Applying for 10th Grade/What is Lawrenceville looking for?

8th Grader that just got rejected for 9th Grade ;-;
Is it a good idea or a bad one to apply again as a 9th Grader for 10th next year?
And what’s Lawrenceville looking for? People that got accepted, what activities, awards, scores, financial aid situations, etc?

Hey! First off, I’m sorry you didn’t have better results. I was in your shoes last year and ended up getting accepted into Lawrenceville and Exeter for grade 10. So please go for it again!
I’m assuming that they are looking for people with unique traits or has something to offer to the school.
I advise you to try every club/activity at your high school next year. Don’t do it just for the sake of the school, but do it to improve your overall character.
Score wise, just try to maintain an A- or average average in every class, and score at least a 83 percent on SSAT.
I would not say I am in a unique situation and I did request for FA.

Good luck though and keep your chin up!

@Bunny8280 thank you so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it! Can we talk more through pm? I have a lot of questions, if it’s okay with you

laundry_basket - I am exactly in the same boat as you. Rejected by Lawrenceville, in spite of acceptable SSAT, all
As,great recommendations and a super interview. Not understanding why.

Sure. However, I an most likely attending Exeter unless I get off the waitlist from Andover. Please ask ahead! I will try my best to help you out

Does Lawrenceville ever give out why you were not accepted for 9th grade ? I am looking for a reason why my son was rejected.
He will be cautious to not make the same mistake when he reapply for 10th grade,

@smom27 I’m glad to see that others are in the same position. I’d really like to know where I’m lacking so that I can imprive myself.

I didn’t apply last year so I’m not sure

Depending on the school, they really do not like to give out reasons as to why someone was rejected. Don’t take this as fact, but I remember reading a post about Lawrenceville not wanting emails about that subject. Like I said, I’m not 100% sure if this is true or not.

I was accepted to Lawrenceville as a 10th grader however, it was my first time applying. I kind of got the impression that Lawrenceville understands more so than other schools that the ssat isn’t always the best indicator of a child’s academic potential. I got in with a relatively low ssat score. (I’m also a very good athlete though so idk if this had anything to do with it)They no longer publish their ssat averages because they don’t believe they matter that much. I’m saying this to let you know that ssat scores aren’t everything. I’d say try to score at least 80% but if you have hooks you might be able to get by with a 75%. As far as extra curricular activities, participate in activities that you like and are passionate about. Don’t just participate in things so you can have a big list of activities on your resume. For interviews, don’t memorize answers and attempt to recite them verbatim. The interviewers have interviewed lots of kids and they can tell when a kid’s answers aren’t flowing out naturally. Just be yourself! Try to maintain at least an A average to show that you do try in school. Challenge yourself in school and try to take a couple of honors/AP classes to show that you are up for a challenge. (Don’t overload yourself; you know what you can handle) Of course even if you do all of these things an acceptance isn’t guaranteed but it will make it hard for them to say no. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Btw, I think you should definitely re-apply!!

If you really want to know why you were rejected, ask your GC to give the school a call in May/June timeframe and speak to the AO who handled your application. Most of the time they will give some concrete reasons that you can address the next time around you apply.

Applying again for 10th grade shows determination, something which they like.