Hi,
Im trying to apply to some of the best prep high schools and to be fair, am really really nervous.
(applying for 9th)
For background:
I am an Asian American, applying for financial aid, and my grades in school are pretty good.(above average)
Although I have decent musical skill, (played piano for 6 years, abrsm g6 :() but my recent SSAT grade was absolutely terrible. I know I probably didn’t study enough so it was my fault. My recommendation letters should be alright as I am very close with our school principal and I’m a nice student.
Did not mean to press create thread, so heres a continuation.
My ssat percentile was only 64% (yes im really upset) but my grades are typically 95-100 in the school year and I have a huge interest in sports although I’m not too great at them. I’ve already submitted most of my applications and was just wondering what might be my chances of getting in. Thank you :).
Probably rejected from everywhere. However, if you can get recruited for piano, that could be a major bonus. Otherwise, your SSAT score is a red flag, you lack substantial ECs too. You are also applying for financial aid.
CC is a community. It is a place where we pull each other up, not push them down. We are in this application process together, and should help rather than demotivate others. Please refrain from saying things like: “Probably rejected from anywhere.” It is not constructive or helpful in the slightest, and you are not remotely qualified to answer OP’s question.
Lastly, the application process is not a battle of stats and EC’s. Admissions officers want to know what a student is like - that is what interviews are for. I would think twice about my own application before giving questionable advice on other “Chance Me” threads, if I were you.
I wouldn’t throw in the towel and give up already.
A lot depends on the totality of your application. If they made decisions based solely on your SSAT, M10 would be less of a nail biter.
The 64 percentile is not necessarily a red flag. If you go to a public school in a district at least half as dismal as mine, and are taking the most challenging classes offered… well, then it is just a test score.
It is a red flag if you go to a private school that preps their students for the SSAT and you get a low score.
It matters more what you wrote in your essays, you recs, and your interviews. You come across here as sweet, and interested in being a team player - someone I would want in my community, as opposed to someone more pretentious and condescending.
Okay I am sorry OP. I am sorry for stating my reply in a very condescending way. I just didn’t want to lie. I also don’t want to give false hope. Let me rephrase it: You have a chance, but I wouldn’t bet on that chance. Your best bet is to try to get recruited for Piano or a specific niche because your profile(from what I have seen) is quite similar to many others. Hopefully, your essays are good.
I would say you have an okay chance. Your ECs are kind of generic, and your test scores could be better but it also depends on how rigorous your school is. If you added more information, it could help (state, what sports interest you, etc). You said that you aren’t the best at sports but if you wrote about them it might help. Also, reach out to coaches. It might be too late to fill out athlete forms but if you already did then you can email a coach for a certain sport and show any videos you have playing said sport. It shows initiative too so that could be a plus. Good luck.
OP I attended Exeter decades ago when places like CC didn’t exist. All of these years later I remember vividly feeling some of the insecurities and concerns you are expressing while completing my applications. Take a deep breath.
I can’t promise you that you will get in but I can assure you that no one thing will exclude you, your feelings are normal, what you have accomplished so far is impressive and regardless of the admissions outcomes you will go on to great things if you are confident and determined.
@Panko one aspect of an application that AOs at all of these schools try and determine is fit. At PE the Harkness Table is central to the learning experience, and treating one another with mutual respect and encouragement is considered paramount for a productive discussion. OPs humility, vulnerability and willingness to express her/his self would make her/him an asset to a Harkness discussion.
I hope for your benefit that your predisposition to candor at the expense of kindness is not on display in your applications. That sort of false hubris (even if subtle) will lead to disappointment.
I know “FIT”. I admit I was very condescending and I am sorry for that, and I am not trying to be harsh but realistic. I was interviewed by one of Exeter’s AOs and he said that I was one of the best applicants he had ever met(personality wise/fit wise, because he had not seen my admissions profile yet) and I was waitlisted. Was I angry? No. But I am trying to be truthful.
The need for financial aid will not be a factor with Andover and probably not too much for Hotchkiss, either.
The main issue is that the OP has listed three of the country’s hardest prep schools at which to gain admission, even for applicants with absolutely sterling credentials in almost every way. If he or she wants a good chance to attend boarding school next year, he or she should look for some schools with higher admit rates and a reasonable percentage of students receiving financial aid. Two options might be Cranbrook and Culver.
