Schools: Groton, Exeter, Andover, SPS, Choate, Deerfield, Cate, OES, Catlin Gabel (Day school), Woodside Priory
Stats:
• SSAT: 95%ile overall, 99 M, 97 R, 80 V
• GPA Unweighted/Weighted: UW: 3.79, W: 4.04
Subjective:
• Interviews: So far pretty decent, able to connect with the AOs
• Essays: Pretty good
• Math Rec: Decent?
• English Rec: okay?
• Personal/Extracurricular Rec: Physics teacher - pretty good, seems to be one of the favorite and also have an A+
• Principal/Counselor Rec: Decent?
• Sports (if any): Badminton (International Competitor), Cross Country
• Instruments (if any): Violin and Viola (Multiple first chairs)
• Other ECs (if any): Robotics (School team traveling across the world in FIRST FRC)
• Hook: Second-time applicant to Groton? Idk if this really is a hook
Location/Person:
• State or Country: Taiwan past 2 years, rest of life before in MA
• Current School Type: International
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: M
• Grade Applying For: 10
• Age: 14
• Financial Aid/Full Pay: Partial FA
Does it look like I stand a chance? My GPA is quite low and so is my V in SSAT. Also not great in the sports these schools offer and also being Asian hurts…
Any feedback helps! Any questions and suggestions please comment!
You shouldn’t be anxious over your verbal scores as your overal score is fantastic. It’s definitely over the average of a majority, of not all, of the boarding schools in America. Your GPA is fine. You really should not be feeling any anxiety over your stats. They are great.
Asians make up more than 20% of the student population at most of these boarding schools, so I don’t think that you are necessarily at a disadvantage. You just don’t get that advantage that URMs get, which doesn’t necessarily put you at a disadvantage. Your true “weakness” would lie in the fact that you’re an international applicant.
I’m not sure if reapplying to Groton constitutes as a hook.
You are more than qualified to attend the schools that you’re applying to. The issue is that a majority of the people applying are qualified as well. Be as competitive as an applicant as you possible can.
You applied last year as well.
Why do you think that you were rejected the first time? Can you pinpoint a legitimate reason?
@YoungThriver I was most likely rejected because of my ISEE at the time it was 75%ile oveall, and this was 2 years ago, which is why I could only apply to Groton, as Groton was the only school that starts in 8th grade.
@YoungThriver I think I still have the benefit of a domestic applicant? Some schools say I am others say I am not because I am a US Citizen who lived in the US for 12 years
If you are a US citizen, regardless of where you live, you are not considered an international applicant.
@skieurope some schools have mas as international based on main home adress
For admissions purposes, you are not international. They may classify you as “US citizen living abroad,” but you do not have the disadvantage that a Taiwan national would have.
@skieurope I see, but for some applications after calling to clarify, I apply as an international student but have the benefits of an American citizen. This means that I will not be to too much disadvantage correct?
@YoungThriver do u see any other weaknesses besides international which I am now not
@badminton4life You’ve listed most of your recs as “decent” or “okay”. Why aren’t you very confident in those recs?
Your application seems solid and you should be proud. Remember, thousand of applicants have applications like yours so the central focus of your essays should be on what makes you unique and what you bring to the table.
@YoungThriver my teachers havent taught me for a long time, but I gave every rec person a 4 page sheet detailing what to write about so im not sure
It’s too late to help the OP, but in case there are any other applicants reading, and to help eliminate eyerolls from teachers, no 14 year old needs a 4 page resume.