<p>I'm in the 7th grade, preparing to go into 8th for the 2011-2012 year... I'm planning on applying to schools such as Deerfield, Andover, Exeter, ect. for the 9th grade. I really want to get into Deerfield (my #1 choice,) but when I compare myself to the other applicants on this forum, or on the internet, I really don't stand out or seem like I would be accepted..</p>
<p>My activities</p>
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<p>piano/viola/and composing of songs for a while now (CM testing level 8)
all honors classes: (advanced algebra for 7th grade, and honors geometry for 8th)
i used to do competitive dancing and won many national awards
community service at schools, and tutoring my peers
leadership classes
fluent in english, korean, and a spanish learner</p>
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<p>I also have a tutor to start preparing me for the SSAT's.. Is this enough? I come from California, in a school where no one I know is going to apply for boarding schools... Does this mean I have a higher rate of being accepted because I have no competition from my school? Please, and thank you.. ^^</p>
<p>your piano & viola are nice but they’re very typical of applicants. there’s nothing to make you stand out (a thousand other applicants play those two instruments). if you’re really good at them, try recording a CD. national dance awards are great, but if you quit, i don’t know if they’re still pertinent. i’d recommend perhaps taking up a sport or something unique (that you’d enjoy, of course-- don’t do something for the sake of doing it). you seem qualified but there’s nothing to differentiate you from others, you know?</p>
<p>ps, if your real name is your username, i would recommend ditching this account and getting a new one asap. identifying information on the internet = not good.</p>
<p>You might want to put a safety school on there. Being from california adds to the diversity factor, that should help. And no, having no one else apply from your school means nothing. If you used to dance, but don’t plan to continue, you shouldn’t bother mentioning that on your application.
The truth is, playing piano/viola and being Korean as well as being good at math is really just standard. I have gone to school with plenty of Koreans, they are all good at string instruments and math. Being korean is kind of a setback, if you ask me.</p>
<p>“Being from california adds to the diversity factor, that should help.”</p>
<p>you’d think so, but that’s usually untrue-- competition from california is fierce, even though it’s on the west coast. if you were from wyoming, that’d be a different story…</p>
<p>yeah i know im average… and compared to other people its really hard to get in… can anyone help me find a boarding school that maybe will accept me? maybe not top schools like exeter or deerfield, but maybe a school easier to get accepted into? (east coast is appreciated… my sisters going there for NYU.)</p>
<p>ah, don’t call yourself average, i’m sure you’re not! exeter is just insanity for anyone, but don’t let anyone on CC get you down-- we don’t know you personally. if you really want go to exeter, go for it. </p>
<p>you can do searches on many of those schools, lots of useful info will come up. if you’re an FP (full pay), you definitely have a great shot a spot at a good (perhaps not exeter-calibre, but exeter isn’t for everyone) school.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies ^^ does anyone think that it would be better to go to a prep school with less competition then a school like Exeter? because the competition at the top notch schools must be crazy…</p>
<p>DiveAlive is right–we can’t tell you where you should apply because we don’t know you as a person. Are you looking for an enviromnment where the kids are competitive with each other for grades? How many hours of homework do you like? Would you benefit from being at a smaller school where everyone knows everyone? Do you like progressive schools? Part of the fun in finding the right school is getting to know yourself and what kind of environment you’d thrive in. Your parents can help you with this too.
Sometimes certain CC posters will act as if the only good schools are the famous schools, and a school with a 40% acceptance rate is filled with drooling cretins. That’s ridiciculous. Some of the smartest kids I’ve ever known went to less competitive schools (and yes, plenty of them eventually went on to the Ivies.) There are many, many schools with terrific students and amazing teachers where you will get a wonderful education. Don’t be fooled into measuring schools by two relatively meaningless statistics: the “percent accepted” and the percent of graduates going to the Ivys–neither number tells you anything about what your day-to-day experience in the classroom will be like at that school. Every school is like its own little country with established traditions and a very specific culture. Figure out what it is you like about Deerfield besides the fact that it’s famous and has a good reputation and look for schools that are similar in terms of formal dress code, sit down meals, lots of school spirit, architecture, class offerings, etc. Then you can look for other schools that have a similar feel to them–and don’t worry, you will be academically challenged at a large number of schools.
