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Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
1

Hello again.

I stopped by here a few years ago, when I started talking to my daughter about boarding schools. She is about to finish grade 7 and we are set for her to apply to a few schools. And I do mean a few, we are talking about 4 (2 all-girl options, and 2 co-ed options) at this point, however that may change as we get further into the process. I am excited to go through this process with a group of parents in the same boat!

One of the questions I have is about activities/volunteering/sports/clubs for the application. Do you put all of them or just the ones the child focused on? Like last year my daughter did volleyball when she didn’t make the basketball team, this year she made basketball and didn’t even try out for volleyball. Or like she plays the baritone - but it’s from part of the music program at school.

We have decided, as a family, that we are only going to do this process once. Once she is in a school for HS, I want her to stay put and have the best 4 year she can have. So, we need make sure to put her best foot forward on this one attempt.

2

I’d suggest including all of them. She’s young and will continue to explore and this shows she is willing to do that. She may want to think about how she’ll articulate those choices in her interviews and essays, but this shows an openness to new experiences. If that’s who she is, why hide it?

3

You and your child will find out that application forms either have word limits or other space restrictions. You may not be able to include every activity she has done and interest she has had, even if you wanted, and will have to be selective. At that point, you will have to decide if you want to convey breath or depth. I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all formula for success. It depends on the individual applicant. I’d say, let your daughter lead the process and decide what she wants to include about herself that describes her best.

4

You can download application forms from school websites and see how much space is allotted for the ECs.

5

Depending on the school and the kind of format they have, they will request that you identify whether you plan to continue certain activities in HS and in some cases, whether you plan on going beyond HS with those activities. It’s pretty clear once within the application process where they greatest interests and talents lie, so there’s nothing wrong with putting everything down, but in the areas that you have the most depth, there will be the most activities–such as different kinds of musical groups, different music awards, etc., as opposed to a student who has just played an instrument in school band for a few years.

Remember, even if your kid isn’t hugely gifted in a certain activity, the school will still want to know in order to ensure they have depth. The the smaller the school, the important this becomes. Not everyone is going to be a first-chair violinist or a starting middle linebacker–but they need 2nd and 3rd violins and bench strength.

6
  1. A good place to start is making a resume for your child. Sounds funny but it can help. You will be surprised what you can forget.
  2. And don't just do sports and academics- Does she volunteer or have an interest in politics/environment/mud runs.... The point is to try and create a full picture of your child.
  3. Also, she wrote all essays in word. You can set it up to count either by word or character. We told our daughter to just write and not worry about the count at first. Then she could edit to fit.
  4. Sometimes you will be able to use the same essay concept for different applications. With some tweaking.... Some essays are shorter ( i.e. Exeter) others are longer (i.e. Deerfield,Cate). Our daughter saved essay(s) for every school and would cut/paste essays into applications.
  5. She applied to 8 BS and we felt like it was way too much! If your daughter likes to procrastinate don't do more than 4 or 5. Also, she would scrap certain essays and start over. It's a process not like writing a class essay.
  6. try to avoid the one dimension application. I will pass along some advice we got from Exeter AO. Our daughter has a strong passion illustrated by years of training/hours per week. The AO recommended NOT writing about it in her main essay. Her commitment was well documented. They wanted to see what else she could bring to the school community. She took this approach at all schools. She only wrote about her main passion when there was more than one essay. She had a good outcome- PM me if you want more specifics. good luck!
7

I would disagree (slightly) with @copperboom’s advice with regard to #6. Yes, if your kid has a great topic to write about that isn’t documented elsewhere–by all means, the essay is the right place to highlight it.

But writing about his or her passion for the main essay is completely fine as well–if indeed, it is after all, her passion. There are very few essays which are truly original–after all, we’re talking about 8th and 9th graders here and AOs are reading hundreds of them–so what they are really looking for is the language, the communication skills, and the sense of the kid. If that passion comes through the essay, it will be appealing.

8

I agree with Mr Wendal that the essay should depict something that your passionate about. (and be well written) However, I think what the AO was indicating was beware of a flat application. If your passionate about math- take advanced classes, math Olympiad, kumon- don’t write about your passion for numbers. Or if you do write how numbers helps your soccer game or killer tuba! My point was your grades, classes and SSAT scores will show ur aptitude for math. Give them some other reason to love you