Chance me for Episcopal High School, Deerfield, and Hotchkiss

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Hey everyone,

I’m applying to EHS, Deerfield, and Hotchkiss for the 22-23 school year. What are my chances of getting in, and how can I improve those chances? Also, what is the acceptance rate for EHS?

ECs, Grades, Achievements
92 Percentile SSAT
3.8-4.1 GPA
Donated 600 Pounds of supplies to local SPCA

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(Ctnd)
Team and I got 1st place in AMCSUS (american military colleges and schools in the united states, a national competition between military schools.)
Played travel soccer for 6 years straight
Basketball and Cross Country for 1yr each
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Your profile @andypan is strong IMHO- when applying to DA, be sure to indicate your academic interests, as well as your achievements in the competitions, basketball and cross country. They have very strong basketball and cross country.

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I was accepted to both Deerfield & Hotchkiss back in 2019 (wow I feel old) and it seems like you have a chance. Your SSAT and GPA are both strong, so just make sure to emphasize your passions on your app. It seems like you have a strong interest in community service (as did I) so maybe talk about that in your essays/interview. But admissions is complicated so you can never tell for sure! Good luck and I’m happy to answer questions if you have any!

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Thanks!

If you don’t mind, could you give me some tips about the interview process? Things not to say, things to say, that kind of stuff. What are some things that Deerfield likes?

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Hi @andypan - as I have posted before, the AO’s I have spoken with enjoy interviewing interesting kids who have done interesting things. How well can you communicate your story in a brief interview, so they remember you? That is up to you. Make yourself memorable in a good way. Be polite. Be respectful. Be well groomed/clean. You can be confident, but don’t be arrogant. Look the interviewer in the eye. Ask questions about school life, school initiatives, how the school may offer a best-fit for you, etc.

It’s been our kiddo’s experience (and ours, also) that Deerfield places great importance on community-building. Unfortunately, this was less obvious and harder to achieve during COVID last year. During a typical (healthy) school year, there are “sit down meals” several times per week. This tradition has many benefits, Don’t worry! Not all sit down meals are fancy - but there are a couple of really FA CE ones like Thanksgiving and Holiday (Beef Wellington & Baked Alaska). Sitting at your assigned table for a few weeks will give you the opportunity to get to know fellow students of different grade years and from diverse backgrounds.

Learn about the many traditions at the school and determine if those are the types of activities you would enjoy. Know the meaning of The Door. Know the meaning of the school motto.

Come up with some questions you would feel comfortable asking the AO. Relay a genuine interest about the school to the AO. You can ask an AO about what they are looking for in students and how they can determine if a student is a good fit. No harm in asking that IMHO in a respectful way. Honestly, the best interviews Kiddo had were at Deerfield, Hotchkiss, & SPS because of the positive energy of the AO’s. Hopefully, the folks you interview with will be enthusiastic about their school.

Ask questions that are authentic or relate to yourself. Do not ask questions that reveal you have not done your research about the school. Know at least some of the school history of any BS you apply to.

MORE Things I would not say or ask of any school?

  • Why did your Niche ranking go down from 2 years ago?
  • Is this a feeder school?
  • How much homework will a typical student have each night? - even though this is a very common question.
  • Do I have to take (insert mandatory course here)?
  • How many DC’s until you’re kicked out?
  • What is your policy on drinking, drugs, (insert vice here)?
  • Do you allow students to play Fortnite after school and on weekends?
  • Can you get out of taking any EC’s?

Lastly, it is my belief that schools want happy and engaging kids. Try to present yourself as a happy kid. If you are not a happy kid, if you are angry, sullen, anti-social, have a chip on your shoulder, or prefer not to be an integral part of a community, then there are a couple of schools I can suggest you check out :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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Thank you again for your wonderful, detailed advice. The interview seems kinda nerve-wracking to me because I’m kinda shy, but that’s some great advice.

Thanks again!

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@andypan , think of it as a conversation and you may feel more confident. The interviewer wants to like you!

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I would be shocked if you didn’t get into EHS. Kids I know with much lower stats have gotten in and done well there. Deerfield and Hotchkiss are more hit or miss. They are hard schools to get into, they turn away qualified candidates each year.

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Schools sometimes waitlist students who on paper look qualified-“overqualified”. Maybe because the student doesn’t look like a good fit, or maybe the application screams “you’re only a safety school”.

I noticed on M10 that there was a kid with great grades, over 90th percentile on the SSAT, that was waitlisted at school with over 50% acceptance rate. People scoring in the 80th percentile did get in.

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Definitely agree @stalecookies, OP will need to deal with that in the interview or essays where they persuade the AO that they are actually interested in the school!

OP, not in a “I know I am overqualified for your school” kind of way but in a “here is why I love EHS and am excited to attend your school” sort of way.

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