I am an ORM , 13 year old girl in 8th grade from Connecticut, who is applying to several of the top boarding schools as an incoming freshman. I have already had all of my interviews and submitted my application and was wondering what my chances were to being accepted. I have had all As throughout my middle school years, and am taking all the accelerated classes available at my school. I scored a 98 on verbal, 99 math, and 82 on reading on the SSAT. I know my reading score may be considered low; however, I am hoping my experience in debate will make up for that. I have been debating for approximately 3 years, and have won several tournaments in all formats including Parliamentary, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and Policy. I am a very good reader, and I feel that my essays will help further my case on that subject matter. I also have been playing tennis for 5-6 years and have a few championships. I participated in track and field. I have been a part of the school orchestra for 2 years playing as the principal currently. I have been playing my instrument for 5-6 years now, and am hoping to continue all of these activities at the schools I applied to. My recommendation letters range from above average to excellent, and my debate and tennis coaches wrote exceptional letters. My interviews have all been very interesting, and specifically, with Deerfield and SPS I had interviews that I believe may make me stand out. I have several community service activities and I put a lot of effort into all of my essays. On a side note I am not a FA. What are my chances into being accepted?
?Legacy, athlete? hooks? If you don’t need FA, without legacy or another hook, I’d say you’ll get into Lawrenceville. All others you have a shot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up on multiple waitlists as ORM without legacy.
You sound like a very well-rounded and interesting candidate. I think tennis might be an athletic hook and without needing FA I believe you have a very good shot at being admitted to most of these schools. Good luck on M10.
^^not at all. PEA and PA are full of hooked students.
You sound like an exceptional young lady. Best of luck!
You seem like a strong and generally attractive candidate yet I don’t see a hook. Activities aren’t hooks. I think you could get in everywhere or nowhere or anywhere in between.
I don’t really have a particular hook other than being a very competitive debater winning high school tournaments. Would that qualify as something these boarding schools would accept me for?
I am a strong tennis player as well.
Have you been in communication with any of the tennis coaches at these schools? If so how have their responses been?
Debate, while certainly a valuable skill and good developmental EC is not a hook. Not anymore. Now a great many kids participate in debate. It is an academic EC.
Just to give an update of hsapplicant17’s outcome of his application. He was admitted to SPS, Choate, Middlesex and Lawrenceville. He will attend SPS this fall 2017.
@hsapplicant17 says “she’s” a girl above???
Oops. It is a typo. hsapplciant17 is bsnewbie1050kid.