@kxmkxm: Whatever someone else’s achievements are, they don’t say anything about your application, and most successful applicants will never know for certain what it was about their application that tossed it into the “yes” pile. Also, whatever anyone else might post will only cause you to fruitlessly worry about how you compare. All you or any applicant can do is put your best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may. At this late date, there is nothing material you can do to change yourself, your achievements, or your application. You will have your results on M10. Worrying solves nothing but causes you a lot of stress; it is time wasted.
For those almost at the end of this journey who still wonder why their kid was admitted (do you even care at this point?), I will say that you may be able to get a straight answer from the AD at your school. I’ve posted this before:
I won’t share his answer because it isn’t relevant to anyone but my son and will just causes needless speculation and comparison. I will say it was a characteristic, though, not an achievement, that they saw that was spot on.
Which brings me to another point about Choate specifically. If they are still doing this, the Choate Self-Assessment (which was an online Q/A part of the application) is a tool admissions uses for looking at each applicant in a broader way. It is meant to go beyond the stats to show some of the qualities that appear to be better predictors of success in a high-achieving environment, such as an applicant’s level of self esteem/self-efficacy, locus of control (whether an applicant ascribes their academic success and failures to their own efforts or shortcomings, or to outside forces), and whether the applicant is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated academically. According to Ray Diffley, Choate’s previous director of admissions:
The way Choate uses the self-assessment information can only help you. I can’t think of any reason not to complete it – especially if you are concerned about other portions of your application. If you are the type of personality that would succeed at Choate, this is one more place where you will be able to convey that information. You need to answer each question exactly as it pertains to the way you think and act. Do NOT overthink the questions. For each question, it should be immediately apparent which is the correct answer for YOU. You should complete the assessment quickly, about 20 minutes to answer the 40 questions is sufficient. Do NOT try to determine what the test is looking for; providing a false image of your personality will not help you in any way and will not sustain you in the type of environment that is Choate. If, at your core, you are not the type of personality that will thrive at this school, you do NOT want to go there.
Consider this assessment as not only a way for Choate to see a “you” beyond your numbers but also as a way to help you avoid a school that might not be right for you.
I’d be interested in hearing from current applicants if Choate is still using this assessment.