Hello! I know the application deadline is soon, and I am wrapping up my application for Andover, Exeter, Choate, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, and Loomis Chaffee. Someone who has previously attended Exeter is helping me with the essays and he said that Loomis is considered second tier so it is my safety and also that I will definitely get into at least one, although I’m not sure if I can get in to any…
Stats:
- I took the SSAT but I haven’t gotten my score, if it’s below 90th percentile, I’m not submitting it (which it probably is oops).
- GPA: My school doesn’t show my GPA on the platform I use and not all classes are credited, but I have A+ in everything but A in math and ELA.
Interviews:
- I’ve only had my interview for Choate so far, and I don’t think it was that great because the interviewer just asked the basic questions about why I want to go to boarding school, what I want to get out of Choate, and whatnot. I am actually considering whether not I should apply to Choate due to this, so I feel like the best decision is to compare the Choate interview to other schools and then decide? I would appreciate some advice on this!
Recommendations:
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Math: For some of the schools (Choate, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville) I asked my math teacher from last year to write it since she is also the MathCounts coach and proctors the AMC8, AMC10, and all the other math contests and is super nice overall. But for the ones who require the current teacher’s recommendation (Andover, Loomis Chaffee) I’m skeptical about the recommendation because my teacher is pretty strict and has been petitioned against several times…I do try to actively participate when going over problems and homework though, I’m not sure if that helps.
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English: I think the recommendation is decent, I do well in this class and have an A/A+ and the teacher is impartial to everyone.
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Principal/Counselor: My counselor wrote my recommendation for when I applied for another program (and got in), she has also helped me skip a grade in math which leads me to believe this rec will be pretty solid.
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Personal/Special Interest: I asked my swim coach for the special interest recommendation and I’d say I’m doing pretty well since we have had several meetings to discuss my goals over the past season. For the personal recommendation, I didn’t really have an option so I asked my brother to write it since I know someone at Exeter who did the same so I believe that will be fine.
Sports:
- I do swimming competitively and have talked to a swimmer at Exeter. She told me my times would get me into Varsity there, and I think this will give me a bit of a boost. I also do cross country and am the fastest girl on my middle school team.
Instruments:
- I play the cello with my school orchestra, and also piano outside of that (I passed level 7 of the Royal Conservatory of Music).
Other ECs:
- I am the co-chair of Outreach, which is a program a part of Student Council, and have been a part of Student Council for 3 years. I’m also in Mu Alpha Theta and HOSA which are high school clubs at my school, but I get to attend them since I’m in a high school course. Lastly, I’m also a part of our school MathCounts and Science Olympiad team.
Personal Info:
- Location: Midwest
- Grade: 8th
- Current school: Public
- Ethnicity: Asian American
- Gender: Female
- Applying for Financial Aid: yes
Other:
- Also, I’m not sure if this helps since I’ve seen lots of people say this really doesn’t, but I’ve attended Andover Summer and am also an ambassador for the program.
- I have another question about financial aid since I’ve heard from someone at Choate that I should not apply for financial aid the first year to maximize my chances of getting in and then applying the second year. So, I was wondering if that was true or not?
If you have any thoughts about my chances of getting into the schools I’m applying to, that would be highly appreciated! :))
I cannot chance you, because I have no special inside info to offer. However I can pass on two things: one, don’t base your decision on whether or not to apply to Choate on the interview. Not everyone is a good interviewer, and that isn’t necessarily a reflection of the school as a whole. That would be like getting a dud tour guide (precovid) and crossing a school of your list because of it.
The other fact I can offer is that most schools are need aware in making decisions. That is not to say you should or shouldn’t apply for financial aid.
If your swim times are that good (ie make varsity as a freshman) you should contact the swim coach at each school. Coach support can only help.
You sound like a very strong candidate. In fact the one thing that jumps out at me is how well written, clear and well organized your post is – which makes me think your application, too, will stand out from the pack for the same reasons.
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Okay, thanks for that tip about Choate because my mom really made the interview seem like it’s the end of the world although I thought it went pretty smoothly.
That’s what I thought for the financial aid since I know Andover is definitely need-blind!
I’ve actually contacted a few of the coaches, since that’s how I got in contact with the Exeter swimmer, but I’ll make sure to send an email out to the rest.
Thank you so much, that really boosts my confidence about the application. Overall, thanks for all the advice you’ve given, I really appreciate it!
Agree with @cinnamon1212 comments above.
Strong candidate and don’t let interview throw you.
But I’ll add a few thoughts.
- Loomis is not a safety for anyone, with admissions dipping below 20% last year.
- I would strongly disagree with your friend’s suggestion that you will for sure get in. Applying to 6 schools with average admission rates in the mid-teens means even the strongest candidate could easily end up without options M10. Again, you are a strong candidate but the numbers just are tough.
