Since many of us are looking at each other’s ECs and SSAT scores and getting somewhat downhearted, I think there needs to be a place here where successful applicants to selective prep schools can tell their stories.
Maybe you were accepted into Exeter with a SSAT score WAY below the average?
Maybe you were accepted to Andover, even if you bombed your interview.
Maybe you were accepted to Deerfield, even if you failed one subject in your last school?
If you could write something explaining why you were surprised you got in, and why you think you got in eventually?
This can be just a very light-hearted place where worried applicants (like myself) can get a bit of hope.
I think this is a great idea for a thread! I searched through the wait list thread and the stats one too get an idea of similar candidates to my DD and how it played out for them. She had one interview we all thought was awful, but who knows maybe it’s common for that school to have rough interviews!
For schools with admit rates in teens, the majority of those admitted are “surprised” even without any “incident”. And regarding interviews and interactions with AOs, the ‘problem’ often times is that they tend to feel better than they really are leading to 'bad surprises".
Great idea for this discussion & looking forward to hearing what gave them an edge, or what schools have been looking for recently…It would heck if more current upper class an at boarding schools responded to this post
As a parent, I would say that stats don’t tell the whole story. I understand listing them on “chance me” threads, because they’re quantifiable and easy tools for comparison. But as many posters have said before, you can have perfect stats and still be disappointed. Perfect scores, grades, awards etc. don’t necessarily predict “success” in a boarding school environment. I think (and this is just one mom’s opinion here, so take it with a ginormous grain of salt!) that once the schools determine that you have the intellectual ability to handle the workload, they move on to different, less measurable criteria which are harder to define. The “special sauce” if you will.
For example, one AO told me that they’re looking for kids who can continue to pursue what they’re already successful at, and then IN ADDITION to that be willing to try new things. Will you try out for the play? Will you pick up a new sport? Will you write an article for the paper even if you’re not a writer? Will you organize a new community service project? Will you sit at the lunch table with people that you don’t know? Boarding schools want kids who are going to be fully engaged in their community and who are willing to put themselves out there & take some risks.
And now for the “cast a wide net” PSA: just because you have the highest stats on the planet doesn’t mean that Andover (for example) is the right place for you. Middlesex (another random example) might be better. But if you only apply to Andover and not Middlesex, then you risk the chance of not getting in anywhere. “Admissions Surprise Success Stories” tend to happen to kids who apply to more than just 1 or 2 schools, because you honestly never know what that un-quantifiable quality is that any given school is looking for. If you look over the Results/Stats thread, you’ll see that it’s pretty unpredictable in both directions (acceptances & rejections).
So have a little faith in your own “special sauce” and try not to get too hung up on stats, or how you compare to others. Even deciding to go through this process is brave, and you should all be proud of yourselves for making it this far!
@GMC2918 What you said in the second paragraph was really interesting. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Admittedly, i really needed someone to say what you did XD
I’ve been freaking myself out by looking at everyone else’s ECs, so thank you!
@LilyPatrick don’t freak out - that never gets you anywhere! Just try to stay busy and enjoy your time at home. Spend some quality time with your mother because she’s going to miss you next year
In 8th grade, I had above average grades- mostly B+ and A- and my parents told me to apply to good boarding schools, but I am more of a person who likes certainty so I applied to schools that I would certainly get into. I did not take the SSAT but I got into my first choice so I went there.
I’m in 9th grade now and I wasn’t satisfied, the school was too easy etc. So I applied to a few more schools. I applied to schools that rank around 30th best boarding schools and I got into all. I have a 3.9 GPA. I also have been in national math competitions, gifted programs, chess competitions, etc. I got a 45% on my SSAT however, mostly because I scored a 16% on verbal. Surprisingly, I got into all schools.
My daughter is a “success story”…accepted to Exeter, Webb, Stevenson, and Dunn…and waitlisted at Cate. She is a success story because her SSAT were average at best. 86 verbal, 64 math, and 56 reading…68 overall. She interviewed with Exeter on a whim when the admissions rep was in town. Because we are on the west coast we had already decided to only apply to west coast schools. She is an incredible interviewee and also a strong softball player…that along with a 3.95 GPA seems to have been enough for her to be a top candidate.
@Golfgr8 sorry for the late response. I went to a public school through middle school and this year i am at a boarding school, but will be switching to another one next year
