I believe I have seen something like this elsewhere, but I decided to post one based on my personal experiences. So, here goes: A list of the things I wish someone had told me before applying.
DISCLAIMER: These are all my own opinions and just because they are observations from my experience doesn’t mean it will necessarily be your experience as well.
If you can... VISIT THE SCHOOLS!
You can get a feel of the campus
You can ask students questions
I had much better experiences getting interviewed by actual AO officers rather than alumni. (I'll elaborate later in this post)
Better judge of location
If you can... INTERVIEW WITH ACTUAL AOs!
My experiences with AOs > interviews with alumni
Alumni may not be able to answer all questions pertaining to campus, student life, academics, etc due to the fact it may have been 20 years since they attended.
Interviews? They MATTER!
AOs like you to be yourself rather than pretend to be all-around good at athletics, academics, etc. (If you actually are, then go for it)
Try to do all interviews as early in the admission season as possible. That way, if you don't like the school after the interview, you aren't forced to complete the application because it is paid for
Similar to the first point, show yourself to AOs as a human. Humans have FLAWS. They like to see people that are not already perfect, but rather people who will improve immensely should they attend supposed AO's BS.
Applications? This goes without being said but... They MATTER!
Do NOT (and I repeat DO NOT) write too many essays at once or within too tight of a time limit.
It is very obvious on my application which essays I rushed and which I took my time on. The apps where I wrote my best work tended to be the schools that I got accepted in.
Writing too many essays at once made my inspiration dry up and caused a heavy writing block that not only affected my application, but also my schoolwork.
Most everyone wants to be perfect... but be HUMAN!
Don't be afraid to include extra projects unrelated to school in your application! In my opinion, they showcase the creativity and incentive to learn that often goes unseen through test scores and transcripts.
Be proud of what makes you different! Diverse communities are important.
Stand out, but... be CONSISTENT!
If there is an activity you are passionate about that you talk about in your essays, talk about them in your interviews (or vice versa).
Showcase your entire flower garden of interests, but show off your favorite, the one with the biggest bloom.
Communication? It is KEY!
Stay in contact with AOs if you can.
Email the heads of various departments you are interested in! (theatre, soccer, etc.)
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Miscellaneous Advice/Regret Tidbits
I wish I had submitted my application earlier instead of doubting myself and overloading it with awards and accomplishments to the point where I submitted it right on the deadline.
On YouTube I found vlogs or videos of/from the school that have been made by their actual students. It was a nice l way to gauge quality of work (based off videos FOR school) and student life (based on vlogs)
Don't apply to all the top schools across to row just because they are the top schools. More schools mean more essays, interviews, and stress.
Hopefully this will be helpful for those applying for a BS Class of 2022 and beyond, from PG to third-formers. Feel free to add any advice. I just wanted to share my experiences so I may hopefully help any BS hopefuls out there.
Very comprehensive post above. I would add from our kiddo’s perspective a couple of things we did not know and/or would have liked to have known.
Many students at BS are “repeats” - we did not realize how many until we experienced Revisit Days at several schools - then later on upon attending BS. This is interesting on many levels and is worthy of its own thread. It’s not uncommon. Along with this, there is a large age range per class. Kiddo’s first year class had students who ranged in age from 13-16 years old. There are “repeats” who are also repeating courses in science and math - some international students - choosing to do this for grades or being very proficient. Some repeat for athletics, it seems. Some students whose families can afford to have them repeat, also. Not judging, just stating facts.
There are some schools that seem to have more JBS students than others. We did not even know @ JBS. There seems to be a number of kids who attend JBS for athletics or to get a leg up for BS preparation.
If you go decide to go to a “highly competitive” school, there will be competition - sometimes competition about things you didn’t even think there should be competitiveness about.
What we learned in addition to many of the OPs enlightenments:
CASTING A WIDE NET is NOT the same as applying to a bunch of schools with the same acceptance rate. It’s not the number of schools that makes your net wide. It’s the variety. This means not the entire acronym…you’ll have to think outside the GLADCHEMMS box.
A 99% ON THE SSAT is NOT your Golden Ticket into selective schools.
YOU NEED TO SELL YOURSELF (see #2). DS left many accomplishments/awards off his application because he felt it was bragging. Anyone who has met him knows he’s a pretty stoic, introverted kid. He keeps his cards close to his chest and doesn’t flaunt his payoffs/good fortunes. The application is the time to allow yourself to shine. You need to allow the AOs to really get to know you. If you are like my DS, take the extra steps to come out of your shell on paper. It will be easier than doing so in the interview, which you’ll have to try and do then, too. And those awards you received? Write them down.
