Hi!
Does anyone here have experience with Pomfret admissions for an incoming 9th grader? It is my understanding that Pomfret only has room for a 9th grade class of about 45 students and that their big admissions year is 10th grade.
My daughter is applying for 9th grade and it is one of her top choices. Is there really any chance as an international student (American citizen, but attends school outside the US currently) to be selected for admission in 9th grade?
I’m assuming they are looking for about 23 girls for the class, meaning they may admit up to 40 (being generous there I think). That’s not a lot.
Advice? Thoughts? Assistance?
Thanks!
Hi! I know the process is totally anxiety inducing- went through it last year for Grade 10 and the year prior for Grade 9. I don’t have advice specific to Pomfret (we looked and have a friend on faculty but it wasn’t the place for our son)
If you haven’t already, speak to admissions to ask about the general trends they are willing to share about admissions numbers.
My opinion is that your daughter should focus on making the effort to put together an application that best represents her interests, talents, areas for growth and how she would be a part of the Pomfret community. Take the time to attend as many online events as she can, ask questions, make connections. Help her craft a primer on the school and what specifically she likes about it those who are writing letters of recommendation understand why Pomfret is her top choice.
At the end of the day, there will be offers of admission sent than number offers accepted. She can only control what application she puts forth, the admissions process isn’t about picking kids with the best scores, grades etc- it is about picking the students who will be positive addition to the school community.
I know you’ve been asking questions on the board over past few months and helping to get her familiar with different options, so you are already doing so much to help her discover the world of possible schools.
Good luck!
Thanks for the helpful words. You’re right - I’m starting to get anxious! Now that we are deeper into the process and I’m feeling more on board with her decision to go to boarding school, I want to make sure she has all the options she wants! 
Is it okay for parents to reach out to admissions or should it be the student? So far, my daughter has made all the contacts, filled out forms, asked for interviews, inquired about virtual sessions when she couldn’t find them on websites, etc. I have taken a back seat and am trying to be supportive, yet hands off if that makes sense.
I don’t want to send an email to admissions if it would be seen as inappropriate or parental meddling.
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This is just my opinion, but I think it’s fine for you to reach out. If you convey that your family situation requires that you have a placement next year, it’s appropriate for your to make sure that your application strategy will yield that, and understanding the odds at this school will be part of that process.
She absolutely has a chance to get into Pomfret! Of course have a list of schools (I remember that you do already, so you are in good shape.). While your daughter may not have “all her options” (few people do), she can absolutely be set up to have some great options if she casts a wide net, and seeks true fit.
I think it’s fine to contact admissions as a parent if you have a specific question, but I’m not sure I understand what you want to ask them? (I would not reach out to them with your stress/fear question about what are your daughter’s chances. Save that for venting with other parents like us who understand the crazy process!). :).
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The reply above said I should reach out to admissions to see if they would share general trends in their admissions process.
Hmm. Asking vague questions can feel a bit off-putting – it sort of puts the work on the person answering. I don’t think there is truly a question about whether your daughter has a chance, even if it can feel super stressful and like the odds feel long. I guess I would really be clear on what “general trends” you are hoping to learn about from them before reaching out. Or maybe attend a virtual open house or check their website or something in that vein to learn about the general stuff? I think personal outreach is most effective when it’s specifically about your student or situation. (“do you ever take Americans who live overseas?” IS a specific question, but the answer is clearly going to be “yes, they do.”). (why wouldn’t they?). Caveat: I may not fully understand still what your question is, so I might be wrong on my take here. :).
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Pomfret grad here! Your daughter is right to make it a top choice 
I’m not an admissions expert, but as an American citizen living abroad, I don’t think your daughter qualifies her as an international student. She has a US passport right?
My advice would be to have your child write a letter to the admissions office in late January telling them that pomfret is your first choice and you would definitely accept their offer: yield is hugely important to these schools and they want to admit students who will accept their offer.
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If I understand. I think your question is “We know we can apply for 9th but based on numbers, it seems you also take a lot in 10th. Can you explain what you look for in each group or if there tend to be differences between the students admitted in each group?”
It’s fine to say your family situation commits you to applying for 9th and your family loves the school - you’re just trying to confirm that a 9th grade application is a good match for what they are looking for in the freshman class.
Most schools give parents an opportunity to ask questions as part of the interview process. This would be a natural way to do that.
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Thank you - yes, this would be generally what we want to know. @Calliemomofgirls - does this make sense?
Because they accept so few candidates to the 9th grade class, I am trying to understand if there are particular non-starters for 9th graders or, conversely, particular things they ARE looking for (aside from the general things like independent, personable, academically ready, etc).
Oh got it. I didn’t quite catch that they were so heavily focused on 10th grade admissions so specifically making it larger entry point than 9th grade.
When we looked at pomfret for my daughter for 9th grade, I hadn’t remembered that being the setup.
So yes agree that given this unusual setup, it might be worth reaching out to admissions to ask more. I’m sure you can’t be the only ones who are curious about this.
Yes, our tour guide (one of the admissions folks as no students were on campus) told us they have a 9th grade class of about 45. They have the 9th graders in the actual homes across the street from campus that serve as 9th grade residence halls and purposely keep the numbers low during that year.
I have a wonderful niece who graduated from Pomfret and loved it, so I get the interest in it.
However, I think you are creating anxiety where none is needed. So the acceptance rate is probably quite low for applicants for 9th grade. Does it really matter at this stage? You say it’s a top choice for your daughter. Is there an acceptance rate that would be so low that she wouldn’t apply? If so and she doesn’t, she might regret it, etc. She should apply regardless. Just inform her of the difficulty and advise her to keep her hopes in check a bit. Support her and show confidence in her, just make sure she knows it might be a reach. And then focus on helping her put her best foot forward for each of the schools to which she applies.
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Just replying to clarify for anyone reading this in future years . . . Pomfret has an incoming boarding class of 45 in 9th grade. Plus an additional 20-ish day students. So, around 65 kids, not a total of 45.
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