2017 Official Prep School Stats/ECs

Prep School Admissions
1

'Tis the month of tears, decisions, and elation and so without further ado: The Official 2017 Prep School Stats/ECs Thread.

Format (copy & paste):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accepted:
Rejected:
Wait listed:
Likely Attending:

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT:
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted:
• Rank:
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews:
• Essays:
• Math Rec:
• English Rec:
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec:
• Principal/Counselor Rec:
• Sports (if any):
• Instruments (if any):
• Other ECs (if any):
• Hook:

Location/Person:
• State or Country:
• Current School Type:
• Ethnicity:
• Gender:
• Grade Applying For:
• Age:
• Financial Aid/Full Pay:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

General Comments:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Please DO NOT post your stats/ecs until you receive ALL of your decisions…

The sole purpose of this thread has been stated in the title. Any other comments, questions, etc are not allowed. Such posts will probably be deleted by a moderator.

Credit to @ChoatieMom for the format, just copied and pasted from her thread last year…

2

Accepted: NMH
Rejected: St. George’s
Wait listed: Deerfield, SPS
Likely Attending: NMH if not taken off waitlist at SPS or Deerfield

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 98th Percentile (2322/2400)
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 3.8 UW/ 4.11 W
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: One of just 8 students (and of two Sophomores) in the whole state to be honored with a statewide academic/extracurricular scholarship status. Front page interview with the state’s largest newspaper. Award for perfect scoring in a statewide Math tournament. Received personal letters from two members of the US Congress pertaining to my academic/community work.

Subjective:
• Interviews: 7/10 NMH went very well, as did Deerfield. St. Paul’s was my first and was just okay. St. George’s was pretty bad, the interviewer seemed entirely uninterested and apathetic from the start.
• Essays: 9/10 Made some typos, but felt very good about them.
• Math Rec: Couldn’t read any recs, probably okay but not great.
• English Rec: Likely average.
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Done by my theater director, probably good.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Likely amazing. I’m very close to my counselor.
• Sports (if any): N/A
• Instruments (if any): Guitar, Bass, Vocals
• Other ECs (if any): 40+ Emergency Room Volunteer Hours, Model Government, NHS, President of Tri-M, Theater, Music, Debate Club, Math Team.
• Hook: Mixed Race, Latino/White

Location/Person:
• State or Country: NH
• Current School Type: Small Public High School
• Ethnicity: Puerto Rican and Irish
• Gender: M
• Grade Applying For: 11th
• Age: 16
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Full FA

Strengths: Essays, definitely. I felt very good about them. I got along well with the NMH interviewer.

Weaknesses: GPA, I have received a few B/B+s in Math. For SPS and SGS, interviews. Financial aid as well.

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
11th grade is ridiculously selective, even more so than 9th. SSAT scores didn’t make up for imperfect grades. Financial aid.

General Comments: I hope everyone is happy with their admission results. Just know that you are special and that fact does not hinge on an Admission Office’s recognition. Everyone here is motivated and bright - we’ll all do great things regardless of where we go to high school.

3

Accepted: Kent, Pomfret
Rejected: Deerfield, Middlesex, Concord, (probably) Andover
Wait listed: Loomis, Lawrence academy, Suffield academy
Likely Attending: Kent maybe or loomis if i get taken off the waitlist

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 60th percentile ssat lmaoo
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: idk
• Rank: idk
• Other stats: Got a D in chemistry but everything else As and Bs (i take 11 subjects yay:))

Subjective:
• Interviews: For deerfield and lawrence they said i did SO good like 3x each or smthn then andover said i asked good questions. As for kent, it was my first interview so idk if i did AS well. Loomis i did REALLY badly because i did it on Kiratalent and felt like i was talking to no one!! Suffield i think i did well, it was a Skype tho. Pomfret went pretty well.
• Essays: REALLYYYY good for Pomfret. Good for Middlesex, andover and deerfield. The rest were OK. EXCEPT concord lmaoo didn’t put any effort into that.
• Math Rec: she told me she said i’m smart but thats about it
• English Rec: she said it’s a pleasure having me in her class and thats all i know
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: REALLYYYYY good. My coach said ill be a good asset but also said I’m shy. My other rec said good stuff, won lots of awards blabla
• Principal/Counselor Rec: should be OK he doesn’t know me that well
• Sports (if any): Soccer, swimming, track
• Instruments (if any): guitar
• Other ECs (if any): gardening club, photography
• Hook: now that i think about it probably nothing but MAYBE soccer or photography

Location/Person:
• State or Country: ASIA
• Current School Type: Private international
• Ethnicity: asian
• Gender: female
• Grade Applying For: 11
• Age:15
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: full pay

Strengths: interview and essay maybe, sports and arts

Weaknesses: grades

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

Pomfret: my interview was g. Essay was g.
everything else mehhh
Lawrence: WHAT IN THE WORLLDDDDD i really thought i liked lawrence i was like WOW lawrence is the ONE they are so gonna accept me but who do they think they are BYE CHANGED MY MIND

General Comments:if u know plz tell me why th lawrence WLted me efjegjrekjgrbar

Note: Please DO NOT post your stats/ecs until you receive ALL of your decisions…

4

Accepted:
Rejected:
Wait listed: Choate
Likely Attending: ?

