<p>As the parent of a rising 8th grader who is considering a top-tier BS for HS, I find the whole phenomenon of students/parents asking people on the forum to estimate their/their child's chances for admission to [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL HERE] to be quite strange.</p>
<p>What exactly are people attempting to get out of posting such an inquiry? Even if a current BS or BS parent can recognize certain scores, grades, and ECs as close to their own...there seem to be so many variables in the process. Do actual admissions officers lurk here and post?</p>
<p>I'd really love to know what the motivation is for the "chance me" thing is. I mean, it seems to me that you'd only inquire if you are borderline qualified. So say someone tells you you're a shoe-in then you don't get in, how are you supposed to feel? Or what if you are borderline and someone from the forum says "you have no chance in hell" and you don't apply...did you just miss out on an opportunity?</p>
<p>Are people that unaware about their own/their child's relative strengths/weaknesses when it comes to candidacy for [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL HERE]?</p>
<p>I was one of those strange parents asking if my child has a shot because we are investing like everyone else a lot of time for BC search and preparation. With a child who does not have all straight A’s I wanted to get experience of parents who have children (I am hoping) in my situation and have been able to get admission successfully and hope they can share their experience with me. Isnt that what this type of blog is all about where those of us who are seeking some guidance can get some pointers and share in the knowledge and experience of others?</p>
<p>@njrjsr: Would you really base your decision on where to apply and what your chances are based solely on input from some anonymous forum albeit one that seems to have a good reputation? </p>
<p>Isn’t a call to a school’s admissions department, an in-person visit or even a scan of the school’s sites/printed materials a more reliable source of information? Sure, they aren’t going to tell you not to apply nor guarantee that he/she will get admitted. But, having recently visited a few NE top-tier schools, I can assure you that the all of the officers, staff, and student tour guides were very nice and open to questions. I’m sure there’s nothing they haven’t heard before.</p>
<p>If I have offended you in any way, I apologize. I’m just trying to understand the motivation behind the “Chance Me” phenomenon. FWIW, I would never post a “chance me” thread for my rising 8th grader nor encourage her to do so. We will be applying to the schools that (based on what we know about them…including input from people we know who have attended the schools in question) would serve her particular needs and temperament best…if she gets in, great. If she doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world (see below).</p>
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<p>I think that part of what I’m reacting to is the overload of information that is available here and elsewhere (books, magazines, other forums, etc.). Everyone seems to have an opinion on what makes a candidate more or less attractive to a given school. But I think in 95% of the cases…even for an ostensibly well-qualified candidate…it could truly go either way. For example, boy genius soccer star could have a terrible interview or just not be the right fit for a given school. Or a marginal athlete/artist with so-so grades could have a family background or volunteer service that makes a certain school want them.</p>
<p>I also get the feeling from reading a few threads that A) parents and kids alike are stressing out a bit too much about what the “best” schools are and how they/their child has to go there; and B) some of the “chance me” stuff is, as Jersey13 notes, showboating. Just my 2¢.</p>
<p>SevenDad- if you look through the forum carefully, I think that you’ll find that most of the “Chance Me” posts are written by 8th or 9th graders! They are understandably anxious about the application process and come here for support.</p>
<p>I agree with baystate. Most Chance me posts are from students and it is other students who respond. I think bs admission is so difficult at the top schools that kids and some parents are looking for some quantifiable data to support their application. That said, I do not think that the chance thread is a very reliable indicator of where a child may or may not get in. In general the admissions process is murky at best, so even if a particular school has a 16% admission rate, that is not the rate for every body. You have to factor in impact athletes, URI’s, legacy/sibling, FP vs. FA, maturity, Faculty kids, etc.</p>
<p>@SevenDad,
I posted a “Chance me” thread a while ago. I’m a rising eighth grader. I posted it for a two reasons.
After lurking on the chances board I felt extremely inadequate and I wanted to be reassured that I had a chance.
