Chances of getting into Choate

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi guys,

I’m a freshman applying to Choate for 9th grade/third form, and I just wanted to know what my chances are of getting in.

Basic Info:

  • Chinese; lived in China for 12 years, California for 2, now New York
  • no financial aid
  • fluent in Mandarin and English
  • my school is basically a private school because a lot of ppl go to CHYMPS type school. it’s in the top 5 public high schools in NY state
  • I’ve moved around a lot!! between China and the U.S. so I guess I have an interesting story
  • for the ECs, I’ve done a lot more than that but those are the ones I did for the longest amount of time
  • all of my classes this year are advanced except for English because for 9th and 10th grade everyone takes the same English classes.

Stats:

  • I don’t know what my grades are this year (all the teachers update their students’ grades every month or two), but I had all A’s for the second semester of 8th grade (it’s a long story but I was kind of forced to move to a new country by the government without knowing beforehand so I was really depressed at the beginning of 8th)
  • I took the SSAT last October and I got 2376, but idk if the score is valid or not. I just took the ISEE and I got 9, 9, 8, 7.

EC:

  • I ran track for 4 years and I was captain of my middle school team. I’m also gonna join track during the winter season
  • I’ve done all sorts of painting for 7 years now, I have a book with all of my oil paintings, and I won a schoolwide art competition.
  • I danced for 7 years, I don’t do it now but I danced at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Rolex Masters with my school dance team.
  • I’ve done all sorts of community service, I taught local Chinese students English for 2 years, volunteered at a convention for MPS diseases this summer and also taught some of the kids English, my parents and I donated a lot of school supplies to students in rural China and visited them ( I don’t really know I guess it counts as cs?)
  • I started playing tennis 3 years ago but not competitively
  • I was on the ski team for a year and I competed in Austria at this competition I forgot the name of. I also might do ski during winter (either track or ski idk which one)

Recs:

  • I haven’t asked my teachers yet but I think I will get decent/good recommendations because I participate in class, ask them for help after class even though I don’t need it, and I don’t talk to my friends that much.

Essays:

  • I just started writing them but all my teachers say that I am a good writer so I guess they will also be okay? I feel like this is too early to ask but I really want to know

Interview:

  • will know in a month

(my parents don’t think I’ll get in and I agree with them. but I am still going to try my hardest to get in.

2

Why do your parents think that you won’t be admitted ?

What is your biggest weakness ?

3

My parents think that Choate only accepts the best of the best and I’m pretty average, and also I’m Chinese, and most of the Chinese students that get accepted that lived in China have parents that donate like 3 million dollars+. My biggest weakness is that I procrastinate/am lazy, but I still get my work done.

4

I just do not see any weakness. Apply to several boarding schools as you have a very interesting background & seem well qualified.

5

Thanks for the compliment! That actually means a lot to me.

6

Sorry, I have only had ONE cup of coffee this morning…@ilovechoateeeee wrote
“My parents think that Choate only accepts the best of the best and I’m pretty average, and also I’m Chinese, and most of the Chinese students that get accepted that lived in China have parents that donate like 3 million dollars+”…
Are you serious?
I am suspecting that this post was actually written by a Choate rival student =))

7

Dear OP: Lots of holes in your story - you shared your high SSAT score, but you state that you are not sure if “it is valid or not”? You competed in a ski competition in Austria, but forgot the name of it? If you are a true applicant, OK - but hope you can get these facts in order before you interview and apply.

8

Hi, yeah I am actually applying to Choate. For my SSAT score, I took it a year ago and I think the score needs to be from the academic year in which I am applying. I am not joking about the donation part. And for the ski competition, it wasn’t an official one, my school ski team just went to Austria for a trip and there was like a competition at the ski resort and we participated.

9

Also, do you guys have any tips on how I could increase my chances of getting in? I appreciate any kind of feedback, and if you have any questions about anything I listed feel free to ask me. My parents are also going to donate $100,000 but I don’t know if it’s helpful or not.

10

You don’t know if donating $100,000 would be helpful or not???

11

A $100K “donation” from someone with no connection to Choate that coincidentally arrives in the same academic year as their kid’s application will be viewed for what it is.

Choate will gladly take your parents’ money and give them a hearty handshake, but there will be no quid pro quo for a measly 100K. A meaningful donation will have 2 more zeroes at the end.

12

Yeah that was what I meant.