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 99% SSAT
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: N/A
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews: interview was on campus, I thought it went fairly well. I had a very good discussion with my interviewer and I would say I was well prepared.
• Essays: organized, personal and well thought out. I put lots of time and effort into them so they should be pretty good
• Math Rec: should be very good
• English Rec: mediocre/average
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: should be very good
• Principal/Counselor Rec: I don’t really know
• Sports (if any): soccer and basketball
• Instruments (if any): piano and cello
• Other ECs (if any):
• Hook: I’ve played soccer for 9 years and play for a US Soccer DA club. I’ve been invited to many regional identification camps and have attended training centers for US soccer.

Location/Person:
• State or Country: CT
• Current School Type: large public
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: male
• Grade Applying For: 9th
• Age: 13
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FP

Strengths: I am hard working and have a great drive. Also I have an rather good at interacting with people

Weaknesses: idk lack of academic ec’s?

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

I have no idea

General Comments:
Note: Please DO NOT post your stats/ecs until you receive ALL of your decisions…

The sole purpose of this thread has been stated in the title. Any other comments, questions, etc are not allowed. Such posts will probably be deleted by a moderator.

Credit to @ChoatieMom for the format, just copied and pasted from her thread last year…

5

Accepted: Culver
Rejected:
Wait listed:
Likely Attending: Culver

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 84th percentile SSAT
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: N/A

Subjective:
• Interviews: Good, lots of personalized convos
• Essays: Pretty good
• Math Rec: Very good
• English Rec: Good
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Excellent
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Excellent
• Sports (if any): Track, Basketball, XC
• Instruments (if any):
• Other ECs (if any): NJHS, Geography Team, Spelling Bee Champion (heading to regionals)
• Hook: N/A

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Indiana
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 9th
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Financial Aid (Hopefully full)

Strengths: Great leadership skills, good writer, charismatic :wink:

Weaknesses: Lack of ECs

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

I don’t know

6

Accepted: none
Rejected: Andover, Hotchkiss
Wait listed: Blair, Choate, Deerfield, Loomis, Suffield
Likely Attending: Blair, Choate, Deerfield, or Loomis if I get of the waitlist

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: SSAT Percentile: Mid 70s
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: n/a
• Rank: n/a
• Other stats: n/a

Subjective:
• Interviews: Blair, Choate, Loomis, and Suffield: really well
Deerfield: did not have one
• Essays: pretty good
• Math Rec: great
• English Rec: very good
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: great
• Principal/Counselor Rec: good
• Sports (if any): Basketball, Volleyball, Golf
• Instruments (if any): ukulele
• Other ECs (if any): Student council, peer buddies, honor society, many hours of community service
• Hook: none

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Illinois
• Current School Type: public school
• Ethnicity: white
• Gender: female
• Grade Applying For: 9th
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Full Fiancial Aid

Strengths: Good at making conversation, ready for a challenge

Weaknesses: not a good enough participant in class

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted? My need for full financial aid

General Comments: All my interview that I mentioned above that went well, were amazing and my interviewers told me and my mom that I was a good fit for the school

7

Accepted: Middlesex and a day school
Rejected: Hotchkiss, Choate and Lawrenceville
Wait listed: Deerfield, Milton, and Exeter
Likely Attending: Middlesex Class of 2020!!!

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 95 Percentile (SSAT)
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0/4.8
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: Taking the highest honors classes offered for freshman in my school.

Subjective:
• Interviews: All interviews (beside Exeter) were via Skype. I tried to portray myself the best I could. I tired to be mindful of conveying everything (ecs, interests, etc) in those 30 min.

Choate: My best interview. The interviewer was very interested in my EC’s and was very complimentary about my community service efforts.
Deerfield: My first interview of this cycle, and it went wonderfully. There was a flow and we had a great conversation-like interview.
Milton: Somehow, I don’t remember the interview very well, but it was a normal, easy going interview.
Middlesex: A lot of connection problems before the interview, which shortened the amount of time we had. A bit awkward at first, because the interviewer mentioned that I applied last year and saw that I was a great applicant and surprised I hadn’t been accepted anywhere else… Cue awkward pause… Other than it was good, although it felt like I was giving an update of myself to add to my app from last year.
Exeter: This was with an alumni interviewer. Not sure how great of an impression I made when I arrived 3 hours late. Yes you read that right 3 hours. Because of traffic, the normal 1.5 hour drive to the location was extended to 4 hours! And considering that we drive to that location often, we had never seen such traffic - ever. But it was still fine and the interviewer was really nice and understanding (having been stuck in similar traffic jams himself).
Hotchkiss: Was ok but nothing special. The interview was rushed because the AO had to interview a bunch of other applicants the same day.
Lawrenceville: Probably my worst interview. The interviewer kept looking at something in her hands (probably her phone) and seemed quite disinterested.

