<p>Again, it's all about personal preference. If I had applied to and gotten into Hotchkiss, I would be having trouble deciding between going there or going to Andover. The two schools, academically, are comparable. It's outside the classroom that things will be different. Not better or worse, just different. To get a feel for this, and if you are really having a tough time making a choice, you should try to make it to revisit days. These revisit days often make one school click over another for applicants, and sometimes even change the minds of those who thought they had already settled on a school.</p>
<p>And missyujin, that's a bit of a sour grapes argument. Andover is fully need blind, and will be until Andover trustees vote to relinquish their need blind status. My SSS EFC statement said that my family could afford 15% of Andover's boarding tuition. Turns out that Andover ended up awarding me a 95% grant - meaning we will be paying a third of what SSS estimated we could. It's going to sound mean, but... maybe you just weren't a good fit for Andover and that's why they denied you admission?</p>
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maybe you just weren't a good fit for Andover and that's why they denied you admission?
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<p>I know. I didn't really expect to get in, but I was just making the point that under the same circumstances I got waitlisted at Hotchkiss and denied at Andover, given that the latter is need-blind.</p>
<p>That means absolutely nothing I know people who were rejected from 10 unis but got into harvard... These things happen all the time I would expect a college student to know that... Just because of your experience that does nor say anything about the schools. Where are you getting your info from? It seems waaay out there and largely incorrect.</p>
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Where are you getting your info from?
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<p>I think I mentioned this is coming from my own experience...</p>
<p>And hey guys, I do hope I didn't come off as bitter and pessimistic, because that's not what I was aiming for. I was simply giving my take on things, and I suppose I sounded a bit too certain; no one can be certain of anything. This is simply from my experience: I think Andover is a better school in many ways, and I don't think sending my fin aid info necessarily helped with admissions. I highly doubt I would have been accepted otherwise, but just a suggestion. :)</p>
<p>It did not hurt your admissions either. If you did not go there I do not think you can say it is better or worse... :) No offense intended.</p>
<p>Well, whether it hurt admissions, you can't be too sure of that. I don't think it was a wise idea, that's all.</p>
<p>And to a degree, can't everyone give an idea on what school is better or worse? Yes, it's subjective, but the majority of the U.S. population would agree that Harvard is a better school than, say, Rice or U of Chicago. </p>
<p>Again, just my opinion. That's what the OP was asking for anyway: people's opinions.</p>
<p>okay, back to the point...
personally, i'd pick hotchkiss over andover just because i liked it a lot better.
but just my opinion.</p>
<p>what are your stats hotchdover???</p>
<p>Iām sure his/her stats are excellent.</p>
<p>Missyujin, sorry, but it didnāt hurt your application. If you needed FA, applying for it was a wise thing to do. Andoverās need blind. For the time being. If you need FA, you apply for it, otherwise there is little point in making the effort. If you wish you hadnāt applied for FA, that makes me wonder if you really needed it. If you didnāt, you shouldnāt have applied for it.</p>
<p>And my theory regarding universities is that they are what students make of them. Much of why people consider Harvard superior is the people who go there. Their incoming classes usually have scored 2200+ on the SAT, gotten 5s on APs, and done well on SAT IIs. Harvard is not what made the kids smart. It facilitates educational, personal, and physical growth, but chances are that the kids who graduate from Harvard would have been almost or just as successful had they graduated from any other university. The majority of the US population may āagreeā that Harvard is a better school, but the majority of the US population did not graduate from Harvard. In fact, the majority of the US population knows very little about selective universities.</p>
<p>And xoxohersheykiss, I applaud your efforts to keep this thread on topic.</p>
<p>^Haha I have always wanted to be a R scholar and go to Oxford (not like you would know anything about England). I donāt even think a super selective research university is good for undergrad. If you go into business, though, you have to agree going to Wharton or HBS is a hell of a lot better than heading off to Uni Alabama.</p>
<p>Haha, yeah, I agree.</p>
<p>Iāll be applying to Oxford =) for some strange reason, one is not allowed to apply to both Cambridge and Oxford. Itās actually a rule.</p>
<p>Really? I like Oxford a little moreā¦ Will you be applying to any US colleges? I think Oxford is the only school that I would go to Europe for, the rest remind me of Le Rosey.</p>
<p>hmm my stats</p>
<p>ok 94th percentile in the ssat,
87 average
captain of wrestling team
environmental representative in student council
assistant editor of school newspaper
8 years of travel hockey
i speak spanish
i got very good recs and i think i nailed my interviews.
nothing official but iām a very good artist
varsity singer, large role in school production</p>
<p>i think my stats kinda show how unfair it is if you live in a city. like ive seen a few stats for other kids that didnt get in everywhere (i applied to lawrenceville too but iām not revisiting)ā¦and it goes to show that like i really had an edge solely because i lived in the city. some of these other kids were amazingā¦</p>
<p>In your defense, hotchdover, you may have just been an all-round better applicant. 99th percentile SSAT and 4.0 GPA donāt make applicants. The schools probably jumped all over your hockey, art and singing - itās not all about the academics at these schools. Schools like Andover and Hotchkiss tend to prefer to enroll a dynamic and diverse student body rather than narrower applicants who really only have their GPA and SSAT going for them.</p>
<p>And Principalviola, Cambridge is nice too. There are other universities that arenāt anything like Le Rosey - in fact, universities here are so damn cheap that they really canāt afford to treat students to the luxury that the spoiled brats at Le Rosey enjoy every day. I mean, Oxfordās tuition is around Ā£6,000 which is under $10,000 and arguably you get just about as much for that money as you would for $50,000 at Harvard or any other Ivy.</p>
<p>Sorry missyujin, but I think you completely led this thread off topic. You sound like one of those who only care about prestige and that prestige means it is the best. Prestige is only as important as what you make out of it. The poster was not asking anything about prestige or college matriculation. Really, looking at these top tier schools any wise person would look way beyond college matriculation because theyāre all tops. Itād be better for some current Andover/Hotchkiss students to offer an insight on the actual school and boarding life there.</p>
<p>yeah stop talking about colleges i dont care about that yet. Youāll get into what suits you after youāve gotten the education that suits you in high school.</p>
<p>who is hotchkissās official rival school?</p>
<p>Hotchdover, welcome to College Confidential. Threads go off topic.</p>
<p>To be honest, Hotchdover, I think youāve had your questions answered the best they can be by the people here. As for their rival school, Iām not sure - theyāre kinda out there in CT and Choateās rival is already Deerfield so Iām not sure.</p>
<p>I am not sure, but I hear the term āDeerkissā a lot. So Deerfield, maybe?</p>