I’d recommend to everyone who really wants to go to boarding school to try to find at least 2 schools that have an admit rate of over 30% that you like and would be happy to attend. The ugly truth is that there are simply more qualified applicants than there are spaces, and there’s a very real chance that even a very strong applicant won’t get into any of the schools with application booms. That doesn’t mean you aren’t awesome, it’s just the reality of the market right now. Just don’t get sucked into the attitude that a less competitive school is full of dumb kids and bad teachers.
You should definitely apply to the most popular schools if you like, but try not pin all your hopes on a school where you have a 80%-90% chance of being rejected. There are a lot of kids who would’ve been happy and challenged at a “Hidden Gem” School who never even knew to apply. Good luck and happy researching!</p>
<p>I’d strongly suggest taking the June SSAT. It won’t count or show up when you submit your scores next fall. However, it will give you an honest look at how you perform under real test conditions and help guide your preparation. Any tutor will want to see it before starting to work with you. It’s very much worth the effort and cost!!!</p>
<p>@Albion i’m leaning towards deerfield because their school environment seems so nice! i would love to go to a school like that… with a nice campus and dorm life. i want to go to a school with friendly students and not just arrogant students so focused on studying. im definitely going to apply to the “hidden gem” schools. maybe even one or two schools like deerfield. thanks :)</p>
<p>@kraordrawoh I’m really unprepared… but ill take your advice hopefully it will be worth the 100 some dollars. ><</p>
<p>You should take a look at schools such as Berkshire, Kent, Loomis. Don’t limit your options, there are tons of good options past the Deerfields and Exeters of the world.</p>
<p>I’m not great at “chancing,” but I just wanted to pop in to say that whatever you do, DON’T GIVE UP. Don’t belittle yourself because you see a few statistics on College Confidential. That’s what I did, and I spent months worrying and worrying. I saw other chance threads and thought, “I could never get in anywhere!” After all that chaos, I ended up getting into Andover. I hate seeing perfectly qualified students worrying that they’re not good enough. Prep school admissions don’t decide your worth–just strive to show these schools your passions. If you’re not accepted, it doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t a top notch student. Good luck, and feel free to PM me!</p>
<p>P.S. I LOVE Choate Rosemary Hall. You should really look into that school! Their music program is fantastic.</p>
<p>Don’t stress the ssat. I scored in the low 60’s and I’m going to Choate next year, a school which is (controversially) a top tier school (tier one). I got into four schools, with all ssat avg 80+. Choate’s is close to (or is) a 90, about an 89 or so, according to what my interviewer told me. And I agree with cassat. Look into Choate. It has a very rigorous academic program, along with a relaxed and just plain fun environment. </p>
<p>Pay no mind to the fact that we’re Deerfield’s rival xD But seriously, don’t let that stop you from applying, as many people apply to both.</p>
<p>There’s nothing controversial about Choate being a top tier school. It has had a reputation as a top school for many years and it will likely be on the next Forbes List of Top Prep Schools given the parents rebuttal letter to the editor which pointed out how their data on Choate was flawed.</p>
<p>@Cassat, why Andover over Choate? Both are top and unique in their own rite. We know lots of kids who have turned down one of these two best schools to attend the other. Choate also is considered to have the top Math curriculum among best BSs with Exeter.</p>
<p>I didn’t get into Choate! Haha. I was waitlisted, but it hasn’t affected my opinion of the school. Choate, like most top prep schools, has at least above average departments in nearly all subjects. Music, arts, math, you name it. Personally, I couldn’t decide between Andover and Choate prior to March 10th, so I suppose the admission offices decided for me.</p>
<p>I took a practice SSAT… and I’m starting to get ready (studying more vocab, more activites, ect.) One question though… for the interview, do I actually have to fly over to the east coast? Or can someone in Southern Cali interview me?</p>
<p>ummm… I pretty sure some adcoms fly out to south cali to conduct interviews, but if you can afford it, I’d recommend flying out east to see how you like the vibe on campus, etc</p>
hopefully it will be worth the 100 some dollars. ><</p>