Current Choate Student - words of advice for admission and will be taking questions

Prep School Admissions
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<p>hi all!</p>

<p>I'm a sophomore at Choate. I know the application deadline is nearing and all of you are starting to freak about a lot of stuff - don't.</p>

<p>I applied to a number of boarding schools as an 8th grader and I was rejected by all of them. Then I applied again during my 9th grade year and I got into Choate, PA, and Milton! So I guess you could say that I have 2 years of experience when it comes to applying to a BS.</p>

<p>Here's some advice for you guys:</p>

<ol>
<li>There are 6 fundamental things that all come into play when the decision committee is reviewing your application (listed in no specific order)</li>
</ol>

<p>-Grades
-Essay
-SSAT
-Interview
-Extra curricular activities
-Recommendation</p>

<p>The more you build on each category, the better your chances are to get into a top school like Choate, Andover, Exeter, DA, etc.</p>

<p>ALL of those factors are significant in your application process so don't let your guard down on anyone of them, give your 100% on every aspect.</p>

<ol>
<li>I won't be able to give you advice on grades and recommendation letters because it's slightly too late to change that now. BUT i can give you some advice on writing your essays, taking your interviews, and taking the SSAT.</li>
</ol>

<p>Starting with the SSAT. Definitely memorize words! I got a 90% on my first try and I (money was tight so I didnt take it again) but I know that if there's one section I could've done better, it would've been the vocab section. I suggest getting a wordsmart book or a ssat prep book; those usually contain a lot of prevalent SSAT vocab words. If you don't want to a buy a prep book, then you can also search on sites like quizlet. Also, make sure you get a lot of practice in before taking the test. Because, in all honesty, that's your best of way of preparing. I know that there's still one more testing left before applications are due.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>With your essays, try to write something personal or something that reveals YOUR character. dont be generic but be unique. You could have a generic topic but the way you write and incorporate your personal experience into it could make it a really well written essay. Include stories, be SPECIFIC. Show your character and really try to sell yourself to the school. Let someone you trust give it a look and get feed back from them - keep editing and fix mistakes. The best written essays are the ones that are specific and have been perfected through countless attempts.</p></li>
<li><p>When you're doing your interviews, just be yourself! If the school doesn't want someone like you then clearly they're not a good match for you and you're better off going to a school that you'll love (main reason why I chose CRH over PA). Give personal experiences and be specific. The AO's have interviewed hundreds of applicants, so be different and unique. The interview is kind of like a oratory essay component of your application - this is the time when you should be impressing the schools you're applying to. Finally, dress appropriately and smile (:</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Hope that helped, good luck everyone!</p>

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<p>Oh and if you have any questions feel free to ask!</p>

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<p>While I can’t give you any specific essays, the essay that got me into choate was about my defining characteristic, which was persistence. I used specific examples like how I had to be persistent to buid lego sets (which was hobby as a child) and how that characteristic stuck with me through student council and how that persistence gave me the courage to reapply in my 9th grade year.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your post. I hope that you are enjoying Choate and that you are happy with your choice. Would you mind telling me your thoughts on Milton? My DS really loved it, but it’s not a popular option from his school (unlike Choate!), so we don’t hear much anecdotal evidence. Thanks again!</p>

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<p>Thank you GMC2918, coming to choate was one of the best decisions I ever made!</p>

<p>Milton is a fine school - the only reason why I didn’t choose to go was because I didn’t like that fact that 50% of it’s students were day students and 50% were boarders - I wanted to be in a predominantly boarding environment.</p>

<p>The campus itself is relatively small compared to other first tier schools yet the opportunities and academic curriculum it provides is on par with other schools. In terms of college matriculation, Milton is one of the best prep schools in the country. They send an overwhelming amount of kids to Ivy league or it’s equivalent schools each year.</p>

<p>From what I’ve heard, Milton has a very strong humanities curriculum (that’s something you should definitely consider). I also know that they offer an amazing arts program. As for sports, they have a good hockey team but I’m not too sure about other sports; I chose choate over milton because choate had a better soccer program - not sure if that is relevant in your ds’s case, but it’s still good to know.</p>

<p>Milton is very close to Boston so kids can easily get out of campus on the weekends and explore (that’s another plus if your child wants to go to school in an urban environment).</p>

<p>Milton’s boarding system is unique compared to other schools because once a student enters and is assigned to a dorm, they stay in that dorm for the rest of their Milton career - some love this idea but other’s don’t so, again, it’s up to your child.</p>

