Hi guys, I just have a question about why so many students in Andover and Exeter are accepted to Ivies . Would Ivies intend to admit more students in Exeter than other schools?Does it really matter for college application which private high school you go to? Does getting straight As in Exeter guarantee your acceptance into Ivies?
Exeter and Andover attract and admit many of the kinds of students that would likely be admitted to top universities, even if these same students had attended a mediocre public school. That’s the gist. Some of these kids are outstanding scholars, athletes and/or artists (that’s what got them into Exeter and Andover in the first place… ) Others have legacy status or some relationship with top universities that would give them a leg up on admissions there. It rarely has anything to do with Exeter and Andover themselves or anything their faculty or college counselors said or did.
No. Let me emphasize - no. Or, to quote from one of this weekend’s SNL sketches - Aw Hell No. Ivy League schools (and their peers) routinely reject applicants with 4.0/36/1600 stats and accept applicants with lower stats. Stats are but one part of the admissions package.
As I’ve stated many times on this site, a boarding school may give a student the tools with which to develop him/herself into a viable candidate, but others schools may as well. Colleges admit students, not boarding schools.
There are no guarantees in college admissions. Period.
As @skieurope has said boarding school/ private school does not equal admissions to ivies
Even the best BS whatever that is, doesn’t guarantee admission to top schools (ivies or otherwise). You have to be a compelling applicant.
I’m sitting on my hands…
I’m answering your second question:
It doesn’t matter.
Focus on being your best self - whether at LPS, boarding school, homeschool or private school. Ivies take people from all backgrounds.
Now the soapbox for all students who might stumble on this post:
Take advantage of opportunities wherever you are. Choose your path based on the experience you would like to have (as much as you are able) and not because of a potential college acceptance. Make you the BEST you, and let the chips fall where they will.
And finally:
Getting straight A’s at any school does not guarantee acceptance anywhere.
What you do with your education matters more than where you got it. MUCH more.
As a manager, I don’t care where job candidates went to school. I care whether they kicked a** at their last job and will enhance the capabilities of our team and accelerate our progress.
There is no guarantee about acceptance to any selective school from anywhere. Just to be clear - PA/PEA or any other school will not guarantee acceptance to any college.
The kids who get into Ivys (and other selective schools) from PA and PEA would have gotten accepted from other HS too because the factors would probably have been there (a combination of academics, sports, arts, legacy, geographic diversity, etc).
Even if you are top 10% academically at a school that has 20-30% of students matriculate to Ivy’s (with higher numbers getting acceptances) that does not mean you will get an acceptance at one.
Choose a HS school because of what it will be for HS not for college admission.
I’m no expert on this, but:
Harvard can choose any book-smart genius. Every single one in the country applies to them. What you have to do is prove to them that you are not that. You have to prove you are a book-smart genius, PLUS something else. That can be something as little as character, or some sort of life. Or, maybe you are a journalist who is the editor-in-chief of 'The Exonian," or maybe a theater pro who’s played the lead or supporting role in consecutive musicals. At a school like Harvard, you have to not only be (really) smart, but also have a “hook” that tells them that you have some sort of life outside academics.
One exception to this is if you are somewhat of a jock; someone who excels at athletics. I know for a fact that if you get decent grades at a top boarding school, and play a varsity sport, they could very well take you. By attending such a prestigious and reputable school, you give them the academic qualification they need, and the coaches do the rest ;).
Not sure about Exeter, but Andover publishes a yearly class statistic page for colleges. This is the one for the class of 2017. It’s got a lot of info that might help you:
https://www.andover.edu/files/PhillipsAcademySchoolProfile2017-2018.pdf
Exeter does the same, although they don’t do it for one single year.
https://www.exeter.edu/sites/default/files/documents/college_matriculation.pdf
https://exeter.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Profile%20for%20Colleges.pdf
I would say it’s statistics. If they are accepting about 15% of kids coming in, they are picking the cream of the crop already. These kids from schools across the US represent many various talents as others have noted plus they are deemed able to do the academic work. Next, if a kid can do extremely well in such a competitive environment they are attractive to all schools including Ivies. Finally, kids need to have a total picture that goes beyond grades and stats. What makes them unique ( I mean REALLY unique) Is this something the college wants/needs. This is what gains acceptance.
I also believe (sadly) that many public schools in the US allow zero access to Ivy league schools. They take a single kid every couple of years ( or none at all) , while others take a dozen per year. Many private schools work very hard to send in recommendations that support the student in a very personalized way ( that other schools who have 1 counselor cannot). This specialized approach helps BS students.
In the Ivy league, you will meet more kids who have had access to the best public and private schools. Access is an important part of success. It’s changing but there is a boost going to a strong BS/public school.