<p>I am finishing up my homeschooling and beginning to think about boarding school. I’m planning on applying to Webb, Thacher, Cate, and Stevenson. The problem is I need full FA. I want to impress them big time, yet I don’t feel like a genius. I’m learning french and about to start piano. When I read about all these other brilliant kids, I feel kind of dumb for even trying. What can I do to just wow them. Anything will be helpful. Thanks</p>
<p>Part-time Job. Admission officers usually consider part time job’s to be more impressive than volunteer work because of the laborious tasks and leadership roles your forced to take on. Also, it’ll put some extra cash in your pocket for that social life of yours!</p>
<p>Don’t do anything to impress admissions officers. Do things because you have a passion for them.</p>
<p>Besides, it’s unlikely to impress admissions officers anyway. </p>
<p>I second @skieurope, and would like to add that at this point (I’mm assuming you’re applying this fall?) it’s a bit late to start doing things for the admissions officers. Granted, anything you start now could be carried on and would certainly help on university applications, but would have minimal impact on your applications to prep schools.</p>
<p>At this point, look at what you’ve got going for you and work from there, but don’t try to cushion your application with little things that you don’t have a passion for.</p>
<p>Make yourself unique. Show them you are special. Show them what you can do at their school and why they should admit you. Show them you got passions. But then again… this is not all about the admission officers.</p>
<p>I’d impress them with yourself, honestly. Be talkative, kind, and polite. Express your goals, opinions, desires, and best qualities without sounding cocky or full of yourself. Discuss deep, meaningful points and topics in your interview. Focus on things that are important to you, not that look good on applications, and most of all be relaxed and confident in yourself. This isn’t just for the interviews, either, but for tours, meetings with faculty and coaches, emails, thank-you notes, etc.</p>
<p>Two important tips are often overlooked. One, make sure to send thank-you notes to each person you come into contact with. After a tour or interview, take down a name or grab a business card; keep in mind the names of your interviewers, tour guides, faculty or coaches you meet with, etc. When you arrive home, promptly write a concise, polite note and mail it. Secondly, try to be in contact with the school yourself. If you have a question about admissions, email the school yourself; don’t ask your parents or a counselor to do it for you. It shows the school that you are independent and mature. </p>
<p>Be full pay!! My son had all the typical talked about credentials and was wait listed everywhere. If you are full pay, or an athlete, you might get it in. If you need a bunch of aid, just pray you may get it in.</p>
<p>Hey now, vouching for FA kids, being on FA does not mean that you won’t get in B-) Especially at the bigger schools, FA is not the only reason to say no to an applicant. However, they are in a more competitive group of people.</p>
<p>And also, @Buckeyemom, I’d like to point out that “Be full pay!!” is not really helpful to this applicant. (S)he can’t just choose to be full pay (as I’m sure you know). While it’s important to be realistic, it’s best not to put down someone’s hopes. Kids who need FA DO get in.</p>
<p>Sorry, it’s just that when I read your comment it made me kind of annoyed.</p>
<p>@greyeyedgoddess I agree. It’s best not to put down someone’s hopes, but it’s worse to bring up someone’s hopes by telling people that it’s possible when you don’t know that it is. There have been more than a few cases on CC of accepted students talking about their unlikely acceptances, leaving out details that were probably large factors in their application. Yes, some hookless, FA kids get in, but with lottery odds. Many full aid kids come from ABC or Prep For Prep or live in underrepresented areas, advantages not all kids can choose. </p>
<p>Saying be full pay is like saying be an underrepresented minority. Can’t really do it if you aren’t it. </p>
<p>Cliché as it sounds: be yourself. Don’t make an AO fall in love (RARE - I think most AO’s are heartless creatures) with someone who really isn’t who you are. There’s no point to change yourself for a school if they don’t get to know the real you. </p>
<p>Ditto the above. Be yourself and hope for the best. I have two kids who are both extremely well-qualified for boarding school and who both need immense amounts of financial aid to make it possible. One got in and one did not. Anecdotal proof of both the real possibility and the real difficulty. </p>
<p>Thank you guys for the information! I definitely can not be full pay. I am going to try my best and if I don’t get it, at least I tried my absolute best. I will remember the thank you notes because I probably would have forgotten. </p>
<p>You’ve got plenty of time! Have mini interviews in your mirror (creepy? slightly.) and make sure to focus on your eyes contact, and handshake!</p>
<p>Firm, don’t crush. Get a tennis ball and start to squeeze. ;)</p>
<p>What if I accidentally hurt them?</p>
<p>That would be bad.</p>
<p>To be safe, I’ll go with loose easy handshakes. 
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