Boarding School: Chance me

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Hello, if someone could tell me what are my chances of getting into boarding school, it would be great.

Schools applying:

  • Loomis, Exeter, Andover, Choate, St. Paul’s, Deerfield, and Hotchkiss

Background:

  • International student (Chile)
  • Female
  • Low-income (Hoping for full financial aid)

I am applying as a repeat 10th grader to academically adapt and have one more year to play volleyball.

Extracurriculars:

  • Volleyball (20 hrs per week; 48 weeks per year; 5 years)

Volleyball would be my main extracurricular. I’ve won -well, my team and I- several (about 15) championships in 4 years. I’ve talked with 5 coaches and they have shown interest in me. We email every week and even presented me their players. (two coaches have presented me their captains and others have presented me other players to be able to meet the team and get to know them)

  • Writing (6 hrs per week; 40 weeks per year; 2 years)

I really like writing about global issues, from Myanmar’s coup to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. My writing has a feminist focus since I write for an organization that helps to amplify women of color’s voices. I am also a published writer (just articles and stories, not books)

  • MUN and debate (3 hrs per week; 30 weeks per year; 2 years)

I started with debate last year since my school didn’t offer it before. MUN is the one I do the least because my school doesn’t offer it so I just participate in random MUN’s that I found through Instagram.

  • Political campaign (4 hrs per week; 20 weeks per year; 1 year)

I was an intern/volunteer for an NYC Mayor candidate. Even though I have nothing to do with NY or the US at all, I found it really interesting to be able to participate in such since I really like politics. I helped her by contacting business and important people (for politics) to meet with her and have interviews (to make her better known), and I also wrote articles for her, explaining her ideas.

Academics

Freshman GPA: 6.6/7.0 (3.77/4.0)
Sophomore GPA: 6.7/7.0 (3.81/4.0)

My school does not offer AP, IB, nor Honors.

Even though my grades are not perfect I am fine with them. I really like learning, especially history and languages.

My interviews went well since I really connected with 2 interviewers and the rest were super nice and talked for a long time. With one in specific, we still email each other from time to time.

I haven’t applied before to any boarding school since I didn’t even know that they existed until September of 2021. I chose to apply to these boarding schools for their volleyball team, history-related courses, and financial aid.

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I usually don’t reply to Chance Me threads beyond pointing to this post that I created:

HOWEVER in your case I wanted to weigh in to specifically say that I find your profile interesting and compelling. And, though FA for international applicants is unusual, I think you may be the kind of person for which a school finds a way.

VERY happy to hear that you’re in touch with the coaches. That seems like one of your best bets for internal advocacy.

All of that said, PLEASE heed the advice in my post and apply to more schools. Specifically, ones with meaningfully higher admit rates. There are MANY wonderful BS here where you’d have a great experience, and have meaningfully better chances at admission. Which is not to say that you have no shot on your list. You do.

But said/asked another way: how will you feel on M10 if you have no BS options? If you’re ok with whatever Plan B is at that time (presumably staying in your current school), then maybe that’s that. But even then, honestly, I’d still add more schools…

Good luck to you! You seem like you’d be a great addition to any BS community.

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This is a very solid profile.

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I agree that your chances are good.