Chances of getting into Deerfield, Emma Willard, Choate, Tabor, Kent, Berkshire, Hill School?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi, I am a year 10 student applying for year 11 in the above schools. I know that the results will be out on March 10th, but I just wanted to know my approximate chances. I am fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin and all of the interviews went pretty well, but messed up my SSAT…

details:
SSAT: 69%

grades:
ranked 6th of 180 in 7th grade: overall grade A+
ranked 8th of 175 in 8th grade: overall grade A+
ranked 6th of 164 in 9th grade: overall grade A+

10th-grade first term: pre-IB 39/42 (we don’t have EE, cas, tok yet)

Extra-curriculars + student leadership:
extremely passionate about the performing arts,
RAD grade 8 ballet
ABRSM grade 8 piano
ABRSM grade 8 violin
Associate of Trinity College London degree violin
School’s symphony orchestra (vice-chair + second violin principal)
strings chamber orchestra (committee + second violin principal)
strings ensemble
Acappella
School choir
Coordinator of Music Leadership Camp
Music department activities organizer
Animal care club (community service)
Geography society
skiing (not competitive but pretty decent skier)
swimming (not competitive)

2

Just wanted to commend you on a very thoughtful list of wonderful schools. I think you will be very happy at any of the schools on your list… and I’m pretty certain you will have choices on March 10 (assuming your essays and recommendations are stellar).

3

thank you for the compliment… but I am still very upset by my ssat results. Do you know if the schools I have applied to base a lot of the application on the ssat and if for that reason I might not get accepted?

4

11th grade admissions depend upon spots available & on an applicant’s need for financial aid.

Typically, applicants to the 11th grade take the SAT, but it is up to each school.

Your qualifications are outstanding other than the modest SSAT score.

Without knowing important details such as financial need status & spots available, my best guess is that you will be admitted to Emma Willard, Kent, Berkshire, & Hill.

For Choate Rosemary Hall & for Deerfield Academy, your chance of admission would be better if you were willing to repeat the 10th grade.

P.S. After rereading your post, I think that you are a great candidate for all of these schools, although Tabor Academy is quite small & I am unfamiliar with the school’s music programs & offerings.

At some of these schools, maybe all, the difference may be whether you are a full pay student.

5

thank you so much for your reply! yeah I knew choate and deerfield would be a far reach but hopefully I’ll be able to get into some of the others. I was told that the ssat is extremely important, so I’m really not that confident.
P.S. I am applying as a full pay student

6

Have you been in touch with the music departments at these schools?

I don’t know much about music but I know Tabor, for instance, will let in kids with MUCH worse SSAT if they are a recruited athlete (think in the 30’s). It makes me think that if the music department at Tabor “recruits you” you may have a very strong chance.

7

no, i haven’t reached out to any of the music departments of the schools I applied to, but I did send in videos and recordings through email, and they all said they would add them to my file. Do you know if they will automatically send the materials to the music department for reviewing?

8

No, I do not think that happens automatically and I know that half the time those files aren’t even opened. I would contact your AOs and ask if it makes sense at this late stage for you to speak with people from the music department.

I’m actually not sure they can reply to you at this point but it’s worth a shot.

9

yeah… at this point I feel like it might be too late. I’ll ask my parents and see what they think. However, during my interview with Deerfield, the AO that interviewed me mentioned that he was in charge of the instrumental sections of the school, and seemed rlly interested in what I was doing with music. Idk much about these things, so do you think he was genuine or was it just like an interview thing?

10

I think his interest was genuine.

It’s just that I don’t know how much Deerfield bends on SSAT scores whereas I know Tabor bends a lot on scores. If that makes sense. Maybe some of the Deerfield parents can help you…

11

I think Kent would be a great match for your musical abilities. They are known for music department. Good luck!