- I was on the phone with an AO recently and we were discussing personal recommendations. He said specifically not to use family members. I said something like “oh of course.” And he said “you’d be surprised.” He was very clear that this was not what they wanted. I share this not to freak you out. It certainly will not be the thing that makes or breaks an applicant. But if you haven’t submitted the brother recommendation to everyone yet, you might reconsider.
I’m very hopeful for a great result for you M10 so please know that I am cheering for you from the sidelines.
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I second @Calliemomofgirls 's concern, and would add: what do you mean, you don’t really have an option?! You clearly haven’t been living as a hermit, and given your ECs, you must know a lot of people who could write a personal rec.
BTW, your location is a plus. You’re not just another ORM from Jersey/lower NY state.
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Thank you for also giving your thoughts on this!
- I searched it up and got that it is 27%, but I’m not so sure and I guess even this is pretty low. Thanks for this thought, since I feel like Loomis is around the same level as the other schools I am applying to.
- Yeah, I get that especially since these are all top notch schools. I will make sure to try continue maximizing my chances!
- This is so helpful since I was just about to get my brother to start writing the rec!
All of this info is honestly so helpful, thank you for sharing your knowledge about this!
Oh yeah, I guess that doesn’t make sense but I have changed my priorities around and have been focusing less on music. I have actually put private lessons in music on pause so I’m debating whether or not I should still ask my piano teacher for a rec. Although I was one of her best students and I think she would write a good rec (my sibling still takes lessons from her so I could easily ask her), I’m worried that the fact I hadn’t had her as a teacher in quite a while will get in the way…
Also, thanks for that comment on my location, I never really thought about that!
Loomis Chafee is not second tier and is not a safety school. You don’t have anything that is remotely a safety school on your list. FA has a different ratio of admits than FP, much lower.
There is no guarantee that you will get into one of them as a FP. Certainly not being ORM and FA.
I’d really encourage your you to expand your list.
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Thanks for your advice, do you know any schools that I could consider as a “safety” that specializes in STEM and maybe swimming/cross country?
Sounds good, I will look into the financial side and see if I would really need financial aid and how much I would actually get if I got in!
I don’t know that I would try to find a single " safety school" as much as maybe find a few “higher-admit” schools that will provide somewhat of a safety net. The only true safety is one that is 100% admit, and even finding one school that is, say 70% admit, that’s not really what you seem to be looking for. My advice would be to find 3 schools in the 30-40% admission rate, and do enough research on them to fall in love with them truly so they aren’t a sad-plan-B “safety school.” (Because they are just as amazing as the lower-admit schools, really!).
As for doing the research about STEM and swimming, I would recommend doing a search on boarding school review dot com for swimming and cross country, and then checking the admit rates and creating a list that way.
As for Loomis admission rate, that is a number from 2 seasons ago from my understanding. (Which, again IIRC, resulted in way oversubscribed female 9th graders due to unusually high yield that year.). I think it is best to think of Loomis as an 18-20% school. But if you add a couple of 30-40% admit schools, you would be in great shape in my opinion.
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You are a well-qualified candidate, so a “safety” school for you may be a bit different than one for some other BS applicants.
I would recommend possibly taking a look at Kent, Westminster, Northfield Mt. Hermon (NMH), and Miss Porter’s if you are willing to consider an all-girls school. We hear really good things about each for STEM, all are selective, and have swim teams.
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@Calliemomofgirls That sounds like a good idea, as I will look at some more schools using that website. Since there’s not a lot of time left in the application process, I will probably end up trying to apply to one “higher-admit” school that I believe fits me!
@UltimaCroix Oh okay, thanks for the suggestions of schools I should look at, it helps me a lot! I actually don’t have an opinion on all-girls schools (since I haven’t had any experience), but I will do some more research and use that list to try to narrow down one school I would like to apply to.
I took a look at some “higher-admit” schools, including the top New England Prep Schools in swimming. Although their swimming is quite nice, I feel like overall (academically and non academically), it would give me the same impact as the school I am currently attending, which is a pretty good school. Maybe I’m making the wrong decision, but I don’t think I’m going to add another school to my current list.
I’m in a similar position to you. The advice about adding more schools is extremely helpful if you are dead set on attending a boarding school, but if your local school is very good, you’re in a slightly different position. The question you have to ask yourself is if you don’t get favorable M10 results, how okay are you with staying at your current school? If that prospect makes you uneasy, definitely consider applying for some higher admit schools. Personally, I strongly considered applying to Episcopal because it looks like a great school and I felt it would be a good ‘fit’, but ultimately I decided not to (it has around 35% acceptance - on par w my local school). Choosing to go away to boarding schools comes at the sacrifice of being with your family and friends in your hometown, and if your local school is a good option that you’re willing to attend, it doesn’t make much sense (at least personally) to apply to a school that you’re unlikely to attend even if you get in. It’s important to consider why you are applying, and what your goals ultimately are for high school. Only you can know what the right decision is, and with application deadlines creeping up, you also have to consider if adding another school would detriment your other applications. I’m not sure how far along you are with everything, and if you are nearly finished with your other apps, adding another school could be very manageable. However, if you have a lot of work left to do on your top choice schools, it may make a lot of sense not to add another. Adding more essays, and corralling teacher recs again could come at a disadvantage if it takes away from the time you can dedicate to making sure your essays for the schools on your current list are a good as possible. On the other hand, you may be able to recycle some other essays, and of your teachers have already filled out the rec form, having them upload it to another school is not a big challenge.
