Help me find my "right fit!"

Prep School Admissions
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Hello, and to begin with, thank you for taking your time to read and respond to this thread.

I am a rising 8th grader, and I am planning to apply to 4-5 boarding schools. I still have a viable high school option as I attend a K-12 international school in Korea. I have all 7’s (7 is the maximum final grade for the IB MYP) for grade seven. I won’t be able to take the SSAT as Covid is spreading so fast in my region.

As for my extracurriculars:

I am the founder of a mental health organization, where we create wellness activities for students and develop campaigns. This connects to my dreams of becoming a psychiatrist, as I consider mental health “important” and want to make a change in a stress-building world.

I am also the founder of an awareness organization, where I write articles and draft infographics, then post them on a website/Instagram account. I have communicated my message to 70+ people.

I play three sports: tennis, badminton, and cheerleading. I, however, want to try out sports like crew as well, if the sport exists in the school I get into.

In addition to this, I was in the school play for the last two years, and also participated in the international school honor choir, too.

I tried the Lawrenceville Summer program, and it seems like the Harkness method is a great fit for me – I enjoyed it a lot. Academically speaking, I like to figure out new information (by myself or with others). I am currently studying pre-calculus, and am taking advanced language/literature courses outside of school.

I’m quite stuck in terms of sorting out the schools I’d like to apply to. I’d strongly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you :slight_smile:

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Hello and welcome. You sound like an interesting, motivated person. I’d start by checking out this thread and really giving it some thought:

More specifically to you, you don’t mention whether you’ll need FA, or if you’re Korean (or other ORM) or otherwise. Per the linked thread those things will matter. But I like the focus in your ECs in terms of the mental health and awareness stuff. If you really lean into that it could make for an interesting essay if you can find a truly personal connection to it or personal motivation beyond wanting to “make a change in a stress-building world.” Something that only you could say or bring to the table.

As far as Harkness, the truth is that most BS offer small classes held in a discussion format, whether officially Harkness or not. Exeter is explicitly HARKNESS for every class. Andover uses Harkness-style roundtable discussions for some classes but not for others (true of most BS). You can find more detailed info about this on schools’ websites.

You mention having a good local option, which is important. Know that many, many boarding schools offer excellent academics beyond just the tippy top ones you may have heard of (or that I mentioned…) Think about the other aspect too. Large vs small, rural/remote vs close to/in town, single gender, % of day students, etc. All of these things would impact your experience in some way and so should be factored in at least somewhat.

Try to take the SSAT unless truly prohibitive to do so. I know many schools are nominally test optional right now, but unless your IB program is somewhat known your grades may be somewhat tougher to calibrate.

Hopefully others will chime in. Good luck to you!

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If you enjoyed a summer term at Lawrenceville, then why not apply there ?

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I would add that finding fit requires research and self-awareness. It’s going to be tougher since you can’t visit in person (I assume). So do the deep dive. Pour over the school websites, threads here, follow schools on Insta (most have may accounts - for the school, admissions, clubs, teams, etc.), see what you can glean. Be honest with yourself about what you truly love (e.g. if it’s the plays and choir, then make sure that’s a thing at the school).

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My advice would be to talk to current students. Gosh help me for admitting this: check out tik toks from alumni or students. They really give you a sense of life at that school. I mostly went with my gut since all the schools I considered after getting in were similar in terms of academics. I also was able to visit some after getting accepted. To be completely honest, going with my gut was a good decision. Looking back I’m glad I picked the school I did. I guess I’ll know for sure in september!

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Good luck at your new school!

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Welcome to this forum. Your profile looks solid. At the same time, your question really is as broad as the Pacific Ocean. Remember, “fit” can be extremely personal as everyone has different priorities.

@DroidsLookingFor has raised several excellent points already. Many boarding schools in the US can help you achieve your academic and personal goals - be it college advising/AP courses, athletics, music/art/religion, or other pursuits. Every school is totally unique in terms of the following aspects:

