Boarding School Application - tips, mistakes, & lessons

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

FOR ANYONE APPLYING TO BOARDING SCHOOL -
I spent two years of my life working hard and applying to boarding school. I didn’t see these types of posts at the time, but here is my summary of my tips, mistakes, and experiences through it all.

Brief Introduction to me: I’m currently a prospective 10th grade female student for Phillips Academy Andover.

THIS POST WILL INCLUDE

Summary of the results from the schools and SSAT scores
SSAT Tips
Interview Tips
Essay Tips
School and extracurricular tips

[ 2015 ]
Applied: Choate, St. Paul’s, Andover, Exeter, Lawrenceville, Middlesex, Concord Academy
Accepted:
Wait-listed: St. Paul’s, Middlesex, Choate, Andover, Concord Academy
Rejected: Exeter, Lawrenceville
[ SSAT ]
Took: 3 times
Highest Percentile: 94% [Third time taking - grade percentile]
Lowest Percentile: 80% [First time taking]
[2016]
Applied: Choate, St. Paul’s, Andover, Middlesex, Deerfield
Accepted: Choate, Andover
Wait-listed: St. Paul’s, Middlesex, Deerfield
Rejected:
[ SSAT ]
Took: 3 times
Highest Percentile: 97% [Third time taking - grade percentile]
Lowest Percentile: 92% [First time taking - grade percentile]

SSAT Tips:

  • No matter how badly you start off, HARD WORK is key.
    The first time I took a mock SSAT, I got 70%.
    I mean, I am pretty lazy, I do procrastinate, I prefer going on Instagram or Tumblr over doing homework… I’m pretty average. And yet, when I saw that 70% I knew I could do better.
    I took my first real SSAT in 2015. I got an 80%, yet for my reading, I got a 50%… whaT.
    On my last SSAT, I got 97%.
    How did I do it? Not to sound cliche, but it was hard work, the dedication to pull myself off the phone screen to study, the guts to tell myself that I could literally lose a life changing opportunity at attending a school just because I was too lazy.
    I remember clearly telling myself while I was listening to One Direction, just a few weeks before my last chance at acing the SSAT, “girl, you need to stop this. I know you want to succeed. Just work hard and study for the SSAT right now, and once you’re done, reward yourself.”
    Have the guts and the maturity to know when you’re being lazy. You have this incredible opportunity at your fingertips, you just have to push yourself to get it.

To study for reading, practice!!!
I don’t know about you, but the reading section of the SSAT was my nightmare.
Was I thinking too deeply?
My brain hurts.
I’m hungry.
I’ve got my flaws and imperfections and lack of motivation. And since the reading was so complicated on the SSAT, I found it quite diffucult. But here’s what I learned from it:
The answer is always, ALWAYS in the passage.
Unless the question tells you to, DO NOT infer anything. The answer is in the passage.
When looking at a question, cross out those one or two options that you know are crazy
When reading the passage, underline some important key points

To study for SSAT vocab, just learn LOTS OF WORDS.
I suck at remembering word roots, so that leaves me with just learning words. I got my best SSAT score for vocabulary after reviewing this Quizlet page I found:
https://quizlet.com/8062978/ssat-500-words-flash-cards/
I bow down to it’s beauty.

To study for SSAT math…
I go to this book:
900 Practice Questions for the Upper Level SSAT & ISEE by The Princeton Review
Literally, this book is my lifeline. Everytime I go over it (yes, every lesson including “how to convert decimals to percentages”), my score soars and it feels like Christmas.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST WARNING:
I had two scores in my SSAT account. One with a 50% reading score, another with a 92% overall. I was about to send in the higher one, but I was calling my sister on my phone. I didn’t realize I had accidentally sent in my 50% reading score. After I sent my second, higher, score, I was super scored :frowning: It was a dark time, man,

Summary of the mountains of SSAT books I’ve gone through in the past two years:
!!! = HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
!!! 900 Practice Questions for the Upper Level SSAT & ISEE by The Princeton Review
SSAT/ISEE by Barrons
!!! Cracking the SSAT and ISEE (6 full-length practice tests) by The Princeton Review
Master the SSAT & ISEE (9th Edition) by Petersons
!!! SSAT/ISEE Third Edition by Barrons
SSAT & ISEE For Private and Independent Schools (2015) by Kaplan

