<p>Five is about as far as I would go. Any more than that is bound to be exhausting. Remember, you have to pay to send in test scores, pay for applications, and do the financial aid work for all the places you apply to as well. It gets to be very expensive and overwhelming, so try to keep the number of schools down.</p>
<p>Briannanlc, there are waivers for the SSAT: [SSAT</a> - Taking the SSAT: SSAT Fee Waivers](<a href=“http://www.ssat.org/ssat/test/test-feewaivers.html]SSAT”>http://www.ssat.org/ssat/test/test-feewaivers.html).</p>
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<p>Boarding schools also provide waivers for application fees for families who qualify. Read each school’s website carefully, as they set their own policies.</p>
<p>I think applying to only 4-5 school is fine if you meet any of these conditions:</p>
<p>1) You do not need FA</p>
<p>2) You only apply to those schools that are a realistic match for the child’s profile AND have forgiving admit rates. Problem is most families who are approaching the prep school application process are doing so cold and have no idea which of these schools are a realistic match. They are coming from public schools that cannot advise them, or have no family tradition of prep schools, or have no educational consultant. And I have observed quite a few CC posters treating a school with a 28% admit rate as a “safety” for a school with an 18% admit rate.</p>
<p>3) You have a “Go Big or Go Home” objective. I.e, you are perfectly fine staying home at your default option if you do not get into your dream school.</p>
<p>4) The candidate has a compelling hook: e.g, award-winning filmmaker/orphan from war-torn country (I am not making this up), or is an Olympic-level athlete, or has a celebrity/head-of-state parent. Some hooks that have lately shown to be not so reliable: legacy status, being a URM, coming from an obscure state/country.</p>
<p>5) You are a “development case”, i.e, your family has very, very deep pockets. </p>
<p>6) Did I forget to mention: You do not need FA</p>
<h1>2 & #3 are the only factors most families can control. #1 & #6 are the show-stoppers</h1>
<p>If I were people applying next year, I would pay attention to what Devolution is saying. Our experience was pretty much just as he/she stated. For the record… Devolution 6 applications (2 HADES)… 6 acceptances… 80% FA needed.</p>
<p>My d’s experience, 6 applications (4 HADES) and 2 near HADES, 5 acceptances and 1 waitlist. The one waitlist was one of the near-Hades. 80% FA needed. Better than that offered from all 5 schools.</p>
<p>That is 11/12 acceptances and 1 waitlist and huge FA offered from almost all schools (all schools in our family’s case). I ditto Devolution’s comments, regardless of any holes people are trying to poke in his story.</p>
<p>Devolution is “Spot On” and I think that people aren’t understanding EXACTLY what he/she is saying. I do, and it’s almost ditto to our experience. So what is he/she saying?</p>
<p>Test scores important? Yes, but that’s not what is going to get you in.
Grades important? Yes, but that’s not what is going to get you in.</p>
<p>What is important? First and foremost, all 6 schools we applied to there was a
“theme” at all 6 schools. They wanted “Nice kids.” So, think about this quite a bit. Someone can’t just fake being nice. AO’s can genuinely separate what kids are just incredibly nice and what kids have a smile on their face for a day. Many of the acceptance letters we received had “quotes” from my d’s teachers such as Mr. XYZ stated what an absolute delight you are in the classroom or Ms. ABC made it extremely evident that you are one of the most caring and generous individuals they’ve ever come across. So #1… Be nice. I will honestly say that my d get’s that from her mother.</p>
<p>Next, and this is what Devolution is talking about-</p>
<p>Schools want someone who is extremely passionate and extremely good at something. Your application needs something that says, “My life is (fill in the blank).”</p>
<p>Example #1…
10 years Soccer- I play school soccer, club soccer, and rec league soccer. Many seasons I am on 3 teams at one time. I was named MVP on school soccer team the last 3 years, I was named All-State Forward last year. I was invited to try out for the U-15 US National team. I created and am president of “The Soccer Club” at my school. Last summer I spent 2 months practicing with the U-15 National Team, etc.</p>
<p>Example #2
10 years- Acting. I began acting when I was 3. I have been in “XX” number of school plays throughout elementary and middle school. I was the lead role in “X” number of those plays. (Perhaps name some of the plays as well). After school and on weekends I am a member of the “your city’s Acting Club for kids.” I have been in “X” number of plays in the last 4 years with this “City Acting Club.” For the last 2 years I have have gone 30 Sunday’s out of the year and entertained senior citizens at “XYZ Nursing Home.” I perform very basic mimes or 1 act plays, etc but the smile it puts on their faces in invaluable to me. I formed the “Acting Club” at my school and I have been the President for the last 2 years. Last Summer I spent 20 hours/week preparing for “XYZ… some super big play in your city.”</p>
<p>The point I am trying to make is this. It doesn’t matter what it is. They want to know that you are dedicated to something, and while it really doesn’t matter what it is, it is obviously a plus if it is something that will be a great addition to their community. If it is a sport, math, science, art, an instrument it would obviously be a benefit if you can show that you are truly “one of the best” in whatever it is you do. The reader of your application needs to be able to read your application and say “John Smith is Soccer or Jenny Jones is acting” and your application needs to prove that you have devoted your life to it and you are one of the best at it. Now, if you have 2 or 3 things that you have devoted your life to and that you are one of the best at (or someone that truly stands out in the crowd) from everyone else in the world that does whatever it is that you do then that is a plus as well. </p>
