Hey there! I’m currently a sophomore (4th former) at Choate Rosemary Hall. I know the admissions and application process is a doozy so if you have any questions or concerns, I (and other members of the CC community) will try our best to answer them! Hope this helps 
What is a “former”?
What would you say are some qualities Choate is looking for in its applicants?
@YoungThriver it’s really just a technicality haha; Choate uses the “form system” where grades 9-12 are referred to as forms 3-6, so:
Freshman - 3rd former
Sophomore - 4th former
Junior - 5th former
Senior - 6th former
@ajl021 That is interesting. Why doesn’t it start at 1? No 1st former?
Let’s not go too far off topic, but the use of forms is a carryover from Victorian times in the UK educational system. 1st form is 7th grade; 2nd form is eighth grade, neither of which Choate has. Groton, which does have an 8th grade, refers to that class as 2nd form
OP, what’s your experience with admissions? You were admitted, but do you have experience with how they choose among a slew of applicants? Posters will need to know if this is only based on your own experience applying.
Did you begin at Choate as a 3rd former? Do you know many people from Indiana there? Admissions wise, how many people (if you know) repeat as a 4th former?
How hard are the classes, specifically which ones are the hardest? What’s dorm life like there? Sorry I’m asking so much, but I’m really really interested in Choate.
@skieurope Thanks for the clarification!
@ajl021 Hi, thanks for offering your insights on CRH. We noted the school doesn’t seem to have many dining room sitting rules - freshmen rotating with other freshmen, or faculty sitting among the students. Do you find students still mix with a large cross section, or do they usually hang with their friends? Thank you.
@ajl021 What was the most stressful assignment you’ve received so far?
@willmo honestly, I wouldn’t say Choate is looking for anything that other BS don’t as well. But, here are a few that I believe are valued highly. Disclaimer: I’m not an admissions officer of any kind, this is just based on my own application process and my experience at Choate.
- Academic and personal integrity All major assignments have to be signed with an honor code and students who are caught violating that code receive hearings in front of a student body group called the Judicial Committee which recommends a sentence to the Dean of Students. All in all, one of the most important qualities is maintaining integrity no matter what one is doing.
- Unique interests Choate has a wide variety of different opportunities with over 50 extracurricular clubs and many signature programs (definitely check them out on the website), so it's important to have special interests or hobbies that are outside of the normal academic curriculum. These will help you to stand out among other applicants for sure!
- Thoroughly interested in the school - interview points! One thing I remember from my interview was how helpful it was to keep the conversation going by simply doing my research beforehand and being able to show how much a really wanted to attend the school. Oftentimes, one of the most important things is how good of a fit an applicant will be to the respective school's environment. If it seems as if you are ready to utilize the unique opportunities offered to the school and is representative of the school's values, your interviewer is more likely to have a better impression of you. Make sure to come up with some thoughtful questions!
- Well-rounded This may seem to conflict with point #2, but really it's more about making sure that unless you are off-the-charts amazing at something, you keep a good balance between all aspects of your application. For me, there was nothing that would've immediately caught an admissions officer's eye (to be completely candid); I was not an athletic recruit, my academics were solid but nothing that stood out (my school didn't have honors or AP), I was not artistically strong at all, and I had my fair share of extracurriculars but again, I wasn't winning awards or anything. So, I can't say this will ensure admission, but it definitely doesn't hurt!
- Willing to be an active part of the community Choate's slogan is "a place of many paths" which references back to the vast amount of different extracurricular and academic options for students. Students are encouraged to try new things, create their own club, run/apply for the many available student leadership opportunities, attend form events and socialize at weekend activities.
- Passionate This one's pretty simple: somebody who wants to make the most out of the Choate experience (adding on to point #5). Show that you value what Choate has to offer!
@lookingforward great question, thanks for giving me an opportunity to clarify! My experience in admissions is almost only limited to my own experience (I have had conversations with my peers as well as some admissions officers, nothing too in depth). I am definitely not an admissions officer and although I am happy to help with what I can about admissions questions concerning what they are looking for, I am in no way speaking for the Choate admissions office. Also, and this may not be the best forum for this topic of discussion (still new to the whole CC community), I would probably be a better asset in answering questions regarding the Choate environment (school life, boarding experience, etc.) Hope this helps!
