<p>ive applied and visited both schools for a freshman or "prep". I am athletic, tall and muscular male. My interviews and tours went great, both people seemed to love me and said they will write extremely positive reccomendations for the admissions process. i play football, bball, and lax for 7 years each. Ive been a captain on all of those teams. I got an 84% on my ssats, i take honors geometry as a 8th grader and am a pretty good writer. Im just wondering what my chances would be at both schools and if i am lucky enough to get accepted with enough f/a then what are the pros and cons of each? i absolutely love both schools, having friends that go to andover and feeling at home there. while i think the harkness method is great, especially for english. Both campuses are spectacular in their own respect. Im just looking for pros and cons, or if there are any alums if they could give me a daily schedule or what life was like there. sorry for such a long post! thanks!</p>
<p>oh and also all a's for school. not to be cocky from this post, just wondering what my chances are, considering the faculty said amazing things, and also the athletic coaches. Not to mention i love both schools equally at this time, so try to keep the bias away please! thanks again!</p>
<p>You asked a foolish question(BUT A COMMON ONE). Your chances seem average. You need something other then athletics really(Once the athlete role is filled... No more. They want diversity and if you have a well rounded application. it helps). </p>
<p>I would look through old posts.</p>
<p>okay thanks! i also volunteer at special olympics (im really into community service) and i hope that taking freshman math as an 8th grader will help me!</p>
<p>I actually think that you have a very good chance. Being a three-sport captain w/ straight A's and strong SSATs is a great-sounding candidate to me. Best of luck w/ your applications, ExAnd.</p>
<p>Na that won't help you, everyone is ahead in math. You have good chances get in because of Athletics + Good Grades + Volunteer work. E-mail all the coaches, if they like you they'll keep in contact and put in a good word for you plus pretty much write you an extra recommendation. </p>
<p>What I've been told at almost all the interviews is, the more coaches you have behind you the better your chances. Like personally, 4 coaches added notes to my application at 1 school...I mean that HAS to help. So get in touch with the school and try to keep constant contact in some ways.</p>
<p>Just some of the little advice I think I could give from a little bit of what I've been told at these schools.</p>
<p>yeah i met with all the coaches they seemed to really like me and seemed like great guys. They said they would right great recs for me so hopefully itll help me out in the long run :)</p>
<p>Lol ya I did the same thing, its always good to know the coaches are on your side. Its kind of unfair in my opinion, but it benefits me so w.e.</p>
<p>I agree with mcpix. When I was talked to the math heads at Exeter and Andover (separately) they both said that approximately 75% of admitted students are at LEAST one grade up in math, and it doesn't really help if you're up two. They both generalized that math won't help you unless you're currently studying with seniors as an eight grader, in a college math course as an 8th grader, or ready for Advanced Placement Calculus as a freshman. And they said that math is no big deal if you're applying for 11th, 12th, or PG, just 9th and 10th.</p>
<p>okay great yeah i think the math head at exeter is also the varsity lax coach, i talked with him for about an hour on my visit, as well as the same amount of time with the other coaches. and btw thank you guys so much for all the help i really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Pinkheart23, wouldn't 75% of the students being a grade up in math therefore mean that if that's the case for you, then you DO have a greater chance? The math-grade-skippers are the majority then, right?</p>
<p>Also, ExAnd, I think you have a very, very solid chance at acceptance to both of these schools. From what I can tell, there aren't many things that you DONT have going for you! (Some could argue the SSAT percentile but I dont think that will play a huge role in your admission.) I would be surprised if you didn't get in, but then again I'm not an admissions officer either, so my opinions won't necessarily be the right ones. But good luck, I wouldn't worry to much if I were you ;)</p>
<p>you're taking a sophomore math class....</p>
<p>Senay, I think ExAnd knows what class he's taking. Maybe his school just orders math classes differently from your school in Washington. Not everywhere is Seattle, Senay.</p>
<p>The reason I said average was your SSAT score and the other stuff. YOUR ACTUAL SCORE ISN'T THE PROBLEM!!
