<p>March 10 is coming up, and I know not much can be changed after the deadline. However, I know most of you guys are probably really nervous about acceptance (the whole debate on fat/skinny envelopes, anyone?) </p>
<p>Anyway, let’s start a discussion on what went best, okay, poorly and what we would change during next year’s app. People who’ve already been accepted can post too </p>
<p>Analyzing your own process instead of just obsessing over it will definitely give yourself a better view of your chances, because evaluating yourself is never easy. Also, writing down all your thoughts in one place will help you think more clearly and calm your nerves because then you’ll really know there’s nothing much we can change now. </p>
<p>And, we can maybe discuss and compare to give each other a bit more insight.</p>
<p>I’ll start Scale 1-10</p>
<p>Andover:
Essay: pretty good, 508 words and very little grammar errors 8
Profile: alright 6
Interview: slightly boring, but okay. The guy took a whole page of notes in miniscule handwriting and said “good luck whereever you go” which may be construed many ways…6
Recs: teachers like me, but probably don’t absolutely love me… 6
Grades: 4.0 can’t really do any better 10
SSATs: got one question wrong in Critical Reading 10
Parent recs: pretty good 8</p>
<p>Peddie School-
Essay: Great! I really feel like it showed a different perspective and I enjoyed writing it. 8
Profile: Good. 7
Interview: Not my best interview, but was still pretty good. 8
Recs: For the most part, they all like me. 8/9
Grades: Relatively good (G.P.A 3.3) 6.5
SSAT/ISEE scores: Initially, I took the SSAT, and my scores weren’t so great. I then took the ISEE in December, and my scores greatly improved. 6.5</p>
<p>Deerfield:
Essay: Well written, not entirely creative but showcased my formal writing abilities and highlighted my strengths. 8.5
Profile: You mean my candidate profile? That doesn’t really impact admission, its just for the school to know your contact info, etc.
Interview: My best interview! It was engaging and the conversation flowed naturally, and my interviewer raved to my parents about me afterwards. 10
Recs: English should be excellent, math should be very good, principal’s should be excellent, and my supplemental rec (from my latin teacher) should be phenomenal. 9.5
Grades: Straight As. 10
SSAT scores: 92% (88% in verbal, 87% in math, and 91% in reading.) In the range of acceptances. Not jaw-droppingly impressive, but it shouldn’t adversely affect my chances. 8</p>
<p>Overall: If Deerfield wasn’t so selective, I would say 8, but because most other applicants will have similar stats, probably more like a 5.</p>
<p>I’m just going to post about my interviews for all schools:
Deerfield-We had a lot to talk about, and he seemed very interested in getting me informed about what Deerfield has to offer as far as catering to my interests. We talked about similar experiences as well. I’d say 7/8.</p>
<p>Andover-the interview was 2 hours! It was alumni. The questions were super hard, especially since they were the sort of questions that I was supposed to brag to, which I don’t like doing. However, there were only a few questions, the rest was conversation. He talked about his experience and his life a lot. Almost as much as we talked about myself, haha. I’d say about 6/7.</p>
<p>Taft-The interview was great! My interviewer was very friendly and casual and really wanted to get to know me. He only asked some basic questions about my interests and he was really easy to talk to. I’d give it about 8/9.</p>
<p>Peddie-I didn’t like this interview at all. I presented myself very well, but my interviewer wasn’t easy to talk to and it was very strictly Q & A. My interviewer seemed sort of stiff or stressed out, must have been through tons of interviews. I’d give it about a 6 because I didn’t think I messed up at all and spoke very clearly, just the way the interviewer responded to me didn’t seem too warm, so who knows maybe that’s just the way the interviewer is.</p>
<p>My Taft interview made me like the school a lot more. It was kind of refreshing to talk to someone who was so down to earth.</p>
<p>Well, it seems like we all have around a 14% chance of getting in, maybe a little bit better than some applicants because we’re CC’ers (do CC’ers really have a higher chance of getting in? I mean, creating an account probably demonstrates some level of commitment…) so… better hope you guys all applied to many schools I only applied to 3. How many did you guys apply to?</p>
<p>CollegeCookie: I guess someone could argue that CC’ers may have a little more insight on the boarding school application process, and therefore we have a slightly better chance. I don’t know, it’s all very subjective. I’m applying to 7 different schools. (Not including a private local day school that I’m applying to.)</p>
<p>@98beebee: you’re not. I’m just saying what my relationship with my teachers is. I dunno, I’ve always felt awkward around teachers lol</p>
<p>@ballerina22: sorry I meant ECs and stuff</p>
