How are you doing with applications?

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>I'm applying to four schools - Choate, Lawrenceville, Peddie and Hotchkiss (applying for 9th grade)</p>

<p>How far are you with your applications? I started pretty late myself, and I've been busy with the SSAT's, so I'll probably be working on the rest during the winter break.</p>

<p>SSAT's:</p>

<p>Took them a few days ago, I probably did really bad... I thought math was easy, but apparently there were a few trick questions that I might have gotten wrong. Verbal, I guessed a bunch... especially on analogies... and reading comprehension was just torture... the poems were awful. I really wish they would tell us our scores earlier.</p>

<p>Interviews:</p>

<p>I've had one of my interviews, but the rest are scheduled for January.</p>

<p>Recommendations:</p>

<p>Handed those out about one or two weeks ago, and my teachers are done with them =D Just need to mail them out..</p>

<p>Essays:</p>

<p>I'm really stuck with the essays. I can't seem to come up with anything good to write about... and there are just so many questions to answer! Does anyone else have the same problem?</p>

<p>Artwork/Portfolio:</p>

<p>And I also want to submit some of my artwork for the application, however, I don't know if I should mail them now, or bring them with me to my interviews. Would it be better if the schools got them now? Or will they not start looking at applications until after the deadline?</p>

<p>Also (this is a much more specific question), how much should I include? And what kind of artwork do you think they might be looking for? I do a lot of fan art, which is not completely my own original work, so will they still look at that? My artwork is all here: vivsters's</a> deviantART gallery</p>

<p>Thank you so much if you can help me! And please also let me know how applications are going for you, I'd love to chat =)</p>

2

<p>take artwork that best portrays your level of skill and creativity.
read through essay questions and take a day or to off to reflect upon yourself and how to best answer those questions.</p>

3

<p>Done with profiles, ssat, interviews.
Still need essays.
I’m handing out my recommendations by the day after tomorrow (hopefully), which is rather late. Not too late though, I hope.
And possibly a writing portfolio which I may need to do a bit of work on.</p>

4

<p>I quite like your artwork, there’s something very whimsical about it. :)</p>

5

<p>-Took SSAT (eek)
-Handed in all recs EXCEPT personal recs and Exeter recs
-In the process of fine-tuning my essays
-All interviews except Exeter scheduled (having an off-campus interview)
-Working on artwork for Hotchkiss essay (though my artwork is fail compared to yours; I’m relying on the picture having a deep meaning)
-Still need to find a GOOD teacher-corrected essay (my teachers don’t really have time to comment on my essays; my english teacher has 160 students so he has us grade eachothers)</p>

6

<p>Double post. Oops</p>

7

<p>-Took SSAT
-Handed out all recs to teachers/coaches
-Scheduled and completed all interviews
-Done with half of my essays (YES!)
-Working on recording a CD. Will probably finish in January
-I have no clue what I’m going to use for the teacher corrected essay</p>

<p>I’m just glad I’m done with half of my essays. I finished all my Andover essays today. Now to start on Groton!</p>

8

<p>-Took ISEE
-Handed out all recs
-Scheduled and completed all interviews except for one
-Done with (almost) all essays
-Made DVD
-Received corrected essay from teacher</p>

9

<p>viv, your art work is really good. Don`t send original pieces! You need to copy them or send them on discs.:slight_smile: You might want to email the art dept director for answers about what you should send.</p>

10

<p>@vivsters,
I just looked through your gallery. Your artwork is incredible! I don’t know how visual artists do it, but what you have their is really special! Send it in!</p>

11

<p>@ vivsters,
i think in terms of portfolio, schools are looking for a varied use of materials/subject matter.
your realistic work is GREAT- hayley williams & wang li hong ones are stunning. i also found the ballet dancer & the lady gaga ones to be particularly well-done.
in the end, just send in whichever pieces you think best show your technique/style. remember that more is not necessarily better-- ultra cliche, but quality, not quantity. email/look at each individual’s schools websites regarding art portfolio- i’d probably send in anywhere between 4-7, maximum 10 pieces (just personally).</p>

<p>take my advice with a grain of salt-- i’m just one opinion, and i’m certainly not an admissions officer. ultimately, do what YOU think is best.</p>

<p>best of luck !</p>

12

<p>to intrinsically:</p>

<p>I’m also thinking about making a portfolio. Do you think I should include awards? But they aren’t really ‘big’ awards, just school awards and certificates, so I’m not sure if I should put those in, since it might make me seem… too desperate, or something.</p>

13

<p>to ifax108:</p>

<p>Congratulations on finishing half your essays! I haven’t done much yet… and good luck with your CD! I think for the teacher corrected essay, just find a writing assignment/assessment that you’ve done in school, and make sure your teacher grades it.</p>

14

<p>to heps1996:</p>

<p>argh i can’t believe you’re already on revising your essays…</p>

<p>as for the graded one, the one i’m submitting doesn’t have a lot of comments either, just one sentence from the teacher… do you think that would matter?</p>

<p>oh and I have a question about submitting the application materials. Since I’m going on campus visits/interviews from January 2 - 10, should I just bring all my materials then and hand it in? Or is it better to mail it as early as possible?</p>

15

<p>to maddog15:</p>

<p>Hmm, I might email the art directors for each school… but what should I say/write? And where can I get their emails?</p>

16

<p>to DiveAlive:</p>

<p>Thanks for your suggestion! I think I’ll do that. If I give them the web link to my gallery, do you think they will bother having a look or not?</p>

17

<p>Does anyone know if you can submit other visual materials for your essays? (I want to submit a drawing along with mine)</p>

18

<p>I’m kind of late. SSAT done, good verbal, ok reading, terrible math (percentile) but if you look at my individual scores I did really well on them all. Considering holding off applications until next year, but if I don’t I’m a little behind, but my teacher recs won’t take long (my school’s good about that) and I can get everything done over winter break. :)</p>

19

<p>@ryork15</p>

<p>haha the same for me here. I started ‘thinking’ about applying in November. I took the December SSAT, waiting for results… i think i did really bad. my recommendations are done, now i’m working on essays during the break. and i’ll be doing my interviews around the last week of the break as well.</p>

20

<p>does anyone know what happens if you don’t get all the required things in the application submitted by the deadline? does the school wait? and how much would it affect your chances?</p>