INTERVIEW TIPS
For me, I dreaded interview. What if we didn’t get along, what if I say something wrong? What if there’s awkward silence? etc, etc.
Here’s my major tips:

Remember: YOUR INTERVIEWER HOPES YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE NEXT PROSPECTIVE STUDENT.
He or she does not know you yet. But both of you have something in common- to have you in the school.
So, as you want into that school admissions office, you need to tell yourself that you ARE going to be that student.
LET ME TELL YOU, your interviewer literally knows nothing about you. That time you punched a kid in fifth grade? Nope. That you hate hiking? Nope. You choose who you want to show to the interviewer.
No, this does not mean lying about your identity and hobbies. This means, that if you’re a bit shy, but have the ability to be confident then…
when you meet your interview, don’t be shy! - show your confidence!! Your interviewer won’t think, “hey… wasn’t that student like shy before?” NO, they’ll think, “Wow, this student is so confident!”
CHOOSE to show the best of yourself. Your interviewer doesn’t know about you, choose your greatest aspects to show off.

DO YO RESEARCH ON THE SCHOOL!!! Show the interviewer that you’re interested in the school. You did extra research to get to know it. For example, you might say: “Yeah! I saw on your website that you had this incredible astronomy class called…”

ESSAY TIPS
+Write down each school’s essay questions on a piece of paper
+On a separate sheet, write down your major passions and achievements.
+Make sure you don’t cloud a school’s essay with a focus all on one particular achievement. For example, for school A, don’t answer each of their 4 essay questions talking about cross country.
+By writing down all of your major passions and achievements, choose to incorporate them in EACH OF THE SCHOOLS. // For example: my interests may include cross country, fishing, drawing etc. I would try to incorporate all three when writing School A’s essay.
NO, YOU DO NOT NEED TO INCORPORATE ALL OF YOUR PASSIONS INTO ONE ESSAY, but yes, you should show more than one interest or passion in an entire school’s multiple essays.
WHEN WRITING YOUR ESSAY, ASK YOURSELF:
Did I grow and change from this experience?
Do I talk about useless things too much?

DID YOU RE-READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR ON GATEWAY TO PREP SCHOOLS? The first time I applied, I misread the word count for Andover. I went WAY over it… dark times part 2.
Make your essay interesting. The admissions office reads THOUSANDS of these essays. What’s gonna make your’s stand out? Add in humour, or add in some nice descriptions, symbolism— something that makes people think: wow.

SCHOOL AND EXTRACURRICULAR TIPS
FORGET WHAT ANYONE HAS SAID ABOUT BEING “WELL ROUNDED.” Develop a spike. Be a good student, but have something that really makes you different from the average “good student.” Maybe it’s sports, or service etc.

ENJOY THE PROCESS. Yes, it’s going to be hard at times, but you will get through this. You got this. Whether you are accepted or not, YOU are still worthy of everything.

MY BEST WISHES IN YOUR APPLICATIONS <3

-plant kid xx

2

As someone applying this upcoming fall, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

3

IMO, one of the most important things plantkid said was to enjoy the process. Yes, it’s stressful, difficult, and maybe even intense, but if after thorough research you find yourself dreading a certain school, or finding nothing there that interests you, then you may want to reconsider applying there. Also, I recommend interviewing/visiting as early as possible to get a better sense of whether or not you really want to apply to a certain school.

4

Hats off to you, @plantkid . Your hard work, willingness to share and be real, and perseverance are inspiring. I hope you love Andover and am excited for your wonderful opportunity.

^:)^ :-bd

5

Hi Plant kid. Thank you for taking the time to post that detailed list of things to do to improve one’s SSAT score and prepare for interviews. I am a parent of a girl who is planning on applying to Lawrenceville, Peddie, Choate, Loomis Chaffee, NMH, Thacher, Cate, and Stevenson this fall. At least, those are the ones we are going to visit, and we’ll see what she thinks of them. We live in Northern California, and the East Coast schools seem intimidating. I’ve been working with her using the Cracking the SSAT and ISEE book to help her prepare for the SSAT. It has been eye-opening to see how much she has struggled with the math parts and even the vocabulary. I thought with her all As grades it would be easier for her. I wish we could get a score before applying (she’s taking the test in December), but I think we’ll apply and I’ll just push her to study as much as she can before December. Anyway, your personal story and tips are very helpful. Thank you! Already I’ve had her try the vocabulary quizlet and I put the 900 Questions book in our Amazon cart.

