What is going to matter is your high school record – less than where you achieved that record. Is it possible that of you might be admitted as a repeat ninth grader at Exeter? The big question, though, is how you will feel if you are not admitted to Exeter? Will you continue at the school where you did ninth? Will you be applying to other schools (besides Exeter) for both 9th and 10th.
You are going to do 9th somewhere - regardless of your plans. Do that. Knock it out of the park. AND figure out, and apply for, a couple of different trajectories for the 3 or 4 years that come next. Maybe it’s Exeter for 4 years? Other BS for 3 or 4 years? The 9th grade school for 3 more years? You can figure out what’s best for you when you know what your real options are. But your real options will be best if you apply yourself from here on out.
I won’t be applying for financial aid, so that part isn’t a factor. I get that repeating 9th won’t magically boost my chances, but my goal is to show a real academic turnaround consistent grades, stronger habits, and solid SSAT scores so Exeter can see what I’m actually capable of. I know the new school won’t have a long history with me, but I’m planning to start improving now so I’m in a much better place by next fall. I’m just trying to understand whether students with a big upward trend have ever gotten in, since that’s the path I’m working toward.
@Kristin_White is perhaps the best source here. But my guess, not as a professional in this field, is yes, there are students who got into Exeter after a big upturn. The question, though, is what was behind the upturn.
I can easily imagine an English-language learner having showing great improvement as a result of mastering the language.
I can also imagine that a tip-top athlete who realized the need for academic rigor and success having an academic turnaround. (Iirc, some of the top athletes at Stanford – like Tiger Woods – had coaches explain to them in middle school what they would need academically to be a viable recruit in 4-5 years.)
I’d guess that a student from a disadvantaged background who struggled in a new school for a year or so, and then - fully caught up and understanding expectations – would be viewed favorably.
So the big question here is whether a change of focus or sudden uptick in maturity, absent any other reason, is a “good enough” reason for an AO to say yes. At many schools, honestly, it would be. At others, it might give them pause, wondering whether this newfound excellence would be sustained.
This is why you need to think about creating and maintaining options next year. Nobody can take a good freshman year away from you - whether it leads to Exeterbor not.
I think fixating on one school is a mistake. There are lots of places that would provide the academics you are looking for– with a range of difficulty in getting in. And staying in….
Thanks for the perspective it helps to understand the different situations where a big academic jump makes sense. In my case, the improvement isn’t from language learning or athletics; it’s more about finally getting serious, building better habits, and understanding what’s expected of me. I’m working on keeping my grades strong, getting involved in extracurriculars, and showing that the change is real and sustainable. I agree that the best thing I can do is focus on having a solid freshman year no matter what, so I’m doing that now while keeping my options open for next year considering my actual chances that I will be able to do ts.
I get what you’re saying, and I’m definitely not putting all my hopes on one school. I’ll be applying to a range of places because I know how competitive this whole process is. At the same time, Exeter is the one I’m most motivated by, so I’m trying to understand what it would take while still keeping my options open.
I agree with @skieurope 100%. Exeter is not going to accept you based on your performance in just one semester. They will review your middle school transcripts - a process that you are unlikely to survive based on your own description.
If I were you, I would enroll at a high school in your area, or apply to a much less competitive boarding school. Do well for 3+ years, then assemble a college list that works to your stats and strengths. It will be a much more practical pathway to good colleges than what you have in mind.
Even if you scored above the 90th% on the SSAT and earned straight A/100 grades, you would still lack ECs. Boarding schools seek students who can & will contribute to the boarding school community.
Why don’t you repeat 8th grade, and demonstrate that you can work hard and do appropriate ECs? Also, “aiming” for 90th percentile on the SSAT is sort of arrogant. I’m sure everyone is “aiming” to do well.
I don’t like the sound of your goal of trying to finally get to where you might be challenged. Good students find the challenge wherever they are. And I really don’t like this business about how you don’t really try but surely you would be getting high As if you were trying.
We also see this in applications for college: you will always be competing with people who are at least as smart as you, but who also did the work and put in the effort and didn’t bring the weird ego that leaks out in comments like the above.
Nearly every high school will have discussion sections in some of your classes.
Exeter: Your description of what you want in a boarding school (“a place that actually challenges me, a discussion‑based environment, stronger peers, and overall higher expectations”) could describe 15+ boarding schools. It’s not limited to Exeter. You should broaden your search.
Admission: I agree with Indy. It’s clear how you would benefit from four years at Exeter, but you need to demonstrate to them that you’re a better candidate than other students who have been putting in the work for years and have the grades, ECs, and scores to show it. How will you convince them?
Path: A more realistic path to a top boarding school would be to attend another high school for two years, earn excellent grades, join ECs where you have passion, and apply as a repeat 10th grader. That might be a more realistic option if Exeter (or similar) is your dream.