Chances of getting into Lawrenceville, Exeter, Andover, and Choate

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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Hi everyone! I am a rising sophmore this year that is interested in applying to Choate, Lawrenceville, Exeter, and Andover for the year of 2021. I would be applying as a repeat sophmore to these schools. I have discussed it alot, but I am a summer birthday, and I think that in order to have a shot at getting into these schools and maintaining the academic standard at them, I would need to repeat a year. That being said, I am hoping to gain some guidance on how to write the best application/ essays/ what my chances are at getting into these schools. Here are my current stats

Grades: In 8th grade I ended with all As except for a B in latin and a B in math. I only took latin for a year though. In 8th grade I tried a year at a small private school in my area but I didn’t like it (for many reasons) so I went back to my public school for 9th. In 9th grade (this past year) I ended with all As except for 2 Bs.

Honors english: A
H history: A-
H Biology: B
Average Algebra 2: B
Mandarin (it is unleveled as a 9th grader): A+
Diversity (unleveled elective): A+
Concert band: A-

Currently for sophmore year I will be taking

H chemistry, Honors Mandarin 3 (btw before 8th grade I had taken 4 years of mandarin so they put me in the highest track), A Pre calc, Honors english, H US 1 , AP art history, AP computer science principals

Current extracurriculars;

7 years lacrosse-School JV team and school teams
7 years alto saxaphone-Concert band, Jazz ensemble, private lessons
4 years student government- Class president this past year
1 year Mock trial-varsity team
5 years Debate- part of debate team, won 17th at nationals, 2x cross ex award, silver at state tournament

Due to covid it will be hard to continue my activities. However my school is still offering jazz band, im still doing private lessons, student gov, mock trial, and debate, so all of those activities I will be continuing. Furthermore, I will not be applying to financial aid.

I have already had my interview at lawrenceville and andover, and I think it went well, however I dont know if I should schedule another one for 2021 (they offered to do another closer to the upcoming year).

This summer I took two college classes at Georgetown, in the Hoya summer scholar program, (international relations and Networking) which I have received an A and a B+ in.)

I took the SSAt years ago, getting an 84%. Its not very good, however this was two years ago and hopefully i will do better. I recently took a baseline SAt and received an 1100 (no prior studying or anything). So hopefully with the next year to prepare I can improve alot.

I am not a minority either, (although idk if that affects admissions), nor am I seeking financial aid. Personally, choate and lawrenceville are my top choices, and I would love to attend both of them. Any advice?

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Update: My cousin is also a legacy at lawrenceville and wrote me a letter of recommendation- I also applied with rolling admission for this year as a sophmore, but was waitlisted due to a lack of spots (which I expected becasue I applied over the summer during covid). Also, I am no longer class president so i know that that might hurt my resume. However I have also organized community service events during covid (2 different events, one in the newspaper) and I am planning to continue with some sort of community service. The reason for applying to these schools is increased iopprotunity, but also becasue my home life is not great and Im really seeking an escape/community that can support my pasions and interests. (also im sorry about my bad spelling for this whole thing, my keyboard is a little broken)

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@QBc9013

Honestly, it’s hard to say.

Just like college admissions, there are so many qualified students in the applicant pool.

BS applicants are usually a self-selective bunch. Most are legacies or go-getters. Most are top of their class. Most are accomplished or at least ambitious.

I’ve helped dozens of students learn more about Exeter, toured over 20 families, and chatted with almost 40 prospective students. They were all amazing students with brilliant ECs and academics, yet only an exceptionally small handful of them got it. It was sad to see, but not a surprise to see.

I think you shouldn’t worry about “Chance Me” posts. Just put your best foot/face forward and you got this! No point in comparing yourself to others and having others, outside the admission committee, judging you. What you should focus on is how fit you are to the school and how fit the school is for you.

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I think the larger issue is that no one can truly say because the applicant pools are extraordinarily talented and no one outside the school knows exactly what a given school wants and needs in a given year.