<p>Next, recommendations… well if Acting is your thing then your Acting teachers recommendation is going to glow. If soccer is your things, then your Soccer recommendation is going to glow… and getting back to something I said earlier, if you are genuinely an extremely “NICE” person I guarantee every single person who writes a recommendation will make sure that is known. I’m not talking about “Do you consider yourself a nice person.” I mean of the 100 people in your grade if there was a vote, would 50%+ of the kids in your class name YOU as the nicest kid in the grade? Would 50%+ of the faculty or teachers in your school name YOU as the nicest kid in the school? Would every single parent you have ever come across simply say that YOU are the nicest kid of all the other kids that their kid knows? That is what I mean by nice. Activity-wise- Is being well rounded a plus. Sure, but 95% of all the kids that are applying to HADES schools are all well rounded. What makes YOU stand out? Or what 2-3 things make YOU stand out? And then your application needs to show that thing or things ARE your life, and then your recommenders need to show that that thing or things ARE your life. </p>
<p>Applied at 6 schools, 4 HADES, 2 non-Hades. 5 acceptances and 1 Waitlist. The 1 waitlist was a Non-Hades. </p>
<p>Test scores- mid 80%
Grades- All Honors at a private day school, but more B’s than A’s. Top 15% of class.</p>
<p>Finacial Aid? We needed 80%. We were awarded more than that at all 5 schools. A few schools awarded 100%. Why did the non-HADE waitlist her? I assume they assumed she would get into numerous HADE’s schools. It was a tough enough decision as it was. The hardest part was having to choose and then say no to so many wonderful schools. </p>
<p>One might say "You need $$ to be able to have a life-long passions for those that I have listed and then to be involved in so many activities or teams regarding that “1” passion is so time-consuming. I can tell you my daughter has “3” passions she is top notch in and we are by no means wealthy. In fact, while I stated we needed 80% FA, that was based on last years income, the previous 9/10 of the previous 10 years we would have needed 100% FA. </p>
<p>Anyone can do it. Most people dream about getting into “1” great school and they say that if you need FA you have no shot or if you don’t have all A’s you have no shot, or if you don’t score over 90% you have no shot, or if you don’t have $$ to train in a sport, or participate in a passion that you can’t compete… well all those things are simply just not true. The examples for passions that I gave are just that… examples. The key is make sure YOUR application is the #1 application for all kids that play soccer or that your application is the #1 application for all kids who do acting, etc. In my opinion, “That is the key.” The key is not grades, the key is not test scores, and the key is not the interview. Those things mean “something,” but they aren’t what gets you in. I’d actually say, they could get you axed from consideration. I.e. You have to prove you can do the work and as for the interview… hopefully you talk about “YOUR” passion and how it would benefit the school and then of course if you “aren’t” nice in the interview than that will probably get you axed. But, being nice in the interview won’t get you in. They need to hear it from other people and then validate it is true in your interview. </p>
<p>This is just our experience and it is right in line with what Devolution wrote.</p>
<p>@bshopeful2013, doesn’t your D fulfill 2 items in condition #4 on my list above?</p>
<p>Devolution- great post. Very good for the community. Hopefully it will help next year’s kids.</p>
<p>I am a bit discouraged by some of these things I am reading in all honesty. My daughter is a nice kid, one of those that gets the comments on her report card saying she is a joy, she stays after to help the teachers or whatever. Smart like so many of the other kids here, and an excellent student.</p>
<p>She has arthritis and it caused a lot of problems finding something she could do without hurting herself, its in full remission now and has been for <em>knock on wood</em> several months. But for sports we were really limited, and she really isn’t the athletic type.</p>
<p>One activity she LOVES is writing to her international penpals, and collecting postcards from around the world. The collection is over 600 from almost every area of the world. But somehow I wouldn’t think this would really help her.</p>
<p>I am coming to the conclusion that maybe a more relaxed school would suit her best, because she really is a “go with the flow” kinda kid. I just hate knowing that if we can’t get financial aid, she will have to go the local public school because we don’t have any other choices. And I know we have to do what we can for her, or she won’t have any choice. There is literally 1 school for high school here (and while I am sure she would do fine there I want better than fine for her), and the closest non-public is 1 1/2 hours drive away and in Canada that is insane in the winter.</p>
<p>Vanboingy- If she “loves” writing her foreign penpals, I imagine she “loves” learning about other cultures. My d wrote 2 essays on her love of foreign cultures. Always look for and extentuate the positives of the things she loves. I imagine boarding schools would “love” to have kids, just like yours, who not only would “love” to live, sleep, eat, and everything else with other kids from all over the world, but has proven with years of writing and corresponding with people from all over world for many years that “foreign cultures and creating a rapport with people from foreign cultures” IS her life. </p>
<p>Seems like she’s already one step ahead of everyone else in the process. Think outside the box and let her showcase her passions like no one else can.</p>
