Chance me (for an very average international applicant)!

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi! So sorry to bother you all. However, as the application season for prep schools comes to an end, I’m beginning to doubt my chances of getting into some schools I have applied to due to my very average scores, grades, ec’s, etc. I would much appreciate it if anyone could offer any advice, or chance me for some of the schools I have applied to.

As an international applicant from China applying for 10th-grade admission, I have only applied to two schools this year. Mercersburg Academy (28% acceptance rate) and The Webb Schools (15% acceptance rate).

Somehow when I applied last year with no SSAT and areally average (if not below average), it came to my surprise as I was waitlisted by The Webb Schools.

Here were some of my scores from the first semester last year (with 1 being the worst and 4 being the best).

  • English: 3
  • Integrated Math: 4
  • Social Studies: 3
  • Science: 3
  • Chinese: 2
  • Strings: 3
  • Physical Education: 3
  • Art: 3
  • Drama: 3
  • Multi-Media: 3

Although my grades were not the best, some of my classmates with average scores like me have gone to prestigious prep schools like Lawrenceville and Polytechnic School and have received straight A’s on their reports.

Here are some of my grades as a freshman this year:

  • English: A- [submitted a research paper on the affection of AI towards climate change to Mercersburg Academy with an “A” grade (only person in my whole class)]
  • Math Honors (28 students chosen to attend by previous 8th-grade teacher out of our grade consisting of 84 students): B+
  • Social Studies: A-
  • Science: A-
  • Strings: A
  • Chinese: B+

total: 3.62 gpa or a 91% average

Here are some of the activities I wrote on my application this year:

  • Soccer: 9 years, Guangzhou city team, MS division 1 team, varsity team
  • Violin: 5 years, co-founded a band, Asia pacific activities conference (varsity for performing arts), MS concertmaster
  • Coding: 5 years, learned C++, python, Scratch, 123Design, microbit
  • Piano: 9 years, performed at major school events, ABRSM grade 6
  • Volleyball: 5 years, MS division 1 team, main outside hitter
  • Boy Scouts: 5 years, assistant patrol leader, tenderfoot rank
  • Touch Rugby: 3 years, MS division 1 team
  • Debate: 1 year, learned public forum and British parliamentary
  • Robotics: 3 years, school team, team leader

Awards/Achievements:

  • 1st place at 2022 Jingfeng League soccer tournament (Ranked as top 10 players)
  • Outstanding speaker at 2022 TOC Fall Public Forum High School Novice Debate
  • Runner-up at 2022 TOC Fall Public Forum High School Novice Debate
  • Octo-Finalist at 2022 TOC Summer Invitational Public Forum Middle School Debate
  • Most valuable player (MVP) in soccer season 2021
  • Most valuable player (MVP) in touch rugby season 2021
  • 2nd place at 2021 Southern Delta Region Conference (SDRC) soccer tournament
  • 2nd place at 2021 Guangzhou Cup U14 soccer
  • 1st place at 2020 Guangzhou City Trio soccer tournament
  • 1st place at 2019 Pearl River Conference (PRC) soccer tournament
  • ABRSM Piano Grade 6 Merit
  • 2nd place at 2021 Southern Delta Region Conference (SDRC) touch rugby tournament
  • Runner-up in 2018 China National Youth Creative Programming and Intelligent Design Competition

I also just took the upper-level SSAT today but I doubt that I would be submitting the scores because I absolutely failed the verbal and reading section (quantitative was pretty easy though). It was the hardest test I completed out of the 7 past papers I reviewed (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

My interviews and essays have gone pretty well so far, so it isn’t a point I am too worried about.

With my scores and activities (no SSAT), what are the chances of me getting into these 2 schools? I would much appreciate any advice, comment, or suggestion regarding my application. Thank you all so much!

P.S. I have attended the American International School of Guangzhou for 9 years now (so no required toefl and vericant interview), and I have an Australian passport.

2

I am also not applying for financial aid

3

You definitely have a good chance of getting into one or both of the schools you applied to.

4

Hi, I would just like to fix some minor mistakes in this sentence:

“Somehow when I applied last year with no SSAT and a really average (if not below average) report, it came to my surprise as I was waitlisted by The Webb Schools.”

5

Applying without an SSAT doesn’t make much of a difference at Webb I think. At Mercersburg, it would’ve made slightly more of a difference.

6

A quick note to say that Mercersburg plans for a 10th grade admission point, and adds 50% more students to their 9th graders, so they are very used to getting 10th graders to feel part of the community quickly. I have 3 daughters there now, and one of them just joined in 10th grade this year, so I’ve seen first hand how well she was integrated into the school! Also, two of my daughters applied without SSATs, so I do not think it will be an issue at all.

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7

But OP didn’t submit SSAT last year and got rejected. Sure it is possible to get in without, so without it this year, and only an extra year to polish ECs, would that point towards this year submitting the SSAT for Mercersburg to up the chances? Even if they take more students (not sure if the volume of applicants increases with the 10th grade pool v the 9th grade pool), wouldn’t an applicant want to make significant “changes” to their application if it was not successful the prior year?

8

Often, the students applying from China face very stiff competition because so many excellent students apply for so few spots.

OP, you may have a different result this year, particularly if the class size is increased significantly. If you are working with a consultant, you may want to see if they have ideas for other schools you may want to add to your list. Have you reached out to the soccer coach? If you are likely to be an impact player, that could help.

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9

Hi, I did not apply for Mercersburg Academy last year, only applied for Webb (wl) and Milton (rejected).

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10

I’m kind of worried about my gpa for Mercersburg. For the graded writing sample I submitted a 5-page research paper with an A grade (only one in my class), I was also hoping to prove my math on the SSAT, but I will not be submitting them due to my low reading and vocabulary scores. Do you know if there is a minimum gpa that the admission office would offer admission too?

11

oh this is definitely not average :joy:

12

Lol, I am also an international student from China (shanghai) applying for 10th grade BS. As someone who has also played soccer for 7+ years, you have some outstanding achievements although your most recent ones lack variety due to covid lockdown (completely understandable)
I’m just another applicant but I’d say you have a pretty decent profile and a nice personality.

1 Like
13

hii! are you at a international school at shanghai?