Atypical Applicant

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Forgive me for making a thread solely about one person, but I don’t know anyone else who has applied for boarding school with a background similar to mine. I am not particularly certain what terms to search to glean useful information from existing threads. I would appreciate references to any such threads/keywords that may exist.</p>

<p>I have been training to become a professional athlete for the past 6 years. I have competed across the US and in UK, Italy and Spain. My family was hoping that we would eventually move to Spain, where I would have the highest level of competition and the best resources available to me. However, it has become apparent that without the right sponsorship, living in Spain full time is not an option. With very little money available in my sport, even the “professionals” are often not paid athletes. While some high profile individuals make an ungodly salary, there are probably less than 40 athletes making a living wage in my sport worldwide. This past season, I placed second in one league, and tied for fourth in the other league I competed in; with both leagues having far inferior competition to our European counterparts. My coach, manager and others involved in the highest levels of my sport are encouraging me to continue, but my family has tamer expectations after this past season, due to my results and seeing the money continually leave the sport and very little of what remains going to Americans. The risks I am taking by participating in my sport are too high for my chance of success. While my heart is still in pursuit of nothing but a world championship, I recognize the utility of beginning to pursue a more conventional path. </p>

<p>Academically my path is unusual; I have attended a school that could be considered “unschooling” since the age of 5. This means that other than clinics for my sport, I’ve never sat in a classroom. I taught myself to read around age 7 or 8. I taught myself the math I needed as I went along, but most of it came in preparation for the SSAT. I speak a fair amount of Spanish, have a basic level of Italian, and know a few French and Japanese phrases. I lived with a “host” family in Spain for a little over a month two summers ago and have traveled without my family on other occasions. I enjoy political topics, so I read articles on the internet frequently and have watched all of the republican debates, except when I was traveling. I read the New York Times most days and always work on the crosswords with my mom. I have completed hundreds of logic puzzles. My sport requires me to be able to articulate concepts to my team that could be considered scientific. I know a fair bit about aerodynamics/materials/mechanical engineering from my experiences. I spend a large portion of my time at school, just hanging out, socializing, running, climbing, playing video games, etc., unless I have a specific project I am working on, such as preparing for SSAT or now writing application essays. </p>

<p>I tested at my local high school last year and for language skills they would place me in 11th grade and for math in 7th – but I have since worked through an algebra book and some geometry, so without question I believe I would qualify for at least 9th grade. I realize I am an unconventional boarding school applicant, but I have convinced my parents that going to a strict academic environment will be the best option for me to get the academic experience I need to balance my lack of schooling/regulations to this point. My hope is that at boarding school I can delve into the academic topics where I crave depth of knowledge, and be supported in the subjects where I lack background. I also intend to maintain a fitness regimen while at school, and compete in my sport during school breaks, (it is not a sport that is offered at any boarding school and most of the season occurs during the summer months.) </p>

<p>My essays will need to do most of the talking for me in my application, since as a result of not attending formal classes or necessarily completed classwork per se, I do not have a transcript. Recommendations were tricky, since my school does not believe in assessing students, but I did manage to get three adults who I feel can convey my passion and skills well, (including my athletic coach,) to agree to write recommendations. My life largely consists of communicating with adults on every topic imaginable, so I am not troubled by the interview. My SSAT percentile is solidly in range for the schools I am considering. </p>

<p>I have selected 8 schools that “on paper” appear to be a good match. I plan to apply to 2-3 of these. This is where I need your assistance. My parents have told me to choose no more than 5 to visit, so I need to narrow my list. I am determined to succeed at any of these schools, but I know there are some that will be better, (or worse) than the others at accommodating my academic eccentricities. Alphabetically, my list is:</p>

<p>Asheville
Cate
Hotchkiss
Madeira
Mercersburg
St. Andrew’s (Delaware)
St. Paul’s
Westminster</p>

<p>I would be incredibly grateful, if anyone who has knowledge of these schools, would share any information that may be helpful for me to assess whether they are the right selection for me. Thank you in advance for your informed insight – it will help to determine the course of my life!</p>

2

<p>How old are you? Would you be applying for 9th grade?</p>

3

<p>I am 13 and will be applying for 9th grade.</p>

4

<p>We have met quite a few homeschooled students in our journey through the prep school world. You sound very bright. If you can learn enough math to get a decent score on the SSAT, I would say that you would be a very interesting and desirable candidate. Is your sport anything that would be of interest to the schools? Or, do the athletic skills involved in your sport carry over to a traditional prep school program?</p>

5

<p>Also, Forever58, you would be amazed at some of the specialized sports that the schools offer. They have everything from riflery to archery to sailing to water polo…if you look carefully you may find a school that offers your sport, and they may be very happy to have you.</p>

6

<p>baystateresident - my math percentile was significantly lower than the other sections, but my overall percentile was either higher than the reported average percentile for each of the schools on my list or within 10% of the score where I fell below the average.</p>

<p>I am 99% certain that there is no school that offers my sport. The price of entry is simply too high. However, I do maintain a very regimented workout schedule and diet; additionally, my sport requires both strength and flexibility and the ability to maintain am extremely high level of concentration for the course of an event, (up to an hour.) While I haven’t formally been trained in any other sport, I am sure that these skills will translate well into many other sports. I do enjoy playing soccer, cycling and running.</p>

