Hi, I was wondering if anyone would chance me for the schools I am applying to:
Chatham hall (60%)
Miss Porter(48%)
Emma Willard(36%)
Santa Catalina (86%)
Madeira(54%)
Foxcroft (60%)
Applying for 9th grade 2022-2023, FA
Demographics- Female, LGBTQ+, Washington state
All A’s (in advanced classes) + high school credit through Spanish 3
Extracurriculars:
6 years of theater and 3 years of voice training
5 years of first lego league robotics (team won regionals and I helped teach younger students about it one summer)
2 years on school kindness club
I am a mentor to incoming 6th graders to help them adjust to middle school
Passions:
LGBTQ rights and equality
Women’s rights and gender equality
Coding/STEM
Also, is there anything I could do over the summer to make my application look better?
You look like a great candidate. Just keep on with what you are doing. If you weren’t committed to all-girls, I would encourage you to look at George School in PA because it seems like it’d be a great fit on every front, but your list looks pretty thoughtful and intentional.
There are a couple of posters here who have looked at some of these schools more recently (@Calliemomofgirls comes to mind) who might have more to add.
Take an SSAT sample test and figure out where you fall in the pack and you compare to their students. Overall admittance rates do not really apply if you need aid. If it is important to attend end boarding school and you don’t like your local options I would recommend you expand your list.
Just curious does it make it any better if I don’t need a ton of aid? Basically, I really don’t need full aid but my family couldn’t afford it without at least a little help. I’ve looked into local schools but there are no all-girls schools around and that is highly important to me. As far as the SSAT goes I’ve been studying for a while every day and I am waiting til school is out to take a practice.
Lily, if they really like you, they will find the financial aid.
Even schools with relatively small endowments will dig as deep as necessary for high priority admits.
The only issue is that what’s a “high priority admit” varies from school to school. Based on your list, and other posts, you seem to have developed a clear focus on what your priorities are, and you have a strong academic background.
I think for you a key concern could be your interviews - I worry that you might overthink things. But, if your passion and thoughtfulness shine through, you should be fine.
If your family needs some aid for this to be affordable, apply for it. If you don’t really need aid and are applying “just to see if you can get it”, don’t!
There is, from a school 's pov, a difference between a student who needs all tuition covered and one who needs $10-$20 thousand to make it work. Most schools have students at both ends of the FA spectrum and are actively looking for kids who represent that missing middle class. I wouldn’t sweat the need.
@Lily1
We visited and considered several all girl schools this past cycle and am happy to field any questions! Namely — Chatham hall, Emma, Madeira, porters, Westover.
You sound like a strong candidate to many schools.
Check with the girls schools (Emma and MPS) on if you qualify for certain types of FA or scholarships. I knew a girl from a specific county in NY, for example, who received a dedicated scholarship. Years ago someone posted the specific scholarships from Emma on CC. I know of a girl (last year) who received good FA to Westover.
I have close friends who sent their girls to MPS with wonderful results; also one family sent their girl to Willard with decent experience. MPS is definitely an ambitious and very well run school; it used to be very conventional but making great strides in DEI in recent years, so you would definitely fit in.
Mercersburg also gets a lot of great reviews here, if the location works for you.