Advise for Boarding School Admission

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi!
I am an 8th grader in Nevada. I am at a local public middle school, with straight As and taking all advanced classes currently.

I was a homeschooler and played tennis competitively until my father died 2 years ago. Our whole life changed with my mom and she put me in a charter school because she could not take me to national or regional competitions anymore. I was ranked locally #1, regionally and nationally. Then, exactly a year later my grandpa died too who came to help me and take me to tournaments. This was last November, since then I rarely played tennis.

I made the decision to study rather than play tennis competitively. I would love to get into a top boarding school. I know it is tough but nothing is impossible!

Here are my stats:

Extracurriculars
Tennis, played for 8 years, (have won many tournaments)
Piano, played for 5 years, local Junior competitions,
Latin, Intro level National Latin Exam 2020 on which I scored Outstanding.
Member of the Science Olympiad Team (best 15 students from entire School) which would have represented the school in State and National level competitions.
Congressional Award, level Bronze Certificate working on it.
School Kindness Award
National Mythology Exam 2019 Silver Medallion Award
School straight A student Roll
Student of the Month February 2020 at School
Student of the Year 7th Grade Science 2019-2020

Other Stuff
ISEE will take in November, but I get 90s during my practice tests
Financial Aid -Yes
Essays - I am still working on them

The actual essay - I am still working on

What I’m interested in - I really like science, I was inspired by my fathers death who died watching me while I played in the tennis tournament to become a doctor.

Why I’m Applying
I want to be challenged academically and it is really hard o my mom to take me everywhere.
The truth is I was born in New York, my family lives in New York and I want to be closer to them (cousins, aunt, uncle, grandma)

Where I’m Applying:
Andover,
Exeter,
Choate,
Lawrenceville,
Hotchkiss,
Deerfield,
Groton,
Loomis Chaffee,
Milton,
Middlesex,
St. Paul’s,
Collegiate,
Horace Mann
Taft

Since nobody in my family has ever applied to a BC, I need some advice here, please.

Thank you in advance for your kind help.

2

Calling @Calliemomofgirls who always has such good advice for boarding school applicants.

I don’t really have any advice, other than to say you seem like a strong candidate. People always say to try and find the right fit, which can be hard remotely.

3

Your credentials are very impressive, but as you likely know your list is packed with ultra competitive schools, there may be a couple that are slightly less so but none of them are at all easy to get into even for stellar applicants. And since you need FA, I would try to cast a broader net. Also, I am sure you know Collegiate and Horace Mann are day schools, so make sure your NYC family is on board to house you for 4 years should you end up in one of them.

4

Hi and welcome! You sound like a terrific candidate! What a wonderful way to carry on the legacy of your father by pursuing your own dreams in science.

My first suggestion is: click around and poke around and spend a few hours getting to know the BS landscape.

One good place to start:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/2193849-completely-inexperienced-dad-looking-for-some-guidance-p1.html

But there are SO many other really helpful threads here.

I will echo the point mentioned above that you have a pretty heavily stacked group of schools. You may want to diversity a little if getting into BS is important to you.

Oh before I forget, if NY is a plus, maybe consider adding Masters school?

1 Like
5

Is that Collegiate and Horace Mann in NYC? IF so, they’re day schools only, and have no boarding.

If you’re considering day schools in NYC, you should also check out Trinity and Dalton. Both are top schools as well.

6

Admission with FA is very, very competitive. You should look for schools with large endowments which are more likely to offer FA packages. For essays, I would write about your passion for tennis, your relationship with your dad and science, and how you want to become a mature person and change maker after your graduate, etc. Show your passion during the interviews, and you will be fine. Also, around NYC, you should look at Blair and perhaps Peddie. All schools on your list are very good but the reality is that they are super difficult to get in. Good luck!

7

Your experience and passion for Tennis and science reflect great on your personal essays. Your determination and perseverance as well. Reflect that in your essays and in your interviews as well. you will be fine.