<p>I was wondering if it was worth it to apply as a late candidate. I only recently found out about boarding schools this last month or so. Disappointed that the deadlines past but still intrigued, I submitted a request for more information.</p>
<p>The letter I received said that late applicants have been accepted in the past. I feel horrible for submitting my app late! Is anyone else on the same boat as me or can offer more insight?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Some schools have rolling admissions. But even those schools will fill up most of their spots by late spring. </p>
<p>For the most competitive schools with the January application deadline, late applicants usually get added to the WL pools, from which it is very difficult to be pulled from unless you are an ultra-uber exceptional candidate or you have a famous last name…</p>
<p>If you also need finacial aid, you have nil chance for being accepted for this coming fall term.</p>
<p>C’mon, let’s simplify this, if you have money, you can get in SOMEWHERE. It likely won’t be the schools most often discussed on this forum (Andover, Exeter, etc.,) unless you also happen to be an absolutely stellar athlete. Those schools will put you in their waiting pool, and they very rarely pull kids from that pool. But almost every other school - rolling admissions or not! - has space after April 10 . . . for the right candidate.</p>
<p>So, if you can afford the tuition, apply anywhere you want. If you want to be sure of being able to enroll in the fall, include at least a few schools that aren’t quite so competitive and for which you are highly qualified. That means: admit rate of at least 25% (and the higher, the better!) and average SSAT scores slightly below yours.</p>
<p>If you need significant financial aid, it’s not impossible . . . but so close to it that the difference is negligible!</p>
<p>I fear that I cannot be as optimistic as the others commenting on this thread. There are some schools, but not many, that will consider applicants after their notification deadlines. I would say to forget about most of the better-known schools unless your family can offer millions of dollars toward their endowments. George School has made late acceptances, but only occasionally. Westtown was considering students into the spring several years ago, but I don’t know whether they still are. Hun School in Princeton or Solebury in PA might. Boarding School Review lists schools that are still accepting applications. What grade are you applying for? It’s occasionally worth getting on waiting lists for sophomores and juniors, in the event that somebody is kicked out near the end of the year or who decides to withdraw over the summer. Sometimes parents decide that they just can’t justify the expense anymore (especially if final grades are poor), or an acrimonious divorce causes them to stop paying.</p>
<p>I made inquiries two years ago at more than a dozen schools. All had space and were willing to entertain late applications. None had financial aid funds available.</p>
<p>Dodgersmom,
I know of kid who last year got into an ACRONYM school as a late admit. But as you predicted, the kid came from a wealthy family-- wealthy w a capital W</p>
<p>Ditto. The “W” @GMTplus7 mentioned is a well known factor. If your family can fund a building (or has already done so) you can pretty much write your own ticket.</p>
<p>I got rejected by both schools I applied to and I did inquiries at lots of schools with higher acceptance rate and I had small fa but now I’m full pay after long discussions with my family. Is applying worth it?</p>
<p>Yes, GMT and Exie; I usually mention to people that whatever admit rate is published, the reality is that it’s much lower. Some spots are automatically taken by the families that have funded buildings, or, are royalty. Any student that gets into one of the top schools without the advantage of being a ‘super legacy’ needs to consider themselves real fortunate.</p>
<p>Too bad my last name isn’t Clooney…sigh x)
Unfortunately, I’m not a legacy child and it isn’t realistic in the slightest to think that I can get along without financial aid. Multiple thanks for saving my time, everyone! </p>
<p>xxprepkidxx, hope you get your question answered as well. (:</p>
<p>@xxprepkidxx,
If the school has indicated to you that it is realistic for you to be admitted at this late stage, and you actually like the school and want to go there (have you visited?), and your parents are comfortable w full-pay then, sure, go ahead and apply.</p>
<p>More of the same information… My son decided end of last June he wanted to attend a BS in the fall for 9th grade and was that an option – I emailed six schools in the northeast, schools that are well known and highly regarded and received the most gracious responses (except from one who seemed insulted) they did indeed have space and to please apply. They all worked very hard with me. We were not looking for FA however. Go for it if you are considering it – get that timing right!</p>
<p>We just missed deadlines last year after starting the process at the beginnng of January, and being an intl needing FA, decided to just wait another year. The chances of getting in are already slim, add to that rushing the app process and being a late applicant, at most places it just isn’t worth it.
I would look at places with rolling admissions, but otherwise just make sure you’re very prepared for app time next year :)</p>
<p>If you look outside the northeast, you will find schools (even with financial aid) that will consider you as late as June. I suggest you don’t put them on the spot by calling, we emailed first, with a detailed description of why my daughter was applying late. Worked out in our case.</p>
<p>Strawberry - which schools would you recommend?</p>
<p>I know a kid who got in Loomis and only started thinking about boarding schools around this time last year. Full pay of course.</p>