<p>Hello. </p>
<p>I am applying to the schools Concord, Hill, Blair, and NMH. I am an Asian female living in Asia, going to an international school. I’m currently in 8th grade, applying for 9th. </p>
<p>Grades:
For my school, a 93 average or above is considered as “high honor roll”. For the most part I remain in that category. (Maybe around half of the time, but the other times I remain on the boundary between high honor roll and honor roll.) For this trimester, I got all A’s except for P.E., which I received a B. </p>
<p>Recommendations:
My humanities teacher is very kind to me, and has, upon receiving the blank recommendation letters, told me that he would write a very “good” recommendation letter and is here to “help me out”. My algebra teacher isn’t exactly mean to me, but I feel that we don’t really know each other, and from the times when I have interacted with him, I have left quite the negative impression. I think that my counselor thinks pretty highly of me. I’m also going to include a personal recommendation letter from my piano teacher, who is very fond of me after a 3-years relationship and believes that I have “great potential”. </p>
<p>SSAT:
Reading: 719, 91%
Math: 749, 89%
Verbal: 716, 83%
Overall: 2184, 90%
Didn’t finish the essay, and I kind of felt like I had written it horribly in the first part too. </p>
<p>Interview:
This is an area of concern for me. I am a rather asocial person, and I can be, at times, intimidated to speak to strangers, or I sometimes express myself in a way that is very different from who I really am. I am going for a skype interview, since I live overseas. Although I have horrible communication skills, I do have an idea of what I would answer to the different questions and I have prepared mentally for them, to reduce the awkwardness of my lack of social skills. </p>
<p>Application in general:
I expect my essays to be, in some ways, “well-written”, but not extremely unique. I am also including recordings of me playing the flute and the piano. I might include some type of “digital portfolio”, but I haven’t had time to really think it through yet. </p>
<p>Extracurricular’s:
Piano: 4-5 years, ABRSM 4th grade
Flute: 3 years, ABRSM 5th grade, first flute in band, first flute for the play production
Badminton: 1 year
Table Tennis: (seasonal sport)
Golf: 1 year
Ambassadors: It is basically the “student council” of our middle school, although you don’t need to be elected to get in. We plan events and assemblies for MS.
Swimming: 2-3 years. This is a sport that I have dropped due to personal reasons. Although I must say that I am a slow swimmer, it is something that I enjoy.
Tae Kwon Doe: 1 year. Also dropped this sport as well. </p>
<p>As you can see from my record of sports, I have very little accomplishments. I don’t feel as obliged to compete or test my abilities in sports than in music. Sports is just not something that I am that in to, although I don’t completely neglect them, per se. Will the lack of achievements in sports affect my chances a lot? </p>
<p>Volunteer Work:
6th grade: A small group of students and teachers - including me - went to the Great Wall to pick up trash on hiking trials and plant trees. We also donated a lot of stuff to the locals there.
7th grade: At Lijiang, we donated books for a local elementary school that was funded on donations. We also kept company with the children there. We planted trees in their yard. We helped install solar panels in the homes of poor people so they can save energy and money at the same time.
8th grade: Sometimes I stay after school to help out with the librarian with organizing books and stuff. </p>
<p>I like schools that have a great deal of community service. Even though, so far, my community service section is quite weak, I feel that in the coming years I must invest far more time in it. I like schools that make you “work” - no, not in a sense that they give you loads of homework - but more like, you understand that you reap what you sow, and that you have to give something to the community to help yourself as well. A second important factor is that the music section must not be “below average”. Music is the most accomplished “talent” that I have, and without it, I am the most mediocre person in existence… Thirdly, the language section should be… good. I know myself as someone who will definitely not hold back to explore different cultures. When I grow up, I want to travel around the world and see many interesting things and understand the different perspectives of people. </p>
<p>Here comes the questions:
- Taking account of my stats and interests, what other schools would you recommend to me, with the chance of being admitted ranging from “risky” to “highly-risky”?
- Do you think I should try participating more in the sports?
- What other volunteer work should I try out? (I find it to be rather difficult to participate in any community service here in China … but yeah, I should stop making excuses for myself)
- Should I retake my SSAT scores?
- Do you think that I should include some type of “booklet” (explaining my activities, hobbies, volunteer work, ambitions, etc.) in my application?
- Should I choose a song that is easy and melodic or should I choose something that shows technique for my recordings? </p>
<p>(I do not need Financial Aid). </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>