<p>I've done separate threads on my ssat's, ec's, and other things but right now i'm going to pack it into one thread. If there is anything you think i can change or do better please tell me. Be harsh.
SSAT- 2262 96% overall
794 math 97%
710 reading 93%
752 verbal 89%</p>
<p>I play soccer competitively.
I've been playing piano and bass for over 6 years and 2 years respectively.
I do a lot of community service with younger children.
I am a straight A student.
My teachers adore me and always talk about me when leadership roles arise.
I can write a good essay and rarely make mistakes when speaking formally.
I can get my point across in speech.
People always tell me that i am respectful and good with adults. </p>
<pre><code> The only 2 setbacks are.....
</code></pre>
<p>My principal dislikes me. I got into an incident last year. Everything was taken care of but she still holds a grudge.
I go to a montessori school. If you haven't heard of it, it's mission is to treat all students equally. That means no honors, no ranks, no competitions, no winning and the montessori system is better known for slower children. That adds up to on the application that i cant put any academic achievements down other than a few gifted cty things. If you have any ideas on what i can put then please say. </p>
<p>I am applying to Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, SPS, Taft, Choate, Lawrenceville, Hotchkiss, Loomis, and a few fallbacks. </p>
<p>Thank you for reading my long post. Please tell me how i can improve and feel free to say anything you'd like.</p>
<p>Don't worry about the awards, etc. thing. My child's middle school was a public one but very non-competitive - no honor roll, awards, rankings...it won't hurt you because you can show your accomplishments through your ECs, grades, teacher recs.</p>
<p>I think you look solid - but it's always a bit of a crap shoot at the most competitive schools.</p>
<p>Does your current school have a guidance counselor type person? If so, your principal doesn't need to write a reference or anything anyway. See what you can do between now and December to get her to like you better...treat it like a little game with yourself..."how can I get Principal Holds-a-grudge to like me better?"</p>
<p>Your school will not hold you back -- Exeter (and Hotchkiss??) esp. like kids from unique education backgrounds because it adds diversity. </p>
<p>Your stats sound good, but nothing seems to jump out at me. I would bring up that verbal -- prep schools really care about verbal because you will be writing lotsssss of papers and are expected to be articulate (which you probably already are, but a verbal score would back that up). Maybe work on the reading too.</p>
<p>Playing soccer competitively will help.. are you recruit-able? captain or anything? would your coach vouch for your talent in a letter? what about your music coach?</p>
<p>Creative, what do you mean its a bit of a crap shoot? The incident was that i wrote a nasty note to somebody. It was hurtful and mean. I apologized immediately realizing my mistake. The person who received the note was ok after a few days but the principal never "recovered". I have been called by a few teams to play for them if thats what you mean blairt. My coach and my piano teacher are both good friends ( in an authority sort of way). They would write great comments.
Blairt, i read that you got into exeter. What was your hook? What do you think would help me out and get somebodies attention?</p>
<p>It's good you're applying to a lot of schools. I'm glad you're applying to Choate as well; I'm going there this year (less than a week, actually!), and I'd LOVE to answer questions about Choate or the application process. You can email or PM me next year as well while I'm at Choate. </p>
<p>I'm sorry about the incident. I know what it's like to be in trouble by the authorities, and esp. if they have an influence on admissions. If you were given serious disciplinary action, the principal (or whoever writes the School Report for you) will have to write that down, I believe. Detentions don't count (at least I didn't put down mine). It's serious action taken - like suspensions, etc.</p>
<p>"rarely make mistakes when speaking formally" - this will help in interviews. Also the fact that you are good with adults. It's good to be respectful, but be sure you DO get your point across - don't be painfully shy in interviews. :)</p>
<p>Some advice is just to read these threads over .... also look on Google for such things. BSR. com (boardingschoolreview.com) is great for only one thing in my opinion - the student reviews. They have them for about every school that you mentioned, and it gives you a great insight into the good and bad about academic and dorm/student life as well.</p>
<p>Keep your SSATs high and keep studying for them. Once you've reached a certain point (which you have), they don't really matter AS much as other aspects of your application, but they are very important in comparing some applicants to others. The essay on the SSAT is very important too, so make sure you use your good writing abilities for that because it's the one essay where they know that you can't have copied or anything, so if there is a big discrepancy between that and your submitted graded one (bad grammar, poor presentation), then they'll wonder.</p>
<p>Oh yes, definitely not cocky or arrogant. A good middle ground is nice - show them you have a nice personality but be a little reserved; let them talk too</p>
<p>Especially at Choate, I know, keep your answers to their questions at medium length. I had a teeny problem with that, I think I spoke too much; it's a bad habit of mine. :)</p>
<p>Oh, I applied to Andover as well as Choate, though I've been dying to go to Choate since the spring of 7th grade. I was actually waitlisted at Choate and got in on May second. :) They'd actually overenrolled originally this year because admissions were so competitive, so I'm assuming that they might curb their admitted students even more next year because of this. Though don't worry - you sound like you're a very good candidate and I'm sure you'll be fine! You MIGHT be waitlisted at one of these schools - it's a possibility, and admissions are so mercurial these days - so if you need any advice about this or about admissions in general or Choate, just PM me.</p>
<p>mcskittlz10, what are the few fallbacks you plan on applying to? Don't apply to too many. I remember when I had my Exeter interview, my interviewer asked me all the schools I had applied to. It was a lengthy amount (something like 8) and he didn't seem to enthused about it. No worries though, I still was accepted, but I would say don't apply to way to many schools (upwards of 10) because I think most boarding schools would think your applying everywhere just to get in, and that the school you are interviewing with (Exeter in my situation) is not number 1 on your list.</p>
<p>Try to find a few fallback schools that you love. Of course you have chances at the very competitive schools, but just remember that in general people don't apply unless they think they have a chance of being accepted. This makes the applicant pool very competitive. You should visit all the schools you are interested in, but my suggestion is to try to keep your final list to 8. It's very time consuming writing all the applications. After you visit, you may find that some schools are not a good match for you, even if they are still wonderful schools. If you have your heart set on boarding school, be certain that your final list includes a few of your fallback schools.</p>
<p>McskittlZ10 - had to chuckle about your montessori comment. Don't worry, there are many montessori kids at great b.s. My son is one of several at the school he is attending. In fact, the montessori style of learning is quite compatible with the harkness method and many montessori students find the transition very easy.
Just think - you also have a unique perspective to share in interviews and essays coming from this type of educational background as well.
Good luck.</p>
<p>Well, yeah, Livy :), that is the golden rule, but that's if you reallly want to go to boarding school. Some people only want to go away from their home if they know they can get the best. My dad was insistant on that: thus, I applied to eight schools, but six of them were AESDGM (G is Groton, M is Milton, about as competitive as CHL.)</p>
<p>Oh, sorry. I forgot Milton and Groton, yeah. I think my eyes just skim over the "Ton" at the end. :) I had a joke with my friend and this one girl in our grade who wanted to go to Princeton because her family is pressuring her to go there and her dad's on the board and had applied to Groton and Milton, so we said that she was going to all the "ton"s.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about the awards or placement values, it's not that much compared to your SSAT score and GPA, but I don't know what to say about the "incident" except how bad was it?</p>