• Essays: Great. Most were very well articulated and kept within word limit without seeming cut off (something I struggle with). All my apps included a very personal and in depth essay about a circumstance last year which caused me great difficulty and cause me to seriously re-evaluate myself.

• Math Rec: Wonderful. The teacher showed it to me after he sent it.
• English Rec: Blind, but I was assured it was very complimentary.
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Outstanding. I had my Biology teacher write it and he adores me and I have no doubt its as awesome as he told me it was.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Blind. Not sure how it was, guidance counselor barely knows me.
• Sports (if any): Non-competitive tennis
• Instruments (if any): none
• Other ECs (if any): Gavels Club (junior toastmasters), Visual Arts (mainly painting), helped on a project conducted by a very well known US University (think top 25), and toured along with them as a cultural guide and representative of local institution, lots and lots of community service for the past two years, and started a after-school program from at-risk slum children (which is in the process of being approved as an NGO).
• Hook: Not sure if I have any (I am ORM from CA). Though I travel extensively. I have exposure to many countries and cultures…

Location/Person:
• State or Country: CA
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Indian
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 10
• Age: 15
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FP

Strengths: I think my main strength lies in community service and my passion for science.

Weaknesses: Due to some extenuating circumstances (on which I wrote the very personal essay) I received a horrendous (and by horrendous I mean absolutely unthinkable) grade in math in the last trimester of 8th. That really sticks out in my past transcripts, and given that these are very academically rigorous schools, it might have given them a pause (or a full out no).

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I have no idea why I was accepted! I fully expected (and was prepared for) no acceptances due to last year’s transcript. Color me surprised and shocked.

General Comments:
This is my second time around. I have learned so much from these last two years! The whole application process was eye-opening (a glimpse into the unknown).

When I was rejected/waitlisted last year, I felt stung. I think because of the effort and the amount of time we put into these applications; it feels very personal. We pour our hearts into the apps and bare our souls. When a rejection or wait list comes it can feel like a slight against you. The truth is, its not. We have no idea what is going through the minds of the AO’s. A rejection, or wait list doesn’t mean that you aren’t a strong person, filled with beauty and depth. After last years cycle, I was done, I never considered re-applying. So I moved on. and you know what? I was exposed to so many opportunities and experiences that changed me. They made me mature and challenged me in ways that I would have never thought of. I would never have understood my ignorance or challenged my own perspective on problems surrounding me if I hadn’t had those opportunities. I wouldn’t have experienced them if I would have gone to BS. I don’t doubt I would have had a fantastic experience at BS, but I guess the point I am trying to make is that, the roads continues and you don’t know where it will take you, but you have got to have trust and dedication that it will shape you well and lead you to places where you will grow- whether its where you thought you would go initially or not. BS is but a path among many.
Whatever your results keep your head high and be proud of yourself.

8

Accepted: Deerfield
Rejected: None
Wait listed: Andover, Exeter
Likely Attending: waiting on the list

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 99 in both math, 88in reading, 93 in verbal
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 96 unweighted
• Rank:?
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews:

  • Deerfield was AMAZING we had a great conversation and while other applicants we’re out for 20 min my interview lasted an hour and a half
  • Andover I was really nervous and probably seemed really fake and rehearsed
  • Exeter pretty nice good conversation, but didn’t stand out
    • Essays:all pretty good
    • Math Rec: I know it was perfect
    • English Rec: amazing
    • Personal/Extracurricular Rec: amazing
    • Principal/Counselor Rec: really good
    • Sports (if any): dance competitive team, ski
    • Instruments (if any):saxophone and piano
    • Other ECs (if any):
    Japanese calligraphy 7 years with lots of awards
    Japanese school 8 years
    Student government president
    Lead roles in lots of musicals
    Ballroom dancing semi state and quarter finals
    John Hopkins CTY
    AMC 8 placed 2nd and 3rd
    Math counts competitions
    Used to do soccer swimming volleyball tennis- any sport like ever
    Peer coaching (math tutoring)
    • Hook:
    Japanese American that has a lot to offer, also bilingual and bicultural

Location/Person:
• State or Country:New York
• Current School Type:Public Middle School
• Ethnicity: Japanese
• Gender:Female
• Grade Applying For:9th
• Age:13
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: no FA full pay

Strengths: cheerful leader that can unite classmates and overcome obstacles together

Weaknesses: very determined which makes me stubborn

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I think I could have worked on my essays more since I am not a strong writer- nor rid a math person. Also I should have not been such a art focused student and showed that I was interested in trying other sports which I am, like I am planning on joining the volleyball team. Also because I am Asian, an ORM that may have affected my chances. I could have been more myself in my Andover rand Exeter interviews but they were my first. I also should have created a wider range profolio for andover. All in all, I know everything happens for the best but I AM PRAYING that I will be taken off the waitlist from Andover or Exeter, preferably Andover… unlike many people here I started gaining interest in prep schools in August, so 6 months before today which means I didn’t really have time to prepare for years like some people but those are just excuses… I do love Deerfield though so I have no idea where I want to go

