I’m planning on applying to a few boarding schools like Andover, Exeter, Choate, Loomis, etc as an incoming 10th grader. Does this and needing financial aid lower my chances significantly?
Many schools accept quite a few new 10th graders, and most students apply to BS starting in 9th. The acceptance rates will depend on the school and the applicant pool. Needing FA can indeed make it harder, but most schools also want some SES diversity, so it really depends on what the pool youare in looks like… This is all to say that it’s impossible to know how hard it’s going to be to get accepted. If you are open to repeating 9th, you can tell them you’re flexible. But no, you aren’t putting yourself into an impossible position by applying for 10th and needing FA.
Incoming new 10th grader at Andover here!
From my experience, requiring significant fin-aid did not award me any disadvantages when it came to applying to Exeter and Andover. As a matter of fact, I gain acceptances to both schools with full grants.
You will not be at a disadvantage for requiring aid when applying to those schools. Andover’s need-blind and Exeter’s practically the same. The true disadvantage when requiring fin-aid here is filling out all of those forms…
I’m chinese lol. That probably makes it quite a bit harder right?
Hey YoungThriver, if you don’t mind, can you give a bit of a background about yourself?
At Lawrenceville it was 22.48% for 2017-2018 and 28% for 2018-2019. The 2019-2020 numbers aren’t out yet, so I can’t comment on them, but both years they’ve been above the average rate.
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Good luck! Sounds like a lot of great options.
Are you applying as an international student? That can make it harder for the financial aid part (plus ORM, unless you are recruited?), so you might want to cast a wide net.
I’m actually applying as a domestic student but I don’t have citizenship, just permanent resident.
Yes, being a 10 Th grader and needing aid will make it much harder. Adding in OM makes it that much more difficult. That doesn’t mean you should not apply. But think about broadening your school list. There are more than 2 BS in America 
Also if you are coming from a less common geographic area, that can help too.
@tiffy1010 You can read a bit more about me on the 2k19 Decision thread. It’ll probably have everything you want to know.
Also, as a green card-holder (I’m one too, btw), you’re considered a domestic applicant so, you shouldn’t be worried about being disadvantaged for requiring aid (at Andover & Exeter).
You can research both school’s need-blind history online.
Just for clarification purposes, you’re going into the 9th grade and will be applying for 10th, right?
@YoungThriver Can you link the decision thread?
I come from California ?.
Have you considered applying as a repeat ninth grader?
It’s pretty common, and would increase your chances of admission decently.
Just a thought.
I’ve considered it but it’s another year, and I’m already considered pretty old for my grade since i was born in october of 2004
Overall 10th grade applicant acceptance rates are very similar to the 9th grade acceptance rates (there are less spots, but also a smaller applicant pool). However, the major difference within the applicant pool for 10th grade is you are competing with A LOT of students who are in their last year of Junior Boarding school (9th grade) and need a spot at one of the boarding schools for 10th-12th grade. These students already have a ton of boarding school counseling from their secondary schools offices and the junior boarding schools are incredibly good at vouching for their students to get into their first or second choice schools. Essentially, all the Junior boarding school applicants NEED a boarding school for 10th grade and they cannot wait and reapply the year after (due to already having status as a boarder) thus they typically apply to several schools and put extensive effort into creating their apps with the help of their schools advisors. Overall, I really think thats the biggest difference within the applicant pools, and overall, unless your applying to a school like groton, which takes very few new 10th graders due to them having 8th grade-12th grade, I would say the application process and acceptance rates are usually very close to the 9th grade process.