8th Grade
Asian
Female
Boarding
No Financial-Aid Needed
SSAT - 87 percentile
Academics
3.99 GPA out of 4.0
Won Geography Bee
Strong Essays
Strong Interview
ECs
Tennis - probably can play varsity as a freshman (Top 50 in Eastern 12s, Top 100 14s (haven’t played as much, going to send a video - any way to contact the coaches at lawrenceville for better chances in admissions?)
Piano (4x Carneige Hall, 4x International Competition Winner, 3x Student Exchange Program - performed around the country during the summer)
Art - painting, sketch, pastel, watercolor, color pencil (National Scholastic Art Competition, International Space Competition, other small ones)
Second Language - Chinese School (won a small award)
Used to also do swimming, dance, and ice skating (won small awards and stuff)
Lville is my dream school please lmk my chances and if there are anyways to increase them?
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Strong recommendations for all my ECs
Hello. Your total score is in the ball park, great job. You need something great as a unique individual. I’m sorry to say but many other candidates have also achieved some of these things as well. You’re geography bee and perhaps tennis expertise may be the only thing truly helping your chances. What grade are you applying for? That may vary as well.
Haha thank you! I am applying for 9th grade and my coaches have sent out a lot of recommendation letters to admissions I really hope it helps!!! I’ve been working so hard, and I am a full pay student
That’s great! I think you’ll do amazing in the application process!! Watch for the FedEx bus on March 10th, you have a high chance of getting in.
Thank you so much!! Omg i feel so much less stressed
An 87% Isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t mean that your application won’t be excepted. 87% of applicants wish they were in your shoes! The acceptance rate for all of those schools are <20%, so your chances of getting in are slim to begin with. Don’t worry - if you’ve done all you can to make your applications strong, there’s no need to stress.
If you look at the results-acceptance threads on CC you will see several posts by students with scores high in the 90’s who did not get accepted to those target schools you mentioned. Hopefully this will confirm that a certain score is no golden ticket into the BS. There are other factors and qualities they look at. They are building a community of students, not a factory. There are many posts on here from experienced parents and their students who talk about “if I had to do it all over again…” because they focused on the big name of a school or ranking. There may even be a thread called “If I had to do it all over again…” If not, lets start one!
Based on what I have read (thanks to the honest discourse on CC) I believe that the SSAT scores have little to do with one’s happiness and social adjustment at school. Is it about “getting in”, or being happy at a school and flourishing at a school? Be honest with yourself.
Maybe there is a strong correlation between scores and perceived ease of some courses or class placement. But, remember that BS is more than just classes or being the smartest kid in your BC Calculus course. Actually, I think AO’s do look at how well a student communicates, their maturity, ability to get along with others, what talents (outside the classroom) you can bring to the school community. Why else would they ask for al of those essays! Dear OP, ask yourself (honestly) if you would really want to attend a BS that focuses so highly on your SSAT score. I knew a boy who went to a very prestigious “alphabet” boarding school. He would tell us on a regular basis that he was “99% on SSAT Q and 93% total, so he got into his boarding school”…We would laugh and say to each other, “ Yep - but he is a 100% jack-A#$” …
Remember: You are more than the sum of your parts, also.
Please don’t stress OP - your scores seem strong and you were honest about yourself, as well as your motivation to attend BS. As everyone will tell you on CC (in a supportive way), it will turn out ok - there are many fabulous schools out there beyond the ones on your list. Focus on the best fit, not the “best” name. :"> :bz
Hi! I am a female asian applying for 9th grade next year. I am will be a boarder and am a full pay student with strong ECs. However, I am very worried about my SSAT score which is 87 percentile. Please let me know my chances at these top boarding schools, what is my possibility of getting accepted with this score? Please let me know, I am so stressed from waiting for these acceptance letters 
:-S
Yes of course thank you so much for the wise words! I do feel a lot of pressure from family and peers/competitors to get in however I also want it for myself. In middle school, I do not feel I have developed well as a student because all I am studying for is grades, but I truly want to get a higher quality of education and surround myself with higher intellectuals. I feel that part of me being accepted is a confidence-booster for going through this process in college. I want to get into these top BS so bad and it kills to have to wait for another month to see if i make it! I think my parents have given up on me getting in because of their slim acceptance rates and “my trash” ssat score but i am trying to stay positive!
I think your resume was extremely impressive as an 8th grade applicant. Although your acceptances at both Peddie, PDS, and Hun are wonderful as they r tough schools to get into, I think they do not truthfully represent your accomplishments.
Andover and Lawrenceville are very tough schools and I think your academics are average in their pool of applicants, however I think that if you applied for a more diverse level of schools (St. Paul’s, Hotchkiss, Newark Academy) from your local town it would be more beneficial for your high school career. I think you would have definitely gotten into some of the top ten ps in the nation if you applied! Nevertheless, congratulations I expect to hear great things from you!!