Hi,
I am applying to Choate, Exeter and Andover but, I only started the process in late December. Is that too late?
Grade 9/ Applying for Grade 10
FP/FA: FP
International Student
British citizen, living in the middle east
Also, what are the deals with the interview, are skypes permissible since the US is a good 14 Hr flight from here.
Could someone help me out here, please
IMO the answer is yes. It’s very late to start applying at the end of December but I don’t think that’s what you want to hear and I suspect that’s why people aren’t posting.
If you can get recommendations fast tracked and take the ssat and write amazing essays and even get a Skype interview (schedules fill up) more power to you. I suppose it is possible but it’s going to be very very hard.
For those schools you will need excellent ssat scores. You will need excellent recommendations. Teachers should be saying you are one of the “best they’ve ever taught” for the schools you list. At our middle school we were told if we wanted recs we needed to tel teachers by the end of September. Your essays will need to be personal and well written. Have you researched those schools? Do you have compelling reasons for wanting to go to them other than their current ranking of 1,2,3? That’s not a reason for choosing a school, at least according to every AO I’ve ever spoken with.
If you are serious about applying you need to call first thing Monday to set up interviews. I know several schools that filled up interview slots last year and kids were left without options.
I think it really depends on how much you have gotten done since you started the process a week or two ago.
If you really dove in headfirst and got all the information together, signed up for your SSATs, Secured your recommendations and started your essays, then I think it’s doable. Hard but totally doable.
The fact that you are asking “what’s the deal with interviews” makes me feel like perhaps you are still in the investigative phase. Nothing wrong with investigating! But know that for this cycle, for those few schools you mentioned, you would need to get out of research and into action very quickly. Andover has a little more wiggle room with a later deadline but still…it’s around the corner.
As I sit here, I am waiting for my daughter to finish her SSATs, which means unless you took them today too, you’ve missed the last main test date. (You could do a flex test, or check if schools would accept February test — Andover does I believe.)
Anyway, it’s possible but wouldn’t be easy. Still if you really want it then roll up your sleeves and make it happen.
If you do decide to apply, my strong suggestion is to add schools to your list. Oh and also: get interviews and SSATs and recommendations scheduled ASAP. You can always write another essay but these other required items need to be coordinated with the schedules of others.
Or, you may want to wait until next year and apply as a repeat 10th?
I am totally in the same boat as you. I only discovered boarding schools as an option recently (middle of December 2019) and took my SSATs today. However, I did a lot of work and am super enthusiastic and motivated about it. I scheduled the interviews yesterday and they’re coming up soon. Now all I need to do is track down the remaining teachers and get my recs in. 
I’m applying to two BS, both highly competitive, and honestly, I’m not sure I’ll make it into either. I’m still doing the best I can regardless. However, with the right attitude, anything can be accomplished and don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. Good luck and don’t give up!
I hope you can still get an interview slot. I was unable to interview for a couple of the schools I applied to (previous application cycle) due to calling the admissions office too late
Firstly, I only want to hear the reality and nothing but it, I knew from the second the application process started that I was very late. Secondly, I am planning to call the admissions office first thing tomorrow (UAE time) and schedule a possible interview.
Also, Is 13 Hrs a week to Feb enough time to get into the 90th Percentile for the SSAT, I have seen the Exeter ethos and fallen in love with it alongside the Harkness method. I have also shortlisted the Princeton school of Hun and Deerfield but not applied to those.
So far, I have finished my personal essay and my parents are working on their statement. As for the recommendation, I would be asking my teacher(s) tomorrow but, I have only been in this school for 4 months so I don’t really know my teachers very well though I doubt they would deny a recommendation. Since I started school I have been in 4 different schools in 3 Different countries in 2 continents so, i don’t know many teachers I have a ‘strong bond’ with.
Finally, are there any other schools that you would apply for and what is American boarding schools policy with regards to foreign nationals, are they stricter or less strict?
Even though I doubt I will get in, Somone told me you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (Which does not make sense but has a valid point)
I hope everyone else applying has a better chance than me.
Thank you for your replies 
@Roconut –
I love your spirit, and I am cheering for you.
A few thoughts – many schools use Harkness, so really – do NOT limit yourself to these few schools! My suggestion is to take an hour and search “hidden gems” here and see how many amazing schools come up and are discussed! Also, if you know specifically what you are looking for in a school, we may be able to help with suggestions of schools that might fit the bill to help you sift through the hundreds of options out there.
SSATs –
I would take a practice test immediately to get a sense of where you are here. You will have one shot to take the test it would seem, so knowing if you are in the 60th range or the 85th range would be super helpful. If you haven’t bought the two extra tests and online SSAT content (It’s like 70$), I would consider starting there, and getting that practice test done. This is really a big key to making any sort of guess about february results. (Also, look at flex testing options when you are on the SSAT site).
