Boarding School - Admissions tips? I'm applying to 10 boarding schools.

<p>Hi Guys,</p>

<p>This is my first thread. I am 14 years old and am applying for the 10th grade in boarding school. My schools are: Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, St. Pauls, Middlesex, Brooks, Governor's, Brewster, and Cushing. We will need financial aid. Of the five schools I applied to last year, I was wait-listed at Governor's and at Middlesex. I live in Massachusetts and would be a boarder at every school. I am in a town where I could be a day student or boarder at Andover though. Should I?</p>

<p>School: High Honors nine terms in a row. I am in my public high school and will probably have honors or high honors first term. I am in the honors track.
Awards: Math Team award + Math Counts Award. French National Test Award. I was voted by my peers to be "Hardest Worker". Most importantly, my teachers gave me the biggest award of the year - my peers call it "Best Student"
Extracurriculars: Math team (3 yrs)/Math Counts (2yrs), Junior States of America (just started in high school - will be going to Washington, DC), Mock Trial (just started in high school), Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts (9yrs - Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts and Tenderfoot in Boy Scouts), and PALS (just started in high school....its a community service group from the nearby disadvantaged town.
Athletics: I play on my towns top hockey team and will be heading off to Montreal in February. I have been playing for 4 years. I also have been playing town baseball for 5 years (unleveled).</p>

<p>SSAT: Taking a Kaplan classroom course. I will hopefully be in the 70-90's.</p>

<p>Other things you want to now: I did a Summer Session at PA last summer and LOVED it. I did well and got two 5's (Honors). Since I had an immune disorder when I was young, I took the Immunology course. I was the youngest person (rising freshman) and did well with the college-level textbook we used. We had a 50% dropout rate and I was one of the remaining 5 students. I also took a debate class. I want to be a lawyer or doctor. My favorite subjects are Math and Science.</p>

<p>Please help me! Should I be applying to those schools? Should I be applying to that many schools? I need financial aid. I LOVED my experience over the summer. I so badly want to go to boarding school! Do you guys have any tips for me with my application? Any suggestions about other schools/the ones I already have? Any admissions tips? Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>You sound impressive and like a great candidate. I question whether you need to apply to so many schools. I'd cut 2-3 off the list if you were my kid.</p>

<p>What schools would you cut - Some harder ones with greater chance of financial aid or some easier ones with a lesser chance of finnancial aid? Is there anything you think I should emphasize on my application?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>I'm not an expert on FA (hopefully some other parents who are more knowledgeable will weigh in and give you advice) but I think you can look at Brewster and Cushing as a safety and pick one based on your interests. Have you visited all the schools? I know some folks would suggest applying to a lot if you need FA but that is a lot of aplications to write. </p>

<p>In terms of what to emphasize, I think you look well-rounded and a lot of schools would like that - they are looking for kids who can contibute in a lot of different ways. Play up whatever you are most passionate about. </p>

<p>Why do you think you were waitlisted last year? Think about your interviews - did you express yourself well in those?</p>

<p>Interviews- some were excellent...some were not....</p>

<p>I have to say though my interviews at Middlesex and Governor's were probably my best last year. I had great conversations with them....and really enjoyed both schools.</p>

<p>Do you have any tips on the interview?....Im gonna try to be myself as much as i can this year!</p>

<p>dang, 10 boarding schools...that's alot of work, good luck! :)</p>

<p>Just stumbled upon this website:</p>

<p>Ten</a> Schools Admission Organization</p>

<p>It lists when the "Ten Schools" (choate, deerfield, hill, hotchkiss, lawrenceville, loomis, andover, exeter, st pauls, taft) will be traveling around the country to discuss boarding schools.</p>

<p>BUMP!</p>

<p>okay thanks....i'll take a look</p>

<p>I am pretty set on the schools I narrowed my list down to....I can't board too far away - my parents still want to see me.</p>

<p>Your concise writing is impressive for a well educated adult and exceptional for a 14 year old. Schools such as Andover, Exeter, Deerfield & St. Paul's tend to be quite sensitive to maturity & writing styles of applicants.</p>