6

Nicely done!

7

Brief introduction: I am an african-american sophomore (just turned 15) and am heading into my first year of matriculation at the St.pauls school.

I know this is a handful, but I hope you will read it!

[2016]
Applied: St.Andrews, St.pauls, The Webb school, Trinity-pawling, Andover, The Hill school, Wesstown, Asheville, MCcallie
Accepted: St.Andrews, St.pauls, The Webb school, Wesstown, Asheville
Wait-listed: Mccallie, Trinity-Pawling, Andover
Rejected: The Hill
[ SSAT ]
Took: 2 times
Highest Percentile: 78th%
Lowest Percentile: 62%

SSAT Tips:
I am not going to alleviate the matter. The SSAT is an arduous test. For anyone who is looking to gain admittance to any boarding school, but especially an elite one, is going to have to work extremely hard. Last year November, I took the SSAT. And to describe my results as an utter disappointment would be the understatement of the millenium. I scored at the 62nd percentile. WOW! When I received my test scores, I was an a state of absolute stupefaction. I was totally unprepared for the math section, scoring in the 30th percentile. I thought I did great on the reading portion but scored at the 59th percentile, and the only thing that saved my score from being a downright disgrace was my score on the verbal section, where I scored at the 92nd percentile. Now before I continue, my intention is not to offend those who scored less than, above or around the 62nd mark. I am writing with such vigor and emotion only because of the fact that I set lofty standards for myself and I expect greatness out of myself.Actually, what most people aren’t cognizant of is that anything above the 50 percentile on the SSAT designates you in the top 25th percentile nationally. Remember, the vast majority of those who are taking this test are the elite of the elite. Although I realized I was in top 15th percentile nationally, I was not satisfied. If my goal was to consign myself to a second-class standing I might as well had taken my behind to the nearest public school. Anyyyywwwaayyy… My dream school was Andover also regarded as Philips Academy in Boston. So, to receive the news that I had scored at the 62nd percentile was devastating. There was a glimpse of hope though. Luckily, there was one more date the exam would be administered. This date was approximately 2 weeks away from when I received my results. So, I immediately signed myself up to take the ensuing test. I do have to say, in hindsight, those were the most depressing two weeks of my life. The first few days during that epoch was a reiteration of the previous day. I would go to school, come home, cry, eat, then sleep. But I realized that sulking and lamenting over my problems wasn’t going to solve anything. I knew that I had one more chance to excel on a test that would essentially determine my destiny(probably not to that extent,lol). I quickly got myself together and worked indefatigably for the next SSAT. I love tests, because they test you both physically, mentally, and spiritually to a degree. There are some people who dont believe that there is a such thing as bad test-takers. I do. I believe that those who deem themselves to be bad test-takers are bereft of both mental fortitude and extensive competencies. Yes, possessing skills is a key component to Acing a test, but sinew and mental willpower must also be there too. So the second time, I went in there with a totally different mindset. One of my downfalls has always been to overthink things, and that has been extremely detrimental to my advancement. So I just went in there with a clear mindset. At the end of the day, its really just getting the most problems right. I was ver y shocked the first time though because I consider myself to be a very good reader. But that is besides the point. I went in there cool and collected and came out pretty confident. I received my scores about 3 weeks later, and I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Some of me was relieved and the other was slightly disappointed. I still felt I had left to much on the table. But for the most part, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing.I still wasn’t happy about my reading score. Again, I consider myself to be an excellent reader so I didn’t know what was going on. My math score improved significantly, and my verbal decreased by a 3rd percentile. I wasn’t happy about that because my goal going into the second test was to make 99 percentile. But, in the end I was just thankful I had produced something that elite people could take at least halfway seriously. Ok, I know all of that is a handful. But, I said all of that to say this: If you are in a difficult situation and don’t think you are capable of making it out. Just know you are not the only one who has, is, or will go through the same or worse than you. I have fallen so many times, but one thing I have learned is, if you dont fall you are not going to know what getting up feels like. If you want something you are going to have to fight for it.

