I’m helping a first generation soon to be college grad student that I’ve been mentoring since the 6th grade. She is an A student at a private school (financial aid and scholarships) with great volunteer activities and leadership groups and sports. She attended camp at Choate and Cate last summer. I’ve driven/flown her all over the country to visit schools and interview. All but one interview went particularly well. I am an elite college grad but did not attend boarding school in high school so this process is foreign to me. We have help from her tutor and mentor who is a Choate grad. The student is a minority, her father is from Mexico and she lives with her mom. She had terrible, no not terrible, HORRIFIC SSAT scores. I’ve written letters to the schools to prepare them for this “blip” on her applications. She took the first exam in November the next morning after her father was involved in a serious accident and was in surgery all night. She didn’t sleep at all. She took the next exam in December 5 days after he passed away, 2 days before the funeral. I was surprised she even took the second exam to be quite honest. She did apply to some safety schools and if she doesn’t get into one of her top 3, I will continue to work with her to take the test again this summer and apply as an incoming 10th grader next year. But I have to admit, I’m sweating bullets and I’m not even the parent or student! Wish us luck, I know she will need it.