<p>There are plenty of nice “regular” kids who are admitted w generous FA to good schools, not just to the richest uber-competive schools. Emma Willard comes to mind as an example of a school that is particularly generous when one considers the smaller size of its endowment to Exeter’s godzilla-sized one. The schools are committed to having a socio-economically diverse student body that includes a healthy number of middle class kids, and not just rich full-pay kids and outreach full-aid poor kids. If u read thru the theads on this website, u will find that to be the case. </p>
<p>I think it is fair to say that if you need significant FA, then it would be prudent to apply to a few more schools. What the number is depends on the competiveness of the schools you target and the relative attractiveness of your child’s profile to that school.</p>
<p>Don’t be discouraged, just have realistic expectations and apply ti a good mix of schools. As you are asking the right questions, u are way ahead of the game already.</p>
<p>You can’t turn good fortune into expertise. It’s akin to a lottery winner handing out financial advice.</p>
<p>One quick point. Applying to 6 schools and getting in to 5 or 6 of them is NOT the norm. I did a quick survey last week of the posts where candidates gave information on the number of schools applied, accepted, wait list, & denied. It is hardly scientific but the average number applied to was 4.5 schools and the breakdown was roughly 1/3 for each of accepted, wait list, and denied. That’s the average, on a small sample, but I think it argues for more rather than fewer applications.</p>
<p>…especially if you need FA.</p>
<p>I think GMTplus7’s post #43 is the best advice for the general public…of course, there are always outliers…but as the saying goes “You pays your money and you takes your chances.”</p>
<p>With SevenDaughter #1, we only applied to 3 schools…mostly because of factors #2 and #3. She went 2/3, including one “HADES” school. The list for SevenDaughter #2 is looking like it will be even shorter, with the same factors plus #4 coming into play for her.</p>
<p>Had we not had a solid back up in our local day school (20% of senior class admitted Princeton for second year running, woot!) I would be fine with doubling number of schools to 6-7. SevenDaughter #1 used school-specific apps and I think any more than that would be very tough to manage.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that we visited 8 schools out of the original 14 we considered. So it’s not like we were stuck on the “Top 5” or anything like that.</p>
<p>PhotographerMom, brilliant reply. That’s exactly it. Just because one applicant got lucky doesn’t mean that the strategy they followed will have the same results for another applicant if they did the same thing. Indeed, I’d argue it wouldn’t even necessarily turn out the same again for lucky applicant if they had to do it over again. It’s like dice theory, just because you rolled a 6 once doesn’t make it more likely that you’ll roll a 6 again.</p>
<p>My older daughter had a very long list when she applied. We visited something like 14 schools and she applied to 12 (I believe it was 12–it’s been a few years). She was accepted with significant FA to three. </p>
<p>What I found unsettling about her acceptances is how little rhyme or reason there was to them, at least from our perspective. One acceptance was from her first choice, a HADES school. Acceptances two and three, by contrast, were from schools that would have been the first to come off of her list if we had decided to focus on fit. Furthermore, there was no discernible pattern to her “non-fit” acceptances. One was from a GLADCHEMMS, the other from a hidden gem. And while neither school was a particularly good fit from our perspective, had she not gotten into her “good-fit” school, she would have happily attended school 2 or 3. And she would have received a stellar education. </p>
<p>So were she and I really savvy in identifying how good a fit she was for her first choice? Or were we clueless when we failed to recognize that she was a good fit for the other two schools? </p>
<p>I don’t doubt that fit is extremely important. I’m just not sure that fit from a student or a family’s perspective is necessarily the same thing as fit from the AO’s perspective. </p>
<p>What is truly frightening to me about the whole process is that if we had taken the “non-fits” off of her list and she hadn’t gotten into her first choice, she would have ended up applying to 10 schools and come out of the process with nothing but wait lists.</p>
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<p>Of course it matters what it is! If a kid is a champion rower, that’s going to make a lot more difference at a school that offers crew than at a school that doesn’t. To pretend otherwise is ridiculously naive.</p>
<p>My son, by way of example, tames lions. Years of experience and amazing talent. (And, no, he doesn’t really tame lions, but does something equally unusual.) And it’s wonderful, and schools are impressed . . . but, in the end, they don’t need lion tamers. They need soccer players, and violinists, and . . . well, you fill in the blank.</p>
<p>Congratulations, bshopeful13, on your wonderful outcome . . . but, as PhotographerMom so eloquently stated, you can’t turn good fortune into expertise.</p>
<p>We needed a substantial amount of FA so we applied to nine. She was accepted to one HADES and three GLADCHEMMS. She was a strong applicant, but I strongly advise families looking for substantial FA to apply to many schools, because you could end up with little FA or no acceptances as a result of not being a full-pay candidate.</p>
<p>FWIW: “HADES” is included in “GLADCHEMMS”.</p>
<p>Yes but GLADCHEMMS is not included in Hades. I guess one could say they got accepted at a HADES and a GLCMM :-)</p>
<p>Why the useless distinction? If you’re going to use an acronym, you would say, “She was accepted to four GLADCHEMMS”.</p>