<p>I'm interested in applying to Andover, Exeter, SPS, and Deerfield. What do you think my chances are?</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Quiz Bowl, captain.</p></li>
<li><p>Knowledge Master Open (Fall '05, Spring '06)</p></li>
<li><p>Competitive, traveling swim team (various medals/awards).</p></li>
<li><p>Soccer for eight years. </p></li>
<li><p>Yearbook Club</p></li>
<li><p>I can play the alto saxophone and the bouzouki. </p></li>
<li><p>Student Government (5, 6, 7 grades).</p></li>
<li><p>Straight A's (4.0)</p></li>
<li><p>Geography Bee (1st place grade-wide, 2nd place, school-wide).</p></li>
<li><p>Accepted to go to Japan this summer. ( 4/50 applicants were accepted).</p></li>
<li><p>Self studying French</p></li>
<li><p>I'm a pretty good writer. I don't have any awards or anything, though. I haven't really heard of any contests for writers my age. I could send in some examples.</p></li>
<li><p>I attended a one week intensive writing course last summer at Ashbury College. (Don't know if that matters...)</p></li>
<li><p>Taking two classes this summer online with Apex. (maybe more during the school year) French II and US Global Economics</p></li>
<li><p>Spelling Bee (Won grade-wide 5 and 7 grades, 5th place, 2nd place school-wide).</p></li>
<li><p>Perfect Attendance for basically every year since I started school, expect for sixth grade. lol. I doubt that matters though.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I might be applying for financial aid. Not sure yet.</p>
<p>Financial Aid: Andover, Exeter (will turn for the 06-07 admissions cycle), and SPS are all need-blind. Not sure about Deerfield though. So don't hesitate with the financial aid stuff. But from looking at your posts it seems your parents are seperated/divorced...that means both of them will have to file financial aid forms (and if they remarried, your stepparents too).</p>
<p>You have great stats and you seem like you have a good chance. If you're looking for Deerfield/SPS-esque schools look into Hotchkiss--another GREAT school.
Just take the SSAT seriously... I didn't and it became the downfall of my application. I'm considering applying again...</p>
<p>95 is the average, 96 actually at Andover. Like top colleges, there are many hooked candidates with lower scores: athletes, legacies, the rich and famous, kids with extraordinary talents. The basic well rounded, unhooked, unconnected kid has the average score or above.</p>
<p>actually, on a comment made earlier, andover is not entirely need-blind. it's a goal that they are working on, though. if financial aid money runs low, then some students might be denied admission. however, this is very rare (after all, andover is a very wealthy school), so i wouldn't worry too much. i believe that exeter is the same.</p>
<p>okay, so as for the perfect attendance, you can scratch that off the list. i also think that the 1st-place-grade-wide awards in your spelling/geography bees are not that necessary, nor important. you have to keep in mind that other applicants may have won state-wide bees, so grade-wide awards would look rather unimpressive in comparison.</p>
<p>i like that you are taking apex classes, too. that shows initiative. definitely put that on there.</p>
<p>well, michigan will certainly help you better in the admission process than living half an hour away from NYC and being an Asian American as well - no diversity whatsoever. the worst to be, really. Living in NY and being an Asian American? Can you think of any worst prospects?</p>
<p>Michigan is good. Actually, anywhere is good unless it's California, New England or the NY area. </p>
<p>In regards to your stats, you sound pretty competitive. If you're good enough to be recruitable in swimming or soccer, you're all set. However, assuming your just great and not phenomenal, you're going to need some high test scores and either great rec's or a great interview to push you over the top. That being said, you look like you're in pretty good shape so far. Keep up the good work.</p>