Now, there are couple of tips, in particular, I have in regard to the SSAT. First and foremost, if you indeed wish of doing extremely well, l would advise you to purchase a couple of books that pertain to the Verbal and Reading section of the SSAT. These books are Word Smart, Worldly wise and the Kaplan SSAT and ISEE 2016 version. Additionally, try to know as many words on quiz-let as you can. That was exceedingly instrumental to me on the verbal section. I practically knew every SAT word on quiz-let(that helped me a lot). Now here are some books you should buy for the Math portion: Cracking the SSAT/ISEE, 900 Practice Questions for the Upper Level SSAT & ISEE by The Princeton Review, and math power. I know its tempting, but try to abstain from wildly taking practice test. Actually go through the processes the book lays out. That is a huge mistake I made. Last but not least, make sure to take the test three times, so you can get a feel for it. So then by the third attempt you will feel at home.

8

Interview tips:

The interview is probably my favorite segment of the boarding school process as a whole, because you are just having a conversation and just being you. I had the prodigious pleasure of venturing to some of the world’s best boarding schools including Andover, SPS, and St. Andrews, and I absolutely loved it. I had the greatest time of my life. Now, before I proceed let me remind you of the schools I interviewed at: St. Andrews, St.pauls, The Webb school, Trinity-Pawling, Andover, The Hill school, Westtown, Asheville, McCallie. Ok, lets go on. Now, some of you may have not even heard of some of the schools on this list and some of you may be very aware of some of them. I made this very diversified for a reason. I could’ve just applied to the top 10 schools (which I regret not doing). But then, my thinking was that my scores weren’t consonant or nearly tantamount with their average SSAT scores so I held back a little bit. Oh how I wish I ‘d applied to more of the Elite NE schools, but I cant do anything about it now. Mostly all boarding schools are elite though. But, in a way I was glad I did that, because I used some of the smaller schools as practice for some of the bigger schools like Andover and St.pauls. Interviewing is one of my greatest strengths, because I love talking. This email is a prime example of that. Lol!!! I do have to admit. Prior to going to Andover and St.pauls, I was slightly nervous (not too much actually). Andover was the first big school I went to interview at. And, right after the Andover interview I would be going to St.pauls to interview. For my standards, I think I did pretty well. My interviewer and I had a couple of great conversations. He was real tough. I left out thinking I had a very legitimate shot of getting in. My interviewer said he was very impressed with my speaking skills and my comportment. My parents told me that my interviewer told them that any school would be lucky to have me. I thought everything was going copacetic until that point (It kind of was though). I’m not trying to brag, but there is a couple of things that kind of makes me intelligent in a way- like being able to interpret seamlessly minute insinuations. For example, there were a couple of things my interviewer said that hinted that I was extremely talented but that I wasn’t great to the point that I totally shocked him. Which was kind of understandable. Because let me remind you of the fact that I was in the 78th percentile on my SSAT. So, I guess one could say that I was already at a disadvantage. But as I previously stated, I did pretty good, actually really good, but not good enough for a guy who got a 78th percentile on his SSAT (just being real). So, consequently, I had the St.pauls interview coming up so I wanted to make sure that I tore it up. Andover was my first interview, so I guess I did really well for my first interview. I arrived on the BEAUTIFUL St.paul’s campus. And I do have to admit; I arrived with pep in my saunter. Think about it. I had just come from a first-class school, and I did pretty well. At this point, I am feeling very good. That’s really one of the key elements-confidence. I walked in acting like I owned the place. First off was the tour, then, the interview. The interview was amazing. I haven’t even sat down yet and already my interviewer is telling me that I am so manner able, and she’s never seen a boy as comported as me, and I looked depart from all the other candidates within literally 10 seconds of walking. Then I take a seat and tell her that I am exceedingly honored blah blah blah… and she asks me a question (cant remember the question). I think I said something about priding myself on demonstrating protuberant leadership and making an impact on their community or something… And she was shocked. Within 30 seconds, she tells me that I am basically accepted and that if what I am saying matches up with my academic dossier then I have nothing to worry about. So, apparently my interviewer hadn’t seen my portfolio yet or my test scores. Then I realize oh crap! She hasn’t seen my test scores yet. I take a big gulp. Then we started to talk more, and she mentions how I am the perfect fit for this school and community. At this point, not only was I making sure I was leaving a lasting impression on them but I was also evaluating them, making sure they were a great school for me. Believe it or not, one representative of the school can tell you enough about the community at large. And for the most part, she came across as kind and congenial. Surprisingly, my interviewer pulls up my scores in the middle of the interview and I can tell she’s not so impressed with them telling me I did “pretty good” on my test. Remember I scored at the 78th percentile mark. A mark that is not that impressive. An 80th percentile or higher with at least one 90th percentile really stands out. All in all, I had a fantastic time. Before, I close this section out I am going to provide you with 10 tips and helpful things to remember.

