Chance Me for Ten Schools (applying for 10th grade)

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi! I’m a freshman in a public high school in Texas right now, and I’m applying to Andover, Exeter, Choate, Hotchkiss, SPS, Hill, and Loomis. I’m applying to be a 10th-grade boarder next year.

My stats:
ISEE - 3 9’s and an 8 in QR, I plan to retake for (hopefully) 4 9’s. I got a 1210 on the PSAT last year, and a 1370 this year.
Grades - All A’s except for an 88 in APCSA. In 8th grade, I ended the year with no average lower than a 97.
Classes - I’m currently taking mostly honors and 2 APs, but I’m not sure if it’s up to par with their standards for freshmen applying. I’m currently in Advanced Algebra 2, AP Comp Sci A, and AP Human Geo. I’ve also skipped 4 grades worth of Mandarin (100, 100, 100, 96).
Notable Others - I’m in Model UN, dance, AP Chinese class, DECA, and was a STUCO officer in 8th grade. I won 1st place in coding art in my district last year, and also directed my own play. I’ve done a lot of volunteering this year (9th) and last year (8th) for school, and also volunteer at the Houston Food Bank.

I wanted to apply to boarding schools because I attended Exeter Summer 2022 and was blown away by the experience. Unfortunately, my current local public school is severely underfunded and I won’t be able to reach my potential there or receive the same type of support and education I know I’ll need to succeed.

I’ve won a few awards for academics and such, but haven’t participated in a lot of competitions. I’m really big on STEM and theatre and am part of the Girls in Computing Club at school, as well as an uninducted member of the thespian troupe.

I know that I’ll probably have to apply for financial aid but am on the fence about doing that for schools that aren’t need blind.

I’ve done most of my interviews and feel like they all went really well, and also followed up with emails to my interviews (only a few responded). I’ve also tried reaching out to the heads of their fine arts departments to know that I’m applying, and plan to submit a video of me doing a monologue as a supplemental part of my application.

I know that applying to these schools is super competitive, and would like some feedback on my application. To my understanding, some of my peers have a lot of tutors and counselors to help them through this process, but since my parents can’t provide that for me, I’m really trying to use every resource I can :smiling_face_with_tear:

Sorry for such a long post, I really, truly, desperately wish to go to one of these schools.

TLDR: I get A’s, am involved in STEM and theatre, and am applying as a boarder for 10th grade with financial aid. Should I apply for financial aid from schools that aren’t need blind? Pretty please chance me <3

Thanks in advance for all the help ^-^

2

I can’t chance, so I don’t.

I would encourage you to apply to some less selective boarding schools. While they will have fewer resources than an Andover, they will also have much, much more than a large public school. I am familiar with Berkshire and Millbrook, but there are others. Forgive me if it’s too close to deadlines to add other schools.

Re: financial aid, if you need aid, you have to apply. This is a conversation to have with your parents.

But finally, and perhaps most importantly, you write phenomenally well for a 9th grader. You are articulate, intelligent, and thoughtful and express yourself beautifully. This tells me you have the talent to go far, whatever path you end up taking.

2 Likes
3

Thank you for the feedback, and the kind words! I’ll definitely look into the two schools you recommended. Happy holidays!

4

You sound like a great candidate!
I agree with adding a few schools that have higher admit rate. We love Mercersburg and they could be a school to consider for several reasons specific to you — they plan for their class to increase by 50% in 10th grade which means they are very good at integrating new 10th graders into the community, they have very strong financial aid, and they are one of the highest endowment $/ per student, which translates into the school being well-resourced.
Feel free to reach out with questions!

1 Like
5

Agree with everyone above about you sounding like a great candidate AND needing to expand your list. George School is known for both its theater and STEM so is another to look at. Also known for good FA. Like Mercersberg, one known for its “culture of kindness”.

1 Like
6

If the schools are convinced you have topline ability in STEM, I suspect that some of the ones you listed will admit you with FA. The fact that you write so well and are very well rounded also increases your chances. Good luck!

1 Like
7

Hello! Thanks for recommending Mercersburg; I checked out the school but realized I won’t be able to apply in time. :') Do you know of any other schools like Mercersburg for 10th grade or financial aid?

8

Hello! I looked at George School per your recommendation and think that it would be a great alternative for me! Thanks so much for your help ^-^

1 Like
9

Hi, thanks so much for the positive feedback! I really hope to find a boarding school that can provide some financial aid. I’ll definitely work harder on the STEM part, happy holidays!

1 Like
10

Not trying to talk you into applying but MB has one of the latest application deadlines my daughters had (out of 25 schools among all my kids)… if I recall, it was George, Andover and Mercersburg who were all Feb 1. Once you’ve done one SAO app for the January 15th schools, it’s practically a button to click and a credit card payment to submit another. I think the MB admissions office is one of the nicest and most flexible offices we dealt with so I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out and see if there is any flexibility.
Side note: we also considered and applied to George and I’m still friendly with our admissions folks from there — great people! Both George and MB offer some merit scholarships in addition to FA, which really made them both affordable for my girls who applied.

3 Likes