Boarding School Chances and Advice?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi,
This is my first post on CC, so I apologize if this drags on or isn’t very well-written.

I’m currently a female Asian 8th grader attending a less-than-stellar public school. I started studying Prep Schools in mid-November, and started applying to some not long after. So far, the schools I am applying to are:

The Lawrenceville School
Phillips Academy Andover (I know, cliche much?)
The Thacher School
The American University Preparatory School
The Taft School

I took the SSAT in December and scored in the 98th percentile for both RC and Verbal, and 86th in Quantitative, a 98th percentile overall.

I participate in school and town plays/musicals, I’m part of my school’s speech team, I have been accepted into the MMEA Northeastern Junior Districts for voice, I’m in my school’s “Pops Chorus” (pretty much just a singing group), I’m in my school’s Math Team and Model UN club. I have been doing gymnastics and karate for about a year now, and I’m learning how to code. My hobbies include theatre, medicine, writing, reading, and origami. On multiple occasions, I have been the only one in my grade to score an 100 on a writing assessment. I’ve won two poetry slams before, and have won multiple Speech Team awards as well. I am a straight-A student and I am currently taking 9th grade Algebra I. I had also created a Chinese Club at my school in 5th grade. I used to take piano for two years. I am fluent in Mandarin and English, and am currently learning Japanese and French. What are my chances for each school? Are there any other schools I should look at? Interview tips?

Thanks so, so much!!

-Confused, Scared, and Unprepared.

2

Your scores are good. Your activities and profile looks like a lot of other Asian applicants. So you don’t stand out that much.

However your biggest factor will be whether you need FA or not.

3

You may want to look specifically at schools that have fewer Asian applicants. There are so many great schools. Berkshire School, Tabor, Cushing…that are not such name brands.

4

I honestly have no experience at all, but I really do think that you are a great candidate and that you shouldn’t be scared, everything is gonna turn out okay.
My only advice is since apparently there are plenty of Asian applicants on those schools, try your best to stand out, remark your quirks and passions, I think it is important that you don’t only list the academic stuff you got going for you, but also the ways you like to spend your free time or some community service you do.
I hope for the best for you!