school. That being said, you want to distinguish yourself from other applicants, and at a prestigious school such as Groton, many applicants have plenty of accomplishments, and most certainly want to attend. Your first priority has to be authenticity and making sure they know you. This is not a sales pitch!
- As @dogsmama1997 said, make sure to be sufficiently formal and respectful, and shake hands firmly. If possible, you might want to change out of any shirts or jackets with your school's name on it, into something more generic. The interviewer might think you are trying to flaunt your school, or did not put in the effort to change into something more formal (I don't know what your uniform looks like, so what I'm saying could be completely irrelevant). When I was interviewing, the boys I saw were wearing collared shirts and khaki pants. Unfortunately, I do not remember what the girls were wearing.
- At my school, it is general consensus that it is easier to be accepted as a day student, due to there being a much smaller applicant pool for a decent portion of the grade. I only mean to state this for the purpose of informing you, and not at all to degrade day students' qualifications.
- I am not knowledgeable enough about financial aid to comment on that.
- I should mention that I applied to Groton last year, and was straight-up denied. This was likely because Groton was my first interview, and I did not interview well (I was quite nervous, which I overcame for my later interviews). Fortunately, I was accepted off the waitlist at another reputable prep school, where I am happy.
- Lastly, Groton has an excellent musical theatre department, and I had the privilege, as a local applicant, to watch their production of "Cabaret." The show was fantastic, and assuming they have another musical this year, I highly recommend going yourself.
We experienced the interview process a couple of years ago…with any school it is always a good idea to do your research on current mandates and philosophy. Look at the school’s initiative to bring in more international and URM students. If you are seeking FA, read about their GRAIN program (if it’s still in place). Very generous FA policy.
FWIW the kids were the most dressed up at Groton for interviews than any other school we visited…applicants in their school uniform attire, boys in blue blazers with ties, dads in blue blazers, kids from around the world in their school uniforms. It was a weekday. The actual students were not as dressed up as the applicants (I think it was a game day).
This was our first interview experience…straight up strange because @Golfkiddo was asked right out of the gate if parents were divorced or living together! Not prepared for that to be the first question - both of the parental units were present for the visit and interview. Second question was “Whose idea is it for you to go to boarding school?”. Questions about family life (we are intact and was indicated on application). Also both student and parents were asked by an AO with a Thurston Howell III accent, “who(m) do you know here?” …mmm…nobody? “What I mean to say, what is your connection to Groton?”…mmmm…Keep in mind it is a small school and the 8th grade class is very small (if you are applying for 8th I think they take about 26-30 students)…FWIW our impression during the visit and interview was the following (not judging, just feeling so please don’t attack me if you are Groton fans): The school has a pool of applicants filled with legacies and also a type of commitment (read viewbook materials and watch videos) to take a percentage of students from diverse as well as international backgrounds…there are also faculty kids (some years have more than others)…that’s great - but not a lot of room for those of us who are middle class, unhooked, students…even with great grades, scores, and athletic accomplishments…The day we toured we met a nice hockey player who was also applying…he was totally on the red carpet that day because the coach knew him from a nearby team, group welcome by AO’s in waiting room, and the family was being invited to visit by the coach…so the interview process that day felt different from any other school…FWIW We saw lots of fawning over 3 legacy kids that morning in the waiting lounge…the day we were there it seemed to be Crew kids whose older siblings rowed for them …It’s a great school and beautiful setting (very small and rural) but just sharing our experience. IT was kind of cool to have GolfKiddo’s name in calligraphy on a sign in the admissions office…they post who is interviewing and what school they attend. OLD SCHOOL! :-B
I can’t speak specifically for Groton, but you did ask about Day students. In our research, it was generally understood that getting in as a Day student may be MORE difficult than as a boarding student. It varies by school, of course, and probably by year. But families in Massachusetts know their options and pursue them! The thing is, you never know what schools are looking for to round out a class, so put your most authentic self out there and have faith the AO’s know what they’re doing.
I’m sure there is FA available for Day students, but that doesn’t mean they’ll come through for all. Also, there is a difference between a domestic applicant of Asian heritage vs. a student of Asian nationality. Again, not sure about Groton, but FA for international students is rare to unavailable.
FWIW, TheNextKid is a Day student with a generous (but not full) FA package at a school frequently mentioned on these boards as a hidden gem.
My only advice about your interview is to relax and enjoy the experience. While you want to impress, what the AO wants to see us the real you. Be passionate about the things you love; show interest, curiosity, and open-mindedness about things you’re less familiar with. Good luck!
Thank you all. Appreciate the time and response. current school uniform does adhere to what is expected. Should parents wear formal with suit and dress? excited and concerned
For parents, I recommend business attire. For dads that’s a suit although a tie, blazer and khakis is probably ok too. For moms that’s a daytime dress, skirt, or professional style pants (not jeans or yoga pants).
Someone told us : Do not wear Uggs =)) Even if it is cold and snowing