9

Accepted:
Rejected: Andover
Wait listed:
Likely Attending:

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 99th PSAT
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0 unweighted, 100.30 weighted (100 point scale)
• Rank: 11 out of 667
• Other stats: 99th SAT

Subjective:
• Interviews: It seemed alright at the time, but in hindsight, it was rather mediocre. It was pretty short (~30 min) and my first interview. On top of that, I was pretty nervous and I think that my responses weren’t particularly insightful.
• Essays: pretty standard, I tried pretty hard on them
• Math Rec: blind, but math is my best subject so it should be okay
• English Rec: blind, I don’t know the teacher very well
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: blind, but likely pretty good
• Principal/Counselor Rec: blind, counselor doesn’t know me
• Sports (if any): swimming
• Instruments (if any): piano, around 4 years of violin but quit 2 years ago
• Other ECs (if any): Student Council, lots of community service, Math NHS, art, vocals
• Hook: none

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Texas
• Current School Type: public
• Ethnicity: Chinese
• Gender: female
• Grade Applying For: 11
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FA

Strengths: academics/grades (99th across the board, various academic distinctions, etc.), location(?), swimming (state-ranked, but I’ve been injured for the past few seasons so I’m not sure)

Weaknesses: age (2 years ahead, which is somewhat disadvantageous for sports), recs, no hook/legacy

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
Honestly, in hindsight, I’m not that surprised I was rejected. I didn’t have anything truly extraordinary on my application, and I feel like my weaknesses outweigh my strengths. And, 11th grade is notoriously difficult to be accepted into, so I suppose I was also rejected just out of sheer competition.

General Comments:
Sorry if this was a bummer to read- I’m not used to failure so I guess that even though deep down I knew I had no real chance of being admitted, I was hoping for an unrealistic miracle. I’m still bitterly disappointed in falling short of a dream, but as with everything else, it’ll pass and I’ll find something else to work towards.

10

Accepted: Andover
Rejected: Hotchkiss
Waitlisted: St. Paul’s, Exeter
Likely Attending: Andover!!

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 98% overall, 99% on math (full score), 95% on reading, 91% on verbal
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted:4.0
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: N/A

Subjective:
• Interviews:
All were amazing.
Andover: Really good, said I was really mature and exactly what Andover was looking for. Over a hour long.
St. Paul’s: Same as above, almost a hour and a half, we talked about a lot of books.
Exeter: Pretty good, complimented me on my candidacy and said I was what they were look for. Only half hour, but still dense.
Hotchkiss: First one, I was nervous and admitted it, which really helped. It was great, we talked a for 45 minutes and talked a lot about books.
• Essays:
All were pretty good, St. Paul’s were probably my best, then Andover. Very candid and talked about a variety of passions.
• Math Rec: 6/10. Blinded, teacher doesn’t know me THAT well but still likes me.
• English Rec: 8/10. Blinded, teacher likes me.
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: 10/10, my piano teacher loves me and the recommendation was glowing. 8.5/10 for my other one.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: No idea.
• Sports (if any): Dance??
• Instruments (if any): Piano
• Other ECs (if any): Debate, community service
• Hook: None

Location/Person: Mid-Atlantic
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 9
• Age: 13
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FA

Strengths: INTERVIEW, essays, SSAT scores, I’m really strong in ballet so that might’ve helped.

Weaknesses: FA, Asian, teacher recs, not as many ECs

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
For SPS, I was pretty confident, but I think I got waitlisted because of the admit spot decrease. For Exeter, I was expecting a rejection but the dance teacher but in a good word for me. Hotchkiss is a really sport-oriented and visual art-oriented school, and I’m neither of those. I think my interview and essays really did it for Andover, showed a lot of Non Sibi and passion and stuff.
General Comments:
I woke up on M10, found out that I was WL at Exeter and SPS and cried. A lot. I found out I was rejected at Hotchkiss and I cried even more, though I wasn’t surprised AT ALL. Then I found out about Andover and FULL OUT STARTED SOBBING IN THE CAR. Andover was my top choice since I first visited, and I am so glad that I was accepted.

To future applicants:
Be candid. I was praised on this from all schools.
Be happy for everyone, even if you’re upset.
Work your butt off.
Stalk CC before you start the process to prepare yourself.
And lastly, believe in yourself. Don’t lose faith.

