Hi! As the application deadline for most schools is coming up, I just wanted to try to get a better idea of what my chances are. I’m applying to your typical popular boarding schools (PA, PEA, SPS, Choate, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, L’ville). I have a good PO for high school, so I feel that I should go big or stay home, literally!
Testing:
I took the SSAT once a couple of months ago. I got a 99% math, 94% reading, 90% vocab, and got a 98% overall. % = Percentile.
GPA: The Public middle school I currently attend doesn’t offer many advanced classes, so my weighted GPA might be lower as a result. I do take the most advanced classes my school has to offer, including Honors Language Arts and Honors Algebra 2. My first semester GPA was an unweighted 4.0, and weighted 4.3 (I think?).
Interviews:
I have conducted all of my interviews so far, and all have gone very well except for my L’ville interview. For the L’ville interview, my interviewer was new to the school and wasn’t able to answer many of my basic questions about the school and seemed to want to focus much more on athletics than I wanted to, which made the entire thing pretty awkward because I was used to the natural back-and-forth at my other interviews. I had one slip in my Choate interview, but I don’t think it will hurt me. One thing I’m worried about is that I haven’t remained in contact or reached out to many of my AOs or interviewers for different schools simply because I didn’t really feel the need to. Will this hurt me?
Math, language arts, principal rec:
I assume my math rec is great. My teacher really likes me and she spent a ton of time on it. However, I am not so sure on my language arts rec. Just thirty minutes after I formally asked him and sent him the request, I saw he submitted the rec. So, I’m worried he just gave two word answers and didn’t help me try to stand out. He really likes me as a student, but I’m not sure how much he knows about the process (I live in suburban Tennessee, so applying to high school obviously isn’t common). My principal rec should be Ok. Because my middle school is on the larger side (900 kids), she doesn’t know me all that well. I gave her a list of my accomplishments to try to fix this slight issue.
Special interest and personal rec:
Both I assume are very good. My special interest rec is my violin teacher (more on that later), and as she has been teaching me for many years and I am one of her top students. She should be able to make a great pitch for me! For the personal rec, I asked one of my religious leaders who really knows me. I think it should go well, as he has enjoyed watching me grow into my religion and we have a very tight-knit community.
Music:
I’ve played the violin for many years. I have gone to numerous camps over the years, and although Tennessee doesn’t have a great youth orchestra, I have been placed in the position of concertmaster in my local youth orchestra (regional) for the past year. I have won some competitions over the years, and I really have been trying to push my music in my essays. I, of course, have submitted links to recordings of my playing. If I have any kind of hook, this is it.
Sports:
I’ve played soccer for some years, but I’m not amazing at it. I have played in some regional camps and done well, and I think I could potentially make Varsity teams my junior year or so. I could also help the schools out in b-ball if need be. I have played for a while, but I prefer soccer, and as I’m not going to grow that tall, I have more potential in soccer as well.
Other ECs:
I sometimes help lead my religious group. I have volunteered for the public library many times. I also volunteer as a referee for some of the little kids in some local soccer leagues.
Personal Info:
Location: Tennessee
Grade: 8th
Current school: Public Middle School
Race: Technically mixed, but basically White
Gender: Male
Financials: Full pay, but not by a lot. It would still be a pretty large financial burden.
Thanks so much for reading all of this and for your feedback! I hope everybody has a great application season!