Income Bracket: Average (Will need a decent amount of FA)
Type of School: Top 5 High School in MA/Top 500 in the Country
Grade/Age: 9th/14
Intended Schools:
Safety:
CommonWealth
Cambridge School Of Weston
Match:
Concord Academy
Middlesex
Milton
Reach:
Exeter
Andover
Choate
St. Paul
Groton
Hotchkiss
Deerfield
Extenuating Circumstances:
Not sure if this is a extenuating circumstance, but when I first got into High School, me and my math teacher didn’t like each other that much (She rolls her eyes at me for every question I ask and tell me to go away and ask someone else, she doesn’t teach but just hands out notes and says good luck, tests vs notes/classwork level is humungous, tells straight up lies to parents where even my parents were shocked, etc). I am probably switching teachers not class level of difficulty so I am planning on getting my Physics Teachers recommendation instead of my Math Teachers. Class average was a 64.
Academics:
All A-, A, A+ during 7th grade year (3.9 GPA)
All A-, A, A+ During 8th grade year (4.2 GPA)
9th Grade Quarter 1 Grades:
Honors Latin 1: 95
Honors Geometry 66 (Like I mentioned before, mostly teachers fault IMO but I take fault too)
Wellness: 98
Physical Education: 92
World History: 99
Honors Physics 1: 91
English 1: 93
Honors Orchestra: 96
Standardized Testing:
87 Percentile on the SSAT but planning on retaking it and probably getting a 90+
Extracurriculars/Activities/Awards:
Academic Achievements:
AMC 8 DHR (Top 1% out of 75k students all around the globe from USA, China, Canada, India etc)
Outstanding Contribution To the 2022-2023 Math Team, Only one to receive the certificate because I was the top scorer in my school in 15+ years
Expecting a minimum score of 112.5 for the AMC 10b since I calculated it, Maximum score is a 124.5 so I’m expecting AIME Qual, HR (Top 5%), and MAYBE DHR (Top 1%)
2nd Place For Rocks and Minerals for Science Olympiad (In the top 20 school area of NY)
Honor Roll 6th and 7th (There was no Honor Roll in my current school when I moved to MA from NY)
Music:
Studying in a Music Studio with 1k+ students on the waitlist to study under my teacher (Well known and is one of the leading violin studios in the country)
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (50% High Schooler 50% College Students, and it’s under Benjamin Zander whos well known by most musicians)
2 Other Youth Orchestras where I was Assistant Concertmaster + Concertmaster (Not really well known like BPYO but prominent in the area they were held at)
Plays Viola (Got into a top level Orchestra for Viola too)
Invited to play in a Midori Masterclass (0 students my age has performed for her, usually college students)
Southeastern Jr. Districts (Assistant Concertmaster)
Vivaldi Extravaganza (Played with the American Chamber Orchestra)
Winner of the Sempre Musik Competition (Played with the Sempre Music Orchestra)
1st Prize for the International Music Competition “Brussels and London” Grand Prize Virtuoso (Invited to play at the Centre of Fine Arts In Brussels and the Royal Albert Hall in London)
Honorable mention in the Euterpe Music Awards (Berlin, Germany)
2nd place in the Young Maestro International Competition (Carnegie Hall 2x)
Winner Of The National Artists Competition 2x (Judges top pick one year)
1st Place in New York Artists International Competition
2nd Place In New York Virtuoso International Competition (State Assembly Award)
2nd Place In The East Coast International Competition
Winner of The Progressive Musician Competition (Playing at Carnegie as a soloist with
a full orchestra)
Outstanding Achievement In Strings, One of two people to receive the certificate
Swimming:
100/200 Breast (Top 5 for 200 Breast and Top 20 for 100 Breast when I was the age of 12)
Top 30 Currently for 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Breast, and 100 Breast (Top 15 for some and top 20 for some, but for the rest top 30 in MA)
Varsity Swimming
Swam at a top 15 swim club nationally in NY
School Clubs:
Model UN 2023-2023
Science Olympiad 2023-2024
Science Olympiad 2020-2022
Math Team 2023-2024
Math Team 2022-2023
Math Team 2020-2022
LORs:
Physics Teacher - Good relationship. Probably going to be generic though for 7.5/10
English Teacher - Great relationship. We are really close so I think a 8/10
World History Teacher - Another Awesome relationship. She’s the Head of History in my school and we are really close so 9/10 probably.
Orchestra Conductor At School - She likes me a lot and chose me of 2 kids to receive an award. I play the viola at school too so I think a 7.5/10
Violin Teacher - She shared the whole LOR with me or what it’s mostly going to be about and it’s a 10/10. Mostly about achievements I’ve achieved by myself with no outside help. Like I’ve never taken outside math classes and I’ve never taken outside tutoring except for violin.
Essays:
I’m a good essay writer and is one of the main reasons I was waitlisted last year along with interviews.
Extra Information:
I’ve mentioned the math grade and the relationship, but I wanted to mention it again. I want to make it clear I’ve never done anything bad towards the teacher but she for some reason instantly hated me ever since I walked into the classroom. I’ve also never taken outside classes for math and I’ve always studied on my own and all my academic achievements are from me working by myself and pushing myself.
I’ve also been waitlisted from Exeter, Deerfield, and Milton last year (I’ve only applied to Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, Milton, and Choate last year). To add onto this I never had a interview with Milton and I applied really really late like in December 29th)
I don’t think there is any other information, but if there is I’ll add it to the comments.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to responses!
The sentence under “Essays:” does not make sense to me; did you leave out the word “not” ?
Can you break down your SSAT score of 87 into math score & English score ?
If boarding schools admit on the basis of musical, mathematical, and athletic talent, then you should do well, but they don’t. Elite prep boarding schools, in addition to extracurricular and academic talent, seek students who are mature, considerate of others, and who express themselves well.