  1. The best way to approach an interview is to know that not only are you being evaluated but that you are evaluating them also.
  2. Boarding Schools, especially the highly renowned ones are not looking for normal people. They are looking for special talents. Bring something new, unique, and unheard-of to the table.
  3. Do not hold back. Apply to the most and best schools you possibly can. I applied to 10.
  4. Walk in there like you own the place, like you belong
  5. Be you. Don’t go in there trying to be something that you are not
  6. This is an important one- make sure that you have strong, piercing eye-contact, and tell them how honored you are
    to be there or something.

7.Make sure you are confident in your speech. Try not to mutter or stutter

  1. Ask the interviewer questions; remember, it’s just a conversation.
  2. Exhibit lots of energy. Smile!
  3. Give your interviewer a firm handshake

I know you have heard this about a thousand times, but your SSAT score are not the only thing that these schools look at. I have heard countless stories of people who were in the 90th percentile and up who got rejected and waitlisted to schools. Don’t get me wrong, because great test scores are key. But as I have alluded to in my story, you can steal the show in your interview.

1 Like
9

Essay tips: Writing is another one of my strong points. I believe that my essays were another factor that got me through the hump in spite of my SSAT scores. Writing is so fun, because you are just talking about whom you are. Now, it’s fun and easy but at the same time it can get really difficult. Since I interviewed at 9 schools and I was kind of late in regard to the deadline, I had to write 11 essays in 1 week. That was excruciating.

Your essay is another thing that they really do look at and rightfully so. Writing is powerful, and I believe that anyone who is capable of writing compelling narrative can chart his or her own course in life.

If I had to give you a couple of tips, I would tell you to just speak from the heart, make sure you narrative is error-free, and try to differentiate yourself by adding something that other people didn’t add to theirs. Because at the end of the day, its all about standing out!

Conclusion: The day I received my 62nd percentile I never would have thought that in a couple of months I would be on my way to St.pauls. Anything is possible. If you really want to get into an elite boarding school, you are going to have to work hard and work smart day and night. Make sure you have great study habits and make sure that you are capitalizing on every point. Feel free to email me if you have any questions regarding the whole Boarding school process, and I will respond to you in a jiffy. Have fun!!!

10

I NEED HELP!!! Ok, so I’m from California and I’m going to 8th grade and I plan to apply to a few boarding schools (Andover,Taft,Choate,Blair and Madeira. possibly more) for 9th grade. I don’t think I’m going to be taking the “SSAT” so what should I do, do I need them to apply??

11

@snowyowlgal Yes, the SSAT is required to apply. Though you can take the ISEE if you want, I would recommend the SSAT, as it’s the test the majority of applicants take and easier for schools to use to compare you to others. Also, if English isn’t your first language, you’ll have to take the TOEFL as well.

12

@scareddwarf How do I take the SSAT and the ISEE if I can’t take it through my school?

13

@plantkid where do you take a mock SSAT

14

@snowyowlgal Try googling “practice SSAT”. You don’t always take tests at your school, go to the SSAT website and see if they have any tests near you. Schedule tests and visits early, spots tend to fill quickly.

15

@2020person Thanks, I found a test at some school called “The Cate School” I think and so I’m going to do it there. Thanks again, :slight_smile:

16

Your a life saver man I didn’t even take the SSAT yet and barely applied yet and I’m already nervous but thanks good luck in high school btw :-*

17

@Imdatkid did u have anything particular on ur extracurriculars? my current SSAT score is around 70-80%, and I live in a small town, so I don’t have anything standing out on extracurriculars… thnx.