<p>BUMP!</p>

<p>Thanks ColdWind. I appreciate the boost in confidence. Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, and St. Pauls are definitely reaches for me - kinda like every school. I would love to attend any school though. In my application, I was debating over whether to add a resume-like list of "me" like I did at the beginning of this thread. Would that be a good idea?</p>

<p>Also, anyone have anymore suggestions on my applications? Anything I should do differently for different schools? I still want to be myself though. I absolutely love every school and it would be a privilege to attend any one of them.</p>

<p>Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>BUMP!</p>

<p>Anyone have any more comments???</p>

<p>If boarding school admissions are anything like college admissions then you might want to stray away from re-listing your accomplishments. I am assuming you have sent them records of your accomplishments. In your application try and paint them a picture of yourself as a person; not just a zombie that does stuff and gets grades. Let your personality and passion shine. Share a funny boy scout story about how you learned something. Stand out! </p>

<p>:D</p>

<p>BUMP!</p>

<p>Yep thanks a lot! I'll think about sharing a funny boy scout story...but my true passion is science (specifically immunology) and math.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>Any more comments are welcome!</p>

<p>hi guys will this personal achievement and academic achevement help me go to places like exeters, andover, choate and hockaday?</p>

<p>Elementary:
Award for the elementary reading competition
Conductor for the School elementary chorus song.
Student President of the Elementary school.</p>

<p>Secondary:
Certificate of effort
Honor roll
IB (international Baccalaureate) profile of the year 2010.
Best Science Academic achievement of the year.
Best Thai Academic achievement of the year
Best Humanities Academic achievement of the year.</p>

<p>Grade 8:
Representative for the grade 7-10 students to attend the Asia Pacific United nations launch of the international year of youth.</p>

<p>Played the Goethe Piano Charity concert of Bangkok.
Since the year 2006-2010</p>

<p>here is my current status:
8th grade
applying to hotchkiss, groton, phillips andover, phillips exeter, st. paul’s school, and deerfield
lacrosse-recreational
track-varsity
peer leader
community service-4hrs per week
piano
guitar
school vice president
jr. beta club
all advanced classes
graduated with 4.0 in 6th and 7th grade
got the presidential education award</p>

<p>so far, this is my status… would i be able to get into any of these schools at all? if so which ones would probably accept me?
also, if you are a current student at one of these schools what helped you to get in and what are these schools looking for? i am at the stage of writing my applications and i’m going to do an interview soon. what will make my applications and interviews stand out more than others, and what should i be preparing?
thank you!</p>

<p>If you’re deciding to go to a boarding school, you must consider first important things. First, weigh the educational as well as the governing philosophy of the community within the school. Second is all about the nutritional offerings and level of physical activity available. Remember that attention should be given not only to their intellectual and spiritual but also to their physical development.</p>

<p>if one of the schools knew about the 10 other schools ur applying to, they won’t prefer you as a candidate even if you are one of the top top topp.</p>

<p>I’m applying to Philips Andover, Deerfield and maybe Philips Exeter and Lawrenceville, but for 11th grade. And I currently live in the UK.</p>

<p>I would say that your SSAT scores don’t sound high enough, I’ve been looking through a lot of websites, and all the schools say the expect scores in the 93 percentile or higher, so 70-90 won’t be good enough.</p>

<p>Could anyone help me? I won’t be applying to any of these schools for a year and half (I’m about to start my GCSEs), so I want to do something that really makes me stand out and puts my chances of getting in a lot higher. Currently I swim a lot, and I just got into regionals (South East) to compete in the 400fc. I also do triathlon, although i am quitting at the end of the year, and last year I came 12th in the country at nationals. I cycle a bit, and hopefully i will be able to do more over the next two years. I’m really clever and I’m expecting 95-98 in the SSAT, but I dont really have any academic achievements because that’s the way we do things at my school.</p>

<p>I’m also wondering if anyone has more schools to look at, although I’m only applying to three maximum, I would like to have a lot of choice. The reason my list is currently so short, is because I need a school that has a cycling team, and there is no way I am going to a religous school. I am a very strong Atheist. Should I mention that in my application? it might put some people off me.</p>