Applying To Prep School, 2010!!!!

<p>When I was considering boarding school the main attraction to me was doing more in less time. Academic/Social/Sport/Music/Community Service......all without commuting place to place in a car? Wow.....what a time saver. Then I saw the academic offerings, the credentials of the faculty....WOW. I also liked the campus/dorm environment....peers right there....sounded good too. </p>

<p>The best thing I can say is that I did more, got more, gave more and enjoyed it all more.....nothing could compare to what I experienced. I can never give back enough to replace what I took away. Time saved was time I used to soak up more.</p>

<p>I'm applying to Exeter, Andover, and St.Pauls. I'm in 8th grade and have gotten straight As. I'm take violin lessons, chinese lessons, and french for extra credit. I'm in all GT classes and is taking Pre-AP english and Algebra. I'm on the newspaper staff and is in the top orchestra at my school. I also participated in the National Thespian Festival last year. I'm into the book club, table tennis, and NJHS. Can someone tell me my chances???</p>

<p>I'd say you have a great chance. You will need to write essays, get your teacher recs and also schedule an interview. You will compete w/ many fine applicants and are you familiar witht the acceptance statistics?</p>

<p>Vanillaskye, on paper you look great. As hazmat stated, you will need to get your ducks in line with regard to recs, interview, and essays. I guess the only thing I can add to this is that all boarding schools are building communities and not statisitcs. So it is important that they see a reason beyond your stats to accept you. This is where imho, the recs, interview, and essays will tell the true story. Vanilla, have you scheduled for your SSAT?
Good Luck!</p>

<p>Dear prepparent -</p>

<p>Could you elaborate please on the girls' schools that you frequently mention? My daughter is applying for NEXT year - likely to Emma Willard, Miss Porters, Westover, maybe others. What's the REAL difference between those 3, if you know? Thanks!</p>

<p>Intellectual curiousity and quality of character......willingness to be a leader while on campus. They are looking for kids who when far away from home, family and friends will make a community that includes rather than excludes. Are you the kind who will try something new.....reach out to a shy kid who doesn't speak English too well be is an amazing math student? Can you teach your strenths to some else's weakness? This is a part of what makes up the community of accepted students. Wealthy,poor and in between. Easy life, challenged life and over come tremendous odds life. Think about who you are from the inside not what you local friends think you are and then write your essays.</p>

<p>jedwards, I have researched the coeds much more extensively. Iam currently doing my research on the all girls schools. This might help get you started, Good Luck! However, imo westover, mps, and emma are all top notch. It appears emma and westover may have the edge in math/sciences, if that's your d's thing.
<a href="http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/compare_schools.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/compare_schools.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Hazmat, keep up the good work. We all value your comments and experience with the preps.Your having been ther done that is very valuable for all of us.</p>

<p>Above all though vanilla, make SURE you portray yourself as someone who is mature and can cope well to different problems. Be it through your essays, interview, or a combination of both, it is essential that you cast that image somehow somewhere because that is the first thing the admissions committee looks for. Other than that, i agree with what everyone said that you look good on paper (i'm not insinuating anything but just in case, don't try to sound snotty in your essays about your past)</p>

<p>The main reason the people here at xeter are so amazing is the fact that everyone is so open, truthful, and genuine.No matter who you are, people won't exclude you from anything. </p>

<p>Yes, we all help each other out whether we realize it or not. Sometimes it's just by hanging out together, working on homework together, or just being there for moral support (there are student listeners who you can go to if you want if you have problems so that way its easier to admit things because for a lot of people it would be harder going to a adult). I personally haven't had a problem yet, thank God, and really haven't seen people have any problems with being left out. What I have seen though is people who are kind of homesick and are going through a really emotional stage... maybe they just don't feel like they can open up to other people and let their problems out? This tends to happen to girls more than boys for obvious reasons. But I mean if you are prepared and don't arrive with any preconcieved notions about what you are expecting, how you are expecting to fit in, and aren't necessarily trying to find someone to form a relationship with, you won't have that problem. Someone I know who is going through that right now actually applied to boarding school just to get away from the clicks of her old school so I'm not sure if she came here for the right reason and I think that may be the cause of her problems. But again, you'll only go through that problem if you don't come prepared emotionally and don't have any expectations about meeting people which the majority of people don't have a problem with.</p>

<p>Throughout my time on CC I've alwas wondered what the true atmosphere of boarding school would be like. some people called it cut-throat while others tagged the experience as more lax than anything. So far for me though, I haven't really experienced that cutthroat environment here at PEA yet. Maybe it might be because of a lot of people still adjusting to living away from home (although it seems like we've been here forevever in a good way) or even because winter still hasn't come (which restricts students to staying indoors and focusing more on work). My best guess as to why I haven't experienced too much competitiveness though is because I haven't tried to get involoved with that community. I believe that your experience at bs depends more upon the network of friends you create tahn the actualy school community. If you involve yourself with competitive top notch grade A students, you have to expect cometitiveness to a certain degree but you don't necessarily have to expect it as much if you involve yourself more with the type of person who goes to school to benefit from it.</p>

<p>From the little that I have seen and experienced of the HArkness table, I can say that it really makes things more interesting.for instance, when you sit down with a group of peers and discuss all the different facets of say a short story, one usually comes out of the discussion with a greater appreciation for it because no matter how well you think you understand something, someone else can interpret that same thing in a different way. It really gives you a broader understanding and makes you expand your horizons while opening up your mind to new ideas. The only problem that I have had with the table so far is actually in math class. In the class I'm in, we are using problems which apply knowledge that never was really taught at my old school. Because students here go and discoer the method of solving a problem on their own before they are guided toward a possibly easier way, I have had some trouble. But again, that's really something you can seek out help on.</p>

