<p>Yeah, I don’t buy the EC load up thing either. When my son was applying last year I was so worried about a lack of “certifiable” ECs. Apparently, during the interviews and maybe through his recs, it became evident that he was interested in many different things. The last thing he would have described himself as would be an “academic.” Also, when we sat down and really thought about it, there were plenty of unrequired activities that he took part in, they just weren’t adult driven like what most people think of when they think of ECs. </p>
<p>Because a few kids do have athletic or musical “hooks” it is easy to begin to think that it is necessary to gain admission.</p>
<p>To the OP: Just let her follow her interests, as dodgersmom suggested. Have her present herself as honestly as she can. A rule of thumb is, don’t participate in anything that you wouldn’t if you were not applying to BS.</p>
<p>I’ll assume that 2240 SSAT would be in the upper 90s in percentiles. Many, many children take the SSAT each year. The top 10 percent is not a small pool. When the top schools say that the SSAT doesn’t influence decisions, if all sections are over 80%, and that lower SSAT scores don’t necessarily rule candidates out, well… I believe them.</p>
<p>Many students (and their parents) posting here seem to score very highly indeed. That’s very nice, but the schools are very clear that academics are only one factor in the admissions process. Again, I believe them.</p>
<p>I don’t think that the OP should believe that all hope is lost. Rather, her daughter should be able to speak about something she does besides studying. The schools want smart kids. They also want kids who will involve themselves in the life on campus (as the applications make very clear). They won’t turn down a happy, dynamic child who scores in the 85th percentile on the SSAT for a child who scored in the 95th percentile, but never comes out of her room, all things being equal. They don’t have to.</p>
<p>Ah, my mistake, then. Nevertheless, while high academic potential is a plus, it doesn’t make a candidate a shoo-in. </p>
<p>I’m not saying the child should add ECs only to have ECs. I think that the schools want a candidate who will add to the community, though. Many very, very smart kids are applying. There is a certain level of potential which is sufficient. </p>
<p>Character, energy, and concern for others are wonderful characteristics, too. It’s possible, as a parent, to be overawed by academics, and to forget that the AOs are accepting students to build a community.</p>
<p>It’s like LEGOS. While the gold Legos are super-special, and worth making any number of silly bargains with your siblings, you can’t build really interesting structures with only gold legos. You need all the colors, and a few special moving parts, too, only available if you cannibalize the older special model given by Grandma… (metaphor alert!)</p>
<p>^^Yes, we all agree that she is not a shoo-in, but then most other applicants are not more of a shoo-in than she is. Academic excellence IS an addition to the community. There are so many co-extracurricular and academics related activities she can participate in to contribute to the school community. And being intensely acadmic is not in contradiction to “character, energy and concern for others”.</p>
<p>JMO–who knows really–but I doubt that a student could get into a top boarding school on brains alone. Especially a student who needs FA. If so, more of the 2370 SSAT, straight A students would be sure bets. </p>
<p>But every kid surely has interests outside of studying and taking standardized tests. Save the salamanders fundraisers? Pet chickens? Sandcastle building? I don’t think the “E.C.” matters as long as it shows interest in something outside the academic realm.,something besides brilliance in the classroom that the child could contribute to the community.</p>
<p>I’m relying on memory here, but I think a parent has reported that an AO from Andover claimed that 75% of the applicants were academically qualified to be admitted. Remember, the pool of applicants to these schools is not an average sampling of high school students. </p>
<p>Andover in particular has stressed that they look for “nice” students. They do not say, “we don’t care about character.” I don’t know why people always assume I’m knocking academic kids when I say that these schools are not admitting students solely on test scores. </p>
<p>Of course, being intensely academic is not in contradiction to “character, energy and concern for others.” On the other hand, it depends on the student. Some students who have good grades and high test scores are amazing in many aspects, and will throw themselves into the school’s activities. Some are on their way to becoming amazing adults, but need to live at home for the next few years. The AOs have the heavy responsibility of predicting which 8th graders will be happy in the boarding school setting, which is very intense. </p>
<p>How well do you remember your 10th grade social studies lessons? How well do you remember your high school friends, and your extracurriculars? They’re all part of high school. Nothing happens in isolation.</p>
<p>^^“academically acceptable” and “academically outstanding” are different. If the 2240 SAT is not enough, an IMO award would make her quite close to a shoo-in.</p>
<p>Schools like Exeter tend to be like the Ivies…they get loads of kids scoring in the 99% of the SSAT (which correllates to very high SAT scores…I believe there is evidence to support this) who are also 4.0 students. Lots of these kids are turned away in favor of applicants who bring additional things to the table. No one is saying the OP’s daughter does not have additional desireable qualities, but she does seem to indicate that her daughter isn’t involved in much else. I think people are just trying to let the mom know that super-smart kids are a dime a dozen at the tippy-top schools and it would be beneficial to bring some variety to the table, particularly if a large f/a package is necessary. We try to be a helpful community, sharing our own experiences and knowledge, and I think that’s what we are attempting to do.</p>