7

<p>Well, I would say that you sound like a very interesting candidate, and I would guess that you are going to have a lot off success in the application process. Good luck and keep us posted!</p>

8

<p>Thank you Baystateresident! </p>

<p>Are you familiar with any of the schools on my list, can you tell me anything about what I could expect there?</p>

<p>Asheville
Cate
Hotchkiss
Madeira
Mercersburg
St. Andrew’s (Delaware)
St. Paul’s
Westminster</p>

9

<p>What sport is it that you play? A lot of schools are happy to start up a certain sport.</p>

10

<p>I am happy to tell you there are several bright people just like you with unique talents at Deerfield and you should include it in your search. Deerfield is very strong in both academics and athletics. Our campus facilities are amazing. Yes, we have many well-rounded students, but what brings diversity to our school is also some of the people with unique talents that we have; those who performed at Carnegie Hall, scored perfect scores on National Math exams, conducted research in stem cells, won robotics competitions, and set up international service programs. What I also love about Deerfield is how well the school supports the needs of all these unique individuals with extensive freedom to pursue their passions. Come visit our campus, meet the incredibly talented faculty and students and I hope you will be as excited as we are.</p>

11

<p>Hmmmm… is this sport something like jockeying? I know having horses is extremely expensive…but then again you’re probably not a jockey, I’m probably WAYY off base here.</p>

12

<p>St. Paul’s is an excellent school, but its location (in New Hampshire) might not suit you, if you want to be training outdoors for your sport. I recommend that you take the SSATs, to determine how you line up against traditionally-schooled students, and that you plan to enter the grade that would correspond to your actual age. Most boarding schools attract students with above-average skills, so that many of their freshmen would test at a higher level. Schools will place a greater emphasis on standardized tests for students who do not have traditional transcripts. Some of the schools on your list are very traditional, and you might want to consider a few schools that are more “progressive,” like Putney, Northfield-Mt. Hermon, or Concord.</p>

13

<p>Thank you for all of the responses thus far! I especially appreciate the school suggestions - perhaps to narrow my choices, I need to first expand my list to see some contrasting schools, (I’ll consider it my own dialectic-process.)</p>

<p>I am declining to tell the name of my sport, in the interest of maintaining some anonymity on this board. </p>

<p>I’d really like to focus on schools where I will be encouraged to succeed independently and be guided in the areas that I need a little assistance to improve, and challenged in areas where I don’t even know my weakness yet. I can always work on fine-tuning myself, but the higher the level of respectful competition, the more I am encouraged to push further, which is why I am looking at boarding schools. I am offering this perspective of mine, so that maybe it provides more of a picture of the information I am looking for about the schools.</p>

<p>Again, I really appreciate your assistance. Formal schools really are a world I am very far removed from, so I am really taking all of your words to heart in my considerations.</p>

14

<p>Forever58- the schools you listed vary widely in their flexibility, degree of formality and amount of rigour. The only way that you are going to find a school that meets your need is by visiting and talking with their admissions staff. You will probably get a sense immediately of whether or not the school is a good fit. Once again, good luck!</p>

15

<p>I applied to SPS, Cate and Mercersburg and I didn’t get in anywhere. I still want to go to boarding school. </p>

<p>I know some schools have rolling admissions. Are the chances of being accepted at this time high enough to warrant applying at this time?</p>

<p>The schools I am looking at are Fountain Valley, George, NMH, and Williston. Are there other schools that may be a good fit that are still accepting applications?</p>

16

<p>You have options in rolling admission schools if you are a full pay.</p>

17

<p>I spent a few months competing in Europe and achieved some very respectable results there. Since returning to the states, I have won every competition in which I have participated. Today, I signed with a sponsor which will cover most of my expenses for the rest of this season and next season. I am also having preliminary talks with a few professional teams (although I can’t go pro for a few more years.)</p>

<p>This all means that I will not be attending boarding school, because it would not allow me to train and compete at the level needed.So why am I posting this update here? I just wanted to say that we all have different dreams and whether yours is to become a pro athlete or to get into a certain boarding school or college, you should keep your eye on the prize and continue to pursue your dreams. There may be setbacks and doubts along the way, but if you continue working towards your dream, it can happen. We don’t get what we wish for, we get what we work for. </p>

<p>To those of you headed off to boarding school, good luck with your studies, remember to occasionally slow down and enjoy the ride. </p>

<p>To those just applying this year, good luck in applying to schools. If you do not get into your first choice, you can always try again. Keep working. There’s not always just one finish line, sometimes there’s more joy in taking the path you didn’t expect.</p>

18

<p>Thanks for the wise words, Forever58. Good luck, wherever your journeys take you!</p>

19

<p>Thank you CherryRose and thank you to all who offered advise along the way!</p>

20

<p>Thank you for sharing your application process, Forever 58! I have a really quick question for you. You mentioned that you applied to Mercersburg Academy. I’m thinking of applying there, but I just want to get some perspective on the school. Did you like campus and community? What did you think of it overall? (If you went for a tour & interview)</p>