<p>Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been busy with work, friends,sleep, and some other things so I haven't really had the time to sit down and post on this forum. Now everything is beginning to settle so hopefully I'll be here a bit more often.</p>

<p>Surprisingly enough, we really haven't been loaded with homework, yet. Even when you are though, it is possible to have free time if you stay on top of it and don't let it pile up.</p>

<p>Anyway, I hope that I answered some questions. Please tell me if anything I said was not clear so I can clarify. I'm just kind of in a hurry because I have to meet up with someone to go watch the varsity soccer team. GO BIG RED!!!</p>

<p>Hark and don't lose hope. I predict that your problems or uncomfortable feelings in math are that the American system of teaching math does just what you are looking for......a quicker way, one way, not reasoning but remembering a formula. In the US we trap kids into preAlgebra, Algebra for 2 years and the geometry and then preCalc.....what a waste. Exeter teaches more to the combined approach.......math of zero, math of a circle, square, math of motion etc. You are not the only one who is having the "my school didn't prepare" me moment. I loved math at Exeter because what one does learn is that is NOT just one way, one solution and it makes you better able to analyze and think. You will see the light very soon and take heart you will be a better student for it. In your 4 years you will learn more math in a better way and it will serve you well. Glad to read your posts.....enjoy your time.</p>

<p>Dear Prepparent -</p>

<p>Thanks for your reply! I have visited boardingschoolreview.com numerous times, and my daughter and husband have visited at Emma, MPS, Westover and others. She and I go for re-visits in about a month. She loved all 3 of these schools, but right now, I'd have to say she's concentrating on Emma. I think it will help, however, for her to see the schools when the students are present - that can tell us much - are they friendly, warm, helpful, etc.....</p>

<p>She boarded at a girls' school in England as a 6th grader and hopes to repeat the wonderful experience she had there - but this time in the U.S. (She'd go back to the UK to board, but for various reasons, we have decided to keep her in the U.S.). Let me know, if you want, how your girls' school search goes, and I will do the same! We have considered the coed schools, but after her girls' school experience in England, we really are sold pretty much on all-girls schools -- so I THINK we'll stick with our decision. We just have to determine IF she'll be accepted and, if so, WHERE is the best place for her.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info!</p>

<p>Yeah, it will get better soon. It's really nothing too discouraging but it is a problem for me at this point in time. I'm more worried about Japanese though lol.</p>

<p><strong>post # 2,000!</strong></p>

<p>A big shoutout to:
Hazmat | Prepparent | Superior Child</p>

<p>Thank you for taking time to give me advice. They have been extremely helpful. Wow!!! I think I'm being portrayed as a person who doesn't do anything except study. The truth is, I've never been known as a nerd before :) I think the reason that I put so much about my achievements last time is because the part I'm most worried about is my image on paper. I actually love to do interviews. I love exchanging thoughts with people. I'm worried about my SSATs. I've scheduled for it in December...I think I'll really enjoy writing the essays. They're so much more interesting than the essays we do in school. </p>

<p>P.S. The people I've seen on this discussion board are AMAZING!</p>

<p>Vanillaskye</p>

<p>^^Essays like "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Agree or Disagree?" are more interesting than the essays you write in school? your school must really suck.</p>

<p>jedwards- I wish you and your D the best of luck. Most of all I hope you enjoy the process. Please keep us posted on her progress. I did notice that emma has a early type decision program. Emma has such a beutiful campus among other things.</p>

<p>jedwards, I noticed that in the last year or so EMS endowment jumped from about 61 mil to a current 91 mil. This article explains their good fortune.
<a href="http://www.emmawillard.org/news/articles/cheel.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.emmawillard.org/news/articles/cheel.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Dear prepparent -</p>

<p>Yes, I'm aware of the incredible generosity to Emma, which definitely has tremendously increased their endowment - good perhaps for those of us for whom financial aid is a serious consideration. </p>

<p>Also, I was emailed privately by a mom whose d goes to another girls school, and she raised an issue about which I've already been concerned regarding Emma - their disciplinary policies. Have you heard/read anything that gives you pause? It's this: she advised me to read their student handbook rules, etc...and I will (she indicates that it seems a bit draconian and may indicate prior serious problems with some girls)- BUT/AND (on the same subject) this summer I was reading a student newspaper from Emma and read that several friends of a student who had written an article for the paper had been asked to leave Emma over the course of her time there. This concerned by very much, and I will ask about this when my d and I visit next month. Of course, I don't want a school to tolerate bad behavior - but I was somewhat taken aback by the # of girls who apparently were expelled. Either the girls they are admitting are problematic to start with, or the school doesn't work with them enough when they do wrong things, etc....anyway, I don't know the answer, but it IS a question I have about Emma, and I will ask for answers. If you have any insight, let me know.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Many boarding schools exit students. More importantly does the school use a peer review with faculty involved also and administration? You might look at the handbooks for other schools and see how "draconian" the rules are.</p>

<p>I'm sure that schools do expell students, but as a mother, I naturally am concerned as to the reasons, how frequently, efforts made to assist girls BEFORE expulsion, etc...at my d's other boarding school, it was extremely rare for a girl to be asked to leave. In fact, I'm not sure it ever happened...so I want to know the environment and the type of girls who are asked to leave. I will explore the issue with other schools, of course, but another mother raised this issue about Emma.</p>

<p>Thanks prepparent - one further thing about Emma - they no longer have an early decision policy. As of this year, all application decisions will be send out in March. This per their admissions office - super nice people, by the way!</p>