<p>that sounds awfully pessimistic. (imo)</p>
<p>
I agree with Rad on that one. I don’t think the last statement is correct. Even though my formula isn’ t correct, I still think there is a way that they do it that involves some type of formulating. Not just someone didn’t do this, so we can’t take him or her.</p>
<p>I agree with PV here. It’s not pessimistic, it’s how nearly everyone decides everything. </p>
<p>Hmmm, what do I want to cook for dinner? I’ve got everything to make enchiladas, but it’s so much trouble and the dish is always so hard to clean, besides, we had burritos last week. </p>
<p>I’ve got two pair of shoes in my hand and only need to buy one pair. I have to make a decision even though I like both. But do I really need another pair of red platform sandals? (I am partial to them after all) Pair A cost 20 dollars more but pair B might end up only going with one outfit and they don’t look as comfortable.</p>
<p>I could go on and on. When faced with many great choices, the only way to make a choice sometimes is to look at the negatives…pros and cons.</p>
<p>Everyone who is accepted to more than one school will end up doing the same thing after March 10th. Based on last year’s posts, it can be an agonizing decision and comes down to isolating the things that you may NOT like about a school (or pair of shoes, or meal, or blah blah blah).</p>
<p>in my previous message note the key word (other than pessimistic) is sounds. sounds pessimistic. sounds not is. (thought it is pessimistic to say it like that)</p>
<p>yeah, I guess it does sound pessimistic. When you think about it, it’s pessimistic in a very optimistic way 
(a negative selection process because so many applicants are qualified)</p>
<p>Happy Saturnalia !!!</p>
<p>Like someone else said, its the only chance they have to get to know you in person, so it plays a major part,</p>
<p>Try to do well if you don’t you need a kick-a** essay and ECs and what not to make it up</p>
<p>That’s just my point of view, which may or may not be correct, keep that in mind</p>
<p>ive been told that some schools look at ur transcripts ssat toefl n if its below the skewls avg. they just throw ur app outt. is this true? :S</p>
<p>no. if that was true then how would they get that average? UNless everyone had results exactly 93. On this board there were people below the average who got accepted.</p>
<p>
You need to think of it this way, more than half the people got above 93.</p>
<p>And while what I said sounded harsh, I don’t believe it was pessimistic. Pessimism connotes a consistent and overstated effect (negative effect). What I am saying, unfortunately, is not overstated. Of the thousands of applicants, Andover (or any other school, for this matter) will not be looking for too many applicants (rather, they may look for a few applicants which fit a certain profile–otherwise known as “hooks”). They have too many applicants and trying to find ways to cut it down. </p>
<p>
I don’t follow. The only formulating which occurs, to my knowledge, is the assignment of a rating, one through five (at least at Exeter). After a holistic review (meaning subjective aspects of the person will also be determined and, hence, there will be no certain formula) the applicant will be given a rank. Last year, at Exeter, all 5 students were admitted, regardless of financial need. After that, financial need began to play a role.</p>
<p>I know that a lot of people sccored above 93 and thats not a problem for me but the person I was responding to asked if it was below a 93 did your app get automatically thrown out. My response to that was no. I don’t think your being pessimistic at all. I think that’s just the way stuff is. It’s now officially christmas where I am, so Merry Christmas! to all who celebrate…</p>
<p>Hey, Merry Christmas! </p>
<p>Remember, half the people score BELOW 93 also, so it’s not going to get thrown out.</p>
<p>MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! and a happy new year</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>What do you mean all five students were admitted? When the rank the applicants 1 through 5, which is the highest?</p>
<p>merry x mas ppl :)</p>
<p>5 would be the highest, if all 5s were admited.</p>
<p>Merry Xmas.</p>
<p>Do the kind of questions you ask during interview (i.e smart or dull) influence admission? Also, if you ask to talk to a specific faculty member, does that teacher have to provide feedbacks on you (to the admission people)?</p>
<p>Have a nice December 26th.</p>
<p>Different Schools may weigh the following admission’s factors differently, but any of them by themselves can blackball your chances while none of them can guarantee admission:</p>
<p>(in no order)
Grades
ECs
Recommendations
SSAT
Essays
Interview</p>
<p>99.9% of students admitted at the “top” schools fall into one of the following three categories:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Strong traits across the board, but nothing truly exceptional. Often these candidates are deemed to have inherent leadership qualities and a demonstrable record of positive, active engagement in all their activities. These are the kids that knit together communities naturally.</p></li>
<li><p>Exceptional capability in one or two areas (the math genius, the amazing musician, the star quarterback, etc) and then solid in all other areas.</p></li>
<li><p>Some mildly defensible rationalization of one of the two categories above plus legacy status.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The majority of hooks live in Category 2 & 3. The only exception to this theory is the “cheater” category (my personal prejudice): kids who cannot be rationalized to fall into either Category 1 or 2, but who buy their way in through donations of money.</p>
<p>Grades are the most important factor in admission, then the essay, then the interview, then the recs/scores. EC’s are really not important UNLESS you are a valuable athlete, musician, etc. where it becomes a hook. The number of hours that your parents drove you to the local soup kitchen at 11 or 12 yrs old where you got under the feet of the adults is completely irrelevant to the adcoms.<br>
explanation – grades/essays – they 1. want to make sure you can handle the work, 2. want to get you into a good college so they can boast their college acceptances, get another wave of applications. essay/interview – BS’s are first and foremost living communities, no one wants people that would be divissive, etc, no matter how smart they are. teacher recs – watch out if your grades are high, your essay is high-minded, but the teacher wrote you are a brown-nosed sneak that cries for every point.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say grades are necessarily the most important thing. my grades and essays weren’t very good at all but the rest was and I’m at exeter now.</p>
<p>what was your SSAT if you don’t mind answering…</p>