Chance me for Exeter

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hello all,

This is my first time on this forum. Anyways, I want to figure out my chances of getting into the good schools. I don’t have any safety schools, so I’m quite worried. I’m applying to Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, and Choate. Here are the statistics:

SSAT Score:
Verbal: 728 (85%)
Quantitative: 785 (96%)
Reading: 731 (97%)
Overall: 2244 (95%)

I’m in an international (English speaking school) that’s in China. Does this affect my chances? I know they want a diverse group of students, but a few of my peers are also applying to these schools. I don’t want to sound cocky, but they’re not as good as me in terms of academics, but I’m not sure about the SSAT’s. (I’m an Asian American).

I’m trilingual, I speak Spanish, Mandarin, and English, all very fluently. I have some experience in the student council, and I’m in an advanced class of mathematics (I’m not sure why my quantitative score was so low on the last SSAT).

This year, I have straight A’s, but last year I had a few B’s. I play a lot of sports. I’ve been swimming for 6 years, playing soccer for 4 years, and I’ve played volleyball for 3 years. In terms of music, I play the Alto and Tenor saxophone. I do a lot of community service, such as heading out to other schools to repair and help the students there.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! I just wanted to figure out what my chances are of getting to these schools. Yes, I know I should apply to some safety schools, but my father says I don’t have time. Please chance me on these schools.

Thanks!
Kevin

2

Kevin: these schools want a diverse student body but Asian doesn’t help you in that capacity. Diversity as a desirable metric applies to Hispanic and black candidates. You say you are in an international school in China but you say you are Asian American. Are you an international applicant? Do you need financial aid? These issues are key. You sound like an excellent candidate but maybe not an exceptional candidate.

3

I go to Concordia International School. It’s an American school. Also, I don’t need financial aid. My parents are Chinese, but they speak English fluently. I was born and raised in the US, but because of business, we moved to China.

4

Ah. The important part is that you don’t need financial aid.

5

I’m curious, does financial aid change one’s chances of getting accepted tremendously?

6

@krvin12 not at the schools you are applying to. However, the financial aid you receive can vary significantly based on the strength of your application depending on how much funding that particular school has left in their budget.

For privacy reasons, I won’t reveal which school I am attending, but it is a very competitive boarding school in Massachusetts. I’ve had the opportunity to befriend and talk to many teachers working in the admissions committee and from what they say, the international application pool is much much more competitive than the rest of the pool, especially for kids applying from China, Hong Kong, and South Korea. For that reason, I would say your verbal score is a bit concerning, as many of the international students who apply to those schools will get >95% across the board (and most students applying domestically as well).

However, write stellar essays and find strong recommendation writers and you will definitely be able to make up for that. It is very important to know that your scores will only get you through the first screening of the applications (and over 60% of applicants will). Your extracurriculars and showing your passion for learning through specific anecdotes and activities is very important.

Good luck in this process! It can get pretty stressful around January and March but it’s totally worth it in the end. Whether or not you get in, you will certainly learn a lot about yourself and your aspirations through the interviews and the essays. Don’t hesitate to PM me if you have any questions, though I am not too certain I can be of much use for applying as an international student.

7

Also, keep in mind that being the best applicant from your school means nothing if you are not one of the best applicants from China. In my school, I see a lot of international kids from the same middle school getting in and then maybe one kid from a whole state getting in because there were just more qualified applicants from that middle school than the whole of the other state. If your school has a history of sending kids to Exeter who really excel there, then that ups the chances of other kids from your middle school getting in. If not, then you have to work a bit harder to stand out.

8

Thanks for your input. My academics are not my only strong point; I’m trying to emphasize to the schools that I’m talented also in sports. In my school, there are a few students who have gone to Andover, so I’m also hoping that they’ll also accept me. I’m quite surprised that only 60% of the applicants are academically admittable.

My math and science teacher love me, but I’m not so sure about my English teacher. I’m hoping that he’ll write something good on the recommendation letters

Also, another question. Does it matter what my parents financial status are? One of my friends told me that being wealthier increases your chances of getting admitted. Is this true?

9

~bump
What do you guys think? I’m really stressed out.

10

While the schools are technically need blind they aren’t actually need blind in function. As they can admit applicants but only offer them a much smaller package. However, you said you don’t need financial aid. That gives you a leg up in general but the international pool is very competitive and quite frankly harder to differentiate. If you parents are phenomenally wealthy (I.e fund an endowment or build a building, yes it is a big plus) But just run of the mill wealthy means nothing. You could end up with one or two admits or none. It’s hard to tell. With the economic downturn it will be interesting to see if the international applications are down at all.

11

I’m applying for 10 schools, so I’m hoping that a few of them will admit me. The schools are the following: Phillips Exeter, Phillips Academy, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Choate, Milton, Groton, St. Pauls, Taft, and Lawrenceville.

Another follow-up question~ why is the international pool so competitive? Are there that many students that are applying to these top notch boarding schools?

Only 3 people from my school are applying, so I’m trying to get my essays to “stand out”. I hope I get in.

12

What grade are applying for?

13

I’m applying for grade 9.

14

WELL. . . . I think your stats look great! Trilingual Mandarin, English, Spanish is very interesting, if not a “hook.” You sound as if you have an interesting back story. Try to incorporate that into your essays!

We came from a MS where NO ONE applies to BS, and I think that actually helped us last year.

Lastly, while you say you have “No safeties”, within your highly competitive pool, there are at least four schools whose SSAT averages are around 85th% vs. others with super high averages in the 90th-95th percentile range. So, as it turns out, these are your "Safeties. . . "

Best of luck!

15

@itcannontbetrue: It turns out one of my friends got a 96% for the SSAT overall. Does this 1% greatly affect my chances?

Also, thanks for the input! I appreciate the comment.

Thanks,
K

16

1% is meaningless. Won’t affect either one.

17

Unfortunately international students are not only held to a higher standard in terms of academics, they often receive little to no financial aid. If your family has capacity (wealth) you appear to be in range for these schools. Keep working hard!

18

I agree with @Center. 1% means nothing and as long as you test overall into the mid 90’s and have strong Quant scores, you are in a good position.

19

@LaxPrep I was born in the US, but my parents are Chinese. My first language is English, and I go to an American school located in China.

Do they classify me as a international student or as a domestic student?

Again, thanks for your input. I appreciate it!

Sincerely,
K

20

Are you an American citizen or a Chinese citizen? I assume you are American?