Hi, I’m a new member to CC, but I’ve applied to three BS:
choate
andover
exeter
I had my Choate interview a few days ago, and the teacher was really strict and way too formal for me, and I think I messed up a bit because I was too vague when she asked me why I wanted to go to Choate and boarding schools in general… ugh idek anymore. I also talked pretty fast///
For Exeter, that was my first interview, and the teacher seemed pretty interested but I accidentally slouched once (I hope he didn’t notice). Also, I sent him a thank you email, but he didn’t answer it. Does that mean he’s not interested in me?
My SSAT score is a 3150.
Also, can anyone give me some Andover interview advice? I have it next Friday.
xoxo
PS How selective are Choate, Andover, and Exeter? I’m a pretty normal gal who goes to a public middle school, and I’ve had all As and A+s, but I know these schools are known for being extremely selective. If anyone here is attending any of the three, can you please give me a bit of background on what you had in your application/achievements that might’ve stood out?
First, I think you mean 2150 for your SSAT score. Second, I’d say that SSAT’s are about 30% of the process, Essays 25%, Teacher Recs 20%, Interviews 10%, and extracurriculars/extra stuff 15%.
No. Read nothing into it. Etiquette does not require a thank you for a thank you. Think about it: do your relatives send you thank you notes in response to the thank yous you send after receiving a gift? (If you don’t send thank yous for gifts, just don’t admit it here. )
It’s holistic; there is no mathematical formula so don’t drive yourself crazy trying to devise one.
To answer your question, these schools are SUPER selective. Andover has an acceptance rate of about 13%. Exeter is 17% and Choate is 19%. 75% of applicants to these schools are eligible to be admitted, and almost all of them are bright, motivated students. People who get into these schools usually have a ‘hook’. This means that they were legacies or URMs or recruitable athletes or had some other impressive thing going for them. It will be harder to get into these schools if you are an ORM, an international student or you require F/A. Hope this helps!
@kxmkxm: Whatever someone else’s achievements are, they don’t say anything about your application, and most successful applicants will never know for certain what it was about their application that tossed it into the “yes” pile. Also, whatever anyone else might post will only cause you to fruitlessly worry about how you compare. All you or any applicant can do is put your best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may. At this late date, there is nothing material you can do to change yourself, your achievements, or your application. You will have your results on M10. Worrying solves nothing but causes you a lot of stress; it is time wasted.
For those almost at the end of this journey who still wonder why their kid was admitted (do you even care at this point?), I will say that you may be able to get a straight answer from the AD at your school. I’ve posted this before:
I won’t share his answer because it isn’t relevant to anyone but my son and will just causes needless speculation and comparison. I will say it was a characteristic, though, not an achievement, that they saw that was spot on.
Which brings me to another point about Choate specifically. If they are still doing this, the Choate Self-Assessment (which was an online Q/A part of the application) is a tool admissions uses for looking at each applicant in a broader way. It is meant to go beyond the stats to show some of the qualities that appear to be better predictors of success in a high-achieving environment, such as an applicant’s level of self esteem/self-efficacy, locus of control (whether an applicant ascribes their academic success and failures to their own efforts or shortcomings, or to outside forces), and whether the applicant is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated academically. According to Ray Diffley, Choate’s previous director of admissions:
The way Choate uses the self-assessment information can only help you. I can’t think of any reason not to complete it – especially if you are concerned about other portions of your application. If you are the type of personality that would succeed at Choate, this is one more place where you will be able to convey that information. You need to answer each question exactly as it pertains to the way you think and act. Do NOT overthink the questions. For each question, it should be immediately apparent which is the correct answer for YOU. You should complete the assessment quickly, about 20 minutes to answer the 40 questions is sufficient. Do NOT try to determine what the test is looking for; providing a false image of your personality will not help you in any way and will not sustain you in the type of environment that is Choate. If, at your core, you are not the type of personality that will thrive at this school, you do NOT want to go there.
Consider this assessment as not only a way for Choate to see a “you” beyond your numbers but also as a way to help you avoid a school that might not be right for you.
I’d be interested in hearing from current applicants if Choate is still using this assessment.
@kxmkxm I think Choatiemom is describing that there has to be something compelling about each applicant that makes them stand out. I don’t know what our kids’ “big fish” characteristic was, but one had published a lot and was a state track star who went on at Choate to win second place in Yale’s Econ challenge and was a four year track varsity athlete and Cum Laude (top 15%).
Our second was a state champ gymnastics athlete who could have done diving but was a 3 year Varsity Athlete n another sport, 3 language scholar who won scholarships to study Japanese and Chinese abroad while in HS and was also Cum Laude (top 15%). Although others have said its enough to be well rounded, without a hook, in both elite BS and College Admissions, it helps if you stand out in some way by having something compelling in your application. Please close the loop after M10 and let us know where you end up.
Hey Choatiemom, I have a question for you. Could you post your child’s resume, SSAT grades, ecs, recommendations,school grades, interviews, relatives etc.?Thank you very much, I am applying to Choate Rosemary Hall this year.
@Andoverguy: ChoatieKid’s stats (and anyone else’s) have zero bearing on your application or chances of admission, so posting them would be pointless.
Get that kids? No other applicant’s resume has any bearing on yours. You put your best application forward and let the chips fall where they may. That’s all any applicant can do. All of you will know your chances with certainty for any school you applied to on M10. Good luck.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Normally I would delete a post such as #13 as it violates Terms of Service to hijack a thread and it is considered rude to the original poster. However, @ChoatieMom gave such a gracious (and accurate) response, that in this case, I’m keeping it.
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