@CavsFan2003 no problem at all, Choate is honestly a great school (can’t say I’m not biased though haha) so I was a new 3rd former (did not repeat), and our school currently has two students from Indiana. I don’t know anyone personally who repeated as a 4th former (definitely doesn’t mean there aren’t any), but I know of a couple that repeated as 3rd formers and one who repeated as a 5th former.
For me, I think Choate is as hard as you want to make it. There are so many different options that you can essentially choose your workload. For example, year-long math and language courses are divided into three levels (normal, accelerated, and honors), and science and history courses are divided into normal and honors. Students also have the opportunity to add a sixth course, but that is not mandated. With that being said, there is still a fair share of homework each night (ranging from an hour to sometimes more than 4 during an especially stressful week) and reasonable graduation requirements that need to be fulfilled through both core classes and electives.
Dorm life is really nice! The first year, you probably won’t be able to choose your own dorm or roommate which can sometimes be annoying, but after that it’s pretty much smooth sailing in terms of rooming. I’m currently rooming with a really close friend and we’ve had a wonderful time so far, but you can also choose to room in a single and for juniors and seniors, there are opportunities to room in a triple or even a quad. Choate also has mug nights, which is a weekly mid-study time snack provided by an advisor that provides a great time for the dorm to socialize and eat great food! You really grow close with your advisor(s) over the year and I’ve definitely been caught referring to my dorm as “home”. If you live in a big dorm, you may not be able to become close friends with everybody, but, at least for me, everybody is amicable and welcoming. This certainly doesn’t cover everything, so if you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to continue asking!
@BordDuLac Yeah, so our main “dining hall rule” would be the separation of different sections for different forms. The front of the dining hall is the senior section which is exclusively for seniors (and invited friends/teammates). Then, there’s a sophomore/junior section, and to the side, a freshman section that is also open to those in other forms since it’s quite big. But within each form, there are no divisions, and faculty are free to sit wherever they would like although they tend to choose the front tables of the sophomore/junior section.
Personally, I have friends in both forms above and below me, but the majority of my close friends are in my grade. One can meet students from other forms through classes, library, dorms, clubs, and sports teams, so you are never limited to having friends in your own form. But, I have more in common with those in my grade (even more so with those who I am friends with), so I usually spend more time with them. Within each grade there are definitely social groups, but from my experience, they will never purposefully try to exclude you whether you ask to sit with them at lunch or hang out in a study room, although it might be a bit awkward. Hope this answers your questions!
@YoungThriver To be completely honest, I am not great at all with time management which contributed in large to the stress that I had on this particular assignment. I had to write and perform a five-minute thesis-driven history speech that was due the week before winter break and although we were given the assignment in late November, I waited all the way until the last week to begin (a horrible mistake, of course). I had difficulty trying to find a interesting topic and ended up having to write and familiarize myself with the essay over a period of three days which led to a lot of late nights staying up past lights out and could’ve been avoided almost entirely if I had simply begun earlier. Honestly, if you organize your time really well and don’t overcrowd your plate, you shouldn’t have too much stress (at least in your freshman and sophomore years).
@ajl021 Thanks! Such a thoughtful answer.
@ajl021 how many get accepted into Choate for 10th grade?
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Let’s be realistic with the OP; she does not know the intricacies of admissions - none of us do. So let’s not ask her questions she can’t possibly answer. e.g. “How many get accepted into X grade?” or “What can I do do improve my chances?” Ask her about her experiences at Choate - 'What are the classes/dorms/sports/food like?" “How does she manage her time?” “What was her biggest adjustment?” etc.
Thank you, this couldn’t come at any better time, my son is applying to Choate and we were floored during our visit. such an amazing school. I understand that Choate has a lot to offer; by far most amazing facilities that we have seen all across. I understand that school is need aware, what was your experience in this regard? we could potentially pay the full cost, but it would mean to cut off many other important part of family expenses. Best.