<p>@ hello el: haha my interviewer didn’t ask me a single question (ok maybe 3 or something) and just talked about his experiences and let me ask him questions for 3 hours
I learned so much about the school though. We talked about dorms and teachers and sneaking out past curfew and sneaking in drugs…lol</p>
<p>Peddie School (currently a student):
Essay: I think they were great…I like writing so that would make sense! 9
Profile: Okay…not the most well-rounded student, but certainly qualified. 7
Interview: AMAZING. End of story. 10 x 90389539084813482
Recs: My teachers like me. 8
Grades: Straight As, but no GPA average at school. 7
SSAT/ISEE scores: I took the SSATs twice. The first time I got an 85 overall, and the second time a 93rd overall.</p>
<p>Overall: I think I was an average candidate for the schools I applied to. 7</p>
<p>Accepted: Peddie was the hardest school I applied to :)</p>
<p>Collegecookie: Which school was that interview with? I would have loved to have an interview with him/her. Some of my interviewers, were really bad conversationalists and just plain boring. Also, some of their questions were very banal, conventional, and predictable.</p>
<p>Collegecookie: Oh and for whatever school it was that told you about that stuff, do share! Haha I feel like I didn’t get a good feel for social life. Any time I asked a student at all of the schools about social life they basically told me the exact same thing, “there’s so much to do, everybody is nice to everybody…” and so on, but again my dad was there too. I didn’t really get a feel for like how much people at the schools partied and stuff.</p>
<p>@helloel and @starkali: It was an Exeter alumni interview. What would you guys like to know? </p>
<p>And oh, I forgot to mention disadvantages and hooks. Those are very important too ;)</p>
<p>Hook: Nationally ranked in chess, many activities (bad/good I dunno) that’s about it
Disadvantages: ORM (Asian, what else lol), not many leadership roles except captain of chess team (all my friends make fun of me but whatever…lol)</p>
<p>Umm I think I’ll do Choate, but I also applied to two other schools.</p>
<p>Essays- I really liked writing them, especially the book synopsis. 8
Interview- Amazing, best interview I’ve had. We had a lot of common interests and told my mom I was motivated and excited about Choate, which is what they look for. 10!!!
Grades- 4.0 10
SSAT- 80% 4
Parent Statements- Okay/good 7
Teacher Recs- Math, English, and Sup. should be amazing, principal okay 9
Profile- Lots of ECs and all interviewers said I was outgoing. 7
Hook- Multi-racial (Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Cuban) and full pay
Disadvantages- SSAT?</p>
<p>Overall- 6/10, they are really selective, but I feel like I did my best on the application. :)</p>
<p>Hook: depends on which school. If their sports team isn’t so great, I could easily be a Varsity soccer addition. Broke scoring record at my school, and all that. We aren’t that much of a competitive school though. </p>
<p>Disadvantage: 10th grade applicant. I think my biggest disadvantage is that I don’t really have a hook except for the fact that I’m a good writer.</p>
<p>I think this thread is interesting, but would caution students not to divulge too much personal information in your write-ups.</p>
<p>Here’s the real question…will the people who are “crystal ballin’” (hah, I crack my old self up), themselves in this thread be willing to update with their results come March 10? Would be interesting to see if people’s gut feelings have any correlation to actual admissions decisions.</p>
<p>FWIW, given her stats and my vibe from interviews/visits/post interview correspondence, I felt pretty good about my daughter’s chances at all three schools to which she applied last year. I was genuinely surprised that Choate flat out rejected her.</p>
<p>And I’ll muddy the waters a bit by saying that of all DS apps/interview, we thought Choate was the least likely. He got the app in barely by the deadline (forgot that he had school report/principal rec in his backpack until the night before!) and had ho-hum, rushed interview with alum here at a local Starbucks. We learned that AOs gushing about how enjoyable their genuine conversations with DS were and how they could easily see him around their tables didn’t mean much come 3/10. I think the crystal ball method is probably as sound as whatever the schools actually use. I thought it might be astrology, but crystal ball sounds more reasonable.</p>
<p>Essay: I really liked it. Showed a different side than what I had showed in the interview. 9
Profile: Interesting Enough 7.5
Interview: Loved it! My favorite (along with NMH.) Interviewer was awesome! Only bad part was we only had 30 mins as it was at a Ten Schools Admission thingie 10
Recs: English and Personal (theater) were great, math should be okay, school report will probably be ehh 8.5
Grades: As and Bs 7
SSATs: 90% 9
Parent recs: pretty good 8
Hook: Multiracial, theater, awards
Disadvantages: Would need full financial aid plus not a lot of clubs
Overall: I’d say about an 8.5-ish</p>
</p>
I only applied to 3. How many did you guys apply to?</p>