Your school must be very easy considering you have high marks AND have the time for all of that service. I might be wrong, but that is the impression I think admissions will get. </p>
<p>And when you said "I've been a captain" I took that literally as in the past you have been a captain of each. Were you the captain of all three at once? Were you captain last year and the year before? </p>
<p>Mpicz, pink and exand... and everyone that thinks athletics will help alot... They won't. They arn't an unfair advantage, and if you have 4 coaches write something it doesn't help more then having one. I'll bet you anything that at least half of the kids applying play two sports or one sport very seriously. If you play at a large public school or a very good prep school you might be exceptional at BS. THE COACHES HAVE LESS INPUT THAN AN ALUMNI WRITING A LETTER! I have been told by my Lacrosse coach(Who went to Exeter on a scholarship and played college lacrosse AND he coached at an "elite" school for a few years). If you play on competitive teams(I'm taking outside of school state clubs) then that really helps. Unless you are the star of your team, it doesn't help that much.
Student athletes... Student comes before athlete.
That is hard to believe, but unless you average 20 points a game in bball or 5 goals a game in lax... You'll be an average athlete. The coaches will put a note that you are exceptional. So in a tie that helps, but I really doubt that will do much.</p>
<p>My coach told me all of that... He worked in admissions and as a coach. Then he married the biology teacher and quit... Lol</p>
<p>Don't get offended... But you are not a beautiful and unique snow flake.</p>
<p>Oh, italianboarder, I love how you are such an expert on these matters!</p>
<p>As someone who actually is an admission officer, ExAnd, you sound like a great kid to me. Good luck. I hope you get in.</p>
<p>Glad I'm not the only one who thinks some of this "advice" is b*******.</p>
<p>^^
The Gemma of the V speaks the truth</p>
<p>Never insulted him, I just don't want people to think, "I play two sports... I'll apply and get accepted anywhere." I think alot of people are going to get declined... I remember old posts that said CC's Exeter's admission rate was 50%. WOW... Almost 2.5 times higher than their actual rate? It probably isn't true... This board has high expectations. If you add together the list of top 10 schools that are discussed on this board(Add their student body size)... IT doesn't account for 10% of boarding school bound students. You have alot of high expectations and I think everyone assumes they are going to get in... So people will say they did when they didn't. If everyone gets in that would be great... But not everyone will. I was trying to be a voice of reason. To compensate for the "YAY SPORTS I'LL GET IN!"</p>
<p>I think most of the advice that is given isn't from admissions officers... I would bet that 99% of the advice doesn't. I asked my coach how important athletics was... He told me that if I make the adidas team(A state lax team) that would be the only thing that really helps.
I've just done alot of research and I've talked to alot of people, I never said my information is law or that it was 100% accurate. </p>
<p>Gemma, when I asked you what your role in the admissions process was you declined to answer. It is good to know that you actually are an admissions officer. It would be great if we could get multiple officers here, so that we don't have the blind leading the blind. </p>
<p>I don't need an arguement. Sorry if you don't agree. But it makes perfect sense to me. Please don't respond with some nasty message... If you want, chew me out in a personal message.</p>
<p>PS: On a related note... I think that alot of kids lie on the boards... They try and make their stats seem better... Shams some of them. Turns out I have friends at this guy's school on the boards. I think the person said that they played on two competitive soccer teams, their school team, football and Baseball... Said they were captains of all. Turns out they played on the JV level and weren't captains... At a sub par school.
That is a fact.</p>
<p>do you really need coaches behind your back for admission? I mean lk, how are they supposed to write you good recs if you've never worked with them before you know? how do you meet them? lk im not a varsity superstar but i still play sports// do you think i should contact them or jst let it be? i already talked w/ som music ppl..</p>
<p>Thanks gemma v! And yeah i actually average abt 19 pts A game And exactly five goals haha not to brag, but being honest. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out with this youve given some great advice!</p>