Hi, I applied for both Exeter and Andover this year for 10th grade and was waitlisted at both. I know pretty much why I didn’t get in because my gpa was only around a 3.2 at the time I applied to both of these schools. My friend has a dad on the admissions committee of Andover and I asked him to review my application in which he explicitly stated the only reason I got waitlisted was because of my poor grades. Would It be worth it for me to reapply for 11th grade/ repeat 10th, given that I have gotten straight A’s the past two semesters in high school. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My first reaction is that this improvement in grades suggests that you have put in a lot of effort this past year. Congratulations! In the long run, if you keep up the same effort in the future, one way or another this improvement is going to help you a lot.
I do wonder whether you should stay where you are, and focus on doing well again in 11th grade. A strong 10th and 11th grade is going to help you quite a bit when it is time to apply to universities.
Given that you have a “friend” in admissions, that might be the best place to start with this question as they know the ins and outs of your application and situation.
My guess is that the 3.2 was what kept your application from going further in the process rather than being the “only thing” that kept you from being accepted, but that’s just a guess, and of course, I don’t know what else you offered that would have otherwise guaranteed admission (i.e., impact player in a sport, legacy, etc.)
I can see a good case for repeating 10th – you’ll have 3 years to experience all BS has to offer, your excellent improvement will be the dominant note of your pre-BS transcript, and it’s less competitive (assuming there isn’t a coach chomping at the bit to have you.)
11th is a tough time to transfer, even if you are accepted, and is often used by students who can “afford” a grade slippage because their appeal to colleges comes from something other than grades (such as athletics). If you slip, you’ll have 2 rocky years on your transcript. At the same time, it’ll save your family one year of expensive tuition. For some, this doesn’t matter, but for many, it can change which colleges are affordable.
A big question: Are you receptive to the idea of repeating 10th? As normal as it is, many students don’t want to do that.
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Can you elaborate on this? What do you mean by “going further in the process”, I was under the assumption that they reviewed all applications and then decided who to waitlist rather than stoping while in the process of reviewing your application, I could be wrong though I don’t really know the process well. I think I would be really open to the idea of repeating 10th grade but my parents might be strongly against it, so i’m not entirely sure what to do. I think academically I can handle both schools, but there are opportunities near me that are not available far way, particularly doing scientific research. I think if I reapplied I would have a decent shot of getting in, but don’t know which grade I would apply for. Any thoughts?
It is common for schools that get many more applications than they “need” to do a first and fast read of all applications. The most compelling are then discussed and decided by the full committee as they put together a class.
It is possible that your application didn’t get to the committee but was instead knocked out in the first read. I don’t know this, of course, because I wasn’t on the committee nor have I seen your full application but it seems plausible.
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Wouldnt you expect your application not moving any further in the process to yield a rejection? Im relatively unfamiliar with the process, but I believe they review each applicants application fully. But your point still stand’s on how I shouldn’t risk getting poor grades at boarding school as oppose to continuing success at my current school.
Not necessarily. WL is a rejection until you get an offer of admission, so as you note, the school got to the same place . But the school is giving itself the option to reconsider if it needs to. So you could submit better grades with your LOCI and any other new info/accomplishments, and if they have openings, they might look at you differently.
There are lots of reasons schools WL students. They might have thought you were terrific but they didn’t have space or FA or they may see potential and want you to encourage you to improve and reapply. They might want to give you a soft rejection because your parent is an alum, because they want other students from your school or town to apply, or perhaps they thought you looked like a great person but a not-great fit for the school. None of us know why you weren’t accepted. That’s why I originally suggested that if you have a friend who is well-connected to the admissions office, they might be able to give you better info.
If you reapply next year, it sounds like you are already on track to have stronger grades. Think about how else you can reflect the maturity and engagement that have set that in motion. You don’t want the same application with better grades - you want a better application all the way round. Also think about whether there are other schools that might be a better fit if youreallywanttogoto BS.
Remember, you’re a good, diligent student and wherever you are next year or after that, you can be curious, learn, and knock it out of the park. This doesn’t define you.
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To state the obvious from a parent’s perspective: talk to your parents sooner than later to get their input and support for one path or another.
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If you really want to go, apply and re-class. As others have said, it’s an easier entry point, and it’s very risky to jump into those meat grinders in 11th grade, a critical year from a college admissions standpoint. Especially at PA, where 11th is the hardest year of all.
But that said, the reason to go these places isn’t to get into a great college. It actually makes it harder in some respects. The reason to go is to be prepared to do great wherever you go to college, which sets you up well for grad school or whatever you want to do after. Three years of that experience beats two.
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