1 Like
11

Accepted: Choate, Milton, Middlesex, NMH, Berkshire, Putney.
Rejected: Taft
Wait listed: Andover, Hotchkiss
Likely Attending: Choate

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 2253 (~95% I think)
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews:
-Choate was 10/10
-Milton was 7/10
-Middlesex was 8/10
-NMH was 9/10
-Putney was 8/10
-Berkshire was 7/10
-Andover was 5/10
-Hotchkiss was 8/10

• Essays:
-I tried to make them really original: I talked about having a Jamaican exchange student live with my family, I talked about my community service experiences, I also wrote about my love for learning. For one of the Andover essays I wrote about giving my dog medical marijuana to fight her cancer. For one of the Choate essays I wrote a synopsis of a book about how to deal with my personality type (INTJ) I think that they found it funny because it talked about my dark sense of humor, how I get caught up in my head a lot…

• Math Rec: 10/10
• English Rec: 8/10
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: 9/10
• Principal/Counselor Rec: 7/10
• Sports (if any): None
• Instruments (if any): Piano
• Other ECs (if any):
-I started a weekly food donation system at my school, I think that helped a lot.
-I travel to Jamaica every year to give out learning supplies (since 2013).
-Math Club
-MathCounts
-Reading Club
-Peer tutoring

• Hook: None

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Colorado
• Current School Type: Private day (not competitive at all, really bad compared to other private schools)
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male
• Grade Applying For: 9
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Full pay

Strengths:

  • I think my main thing was my being from an underrepresented state, and being really into community service. Also, I didn’t let myself take time to prepare for the interviews: I wanted to give completely honest, natural answers. In my opinion, I think that I’m much more relaxed than the average BS person, so I think that I came off as easy-going, kind, talkative. My essays were also really personal and unique. Also I talked a lot about how the whole “bs world” is new to me, and how I pretty much completed the application by myself.

Weaknesses:
-Lack of EC’s, no “hook”

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
-I think I was rejected from Taft because I literally put no effort into their application (I thought it seemed a little too preppy for me…). I think I was accepted due to the fact that I’m from Colorado, I’ve done community service my entire life. My scores are on par with the schools I applied to (also my grades). I think I was waitlisted at Andover just because it’s Andover, and that I was waitlisted at Hotchkiss because I didn’t put enough effort into my essays for them.

General Comments:
Note: Please DO NOT post your stats/ecs until you receive ALL of your decisions…
-IDEK what just happened. When I found out about Choate I starting screaming in math class and fell out of my chair (this is not a joke, ask my teacher). No Andover for me, but that’s just fine :slight_smile:

12

Accepted: -

Waitlisted: Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, Choate Rosemary Hall

Rejected: Hotchkiss School, St Paul’s School

Likely Attending: -

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 2350 SSAT (99%)
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 3.81/3.96
• Rank: n/a
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews: Interviews went great, all great connections, frequently had conversations with the interviewer. I felt like my best interview was with Hotchkiss (which rejected me). The lady really seemed to genuinely like me and said that she is sure to see me in the fall. Gave (I thought) genuine answers and none of the interviewers, except Choate, seemed to be particularly “distant” or felt like an interview.

• Essays: Average, pretty standard, spent a lot of time writing and proofreading

• Math Rec: I would assume average, only known him for ~3 months when he sent it, top of class

• English Rec: I would assume average, only known her for ~3 months when she sent it, decent student

• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: I assume it was great, we have a great relationship outside of the classroom and she sees me as the top kid at my extracurricular (violin) in the school.

• Principal/Counselor Rec: I assume it was great as well, we have a great relationship outside of the classroom, she sees me as one of the top kids academically

• Sports (if any): n/a

• Instruments (if any): See extracurricular

• Other ECs (if any): All state violins, School Varsity Basketball and Tennis, JV Soccer, 4hours/week of Community Service, Silver Key Writing Award, Math awards (qualified for nationals)

• Hook: None (13 year old and taking precalculus?), Violin All State,

Location/Person:

• State or Country: New England State

• Current School Type: Private High (3rd in State)

• Ethnicity: Asian

• Gender: Male

• Grade Applying For: 9

• Age: 13

• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Full Pay

Strengths:

Strong Academics, Above average music (?)

Weaknesses: ORM, Skipped a grade (Current 9th Grader), Lack of sports

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

Stats (ECs) were not impressive enough/too similar to a lot of other candidates. Nothing that made me particularly “stand out”.

General Comments:

Even though I knew I had little chance of getting into a boarding school with my average stats, I was still disappointed to find out my wls and rejections.

13

Accepted:The Lawrenceville School!
Rejected: Andover
Wait listed:SPS
Likely Attending:L’Ville!!!

