I am a current 8th grader and am considering boarding school next year. At my most recent school my course load consisted of honors English, honors science, honors math, and gifted and talented history. My lowest grade that I can recall was a 98, and on my most recent standardized testing (the cogat) I averaged in at the 98th percentile. However, this year my parents decided to switch me to a smaller private school that doesn’t offer honors courses. Could this potentially hurt my chances of getting in? I am not sure which schools i would apply to, although I have had various family members go through the loomis Chaffee school and enjoy it. Any recommendations of schools or things I should be doing to prepare to get into them? Thanks! (Also, schools that could potentially offer more financial aid would be nice.)
Start here : http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1545276-2013-14-hidden-gem-applicant-thread-p4.html
There are links to school websites on this page but the entire thread is worth reading. All of these schools are well-known, highly regarded and offer FA.
If you’re interested in Groton, Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, SPS, Hotchkiss, Choate or Lawrenceville you’ll find countless threads and useful info by using the search function. You might want to set aside a few days to plow through the Andover threads 
Come back and ask questions when you find schools that interest you!
So far I’m really loving Berkshire! I like the close knit community feel it seems to have, and the challenging academics! ( not to mention the gorgeous campus!) I’m mostly concerned with getting admitted! I believe the acceptance rate is something in the low 20s which scares me a little bit! I have tried to look at schools with higher acceptance rates, but nothing I’ve seen compares to Berkshire! I will probably apply to Loomis as well because I think my 3 cousins who’ve graduated from there might kill me if I don’t! Haha! The schools you listed are awesome! Most of them just have even lower acceptance rates! Deerfield and Lawrencville are two I would think I’d enjoy if I could just make it in! (Which I’m slightly doubtful about!) Thanks so much for the help! I’ll continue looking at the threads!
Great! Make sure you checkout Berkshire’s awesome Signature Programs. They’re amazing! Don’t forget to checkout the FB, flickr, Twitter, instagram and YouTube accounts for each school, too!
You should never ignore admit rates but don’t obsess over them either. It’s not healthy 
Do you know of any extra curricular activities I could participate in that schools like to see? I’m currently going to a school with a condensed schedule (9-11:30AM) and have lots of time for extra curriculars! My school only has youth & government, and student council. I could possibly participate in National Charity League, and basically anything else! Thanks!
You should find activities that are meaningful to YOU, that YOU enjoy. Do not make the mistake of joining clubs or participating in other ECs because you want to impress a school. Admissions officers can see right through that sort of thing very easily. Be you, be authentic – THAT is what a school wants to see.
You will become an eighth grader and will move to a smaller private school? I don’t know if their lack of honors classes would hurt your chances but it is hard to understand why at this point you should transfer. The new environment will require adjustment period. Unless the small private school offers obvious academic advantages that would enhance your academic competency, I would think twice if I were you, especially given that you have only one year to apply to a boarding school. Your academics look good at least by the numbers. What about your ECs and hobbies? Good luck!
I was in a large well known, top notch public school system. When I say large, I mean LARGE we’re talking around a 1000 students for a 6th-8th grade middle school. The people I was surrounded by were not academically motivated, and found it extremely odd that I even “bothered” to do my homework despite it not having weight in the grade book. It was not a good environment and I could see myself slowly beginning to slack. My current school only admits kids and is considered a school for the “gifted, talented, and highly motivated”. Same curriculum as my last school with a more advanced and personalized approach. I recently began and can see myself really excelling here 
I totally understand what you mean, it sounds a little crazy, but I had to if I wanted to stay on track in academics!
Totally understand what you mean from recommendations I will give everything a shot and pick what I really like! I I would like to find things that hopefully would look good to schools that I will also enjoy:slight_smile: the student council and youth and government at my school (from what I hear) is a very fun activity and an awesome way to make new friends! I was just wondering if schools liked that or not, even though I will most likely participate anyway! Looking back on it I probably should of worded it differently!
When you look at school websites checkout their clubs and volunteer opportunities. If you see something that really floats your boat, express interest and ask questions ( if you have any ) during the interview. AOs appreciate it when an applicant takes the time to explore everything their school offers.
They can also spot a potential potted plant a mile away, too …
You gotta get out of the mindset of doing things based on how it will look on an app. Like Cameo said- BS (and college) AOs will see right through it .
You’re in 8th grade. You shouldn’t feel like you’re in an EC arms race. Right now- focus on what you’d like to do in the future instead of scrambling around for something less meaningful so you can write it down on an app. Look at everything a BS offers and make your case for admission. Tell them why you want to have this experience and why their school would be perfect for you.