So I’m applying to Exeter and Andover. However, I wonder does being homeschooled look bad on my application? If so, why?
Maybe I can answer this question. I applied to Exeter/Andover two years ago as an eighth grader, and was homeschooled just for my eighth grade year. My interviews were on-campus, and when I mentioned that I was a homeschooler, both my Exeter and Andover interviewers asked me a lot of questions about my curriculum/socialization (I took my classes online). I guess it also depends on how long you’ve been homeschooling and what type of homeschooling you did, as there could be some concern with how well you can adapt. For instance, if you were homeschooled by a parent, they might ask you questions about how you personally think you can adjust from a class of 1 to a school with ~2000 students. I guess I would just try to show in your application that although you are homeschooled, homeschooling has opened up more opportunities for you to pursue your extracurricular interests outside the traditional classroom while still being involved in the community, if that makes sense. So to sum up, just be prepared to answer questions about what homeschooling is like for you.
This was just my experience–it might not have been similar for other homeschooling applicants. 
@thelittleswimmer I haven’t seen you around on this sub in a while. welcome back!
Thanks, @thelittleswimmer! Did you by chance get accepted? Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what were your SSAT scores?
Doubtful. Really depends on how you did on testing, what your ec’s are and how you spent your time outside of school in our experience. Our oldest was homeschooled 5th through first semester of 7th grade. He started back in a magnet school ideas through 7th and applied and was accepted his 8th grade year. Similar experience with daughter.
Thanks, @sgopal2! I mainly lurk in High School Life now, but try to check out this sub again occasionally
@futurereject37: Nope, I was rejected from both Exeter and Andover. I only applied to those two schools though, so I really put all my eggs into one basket. I took the SSAT twice and submitted both tests so Exeter and Andover could superscore all three sections (99th). Academically, I think I was prepared, but I wasn’t especially talented in extracurriculars. So if you were wondering, good grades and test scores don’t necessarily mean an acceptance or a waitlist (but you probably already knew that).
Good luck on your application, and feel free to PM me anytime!
Thanks for the info @thelittleswimmer, it was really helpful!
My son applied to those as a homeschooler (he was homeschooled in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade). He’s now attending Exeter. All the schools he applied to were great about his being homeschooled.
The answer is probably closer to “it depends”. As you probably experienced, the interview is different. There is a concern about the changing of environments, the changing of the structure of the learning, etc. And then lastly, there is the issue of bias and veracity of the transcript and educational documentation.
Both Andover and Exeter take home schooled kids. But its hard to know if they may also be legacy or have other hooks. If your home schooling experience makes you someone who will contribute in a unique way, that’s a plus. i.e. someone who traveled the world and can speak intelligently about various political parties in different countries and global issues or cultural experiences etc.
My son, who is a prep at Exeter, was homeschooled throughout middle school. He isn’t a legacy and has no hooks. All the schools he applied to took his homeschooling seriously and asked all the right questions. Obviously, homeschooling didn’t hurt his admission. BUT Exeter, Andover, etc are academically intense, and a homeschooler should get in the habit of performing well on timed tests and following a highly organized schedule.
My daughter was homeschooled 1st-8th grade, applied to both Exeter (WL) and Andover (Rejected) among other schools. She had 97% SSAT and many community college courses completed with all A’s but one. But lack of extracurricular other than visual art, and weakness of math (compare to many accepted applicants) were among her weakness. She was also not mature enough (Turned 14 few months after last Fall. Didn’t see it as problem then. But now I see that she would have had better interviews if she were as mature and confident as now. Overall, I believe she had a fair review regardless of her being homeschooled. She needed heavy financial aid. She was also WL on SPS and Emma.
As @Mom2Melcs pointed out, you might consider how your homeschooled learning style would transit into BS style. Daughter was accepted and is attending Grier School as a freshman, taking honors and AP courses, and loves the experience except too much academic rigors. While she was homeschooled and taking community college courses full-time, she was challenged in difficulty of materials but not as much amount of work, mastery level, neatness, and fine details as she is being challenged now at her boarding school, which we believe is beneficially for her. For one thing, she is very happy and proud of becoming a competent (and fast) writer now, thanks to writing so many essays so often with so much editings from teachers, unlike at her community college courses.