Incoming Exeter prep here!
Your chances, @honnintz , are as low as anyone else’s, unfortunately. @skieurope is absolutely right in every point she made. Almost all Exeter applicants are smart and have high grades at their old schools. It’s only a prerequisite for admission, imo. And the others are only advising you such because it’s standard advice for applicants. It’s very hard to get into Exeter, and each year it gets more and more competitive. If you want to go to BS and not just Exeter, you have to have a wide net of different schools, some of which may not have much prestige but are great all the same. And you haven’t provided the thread a reason to think that you want to SPECIFICALLY go to Exeter, in which case I’m sure some would change their tune.
First thing to do is get an actual SSAT/ISEE score. You have to be better than or around (I believe) 92% , which is the Exeter average SSAT percentile, to have a strong chance to get into Exeter.
Another thing is to cultivate good relationships with your teachers, which will be very nice come recommendations time. Specifically English and Math will be relevant to your application.
Another thing is to be sure to do good interview prep. Whether you go to the campus itself (which I recommend if you haven’t seen it before), preferably during a time where school is in session. Research about Exeter (and you will have to do a lot of research; Exeter is very thorough in giving information on the website) and prepare as many questions as you possibly can.
that’s basically it, really. after that you just have to wait until your M10. Exeter normally releases by early-morning email, from what I understand. Prepare yourself for disappointment, but always hope for a good result!
Best of luck to you!