GPAs, SSATs, ECs, etc. should - IMO - be thought of as things that might preclude you, but will definitely not guarantee you anything. So if your SSAT %ile is 20 points below the average in the schools you’re shooting for, work on that. But if you’re in line to slightly higher, don’t waste effort trying to go from a 94th %ile to 97th. Won’t make a difference.

Check out the various ‘decisions’ threads where kids post a rundown of their profile. Not just stats but subjective opinions of their essays, interviews, etc. Then look at where they were admitted, rejected, and wait listed. It should be enlightening and I mean that in a good way! There are always surprises in both directions
“that kid got accepted to XYZ?!?” as well as “that kid got rejected!!!”

Pursue a passion (or two), go deep, and stand out. How will the AOs refer to you in shorthand (e.g. “the Eagle Scout tuba player”)?

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Why do you prefer Choate and L’ville over Andover and Exeter?

Most applicants would much rather attend Andover and Exeter vs the other two.

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I doubt that’s true of “most,” but I will happily let you quote your source with valid data. ?

IMO, most applicants would be happy to have the choice. Sadly for most applicants the choice is made for them.

For the record, I would have been very happy to have attended Choate. I would not have even contemplated PEA. That is why, if options exist, fit needs to be evaluated.

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Also disagree with Teahupo. I’m not what “most applicants” means.

My daughter looked at Choate (current student) and L’ville and loved both. She looked at Andover and really disliked it - it seemed cold and impersonal and seemed way too big. She chose not to look at Exeter for similar reasons. The other schools she applied to were were SPS, Hotchkiss, Groton, Deerfield, Westminster, It’s really all about what “feels” right to that particular individual.

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Hi! I currently go to Lawrenceville! If they offered to give you another interview and you would. be able to do it I would say go for it! Interviews are the best way for the school to get to know you and you to get to know the school a little more :slight_smile:

I would say just continue what you are doing, focus on your grades and scores. However, your grades and scores are not the most important thing because just like with college admissions, your grades are not what will get you in at the end it will be you extracurriculars, your essays, and your interview!

Good luck!! If you have any questions about Lawrenceville I am a rising junior there so I would be happy to answer any!

1 Like
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I am applying for the same exact schools and grade, and I’m so nervous!

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@hi2004 I attended Lville’s summer program, my teachers loved me. Do you think that could have impacted my chances?

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no, generally that has not shown to increase chances of admission

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Thank you sooo much! I just submitted all of my applications! I worked super hard on my essays, repeated my interview, had my alumni cousin write a personal letter of recommendation in addition to my app. However about the school, I am definitely a little worried. I know how unlikely it even is to get accepted in the first place, but if I were to be accepted I am worried about a recurring problem I seem to hear. I have seen alot of niche reviews and other people say how mentally taxing Lawrenceville is. I understand that the environment is extremely rigorous and competitive, but I have heard that the school is very “sink or swim” and does not provide any support to that rigor. Is this true? What is ur experience with this? I can hold my own and persevere through difficult situations well and have been fine in “sink or swim” environments before, but I truly thrive under at least a little academic support.

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Sorry this is so late! I did Summer Scholars too (if that’s what you are talking about). I don’t believe it helps that much in your application but I know a good amount of students who attend Lawrenceville and also went to that program.

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Hi! I wouldn’t necessarily say Lawrenceville is a “sink or swim” environment. However, yes, it is rigorous and you won’t be able to just slack off. That being said, there is definitely a lot of support on campus. We have consultation 4 times a week which is a 45 minute period where you can go to any of your teachers and ask them for help if you need it. If you can’t make that time or just feel that you need a one on one session, teachers are also very willing to set up a different time. Many of them even live on campus making it easier to meet with them in person too. Besides that we have a tutoring program where you can get help from other students. Overall, Lawrenceville is a very supportive place which is why I think it is very different from the other top schools: you get a good education but you also have friends, advisors, teachers who want to support you along the way. Everyone is very willing to lend a hand, you just have to ask for it! Hope that helped. :slight_smile:

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Definitely cleared up some concerns! Thank you :blush:! Overall lawrenceville is def my top choice so thank you!!!