<p>Hello! I'm applying for 10th grade at the following schools: Peddie, Kent, Groton, Andover and Hotchkiss. I am prepared for at least one rejection, but I really hope I will be admitted into a couple. Here are my stats:</p>
<ul>
<li>High Honor Role student </li>
<li>Competitive swimmer (varsity team in 7th grade)</li>
<li>24+ hours of community service</li>
<li>attended an 8 day missions trip to Honduras</li>
<li>Took algebra and earth science in 8th grade </li>
<li>scored 98 on algebra regents</li>
<li>scored 93 on earth science regents</li>
<li>won the Knights of Pythias award </li>
<li>top distance runner on school track team</li>
<li>good writing skills</li>
<li>Presidential Physical Fitness award 5 years in a row</li>
<li>all grades above a 90 (most above 95)</li>
<li>I have a cousin the goes to Groton (I'm not sure if that helps)</li>
<li>Took studio art </li>
<li>Spanish for 4 years</li>
</ul>
<p>Thats all I can think of right now. I will be taking the ssat's in october. I'm really nervous that I'll get rejected from every school I applied to! Can I have some advice to increase my chances or improve my resume? Thanks.</p>
<p>I think you have a good chance, but a lot of your stats are nice, but sort of empty (like “good writing skills” and “took studio art”). I’m not sure what a lot of your accomplishments are, though I’m not saying AO’s won’t either… You seem like a good, well-rounded student though, my advice would be to find a few strengths and focus on those. Right now, your list of stats makes you seem like a decent candidate, but nothing really stands out. </p>
<p>Just my opinion, take it however you’d like. Best of luck!</p>
<p>The thing that will make you stand out is your interview and your essays. You say you’ve got good writing skills, which should mean that you can effectively write essays that make your unique voice and point of view clear to the admissions committees. You’ve ticked all the boxes that the “robo applicants” demand–you’ve got some sports, some arts, some community service and good grades. You are applying to three incredibly selective schools and two very selective schools, but as long as you are not applying for financial aid, you should be in the mix with the rest of the applicant pool. Applicants who are successful in gaining admission tend to be the ones who clearly present themselves in person and on paper as a specific individual with clear, definable reasons for wanting to go to each of the schools on your list. You don’t need to do anything different in order to stand out; you need to spend some time reflecting on what makes you, you, and why you might make a positive impact on a specific boarding community (not just what they might give to you.) </p>
<p>Deep breath. You’re going to be fine. Statistically, your best chance is at Peddie or Kent, but you just never know how these things will work out. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I would tell you to emphasize your best credentials instead of touching on a bunch of little qualities. You are a very good student, swimmer, and runner and you’ve done loads of community service (community service is a huge plus!). You say that you are a good writer, so show that in your essays and graded writing sample, you don’t need to actually tell the schools that. Overall I’d say focus on your cold hard stats because they’re very impressive and possibly add another EC (to add breadth to your app). Good luck!</p>
<p>Just for the record… It’s great you have good writing skills; prove it through your essays (as I’m sure you will! :)), as opposed to listing it as a stat.</p>
<p>Spend some time thinking about why you really want to attend one of these schools. What is it that they offer? What will you offer them? Your answers to these questions will likely be the basis for your interviews and essays. The admissions officers are good at weeding out canned answers or answers that do not seem sincere. How you reply to these questions is what will set you apart from all the other applicants who have similar scores, activities, etc. Good luck!</p>