<p>I have a daughter that applied to all the 'usual' schools this year, (i.e. Hotchkiss, Milton, Groton, Taft…) She was rejected by most, but made wait-lists for Hotchkiss and Milton. Needless to say, she most likely won't be going away next September. She's utterly crushed and can't figure out why she couldn't get in to any, especially Taft. And, neither can I.</p>
<p>If anyone has a child who attends one of these schools, please, do you have any tips that could be useful in next year's applications? Who ever got accepted, what did they do?</p>
<p>My daughter is and A student (with the exception of math - b/b-/c+), does a TON of community service, participates in sports, theatre, Girl Scouts and student government, she is really, a great person. She's also won many awards. What should she do?</p>
<p>This seems to have been a very difficult year for girls. The schools you listed are very, very competitive for admissions. There need not be a specific reason for your daughter’s results. </p>
<p>If your daughter only applied to the most selective schools, I would recommend that you widen your search next year. The formula is usually described by the motto, “Reach, possible, likely,” or “reach, fit, and safety.”</p>
<p>Deerfield had a 17% increase in applications; I would assume the schools you listed also saw increases. Plus at these schools, you compete against ultra legacies and royalty. Those automatically lower the chances of regular applicants.
With admit rates in the teens, it’s no longer a question if the applicant is qualified or a good fit. Many kids who would do really well, who apply with great quals, get rejected. It becomes a question of <em>why</em> would the school accept your child.</p>
<p>I would approach it from the angle: give the school a reason to accept your kid over others.</p>
<p>FWIW, I think community service is overrated for applications. Most/all applicants list some level of community service. As one AO told us last year, “…if I hear one more applicant say they built latrines in (country), I’m going to puke.”</p>
<p>I would not underestimate community srv. Although my child had a 4.0 and tons of sports and awards, he did not do so well on ssat. However, his CC was something that really made him stand out. He worked at orphanages in a developing country. The thing is to show what you’re passionate about. I personally would be turned off if an AO who made such a comment.</p>
<p>For the OP’s question, the FA pool is extremely competitive these days. I would spread the range of schools out a bit.</p>
<p>To the OP: Did you daughter emphasize her sports and arts interests during the application process. Did she reach out to the relevant coaches and program heads to get more detailed knowledge of the programs? A school of 550-600 like Taft or Hotchkiss will have roughly 130-150 kids per grade, half of each gender. From this group they will field a full range of sports teams at the varsity, jv and thirds levels. They will put on musical theater productions (someone has to be an impressive lead), fill out an orchestra, band, a capella groups, etc. In my view, there aren’t really very many kids who are selected as pure students who will help serve the community. The school really needs more to check its boxes. Try to position your child so that they help the school meet its needs after you understand what those are in as detailed a way as possible. Good luck.</p>
<p>As I’m sure you’re aware all the schools you mentioned, including Taft, are extremely competitive with applicants in the high hundreds to over a thousand. It has nothing to do with legacy and royalty. The number of qualified students simply out number the vacancies at the more well known schools. The same goes for faculty. This is all actually a good thing because those schools that don’t get much play here on CC can only become more desirable with increased endowments, improved facilities, able faculty and headmasters coupled with a smart student body. I’m basically echoing what Periwinkle has already stated but in my opinion, I prefer fit and only fit, no reaches, no safeties. Of course you can reapply next Fall but suggest including some lesser known schools “Hidden Gems” for example, Suffield Academy. A terrific school where if the fit is right gets kids into terrific Colleges, including Ivies. Figuring out Fit is easier said than done. A dose of parental insight with their own kids, who know everything at age 13/14, has to be utilized whether incognito or not. Good luck next Fall.</p>
<p>Don’t have much to add that others have not already stated. The schools are very selective and you have to have some expertise in what they need in any given year or what I learned from my son is that most kids are hooked in some way. I think the chances of getting in just as a regular kid from the general public are a lot less than the published acceptance rate. He told me that there appear to be a few very large referral sources or feeder programs for his prestigious school. A lot of the kids who need FA are identified even before the application process is started and kids are accepted from various “program” sponsors. Can’t be more specific than that, but it gave me the sense that he was pretty lucky to get in given the fact he was just Joe Shmoe excellent student and athlete.</p>
<p>Your daughter’s application sounds solid and the most likely culprit for her rejections were the math grade. The BS courses are much harder than many courses even in local college prep which might have implied she would struggle when she arrived. I’m guessing but given her EC’s and otherwise straight A average she probably made the first and/or second cut, but didn’t make the final cut because in whittling the pool down her math grades stood out. English and Math grades tend to count for more than other core courses even with good SSAT scores balancing the equation.</p>
<p>Push for straight A’s for the next year. Math will be key. If she’s interested in a school and really into theater and sports, then make time to visit with those teachers when on campus.</p>
<p>The interesting thing I found about Taft is that they don’t just look at grades. They really look at the personality of the students. They look for students they want to live with 24-7. And even then it’s hard to narrow the list. During the spring parent weekend many of the Adcom’s were in meetings until late at night trying to hone the list down to a manageable size. You could tell they were exhausted. They had more than 1,600 applications to read and evaluate for only 160 spots. There are 100 spots for freshman and 50 for sophomores.</p>
<p>The same holds true for the other schools. Many of us have friends on these boards with brilliant children who applied to 10+ schools and received no offers. It was a tough year and doesn’t reflect on your child. Just a lot of students fleeing their home districts and other students are now aware BS with the help of the internet that wouldn’t have considered it before. I think my own alma mater had 3,000 applicants.</p>
<p>Try again and don’t be afraid to apply to the “usual” schools and add a few from our “Hidden Gems” list as well. For some families here, the second time was the “charm.”</p>
<p>From a parent who’s d was not selected the first year at any of the three schools she applied to, I totally feel your pain. We agreed to not even talk about bs, ever again–lol. Once the dust settled and she revisited the idea she decided to re-apply.</p>
<p>We decided to open the door more and upon doing so, an AO at Suffield Academy told me she felt something might have gone wrong. I contacted the admissions of the schools that didnt accept her to ask “was she even in the realm of possibilities” as a candidate. We found out that an error in submitted materials occurred. </p>
<p>To make a long story short, we reapplied to previous schools and found additional schools to consider. She ended up with acceptances in great schools, but a school that wasnt on her list the first time was found to be a great fit. </p>
<p>Thou, we were hurt the first year, the second time was a charm. My d just completed her new sophomore year at Deerfield, with honors.</p>
<p>Sometimes things happen for a reason, but turn out great in the end.</p>
<p>Idk if anyone has mentioned this but you are SUPPOSED TO BRAG!! I don’t want to come out as being obnoxious, but you cant hold back when it comes to applications. AO’s want to see everything .The only time to be humble is during the interviews. On the applications, list every honor, achievement, etc., you have recieved, even if it was 3 years ago. You have to remember that AO’s also look for POTENTIAL. They want to see a student grow into somthing that will benifit the school for a long time, not just a year.</p>
<p>Don’t give up. Cliched but don’t. If she’s as good as a candidate as you say she is, then maybe someone will not go to that school and decide to go someplace else and the waitlist will be open. And again, if she’s THAT good, she has a chance to get in. Good luck. Prayers with you and your daughter.</p>