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 79th percentile
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted:4.1
• Rank: School doesn’t rank
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews: SPS-Amazing! Interviewer told me she would push for me and towards the end it was like she was trying to convince me to come there.
Andover- Was in person but was also amazing! Interviewer said I was a strong candidate.
L’Ville-worst of all the interviews but probably because it was my first. I thought it didn’t go well but apparently it did because of what they wrote on the acceptance letter!
• Essays: I worked hard on all the essays and it took a good amount of time
• Math Rec: Most likely very good bc my math teacher loves me however I had a low A in the class at the time
• English Rec: I know this one was amazing bc my english teacher loves me and I had a great grade in the class
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: didn’t do one
• Principal/Counselor Rec: written by the principle and I’ve only talked to him like once and that was to ask for the recommendation so IDK but probably nothing bad
• Sports (if any): Basketball and Lax
• Instruments (if any): Orchestra
• Other ECs (if any): Robotics
• Hook: Good athlete and very good writer

Location/Person:
• State or Country: South
• Current School Type: Private
• Ethnicity: URM
• Gender:F
• Grade Applying For:10th
• Age:15
• Financial Aid/Full Pay:FA

Strengths: sports and writing

Weaknesses:SSAT

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I have no idea how or why I was accepted to L’ville but I’m extrmely grateful
I think I was waitlisted at St.Paul’s simply because there aren’t a lot of available spots for tenth grade applicants due to how small the school is
I’m pretty sure I was rejected from Andover because my SSAT scores were terrible

General Comments:
Don’t let relatively low SSAT scores stop you from applying anywhere! It is perfectly normal to be nervous and think you won’t get in but don’t let this show in interviews and essays etc. Be confident but not cocky in the interview and essays. Stay optimistic! Get in touch with faculty members that are apart of departments you would be interested in being apart of bc they can help!

14

Accepted: Exeter, Middlesex (MX)
Rejected: none
Wait listed: Andover, Concord
Likely Attending: Exeter

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 89th percentile overall, V 94, R 87, Q 76
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: Weighted-103%, Unweighted- 97/98%
• Rank: n/a…most likely top 5
• Other stats: Only studied for 3-4 weeks with Princeton Review book

Subjective:
• Interviews:
EXETER: Long (40+ min) conversation that went really deep. The interviewer was very interested in what I had to say.
MX: A nice, genuine conversation-- I thought it went well.
ANDOVER: My interviewer didn’t really know that much about the school, but overall it was decent.
CONCORD: The interviewer was very interested in me, and the conversation was a pleasant one.
• Essays: Fairly well thought out. I touched upon times where my character was tested and what I did to persevere through my difficulties. My Dad edited them and read them over. Overall I think they were fairly solid.
• Math Rec: My math teacher was very positive, enthusiastic and humble. 9.5/10
• English Rec: Blinded, but he likes me. 7/10
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: 9/10, I’ve known this person for a long time and we’ve formed many connections. He attended PEA a LONG time ago but isn’t a huge contributor.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: 7.5/10, principal was blinded, but counselor had a nice recommendation
• Sports (if any):Varsity Track, JV Soccer, Varsity Sailing
• Instruments (if any): None
• Other ECs (if any): Student Government, Photography, Writing
• Hook: none

Location/Person:
• State or Country: New England
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: F
• Grade Applying For: 10th
• Age: 15
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FP

Strengths: My essays, personal recommendation & strong academics

Weaknesses: Lack of a hook, lower test scores

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I am astonished about my acceptances to Exeter and MX. I’m frankly not sure how I got accepted. Probably because of my leadership skills and strong academics? I think I was waitlisted at CA and Andover because I looked to “similar” to other applicants and I had lowish test scores…

General Comments:
Don’t worry about your SSAT scores too much, appreciate your parents, family, and supporters, and be confident in yourself and keep smiling. Be yourself and trust your abilities. Most of all if you’re rejected or waitlisted just remember that you’re wonderful and give yourself a pat on the back.

15

Accepted:Kent,Putney
Rejected:Taft
Wait listed:Loomis,Choate,SPS,Milton,Concord,
Likely Attending: Kent or maybe WL schools

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT:99%
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: Idek like 90% i guess
• Rank:???
• Other stats:Nyet

Subjective:
• Interviews: Good for most schools.
• Essays: Pretty good I worked on them a lot.
• Math Rec: Alright
• English Rec: Alright
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Good. My squash coach
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Good
• Sports (if any): Squash, Basketball
• Instruments (if any): Clarinet, Alto clarinet, Bass clarinet
• Other ECs (if any):Student council,
• Hook:Nyet

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Korea
• Current School Type: International Private
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Male
• Grade Applying For: 9
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FULL PAY bois

Strengths: Good student, good at sports

Weaknesses: pretty weak grades.

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
Probably waitlisted/rejected because of my grades.
General Comments:
Note: Please DO NOT post your stats/ecs until you receive ALL of your decisions…

The sole purpose of this thread has been stated in the title. Any other comments, questions, etc are not allowed. Such posts will probably be deleted by a moderator.

Credit to @ChoatieMom for the format, just copied and pasted from her thread last yea

16

Accepted: Loomis Chaffee, Kent, Berkshire, Tabor
Rejected: Taft, Lawrenceville
Wait listed: None
Likely Attending: Loomis!