Ultimately, the only advice I can give is that only you know what your goals for BS are. Adding another school could be the right option, but if you don’t think it is and you believe you are making a well-informed decision, then you are probably making the right choice, and nobody will know for sure until M10. Either way, you seem like a strong applicant, and probably have a more than decent chance at the schools on your current list. That being said, the admit numbers are low, and as others have already stated, even extremely qualified candidates are turned away. Don’t be discouraged by this, all you can do if put your best foot forward and ideally you will do very well.
On a side note, be aware that I am also an applicant, and am truly clueless about this entire process, so please take everything I say with a grain of salt. Many of the parents and other uses who responded to your OP are much more knowledgable on this topic than me, I just figured I would respond because I think I can relate to your situation. Good luck w everything!
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Thank you so much for the well written reply, and I have to say, this is really insightful. I know what I want out of high school, but I’m not sure what I can get out of my local school vs the “higher-admit” schools. I feel like they’re around the same level but I have as much of an idea about this as you do since we haven’t experienced anything of this sort. I think my final decision is to just leave it at these 6 schools and focus on what I can do to increase my chances at these schools. :))
That being said, I would really appreciate it if someone had any advice on who to ask my personal recommendation from! (Sorry if I sound a bit needy, I’m really worried about it and who I should ask one from…)
IMO your music teacher would probably be a good choice for the personal rec. Unlike the special interest rec, it is more of a character reference, so assuming she holds you in high regard, which from your post it seems she does, she seems like a good option.
I’m getting my personal rec from a teacher I haven’t been in contact with for over a year, so assuming you didn’t stop taking lessons from her 3+ years ago, I wouldn’t worry about that.
When asking her to write it, make sure you come across as mature and grateful, and explain to her why going to BS is important to you. Also, if you’re worried about asking her because you’ve stopped doing piano, make sure you explain to her reasonably and in a well-mannered way why you made that decision. I doubt she is harboring any resentment towards you for changing your priorities, but if that’s something you’re worried about, you can always bring up the idea of her writing it and gauge her response before making your decision. You mentioned that you were ‘one of her best students’, so I’m sure any recommendation she writes you will be favorable. If your worried about asking her because you’ve changed your priorities and don’t want music to be a focal point of your application, I wouldn’t worry. The AOs read 4-5 different recs, numerous essays, and your EC list, so unless you have someone you would much rather ask or you think she will write a bad rec, there is almost no chance that this will hurt your application. If your music teacher is someone who knows you fairly well, and who you’ve taken lessons from over many years, and they have a good opinion of you, I say go for it.
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Oh wow, I put piano lessons on pause exactly a year ago, so I hope it will be fine! Thanks for the suggestion because I have alternatives that don’t seem nearly as good.
Yeah I will definitely make sure to get my point across about why I stopped or else she may focus on something else entirely… But I think she’s a really good person and not the type to hold this type of grudge.
Thank you very much for your thoughts on this, since the application is due soon, I don’t know who I would’ve asked instead!
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@purpleshark
You absolutely should be true to yourself. @reknihtrevo brings up some good points to think about regarding how important is going to boarding school to you? One thing I would say, however, is that day school and boarding school with same admission rates are still fundamentally very different experiences. The big benefit of boarding school is not correlated to their admission rate. I mean yes, a rigorous school will not likely accept 75% of applicants but assuming that a school with 20% admission rate is going to give you some sort of magical boarding school experience that a school with 35% admission rate won’t is probably misguided. Which doesn’t mean that your local day school or public’s school wouldn’t be a completely valid choice. But know that your 35% admit boarding school is absolutely very capable of providing that amazing boarding school experience you are looking for, including truly outstanding academics. And there is something truly special about living in a boarding school community that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Bottom line: the magic sauce of boarding school is not unique to schools with crazy low admission rates.
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Thank you so much once again, your points are completely logical since the experience there is still probably better than my current school. I have seen some schools worth applying to, but at this point I don’t think I will be able to manage another school. I know applying to a school with better admission rates is a good idea, but for now I am just planning on going over my essays again and prepare for the upcoming interviews!
Mercersburg has an excellent swim team (like kids go on to swim in college).
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