Beginning the process a 7th grader

<p>hi!
I'm new to College Confidential. I am a seventh grader (for 10 more days!!!). My school is, well, i'll just say public. lol. :)
I will be applying to bording schools when i am in eighth grade. I already have devised a list of possible schools, requested info books, read the websites in detail, etc...
For me bording school is like the only answer. :) I hate my local public school and am advanced in all my classes.
I've read some of these posts (hard to get in this yeah, huh :)) and need some advice on what to do to get the best possible results for boarding school next year.
Please respond with real advice</p>

<p>thx :)</p>

<p>first of all welcome!!!!
wat schools r on ur list???</p>

<p>Welcome and good luck!</p>

<p>Some advice:</p>

<p>It's good that you started early. I sort of did, but I fell back. Keep everything organized. I had seperated folders for each school and it really helped me keep everything in place. Get everything in early or on time because that can probably make a big difference (I didn't have any problems, though).
Start studying the SSAT early. It wasn't that hard, but I studied a lot and it paid off (one day when I was sick I studied for about three hours straight). I bought a lot of books but you can probably also find them at the library or used.</p>

<p>I know how you feel - my school is terrible, too and boarding school was my only option. Feel free to ask any questions! I'll also try to think of more advice.</p>

<p>I began the process very late--in the first half of my eighth grade year. I am about to graduate eighth grade. There were issues that kept me from applying earlier. I applied to nine schools, and was accepted to Phillips Academy Andover. Some advice: don't start as late as I did. The SSAT was time consuming, but not difficult; however, spending time studying for it is a good idea. Good luck to you, and congrats on starting so early!</p>

<p>thanks you guys! i am studying for the SSAT. i even took it as a seventh grader. my list as of today. ok
(no order yet)
choate
emma williard
miss porters
andover
exeter
groton
concord
deerfield
tabor
hotchkiss
middlesex
peddie
sps
loomis chaffee
st andrews
hill
mercersburg
miss halls
procter
taft
brewster
kent
milton
governers
nmh
like i said a lot right now</p>

<p>Those schools are all elite schools, well most of them are. You should begin working on essays and short answer questions as well.</p>

<p>Wow, u sure have been busy.</p>

<p>Sign up and take the upper level SSAT in June. Make sure you list that you are an 8th grader this way your scores are compared against 8th grade test takers- because it's the upper level test. When you receive your scores interpret them carefully to identify strengths and weaknesses. Then and only then can you effectively devise a strategy to reinforce your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses.</p>

<p>In addition the score will allow you to "guesstimate" which schools are fits, in terms of SSAT averages. Good luck</p>

<p>Wow, u sure have been busy.
Go to Kent, everyone should just go to Kent.(well the smart ones)</p>

<p>nice, aussie...</p>

<p>lol
Its true, its the best school ever!</p>

<p>yeah its right there behind choate....but less chatter lets try to help snoboardgrl :)</p>

<p>The list is long, but it is early. You'll have time to filter some schools out. My son applied to 11 boarding schools. He only got into four, luckily his top two favorites were among these.</p>

<p>Many experts, including some on this forum, can tell you that the BS admissions process is very competitive - especially this past year- applying to ten or more schools may be a good strategy. Be mindful that it's a process that requires great commitment not just from you but also from your parents.</p>

<p>Oh no you didn't girlfriend snap snap snap. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA When me and ballerina go to play your school we will hunt u down. lol. SO yeah lets help the sno girl. lol
You should also start visiting schools just for the sake of visiting if you live near, but most schools will not be in session around this time.</p>

<ul>
<li>The one-word answers for Milton took me 3 hours (and I got waitlisted). So, um, yeah. Plus the essays and stuff. Multiply that by the 5 billion schools you're applying to. Better start now...</li>
</ul>

<p>This is a great list to begin with. How did you choose these schools? Is there anything in particular that is important to you such as theater or a sport. That might help you narrow the list. How many schools can you realistically visit?</p>

<p>well, i live in the south, so visiting means a plane ride and of course all those schools probably wont get visited, ill narow the list, but a strong thaetre and snow sports progrom (duh) might be nice ;)</p>

<p>You should check out TABS:</a> Top College-Prep Independent Boarding Schools Directory and do a search for a schools with the type of snow sports that you want. That can help narrow your list.</p>

<p>If you want a serious ski/snow boarding program, take a look at Holderness. Blair has a good ski team Blair</a> Academy - Athletics
I think they offer snowboarding as a rec activity, but you would need to check on that. Their theater program is strong.</p>

<p>I suspect that some of the schools you selected won't offer a ski & snowboard sports program. You can narrow your list by checking on that. I also suspect that all the schools will have a theater program, so you will need to evaluate how strong it is. At some schools you cannot be on a sports team and be in a theater production at the same time. If the ability to do both is important to you, then you can narrow down your list this way too.</p>

<p>Really bigblue!? I was very impulsive with them all (maybe cos I did them at 4:00 am on the day they were due!) My essays I did 2-3 times and printed them out each time and proofread and improved. I scored 99% on my SSATs and only waitlisted for Exeter but got into Andover, St Pauls, Hotchkiss, Milton, Taft, Groton and Choate. I think if you get in the late late 80s or 90s the SSAT becomes a non-factor. Essay and interview are the most important. Do the interviews with your least preferred schools first and work your way up to your number 1 school (hopefully Andove :)) That way you get as much experience as possible for the tough schools.</p>