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 93% overall
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: n/a
• Rank: n/a
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews:
-Loomis: It was my first one and I was extremely nervous and second guessing everything- my interviewer asked me a question and I didn’t know how to answer and at the end she asked me the same question. I had calmed down and I didn’t even notice that she did that! Overall we had a good conversation and I think it was good for the first interview. She was extremely welcoming and kind.
-Lawrenceville: It was okay. I didn’t feel overly welcomed by the tour guide, but my interviewer was very nice. The conversation was good, but it wasn’t anything special.
-Taft: I honestly don’t know. I felt that I did good, but my interviewer seemed a little skeptical about me.
-Tabor: It went really well! We talked for a very long time. We talked about everything, and gave each other book recommendations!
-Berkshire: I think my Berkshire interview was by far the best one. We talked for the longest time, and everyone was so kind. I really enjoyed talking to her (but I enjoyed all of my interviews!)
-Kent: Another really good interview. We talked for a really long time. I really liked this interview.
• Essays: They were okay, not anything special. I worked hard on them, but I waited until the last minute for some. They definitely could have been better…
• Math Rec: Blind, but I think my teacher likes me.
• English Rec: AMAZING. It is my second year having this teacher and he let me see the rec.
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: n/a
• Principal/Counselor Rec: I don’t really know my guidance counselor or principal- they are both new this year.
• Sports (if any): Crew, volleyball, basketball
• Instruments (if any): Guitar, ukulele, piano
• Other ECs (if any): Not many… community service, I teach Hebrew to kids, wind ensemble, yearbook club, and that’s about it.
• Hook: I have legacy at one of the schools, but legacy doesn’t help a ton anymore.

Location/Person:
• State or Country: CT
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: F
• Grade Applying For: 9
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Full pay

Strengths: I think overall I did really well in my interviews, and I had a pretty ok SSAT.

Weaknesses: I don’t do a lot of serious EC’s

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I completely expected to be rejected from Taft and L’ville so I wasn’t surprised. I think there were a lot more qualified people than I am. I wasn’t expecting to get accepted at Berkshire because they have only 60 people in their freshman class, so it is tough competition. I guess my strong interview helped a lot!

17

Accepted: Westover School (no FA), St. Timothy’s
Rejected: Madeira, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Loomis
Wait listed: Emma Willard, Choate
Waiting on: Chatham Hall
Likely Attending: St. Timothy’s

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: SSAT 83 overall, super scored I would guess 85 or 86
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: no clue – almost straight a’s (only B is PE)
• Rank: school doesn’t rank officially
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews:
All over Skype except Exeter which was in person with an alumni and none at Choate

• Essays:
One about when DD’s father got sick and we almost lost him, she talked about her ability to handle a crisis and how it changed her outlook on certain aspects of life. (went to most schools)
One about her traditional (Native American) naming ceremony (only Hotchkiss)
One about a concert DD and her dad went to (only Exeter)
One about how she has taught herself art and what it has done for her
One about food security and how she would like to address it (Only Madeira)
One about a film project she worked on with actors from Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

• Math Rec: Same teacher for a few years now, so he knows her pretty well, we think it was a good one
• English Rec: Same teacher as math
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: DD got one rec from her French teacher (she is in an immersion program and has been since kindergarten) and a second from a worker at the friendship centre who focuses on aboriginal youth – I am sure these were good also, I saw the one from the worker and am guessing on the one from the teacher.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: He actually gave us a few of these to send off for him, and they were pretty good. I saw it for Choate and Hotchkiss – for whatever reason Choate was marked down an entire column from Hotchkiss for every category.
• Sports (if any): Swimming 3 years, track and field 1
• Instruments (if any): nope
• Other ECs (if any): volunteering yearly at a fishing tournament, collecting Christmas donations, working in the office at school, did the NaNoWriMo writing this past fall, and volunteered for the local domestic violence prevention committee during an awareness campaign creating promotional materials
• Hook: URM – Native American

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Ontario, Canada
• Current School Type: Catholic JK-8 at the same school
• Ethnicity: Dual citizen US/Canada
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 9 boarding
• Age: 12 when we started the process 13 now
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: require FA

Strengths: very into her art, submitted a deviantart gallery as a portfolio, and showed her link to her culture to demonstrate the diversity she brings (she brought it up at every interview by asking if she could continue smudging and offering tobacco).

Weaknesses: not a great athlete, no musical instrument, SSAT could have been higher

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted? F/A mostly, we needed a lot of it

General Comments: Very excited about St. Timothy’s (even if there are uniforms lol)

18

Accepted: None
Rejected: Andover, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville
Wait listed: Exeter
Likely Attending:

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 92% 99% in math
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0
• Rank: 1/132
• Other stats:

Subjective:
• Interviews: Andover said he would give highest score as well as Exeter. Hotchkiss was horrible and Lawrenceville was not spectacular.
• Essays: Crappy except some good ones for Andover and Lawrenceville
• Math Rec: 6/10 Barely know
• English Rec: 10/10 Know for a while
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: 8/10 While a very noteworthy individual, he had trouble expressing himself in text.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: 4/10 Hates me
• Sports (if any): Tennis for 8 years. Running for 3.
• Instruments (if any): Double Bass and Piano
• Other ECs (if any): Freelancing job experience as a programmer earning about $200 every weekend. Non-profit organization to do stuff.
• Hook: Legacy at Andover

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Rural
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Indian-American
• Gender: M
• Grade Applying For: 10
• Age: 15
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FA

Strengths:
Course schedule was what some seniors were taking due to limited course options. Good interviews for Andover and Exeter (they were my last interviews).