All just my ideas – feel free to ignore.
FP to me means you have a decent chance of going next year if you expand your school search.
AFAIK and from reading on cc it is harder, much harder (?) to get into schools as a foreign national. You will not get any leeway because you haven’t been going to school in the us.
Are you a native English speaker? If not most, maybe all, top schools will require a toefl (is that it, please someone wiser correct me) which measures your ability to participate in school that’s all in English.
As far as teachers knowing you, that shouldn’t be a problem. For most kids in the US the teachers they have in 8th grade are new to them as well. So US kids are also asking teachers they’ve only had for a few months for recommendations.
Agree with the above advice. Exeter may be one of the most well-known, but it doesn’t have a corner on the Harkness market. There are probably 100 schools that can give you that.
More important: culture, size, programs you want, ease of travel, how isolated the school is. Also, the emphasis on sports.
One way to focus your search for schools: what language do you want to study? Eg Latin, Japanese, German aren’t available everywhere.
Also - there are great schools with rolling admissions. And don’t discount single sex schools.
@Roconut
Personally, I only studied for about a week and a half for the SSAT. I definitely think this is going to be reflected in my scores, but I really had no other option and had to make it work.
13 hours a week for 3 weeks sounds like plenty if you’re an avid student and reader. I’d recommend finding your weaknesses (for most people, vocab) and working on those as thoroughly as possible.
Also, in your essays, it would be beneficial to talk about how you only recently discovered boarding school and the amazing qualities or experiences it could give you, what you would contribute to the community, and your enthusiasm.
It would be good to finalize your school list soon so the schools know you’re applying-I would make that a priority alongside SSAT practice.
I was born and raises in the United Kingdom till the age of 9 so I am highly proficient in the English lexicon. As for the SSAT, It has my full and undivided attention, though it might be a struggle as I have to balance it with my; current school work, WSC prep, MUN prep.
I will try and apply to some other schools after I hear the verdict on whether I can get an interview, If not I will use @Calliemomofgirls idea and repeat 10th grade. Or if my parents decide I will go Eton or Brighton college (British boarding schools) since, firstly I won’t be a foreign national and secondly, It is the same curriculum as I am currently studying.
If this website didn’t exist I would fail without knowing why now at least I can be much stronger come next year. I am just an above-average student IMO and maybe I was just dreaming too far. You might be shocked but I currently am not studying a language (seriously), I mean I take Arabic but its state-mandated so its the absolute basic. I know a bit of Hindi and Tamil ( Indian Languages) but nothing to stand out.
Lastly, I don’t even know if I want to go to PEA or PAA since I heard its tough and you can’t really stand out which is going to look bad on a college application.
When I wrote this post I was expecting none lesser than what I have seen, if you think you’re crushing my spirit you are not, I will learn from this and not take it personally.
Thank you for all your Amazing replies
Hope all of you get where you want to be!
I also forgot to mention Flex Testing is not available outside of the US and Canada so its a no go from me
Sorry for the long essays btw
There are a lot of great boarding schools in the US. If that’s your goal I’d encourage you to explore options beyond PEA and PAA. You might be surprised that you actually like other schools better. I know students who did not like Andover and so did not apply. It’s not for everyone just because it’s the most famous.
@one1ofeach Could you recommend some please?
Last thing, What do yall think of the Princeton school of Hun.
I’m not sure I can recommend schools knowing nothing about what you are looking for.
What do you want in a school?
Near a major intl airport since you live abroad?
Weather a factor?
Size a factor? College campus sized or cozy family feeling?
Sports offered
Languages offered
Math your priority or are you obsessed with history?
Etc etc etc
How about Cate? Better weather than Eton.
Thacher! You can fly in and out of LA and I can’t imagine a less “British” boarding school experience, culture, landscape, or weather. Academics are very rigorous, but the school has a very collaborative culture of kindness.
George School has the International Baccalaureate curriculum, too, which might be appealing. It is on the East Coast. Closest airport is Philadelphia.
Hun is primarily a day school with a small boarding population. It has a reputation for being good for students with some learning differences and is pretty sporty.
I will second @CaliMex recommendation of George School, which is about 20 minutes from Hun. It is very much a global school (and if I’m not mistaken, their admissions team travels to the Middle East, so it’s likely that your background would interest them!) They do Skype interviews so I think you might, with a little hustle, still squeak in for one. While closest airport is Philadelphia, the shuttle’s at break go to Newark and JFK as well, so easy access.
Of course, if you are looking for paradise, you’ll have to log in the extra hours to go to California!