<p>My interview at Hotchkiss is next week. It's my first choice, and it would my absolute DREAM to be accepted. I want to let them know how much I like the school without sounding obsessed or creepy. For people who have completed an interview there, what should I prepare for and expect? Any tough questions you had to answer? Also I'd like to know what you guys think about my chance of being accepted there.
Here's a little background on me just so you know:
I'm in eighth grade, applying for ninth grade
I'm a consistent straight A student
my SSAT score was in the 94th percentile
I play soccer, softball, and travel basketball for about 8 years each
I'm in a high school math course in middle school
I'm in my school's advanced art course
I've played first trumpet for four years, and have been invited to join exclusive community bands
I've received awards in music(2), language arts, math, French, and literary magazine
I've been in the photography club, newspaper, and literary magazine
I've done lots of community service through Girl Scouts, Confirmation, Relay for Life and other things
and I'm also a minority
I'm also confident that my reccomendations are really good
thanks for the help</p>
<p>I'm confident that you will get in. Good Luck !! Just stay calm at the interview and remember to highlight what makes you unique and emphasize how you help your community. ALso mention that you are excited about having a south african head of school because it offers a different perspective on the world or something along those lines. Later mate !</p>
<p>You are a qualified applicant. The most that can be really said about your chances are that they are 20%, which is the overall acceptance rate. I hate to be blunt, especially to a new poster, but the truth is that many wonderful applicants get rejected and waitlisted. Sorry, but these "chance me" threads just get to be a bit ridiculous. </p>
<p>That being said, do be enthusiastic about why you want to attend the school, and what you can offer it. Search the forum, and you will find many useful interview tips.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I disagree with BrooklynGuy. It's true that you can't rely on the "chances" suggested by members from this forum, but it's also true that not every applicant has the same chance, which is 20%. Actually according to an alumni interviewer, with the top BS, around 50% of the applicants will be screened out first round, just based on the grades, scores, etc. After that, the ones that "leap out of the paper" will be in the final game. So river19 in my opinion has at least more than 50% chance of getting in Hotchkiss. Having said that he still has chances of NOT getting in, and if that happens are 50% and 20% any different? Probably not. But a question is a question. We are talking about Probability. You can't say anyone who applies has the same probability of getting in. It just doesn't make sense.</p>
<p>To watertester: I certainly realize that some group of the applicants will not make the first cut. But 50% not making the first cut? That seems a bit much. Maybe that makes river19's chances between 33% and 50%. As I said, she (since the post mentioned Girl Scouts) certainly seems like a good candidate. But, it just irks me when a current student says "I am confident that you will get in." There is no way for any of us to say that someone has a certain chance of getting in.</p>
<p>By the way, notice that most of us adults don't bother posting on the "Chances" thread? I generally avoid them, but this time, when I saw prezomar's post, I felt the need to say something. Unfortunately, there were several students last year who seemed qualified and got rejected/waitlisted to all of the schools for which they applied. So, sometimes a little dose of reality is needed. Many qualified applicants get rejected, so for those who have a strong desire to attend boarding school, it is in your best interest to apply to a range of schools.</p>
<p>Again, I will reiterate to the original poster: good luck!</p>
<p>I do not want to discourage anybody. My daughter's credential was better or at least same level as river19. She applied last year and she is at BS now. Let me share what i found from last year's experience. Usually about 20% - 25% of top BS are day students, about 10% are international students, sports and legacy studnts are about 15%. Those are total about 45-50%. They usually assign a few spots to the minorities. The actual general pool for US students is less than 50%(maybe close to 40%). one half
of the 50&(25%) is boys and another 25% is girls. If the total spots for the third form(9h grade) 100, (10th 11th 12 graders are more than 9th graders because theykeep adding at least 10 more students every year), the general cometition pools for boys and girls are 25 each or less. That is a very small number.
Now we have to consider geographic distribution. If you are in the eastcoast, especially in New England area, competition becomes even tougher. So the acceptance rate is actually misleading if you find out the details. My dughter was waitlisted at Hotchkiss last year. That is still OK. There are many other good schools out there. I hope river19 gets admitted. But every good students are not accepted. We have to understand that. Even if anyone is not admitted by his or her dream school, that is not the end of the world. Even if they go to other school that has less reputation, they can be successful in going to college later. The collee entrance result may better in other school. So I like to say to anybody who are applying to BS this year that they should take whatever results they will get later positively. river19, you are a good candidates and I wish you a good luck!</p>
<p>I didn't know they'd put aside a specific number of spots just for day students. What I learned from our Exeter tour guide is that if you live within a certain miles from the school then you have no choice but to be a day student; and if you live a little farther out but still commutable then you have an option to be either boarder or a day student. They'd for sure have a few spots for international students, but all the legacy factors are so called "hooks", which just strengthen your application. I don't believe a specific percentage would be allocated for "legacy students" every year regardless what the general pool and the 'legacy pool' qualifications are like. And - even all is true, erkybk - the fact your daughter was waitlisted proved that she did have a better than average chance from the beginning (they sure wouldn't waitlisted half of all the applicants).</p>
<p>The actual general pool for US students is less than 50%(maybe close to 40%). one half
of the 50&(25%) is boys and another 25% is girls.</p>
<p>^ so you would understand how painful it is for asia-residing applicants, when pretty much only 5% of them can get be in the student body at any given year</p>
<p>Yes, for asian, especially students from South Korea, their acceptance rate is sometims even less than 5% depending on the BS. I know last year, about 260 students applied to one BS and only 7 of them were accepted in the BS. that is less than 3% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>watertester, of course they do not put aside a specifi number of spots for day students. however, the percentage of day students have been about 20% every year in the past. The percentage for other categories such as international students, minorities, sports, and geographic factors have been that way as well. It does not matter if they put aside
certain number of spots or not. The bottom line is that the percentage has been that way to most of BSs. Some BS like Milton have higher(about 50%) day student
perecentage. What that means is that they have enough quality students in the neighborhood or they may have some kind of committment to the neighbor community.</p>
<p>OK, I see your point. What about Asian Americans? Are they considered minority in BS? I know they are not in college admission process as they are not "under represented".</p>
<p>They do not belong to minority catergory because Bsc receive more than enogh applications from asian american. however, I believe that asian americans have still tougher competition comparing to other racial groups because they are over-represented. We are actually asian americn and I stronly believe that they consider racial distribution.</p>