<p>I applied to Andover Deerfield and Hotchkiss. My parents were not involved at all and on my first SSAT i got a 92 without studying--I just worry schools might think thats my full potential and I'm not as good as I can be. I get a's in all classes except PE--how will schools look at that? I am pretty good at piano and study fairly advanced repertoire, but am nowhere near a prodigy like some people applying. I think I had good interviews, my essays are good but nothing special, and I am not the best athlete around. Do I have a chance of getting in anywhere?</p>
<p>These are ridiculously competitive schools. It’s like what some other people described it as, jumping out of a plane with a parachute that has a 1 in 7 chance of opening. You have three parachutes.</p>
<p>If your parents aren’t at all involved, are they going to pay for it? You chances are better if you’re NOT applying for financial aid. Full pay applicants are in a different, smaller pile. This is an unfortunate reality for many of us. Good luck.</p>
<p>Well 2 of the schools i applied to are need blind so the separate piles wont happen, and my parents will pay if they need to</p>
<p>Only Andover is need-blind.</p>
<p>Exeter isn’t?</p>
<p>^ No, they are not.</p>
<p>From PEA’s website: “Students who apply for financial aid may be in a more competitive situation for admission to Exeter.”</p>
<p>stargirl3-deerfield is also need blind but not so forward in advertising they are.</p>
<p>Really? 
Do you mind just telling me where you found that?</p>
<p>stargirl- from their website as I am applying for aid I have done my research. And also the admissions officer who I talked with during my interview explained to me about their need-blind acceptance policy. Also from other college confidential threads</p>
<p>Did the admissions officer say that admission and financial aid decisions are determined separately? “It is important to note that the Admission and Financial Aid Committees make decisions regarding admission to the school and eligibility for financial aid independently. Therefore, all families who are interested in financial aid are encouraged to apply” (website). This is not necessarily need-blind.</p>
<p>I need full financial aid. I’ve done my research as well.</p>
<p>well thats what the admission officer said to me and my mom</p>
<p>When I interviewed at Deerfield I overheard a conversation in which the AO stated that it would be more difficult to get into the school with FA than FP.</p>
<p>I went to the Ten Schools meeting a couple months ago, and the Deerfield representative, as well as the Taft representative, stated that Financial Aid puts you in another pool, which is harder to get out of than if you are full pay.</p>
<p>I know. It stinks.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t think anyone can tell if you can get in or not, as we are not AOs, but it seems like you have a good chance, as 92 is above the average SSAT scores for all of these schools.</p>
<p>Even the full pay pool is uber competitive. Lots of students who get rejected like to chalk it up to need for FA, when in reality, it’s super-competitive either way.</p>
<p>Artfan101- did you not just ask for your chances</p>
<p>Kind of, but I was more or less asking whether I was a good candidate or not…</p>