Chance Me At These Schools Please !! <3

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Miss Halls, NMH, Sparhawk, Concord, Milton, Stoneleigh Burnham, SPS for 11th grade. Currently in 10th

Grades: Mostly B/B+/, Honors English, Advanced College Prep German, World History, Chem, Algebra

SSAT: Overall 63%
Verbal: 78%
Reading: 82%
Math: 24% (YIKES)

Interview: I’ve only interviewed at two, but they both went really well. The interviewer and I clicked immediately and we shared lots of laughs.

Recommendations: Not sure, but I’m very optimistic about them! I’m a really hardworking and dedicated student. All my teachers know this.

Essay: I’m hoping they’re good to them. I sent in an additional writing sample to one of the schools (the piece that won me the Regional Gold Key).

EC’s
Technical Theater
GLoW (our schools equivalent of GSA)
Student Events Committee
Red Cross Club
Step Team (Percussion dance)
Moving Company (“Normal” dance)
LINKS (Mentoring)
Community Service at local middle school, library, in/around the city where I live
I work at a nature preserve
Softball

Achievements

84% on the National German Exam (EXTREMELY surprising, I was super stressed about it)
Regional Gold Key in Scholastic Art + Writing Award
Trophy for As and Bs 75% of the school year in 7th grade

Hooks? (Not entirely sure what this is, but I’m gonna guess it’s some kind of extenuating circumstance? Not sure. PLease correct me if I’m wrong!)

8th- Yikes. Pretty severe bullying that resulted in depression/self-harm (Fun, amirite?)
9th- Really bad verbal abuse/emotional neglect from mother, VERY long drawn out separation between my mum and dad. Social workers and psychiatrists, the whole shebang

It took a lot to overcome everything I’ve been through, so a lot of the things I’m doing now, I’ve only started them at the beginning of this school year.

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Hooks are little parts that make you stand out as an applicant. For example, an athletic hook means that you are quite good at a certain sport and would easily make Varsity at the schools you are applying to.

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Thanks! What do you think my chances are for any of the schools? @thelittleswimmer‌

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@tofuqueen: I do have to ask: Did the bullying/depression/self-harm and the verbal abuse/emotional neglect affect your school performance or grades during that time? The schools will ask for current year’s and last year’s transcripts so if your grades were somewhat poor during that time, I think it would be good to include somewhere that that period of time was a very rough time for you, but that now you are improving significantly. It would be good also to perhaps have a recommender attest to these “rough times” (they don’t need to know exactly what happened, but perhaps they noticed that you were struggling at some point) and also confirm that you are definitely doing better, and definitely have improved.

I also have to ask: do you have any passions? In any of your extracurriculars, do you especially stand out? The reason why I am asking this is because you mentioned that you started most of your extracurriculars at the beginning of the school year, and usually schools prefer depth (i.e.: did a certain extracurricular for years, signaling dedication to a certain sport/club), so perhaps if you particularly stood out in a certain activity, it would help you.

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@thelittleswimmer‌ How would you address an issue to the schools you are applying to? I have a similar situation, but did not include it in the essays. Would I just write an email?

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Yeah, my grades were really bad around the time those things took place. And it all happened on top of each other, if that makes sense. So the bullying lead to depression/self-harm, and on top of that, the abuse and neglect from my father. I’m pretty sure that my guidance counselor disclosed that information, plus therapist history, but I brought it up very briefly in my essay and more in depth at an interview because they noticed my grades were really bad.

Red Cross Club, I’m the vice president if that helps. But it’s a fairly new club, so there are only a few members. I haven’t had the chance to get very far in any of the extracurriculars, but I love them all, especially dance, community service, STEP, and technical theater. But to answer your question, I don’t really stand out in any. I am working to become president of the GLoW club. @thelittleswimmer‌

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@ajsmiles12:

For a more accurate/comprehensive answer, you might want to try asking the more prominent members here on CC like (is it ok if I tag you all?) @SevenDad @GMTplus7 @twinsmama @mrnephew (there are others, I just can’t remember their names right now, so I am posting the ones that I do remember)…perhaps they can give you better advice than I can. You could also try posting another thread with your question and get more input that way. But I do think you should somehow let an AO know the reason for your poor grades at that point in time, to show that you weren’t a slacker and just let your grades slip.

I do have to ask: did you mention your situation in any interviews, or did your guidance counselor mention it, etc.,?

@tofuqueen: Were you able to write about/discuss your passions in interviews, essays, etc.,? Having a passion for a certain sport/activity is a good thing.

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You should try to get another SSAT in before you submit an application. You could take some math tutoring courses. Definitely mention that this was a tough time for you, because schools love someone who can overcome challenges. Good luck

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@thelittleswimmer I did mention it at the interview, but my interviewer wasn’t taking notes or anything, and I don’t know whether she wrote it down somewhere. But thank you! I appreciate your response :slight_smile:

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@ajsmiles12: You’re welcome! :slight_smile:

With my interviewers, they had a clipboard and a pen with them and scribbled down something every time I answered a question (stressful, right?), but I’m pretty sure interviewers have to fill out some kind of form after interviewing (write down some stuff about you to remember), so that they won’t forget you during admissions decisions. Your interviewer probably would have remembered it, but you can never be sure.

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I would second the idea of retaking the SSAT. Also, you sound like you could really use an adult to help you out here. Do you have someone you can talk to? Your guidance counselor perhaps? Who understands your situation.

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You’ve mentioned abuse/neglect from both parents. Which parent or other adult is guiding you through the application process? I do hope you will find yourself at a good school with supportive adults and nontoxic students.