<p>In all honesty, no school is better than the other once their in the same ball park (Milton is definitely one of the top tier schools in the country) so it all comes down to your child’s preference. don’t make the mistake of sending your child off to a school just for it’s prestige or name because your child might hate it there! It’s not the school that your child goes to that makes a difference, it’s what your child get’s out of his/her experience.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Dear gradclass2020,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! We visited Milton and my DS really loved it, despite the 50/50 boarding issue. I definitely think that’s a negative, but you’re right, it is just one factor out of many to be considered. He is certainly a Humanities/Arts person, as opposed to sports. We had been living abroad for a few years, and I think that Milton seemed more… maybe not international, but diverse. It has a messiness that appeals to him. The proximity to Boston is also a plus for him. He likes the idea of four years in one dorm, but mostly because our tour guide was so enthusiastic about it. Your advisor lives in your dorm as well, and they are with you for the duration. Anyway, Choate is also a top choice for him, primarily because of the Arabic Studies program and the excellent language offerings. His other favorites? Cate and Thacher! It’s an interesting list, and one that doesn’t make a lot of sense to most people, but these four schools really pulled him in. As you say, this will be HIS experience, and I know that his reasons for choosing these four are valid and well thought out. He would be thrilled to be able to attend any one of them! Thank you again for your time and insight - I really appreciate it!</p>

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<p>There are a lot of wonderful things about Milton (we strongly considered it for our son, and know some really great kids who went there or are there now). But one thing that you should know is that Milton has a strongly sports-oriented culture. That’s not to say that they don’t have a great arts program too, or that kids who are into arts can’t find their way there. But sports – particularly boys’ hockey and football – are a big thing, and many people would tell you (including current parents I know) that there has at times been an issue with sports creating a “thuggish” culture on campus. In the last few years there have been some scandals predominantly involving members of sports teams, and reports of the school recruiting a few athletes who are in no way academically qualified to attend the school (by which I mean, not even vaguely close, as opposed to just giving the athlete a thumb on the scale). I have also heard that there is an issue with teachers not feeling particularly heard by the administration, and some division there as a result.
I’m really not trying to run Milton down, as I said, I think there are a lot of really positive things about it. I’m posting this only so that @GMC2918 is aware of some specific things they they might want to ask about in the process of considering different schools.</p>

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<p>Can you list all the schools you applied to and what school do you think has the best humanities,writing, and a good dance program.</p>

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<p>Hi Hsgirl25,</p>

<p>I applied to Andover, Milton, Exeter, Choate, Deerfield and Groton last year. I applied to Andover, Deerfield, Choate, and St. Paul’s School the year before.</p>

<p>In terms of humanities, all of the schools that I applied to had great humanities programs (I specifically chose them for their humanities) but the stronger schools are definitely Milton, Choate (may being a little bias here haha), and Andover!). In terms of writing, I know that several great authors came out of Exeter. Also, if you’re interested in the technicality of writing (like grammar and punctuation), then Choate offers VERY extensive courses on them - in fact, you have to take classes heavily based on how to write in your Sophomore year (I’m taking it right now).</p>

<p>In terms of dance programs, all schools in my list have good programs. I know that Milton has a great arts program but I’m not too sure about their dance program. There are loads of clubs in Exeter and Andover relating to dance (like the hip-hop club). I can’t speak for other schools because I haven’t actually attended school there but I what I can say is that Choate has a phenomenal arts program. We have a building dedicated to the arts designed by I.M. Pei (the same architect that designed the Louvre in Paris). There are plenty of opportunities to dance after school as there are a lot of clubs like the dance club, the step squad, the hip-hop club, etc. I also think you CAN become a arts concentration student through dancing if dancing’s your main think (I’m not too sure though!). Being an arts concentration student (or artscon) means that you take less regular courses and you are excused from playing a sports at school (something that every student has to do) in order for you to practice whatever art you’re concentrating in!</p>

<p>Hope that helps and good luck!</p>

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<p>No problem, glad I could help (:</p>

<p>Though I never looked in to Cate and Thatcher I have friends who go there and they definitely love it there. Looking at your selection, you can’t go wrong with any school!</p>

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<p>Actually, gradclass2020, the Louvre has been around a few centuries longer than Mr. Pei who designed just the glass pyramid for the museum. ;)</p>

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<p>oops! That’s what I meant haha but thanks for pointing that out!</p>

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