I also wanted to know if prep school was out of my league. I wanted to know if I had no chances as well.</p>
<p>When I posted my “Chance me” post I wasn’t expecting to hear an in depth analysis of my application. ( Though that would be nice, saves the trouble of hiring an educational consultant) I was just expecting to hear, “You have a chance” or “You have no chance in hell.” That’s all I was expecting.</p>
<p>@ifax108: Did you go with people’s advice (if it was contrary to your own/your parents gut feelings) or did you heed it?</p>
<p>I think that even if people told me that there was no chance in hell based on what I posted here at CC, if I really wanted to go to School X, I’d still apply. And on the other side of things, even if people said I was a shoe-in at School X, I’d still be nervous.</p>
<p>I think it is common knowledge that the “chance me” thing has very little utility. It’s a place for some kids to bind their anxiety and reassure themselves once they list their credentials that they can be in the running. It’s pretty well understood that having all A’s and top SSAT scores and great EC’s and rec’s just gets your foot in the door,but getting in is more subjective and a crap shoot at best even for the most well qualified students unless you have a hook, such as URM etc.</p>
<p>I would think most of the kids who post ‘chance me’ really want to go to BS but they might not have many classmates can talk about it. Even it had, they won’t get support from each other because they almost likely competed each other to get accepted. They want to hear opinions from peers but parents and classmates.</p>
<p>A lot of kids post ‘chance me’ after getting SSAT score at October/November/December. Parent read score report to tell the chance. What kids want to hear is not from parant’s analysis but from peers comparison whether that is a good score. ( my kid kept telling me that how you will know the chance if you don’t compare to those who apply to the same school at the same year. )</p>
<p>Another thing to mention, a few parents/kids correlated ‘chance me’ and acceptance list so they will see if he/she is a ‘show-in’ candidate for certain school which interviewer never tell you the truth.</p>
<p>@SevenDad
I’m a rising eighth grader. I haven’t even finished filling out the application yet. The advice I got on the “Chance me” thread was go for it. By clicking on my name you can see my “Chance me” thread. I didn’t get anything like “You’re definitely getting in,” but I got positive feedback. I’ve been really nervous about getting into boarding school and I really needed this. I should probably try to relax a bit about boarding school, I’m getting a little too worried about whether or not I will get in.</p>
<p>@bluegene,
You are so right. I really don’t have too many people to talk to about BS. My parents are getting a little annoyed with me because I talk about it all the time, and my friends are either competing with me to be accepted to BS, or they don’t care at all about high school. So I guess on this forum I at least have some people to talk to.</p>
<p>@ifax108: I’m happy to hear that you were not dissuaded from going for it based on input from the forum. My older D is a rising 8th grader as well…she liked a few of the schools we visited, but I think has to really ask herself over the next few months if she wants to “go away” 4 years earlier than necessary.</p>
<p>One word of advice: In my experience over the course of my life, no amount of worrying about something made it happen/not happen. Relax and try to have some fun throughout the process.</p>
<p>@SevenDad,
Thanks for the advice. I should try to enjoy the process more than I have. I’m visiting Andover in about two weeks and Exeter in three. I’m also trying to schedule an interview with Deerfield ASAP. But I’m going to try to enjoy the tours, enjoy my interview and stop worrying so much about whether I’ll be accepted or not.</p>
<p>Anyone out there have advise on timing of school visits. We are applying for 2011 to BS’s and we are planning an Oct/Nov visit for our son. Is that too late. Also when do the applications have to be in by. My son is taking the SSAT in November is that too late?</p>
<p>1) October and November are a busy time for admissions. It’s a fine time to visit any school. </p>
<p>2) The application date varies by school. Many schools accept applications by January 15th (or before.) Some schools have later deadlines, and a few have different deadlines for different applicant groups. For example, Phillips Andover Academy requires day students to submit their applications by January 15th, but boarding students have until February 1st, about two more weeks, to worry about their application. </p>
<p>For all schools, read the application carefully. The application will state the deadline clearly. </p>
<p>3) I think November is the most popular time to take the SSAT. It is neither too early nor too late. It is just right.</p>