EVEN THE SCHOOLS WHO SAY THEY DON’T RECRUIT, DO. I don’t care what they tell you. There’s some form of sports recruiting going on, even if just a wee little bit. Schools are pulling in upper classmen for their varsity basketball, hockey or baseball teams. It’s much less in leagues that “ban” it, but it still happens.
LISTEN TO THE CC “ADVISORS” - the older ones, who’ve been around the block or two…they know this process and are dead on. They don’t tell you what you want to hear all of the time (ahem, The Wait List thread) but they will definitely give sound advice and steer you in the right direction. …Oh and by older, I don’t mean age but experience. The ones whose kids have graduated, even college at this point, but still stick around to help those of us who are still experiencing the BS process. Why? I have no idea…I’d probably have gotten fed up with people like myself who ask ridiculous and repetitive questions and washed my hands of the whole thing. But they stay and continue to try and shine the light on the path for those of us who need it. I’m already forever indebted to them…and I haven’t yet gone through round 2, yet.
DO YOUR OWN DIGGING AND FIND YOUR OWN DIAMONDS. Look for hidden gem schools. This means the ones you found on your own, with your own research. Even the schools given that label on this forum aren’t really that hidden. And many of them are very selective and have low acceptance rates. Do your own research, then come back here and see if there are any alum/parents that can provide personal info/feedback for those schools.
EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE Don’t let this intimidate you. There will always be those families that have to point out in the admissions lobby who they know that’s connected to the school. Every. Single. Time. At first, this intimidated us so much that I genuinely think it interfered with our confidence in the interview. Then, DS and i started to make a game of it. When we arrived, we’d each place bets on which family would make a show of their contact… DD and I love the new virtual session format because you can see everyone’s thumbnail pictures and we try and pick from those. The best part is we are always muted and video blocked, so of course, once they “out themselves” we proceed to mock and fall into peals of laughter - Something we couldn’t do if we were there in person. DS and I would have to save that for the car ride back to the hotels. I digress…
LET GO OF THE WHAT IFS When M10 comes, accept your results with grace. It may not turn out like you’d hoped or expected. If you were accepted, be thankful for this and let the no’s and WL no’s (these are NOT maybes) go. Don’t dwell on the negative, but instead focus on the positive. If you did not get an acceptance, analyze what may have contributed to that - fix it, pull up those bootstraps and move on to plan B. Whether this be to reapply next year, look for schools with open spots or just give up the BS path altogether is up to you. Just don’t hang on to the what ifs. It’s unproductive and it drowns out the positive.
9)SAVOR EVERY MOMENT DS is a V (almost VI) former. We still bring up memories and stories of the process. We made so many. We had such good times (there were a few not so good, but we now laugh at those). It goes by so much faster than you would ever imagine. And it’s such a great ride.
Connect with the AO. Ask questions, even if you can assume most of the answers from the website. Write an email or two and reiterate your interest in the school. This is the most important thing. The AO wants to know if they accept you that you WILL come especially if you are applying to other similar schools in the same area.
Get to know the school. Listen to the head of school. What do they value? It that a fit for you/your child? If so, then pursue it, if it's a great school with an impressive rep but doesn't fit your kid apply elsewhere.
Get good recommendations. Let's face it some people write really great recommendations that tell a story. Others write flat stats and details. This can really make you stand out or fall flat.
If you have a sport, talk to the coach. Send your stats/video etc. If you are on a Club team make sure your club sends a recommendation even it it isn't required. If you regularly see the coach at events say hi and introduce yourself ( not every 8th grader can do this). But the ones who make a connection have a serious edge. Same goes for arts, music etc. These are your unique features.
Don't conflate high SSAT scores with high acceptance rates. At many schools there are tons of kids with 95%+ scores.
Don't apply to just PEA and PA. Find YOUR school.
Look outside NE. There are some great schools. Also, if you come from one area do not apply only to schools in that area as your competition will be much tougher. Even worse if you are truly local or need FA.
Picture yourself at that school. Can you really envision it? It it your dream or just something to impress others? Is this school your best path?
I think the main difference is no in person visits. You’ll have to attend a lot of virtual visits, have Zoom interviews and rely on technology to give you the “warm fuzzies”. Also, most schools are going test optional with the SSAT. Other than that, it seems to be business as usual.
I’m so glad this thread was revived. I derived great advice from my peers here. I wish we could pin it.