Weaknesses:
Bad Essays
Bad Recs

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
Generic, weak ssat scores, bad essays.
Mostly bad essays. I probably only got waitlisted because of my interviews.

General Comments: Good experience for admissions. While it is sad for my out of pocket admission fee money to come to a waste, I understand I could have changed that. The opportunities these schools offer though will be missed as my current school lacks many courses found in the boarding school environment.

19

Accepted: Andover, Exeter
Rejected: None
Wait listed: None
Likely Attending: Let’s wait for revisits to decide! (Seriously, I am panicking a bit over the very difficult choice I will inevitably need to make.)

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 99 percentile SSAT overall: 97 v, 98 q, 99 r
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 4.0/5.0
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: All A+ grades through middle school.

Subjective:
• Interviews: Exeter- in all ways possible, perfect. I made a very strong connection with my interviewer, and I felt as if we had seriously meaningful discussion about my beliefs and plans to change the world (sounds cliche, but it truly wasn’t!) We joked a bit, and she was very impressed by my accomplishments and message. Andover- simply put, amazing. My interviewer definitely wanted to remember as much about me as possible (she wrote down everything I said!) and we had great discussions about how I could use my experience at Andover to brighten the community and work for the common good. Both were FANTASTIC, and they couldn’t have gone better.
• Essays: My Exeter essays were reflective of my beliefs, hopes for the world, and my outlook on life. Andover essays explored selflessness, innovative ideas of mine, and my possible contributions to the school.
• Math Rec: 10/10
• English Rec: 7/10
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: 9/10
• Principal/Counselor Rec: 8/10
• Sports (if any):
• Instruments (if any):
• Other ECs (if any): Girl Scouts, CCD, Student Council, Math Team, Debate Team, Choir, Art.
• Hook: I’m a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar!

Location/Person:
• State or Country: South
• Current School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Indian
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 9
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FA

Strengths:
Fantastic interviews and essays. Great SSAT score! Lots of community service and EC’s to explain my interests, hopes, and dreams. Deeply involved in EC’s. Good grades, but these are pretty normal for all applicants. I could clearly communicate why I wished to attend and what I am passionate about.

Weaknesses:
Lots of anxiety over admissions (which showed in my Exeter interview!)

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?
I think I was accepted to both because I’m a great fit for both. I explained my passions and why I strive to make the world a better place. I think my personality and passions demonstrated the applicants the schools sought out this year.

General Comments:
Stress less about stats, more about your intentions at the school. Tell about what YOU will do to contribute to your dream school, not just what your school will do for you. Remember that no matter what decisions come to you on M10, the application experience teaches us important lessons.

1 Like
20

Accepted: None
Rejected: Hotchkiss, Andover
Wait listed: Exeter, Deerfield, Choate
Likely Attending: Local International school, unless i get accepted from waitlist.

Stats:
• SSAT/ISEE/TOEFL/PSAT: 92%
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: 3.8 (unweighted)
• Rank: N/A
• Other stats: N/A

Subjective:
• Interviews: Hotchkiss: They were fine, but it was nothing special, and I felt as though I didn’t make a distinct impression on the AO. Andover: I did an alumni interview off campus where I live. The interviewer loved me, however, he graduated a really long time ago (think when Andover was still an all boys school!) so I dont think he really knew what Andover was like now. Exeter: The interviewer really liked me, and as it was my last interview, I was the most calm and performed the best. Deerfield: It was my best interview by far, the interviewer told me that if I didnt get in, it wasnt because of the interview. He asked me some unique questions, so I think I got to really showcase my personality better than other interviews. Choate: Skype interview. It was pretty good, my alumni interviewer was really young, and we had a lot in common so we had a lot to talk about. I was the most myself in this interview.
• Essays: They were a bit rushed as the decision to apply came quite late. The content I believe was unique, but I think I could have definitely improved my writing if I had more time. My Exeter essays were probably strongest.
• Math Rec: Average-Very Good, I skipped a grade level in math, so my teacher is fond of me.
• English Rec: Average
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Outstanding, my teacher showed it to me.
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Very Good
• Sports (if any): Tennis, Ballet
• Instruments (if any): None
• Other ECs (if any): Model UN, Service.
• Hook: None

Location/Person:
• State or Country: Japan
• Current School Type: IB
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Female
• Grade Applying For: 10
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: FP

Strengths: I’ve lived internationally, and have had unique opportunities such as service trips in South East Asia. So I bring diversity.

Weaknesses: My grades are average, and I had one C in the first semester…

Why do you think you were accepted/rejected/waitlisted?: The schools I got waitlisted at were the ones I had good interviews in, so without the good interview, I would have probably been rejected. I think it was the fact that I didnt have a spike in any area, that made my application not stand out.