<p>I'm currently in 7th grade and I go to a pretty bad public school. I just learned about boarding schools and found an interest in them a couple of months ago and I think it may be too late to start extracurricular activities to put in my application. I'm the type of person who dreams about going, but has no chance. I just want some perspective and if you don't think I stand a chance, please tell me because I don't want to keep thinking I can be accepted. </p>
<p>GRADES: Mainly A's and a couple of B's
SSAT: I haven't taken it it, but if I did I would not do well. (I would definitely score below 50%)
SPORTS: I've played soccer for 7 years. My first 4 years were recreational. My last 3 were in a premiere league. I'm also planning on starting crew and cross country running.
EXTRACURRICULAR S: My school doesn't offer any extra curricular except NJHS. I didn't sign up because after going to a couple of 'sample' meetings I knew that they weren't actually making a cause. I know that it's good for your application, but I didn't want to be part of a group of people who just goofed off without actually helping our town.
1. I founded a volunteer group with a couple of friends and we volunteer at a shelter once a week.
2. I've been playing the piano for 3 years and I started playing the guitar a couple of months ago.
(I stopped playing piano after 2 years and picked it back up a year ago.)</p>
<p>Again, please let me know if I stand a chance. If not, then please be straightforward. I want to apply to the top notch schools. ie Deerfield, Choate, Hotchkiss, Andover, & Taft. Let me know of some others one too! Thanks!</p>
<p>Those are all excellent schools you mention, and it would be a reach to be admitted to any of them with an SSAT below 50%.</p>
<p>Here is a list of BS sorted by their average SSAT scores. Keep in mind that these numbers are AVERAGES, so some kids score higher & some scored lower. If you have an SSAT score significantly lower than the school’s avereage, then that would put you at a competititive disadvantage when a BS admissions office compares your application with that of another applicant. </p>
<p>Thanks for the tips GMT! I also forgot to mention that I’ve been volunteering at a local retirement home. AND this is a little different, but I’m also a go cart racer.</p>
<p>If you are just starting to learn about boarding schools, please be aware that this board is heavily biased in favor of only 6 or 7 of the absolute hardest-to-get-into schools (Including the ones on your list). The 12 and 13 year old kids who post things like “it’s Go Big or Go Home!” and who talk about schools ranked 8th-15th in the nation as being “only okay” or “second tier” are frequently already enrolled in the best private day schools in their area-they have a verrrrrry different notion off what makes a school ‘bad’ than what you or I think is ‘bad.’ Their eductational experience has been vastly different from yours. And even most of them do end up “Going Home” rather than “going big” because the most competitive schools only admit 15% of the kids who apply. An 85% chance of rejection is not a huge deal if you already get to go to an amazing school. But if you really want to go to an excellent boarding school because you are capable of achieving more than your current school can offer, look beyond the schools most often mentioned here where even the kids who score in the 95%-ile of all boarding school applicants are not guaranteed admission.</p>
<p>For someone like you who describes your current school as ‘bad,’ and assesses your SSAT scores at under 50%, you are more likely to get into a school that doesn’t get talked about on this board. The great news is that there are far more really wonderful schools out there than ever get mentioned around here. There isn’t much difference between the overall quality of the teachers at the hyper-selective schools and at the next 30 on the list. (some of the top schools even employ a lot more just-out-of-college novice teacher interns than the less-discussed schools). At the top 40 or so boarding schools you will find students who are academically capable of doing well at one of the top 5 schools. So don’t worry that it will be impossible to find super-smart peers at schools that aren’t Andover. At these smaller schools, there’s just a wider range of student abilities. So when kids on this board dismiss schools outside those top 5 as not being “good enough,” it doesn’t mean that <em>you</em> can’t get a top-notch education with phenomenal teachers and interesting peers at those schools. It normally means that the writer has already had academic preparation way above and beyond what even a normal smart kid has had, and their needs aren’t the same as yours. (and sometimes it means that they’ve bought into the hype that unless you go to a top 5 boarding school, you are headed to a boarding school full of drooling fools, which is just silly.)</p>
<p>Could you get into a great boarding school? Probably. Could you get into one of the schools you listed below? Probably not, but the acceptance rates are in no one’s favor at those schools. Look at the “Hidden Gems” thead on the main page. Browse through Boarding School Review. And please, please, take what kids here write about schools with a grain of salt. People here come from many different backgrounds, and some will be quick to disparage a school that would offer you an incredible experience. It’s your education, not theirs. Use this board for what it’s worth, but investigate beyond it. Best of Luck to you!</p>
<p>As a mom, I admire your determination to seek out the best schools to make something even better of yourself. I am new to CC and while my daughter isn’t in the same academic boat as you, let me suggest that you and your parents contact Andover, explain your situation and interest, and see if they might make some recommendations. I understand that Andover has a summer session you might look into. Also, not sure what part of the country you live in, but there are bound to be academically challenging summer programs that you could take to help prepare you to understand prep/private school academic expectations. Good luck to you and don’t give up!!</p>
<p>I cannot stress how appreciative I am of all the comments and thoughtful responses I have received regarding this process. Many thanks to Albion! I will be getting my SSAT scores back in a week or so. The test was not nearly as difficult as I expected it to be. In the past three weeks I’ve been researching about several schools and I know that applying to the HADES schools will be more of a dream then reality. I have received a couple negative responses on other threads and it really has helped me open my eyes to set realistic standards. All in all, thanks to jomon1 for the support! I have a couple of new things going on for me and I was wondering if people could possibly chance me agian?</p>
<p>-WEB leader
-VP of class
-Co-captain of soccer team
-volunteering at a shelter & retirement home</p>
<p>You’re smart enough to know that there is no way on earth we can accurately “chance you.” For reference, follow an old chance thread from initial post to decision day. People here just don’t know enough about you, and they know even less about which schools are going to have an open spot they want to fill with a soccer-playing, WEB leader, student government and community service volunteer from your part of the country. </p>
<p>Sadly, the biggest factor in your chances is this: Do you need financial aid?
It’s more than twice as hard to get into boarding school when you need aid. Schools don’t have unlimited funds, and the brutal truth is that Financial Aid applicants are at a distinct disadvantage.</p>
<p>I’m trying to be realistic here, since there’s too much talk on the board of how much aid the schools give out, and too many qualified kids who were left in the cold because of FA needs this year. (every year.) Should you still apply if it’s your dream? YES! But go in ready to investigate all sides of the equation, and realize that there are aspects totally out of your control. I applaud every kid who is actively seeking to better his/her education.</p>
<p>I’m happy to hear your SSAT went better than expected. Well Done!</p>