Whoa, so many people are applying for A/E (as expected). I’ll ask you this, @Julie0635 , but I also want the question to branch out to others applying for A and/or E: What drew you to those two schools?
Well, i’m not in this years application cycle, but I am currently a senior at Andover so I can still tell you what drew me to the school: When I applied to Andover, I wasn’t positive if I would go there even if I was accepted, even though it was the only prep school I applied to. After receiving the FedEX on M10, I wasn’t sure if the wanted to go to Andover or my local public high school until I went on a revisit day. After experiencing a real day of school at Andover, I was sold on the place. It looked challenging, interesting, and enjoyable. Andover could provide me opportunities that other school couldn’t. Although there are times I where I hate the workload and grind, the rewards make it more than worth it.
@minimalist well for me I go to a crazy rigorous school already and I’ve always wanted to go to a boarding school especially because my mother went to boarding school and I wanted a school with a really hard a education where people are incredibly competitive because I do best in those environments
Hi!! @Julie0635 and @Rathgar , looks like I am in the same boat.
I applied as a junior and although my parents were shocked by my decision to apply, since it’s not something you do in my town, they have really come around. I am incredibly nervous for M10 and although I would love nothing more than to have the unlimited access to knowledge and possibilities that BS will give me, there are other ways. At least that’s what I am telling myself to stifle the nerves 
Ok, here’s another perspective. I refuse to think about M10. I’ve buried any thought of it because I don’t want it to come. When it does, choices will have to be made, and my child will likely go away. Thousands of miles away.
@MABlue where are you going next year?
@Julie0635 do you go to a private school now? or is it a public HS?
@laenen the school I currently go to is a Magnet school but the thing about it is that you have to apply to get in and the whole school is magnet. There is no public school part to it except that when we play sports or have music competition we still play the public schools in our area.
@asdf789 that is a great way to look at it and if I were you I would get involved in anything to keep the time going that’s why I took on track to give me something more to do.
@laenen After graduating Andover this June, I will be going to the US Naval Academy for college.
@MABlue-- That is fantastic! Good for you!
did any of you apply for financial aid? in reading threads on CC it makes me think my hope of getting in anywhere is automatically over because my family applied for financial aid. Any advice- thoughts?
@Rathgar actually I did apply for financial aid. There would have been no way for my mom to pay for it both my siblings are in college so she’s paying for that as well. So I would say that maybe it will hurt in the admission process but there was honestly just no way for me to go to private school with out it.
not a lot of people freaking out on this thread- where are all of the students? last year there were quite a few people chatting at this time in the waiting period - almost down to 20 days left
@Rathgar There was a thread somewhere that mentioned it, but it seems as though the new applicants were driven away, for lack of a better term. And ahhh! I’m absolutely horrified!
I don’t post often because posting (especially right now) will probably make me more anxious than I need to be.
If we’re being honest I’ve been counting since last year don’t judge tho
@2020person We won’t judge; I’ve been counting the days since the end of summer!
I think I would feel more sane if I had been counting down since last year @minimalist, at least you are prepared! I hadn’t even heard of BS until a few months ago! :(( 
oh, I almost forgot: here’s a link to the m10 countdown for us U.S. east coasters! Keep in mind that the time would be different, of course, for different parts of the world. http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/launch?iso=20160310T00&p0=179&msg=M10+East+Coast+Countdown%21&font=cursive
How many schools did you apply to? 8 for me