Because you have applied to a wide variety of schools, you are highly likely to receive multiple acceptances.
If your swim times are strong, reach out to the swim coaches at your reach schools. You could get support from the coaches. This helped my son get into one of the Eight schools.
I talked to one of the Associate Admissions Heads at a school I got waitlisted for over the phone on how I should Improve my application, and when I asked why I was waitlisted in the first place. They told me since I applied late, there was a disadvantage but essays and interviews got me waitlisted at their school.
I don’t think my times are strong enough to do that because right now even in my best form I’m only top 15 in the state of MA for only one event. Otherwise I’m hanging around 20-30 in the state. Should I reach out? Parents and friends told me that being top 15-30ish in the state won’t bring support.
I hope you don’t mind if I am honest here: Everything you list is an individual achievement. Nothing involves helping others. If your safeties are truly safeties, you will probably get in to them. If you do not get into any of your self-identified matches and reaches, the lack of evidence of care for others may be the reason.
You may very well be a wonderful young person who helps others. However, the evidence is not here in your lists.
Consider: If you spent less time on this site and agonizing over your math class and everything else, and more time in service to others, not only would you likely have a better chance of admittance to one of your preferred schools, but you might be a happier, more productive person as well.
I disagree with the above post. Your individual accomplishments in swimming and in music have been as part of a team.
You are a well rounded applicant with amazing strengths who will receive very serious consideration from all of your listed schools.
You will receive multiple acceptances.
P.S. If you get certified as a lifeguard, it should help.
P.P.S. Although I do believe that you will receive multiple acceptances, my opinion is just based on an educated guess; I should have written that you should receive multiple acceptances in my opinion.
It is irresponsible to state this as fact. Kids with profiles similar to OPs get rejected/waitlisted to every boarding school they’ve applied to each year. Too many qualified applicants for not enough spots = OP should prepare herself for that.
Okay, I should have written: You should receive multiple acceptances. “Should” instead of “will”.
Nevertheless, it is my opinion based on the information shared by OP in this thread that OP will receive multiple acceptances.
@laxmom24: I do understand your thought in light of your son’s situation and his outcomes as you posted on CC.
Thanks. It all worked out for him in the end, and I hope it works out for OP, too. The disappointment can sting, and I know firsthand how it feels to expect one result, only to have the opposite happen. These prep schools just don’t have the capacity to admit all qualified applicants, and sometimes you (or your kid) is who gets left out.
I just realize that you have a very similar topic posted here. You really need to stop obsessing about this. No one here has a magically answer that will get you into any of these schools. You’ve been given a ton of helpful advice. It’s going to be okay one way or other. Deep breaths.
I agree that being on a swim team doesn’t have to do with helping others. However, I disagree on the team sport aspect.
As someone that runs competitive xc+tf, I would DEFINITELY not be where I am today without a supportive team and coaches. I probably would’ve quit, and if I didn’t I certainly wouldn’t be as good as I am. Even sports where you are competing for individual times/placements can most certainly be team sports.
I agree with many above that have said you seem to be obsessing over this and your math class a little. I did it too, and it’s normal for kids your age to do that. That will change with maturity. However, you’ve done everything you can at this point and obsessing over it will cause unnecessary stress. It’s okay to ponder, but I would try to take a break from posting and focus on mindfulness. More often than not, it is better to just sit with our thoughts without acting on them.
Perhaps, but not necessarily - it is obviously important the OP speak with Admissions about whether repeating as a day in 9th makes sense. We have heard from a couple of AOs it can be “slightly” easier for a school to admit a day student in 10th vs. 9th. (Often, this is not the case for boarders). Tradeoffs of class size/dorm occupancy/maturity/attrition from 9th to 10th/institutional priorities/financial aid.
OP, I don’t think active community service participation is necessary at all, but I have read many of your posts, and I also have had similar concerns as @ameridad expressed. In the posts that I’ve read, you’ve spent a lot of time trying to read tea leaves and focusing on how your rank within various communities (music, swimming, math competitions, your public school’s rank) will be perceived by the prep schools. You have not expressed much about who you are as a person within your community. It is hard to tell from your posts what your essays and letters of rec will really be like. I haven’t read any posts (maybe I missed them) that helps me understand what kind of friend, roommate, dorm-mate or classmate you would be.
What do you genuinely enjoy about studying math or music or swimming? To get into a prestigious youth orchestra, you must love music (I hope). Is it a passion? Why? Why do you do the things that you do beyond coming out on top? Why do you care about any of the academic or personal topics that you find meaningful? It does not have to be because of a prize or accolades that you earned. You can find meaning in knitting sweaters or solving crosswords or dressing up for Halloween with your friends. There is nothing wrong with caring about competition, but at most of the schools, they will care about who you are beyond whether you are a “competitive” candidate. If your plan is to be away from campus every weekend for music that is fine, but then you have an even higher bar to prove that when you are on campus, your presence will contribute to the life of the school.
The admissions office will want to see in your application whether you would be an interesting and humble participant in a Harkness discussion based classroom. They will want to know not just about your talent but what kind of excitement and engagement you’ll bring to activities on campus. What can you say that might make the admissions officer see you as a fit in the culture of the school --like on the weekends hanging out in the student center or the library having fun with your peers? Chance me threads often don’t reveal this information and that is OK, but it has been notable to me that you have made many posts over multiple threads and it is still hard to tell. That might be part of what ameridad has noticed when they say that your posts have focused on you as an individual and not as a community member.
I like OP and I understand OP’s intense focus on his future school prospects which suggests that OP has a curious and analytical side. Seems like OP is open to suggestions to increase his chances and is willing to work toward increasing his chances.