  • Size: The enrollment ranges from 300ish to 1100ish. The small ones will be more collegial and family-like, where everybody knows everybody. The big ones will feel like mini colleges where a log of programs are offered. There is no right or wrong here - you have to decide what type of setting would be good for you. Smaller ones (less than 400) are Groton, St. Andrews Delaware, St. George’s in Rhode Island, St. Marks and Brooks in MA. Big ones are Exeter and Andover; they are about 1,100 each. Most others are in between, such as St. Paul’s, Deerfield, Taft, Hotchkiss, Middlesex (400-600), while a few others are slightly larger, such as Lawrenceville, Loomis Chaffee and Choate (700-800). Forgive me if I miss out on others, but numbers are readily available on school factsheets or even Wikipedia.
  • Location: Do you want to be close to a large city, or do you prefer to study in a quiet, bucolic setting? If your guardians stay back in Korea while you are in school, then transportation to and from your school should be a consideration, as you are expected to make that trip several times a year. Most schools also require that you have a domestic contact who can come to you within 48 hours of notice, in case of an emergency.
  • Culture/vibe: A lot of the top BS will have an academic bent, while some of them are known for strong athletics. Some are serious, while others are more social and collegial. The only way to really find out is to visit. I understand that international travel could be challenge, but you should make an effort. If travel remains impossible, ask the AOs to connect you to alumni who are from your area or do a LinkedIn search. As an example, I know there is a healthy contingent of St. Paul’s alums in Korea, so you can ask them about quirks and anecdotes of their school and others.
  • Academic strengths: Some schools are known for STEM; others for humanities, and a handful will be strong in both (most likely midsized or larger ones). Typically, a larger enrollment would mean more academic opportunities, yet it would also make it harder for an individual to really shine.
  • Financial strength: Endowments vary in size, and dictate a school’s ability to offer scholarships/FA packages, attract top-notch faculty, upgrade/expand facilities, etc. If you do the math, a number of schools have budgets as high as $1 million per student, while many others have struggling for alumni donations. Barring those outliers, most T50 schools are in the $150,000-$500,000 range (per capita).
  • Signature programs: Some schools are known for special programs like theatre, some excel in debate, some offer extensive training in writing, while some offer study-abroad opportunities or co-enrollment programs with universities nearby. They are usually available on the websites.

The general advice is to cast a wide net, because top schools only admit 10-15% of their applicants, and many of them are cross admits. Applying to 5 top schools does not mean a 50-75% change of getting into one - your chance is still 10-15% or smaller, because you need to account for athletic recruits and legacy/celebrity kids. One you have a list, you can start a new thread and ask about those schools. Chances are a lot of alumni/current students/parents will then chime in and offer relevant, school-specific advice.

Congrats on embarking on this journey - it can be tiring, but I promise you it will be rewarding in the end. Good luck!

Reply

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thanks!

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Thank you so much for the comment! It has helped me form a better, more specific boarding school list. :slight_smile:

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Yes!! Lawrenceville’s on my list right now. Thank you!

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Thank you for the advice! I’m looking at some of the social media posts from school students right now to see if it would be my “fit!”

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Thank you for your advice! In order to do that, do I need to email the admissions office and ask them to connect to alumni in my area?

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That’s usually a good place to start. SPS also offers quite a few students as ambassadors on their admissions website to share their experience and perspectives. I have not checked this year, and If they are not up now, they will be available after the school reopens (2nd week of September).

LinkeIn is a powerful tool too. You are encouraged to set one up if you haven’t already done so. Once you do, you can target your search by typing in, for example, “Groton School alumni,” and names/profiles will show up. You can then PM them to introduce yourself and ask questions.

Getting the direct scoop from students/alumni is always the most effective way of learning about school.

Websites such as Niche.com and BoardingSchoolReview are also quite handy.

Good luck!

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Great suggestion already posted (above).

Here are some additional ones….

  • Attend virtual webinars with current students

  • Compose a list of target questions for current students to have handy for any tours or virtual sessions you might have. Asking the right questions will help you focus on the information that matters most to you.

  • Read the student newspaper - including Op/Ed’s

  • Check out social media posts (but take it with a grain of salt because this activity self-selects for certain types of students)

  • Check out options for community service and global study opportunities, as well as student grants. Some schools (including ours) gives out tens of thousands of dollars in grant $$ each year to students for research, independent study, global service, summer learning, and community service.

  • If at all possible (during this time of COVID) try to check out the dining hall and snack bars. Why? It’s not about food, but more about the social gathering scenes. Be a social observer. Are there noticeable cliques? How diverse is the student body? How are students interacting? Do students look happy?

  • How friendly are the students and staff on your tours?

  • Check out the dorms and their bathrooms. Also, some schools have dorms with students from a variety of class years. By contrast, other schools have all first years living together - or dorms by class year. Do you like this, or not? There are pro’s and con’s.

  • Lights out policy - some schools have them and others do not.

  • Where do you get to study? Schools have different policies and traditions. Groton has an interesting tradition with their “school room”.

  • Remember - it’s not just a school, but it will be your home for 4 years!

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