One year later. . .

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>It would be interesting to see what 2006 - 2007 applicants are up to now, one year after their decisions. Some questions to think about: </p>

<p>[ul]
[<em>] What were your plans for your future after seeing your decisions? What did you expect? Did your predictions hold true?
[</em>] For those who were accepted and are attending:
- Everyone takes a time machine back to March 10th, 2007. You have all of the knowledge you have now. That is, you know everything *you learned in the past year one year ago. You are in a room with three doors. Using your knowledge, you have to choose one of the three:
- <a href="i">i</a> Door 1: Absolutely nothing will have changed. You resume doing whatever you were doing on 3/10/2008 and your memory of being on the time machine is erased.
- <a href="ii">i</a>* Door 2: You choose to attend a different school (if possible). Your knowledge from the future is erased, as is the memory of the time machine.
- <a href="iii">i</a>* Door 3: You don't attend a boarding school at all. Your knowledge from the future and the memory of the time machine are erased.
[<em>] If you were accepted to at least one school but chose not to attend (this doesn't include those who couldn't attend because of financial restrictions or other external causes), which choice would you pick?
[</em>] If you could not attend last year due to financial reasons (or other circumstances), say all the conditions were perfect to attend boarding school. Would you do it?
[<em>] For those who were not accepted, say you were accepted to the school you considered your top choice last year. Would you go?
[</em>] What are the things students should really look for in a school?
[<em>] So far, is boarding school what you thought it would be?
[</em>] What do you predict for your future? What part has boarding school played in it?
[/ul]</p>

<p>Think about your experiences. All of the tears, excitement, anticipation, depression, joy, insanity -- what do you believe it has amounted to? What is your conclusion*? </p>

<p>*At least for this year. :D</p>

2

<p>Great post – I will look forward to the answers! Would be nice to touch base with those of you who apply March 2007.</p>

3

<p>bump.
this got buried under the acceptance threads :D</p>

4

<p>I’m curious about this… Lol. </p>

<p>BUMP</p>

5

<p>And another bump…I’m curious about the answers. :)</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>

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<p>bumpity bump bump</p>

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<p>bump? BUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP!!!</p>

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<p>There once was a boy called ChaosTheory - a nice kid who deserved to get into his dream school. Everyone was surprised and disappointed when he did not get in but I suspect he had a very productive year since then and is thriving somewhere. Maybe he is even glad he did not go to that dream school. I am sure he’s doing great. Well, Pyroclasm, do you know how Chaos is doing?</p>

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<p>Hey I am Phillips Andover Class of 2011.<br>
I was a low 80s SSAT. I did not apply to any other schools.
I am a day student, and I chose to dance both at Phillips and my old studio.
I was SOOO SOOOO THRILLED when I got in! like ecstatic!</p>

<p>-Today, I have grown so much as a person, dancer, student, friend.
-I have grown into a completely different person
-I don’t have one friend from my old town. I don’t keep in touch it all
-I suffer A LOT of distress from all the work
-I am in 10 clubs on top of dancing
-I was opened to many new experiences
-I am in the top 20% in the class.. (this goes to show that 99% SSAT doesn’t prove or promise anything since I struggled to get low 80s)
-The school has been an amazing experience in almost every way</p>

<p>Flaws:
You have to remember that the majority of students at most of these boarding schools come from families paying FULL TUITION. A lot of them are old nobility. I have felt a little left out and on the poor side of the spectrum at PA. Sometimes, there seems to be a little tension, but it isn’t too bad. You have to know this.
*Also, boarding school is not for everyone. I know a LOT of friends in my dorms and classes in all grades who are miserable. they are wasting their time and the sacrifices people are making to give them this opportunity to attend such a wonderful school.
-It takes most people a LONGGG time to adjust. It is HARD!
-You will still face plenty of problems along the way. Don’t let the viewbooks fool you. It looks like paradise, but you need to realize that boarding school is a place where you grow, learn, cry, and make mistakes. This is not a perfect place.</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the school, but it is not as “perfect” as I would have dreamed. I thank the lord for giving me such an amazing, extraordinary opportunity. I have matured so much over the past year.. I look back at some of my old posts and feel embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. </p>

<p>Just remember, if you don’t get in your dream school, don’t fear. There is a path to success for you, even at public, catholic, day school, or homeschool. There is a path for everyone.</p>

<p>Also, if you get the chance, look up olivia567’s post “Left Choate.” It may give you some great insight. </p>

<p>PM me or post on here for anyone who would like me to share anything particular. </p>

<p>& if you get the chance, re</p>

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<p>I’m a 9th Grader at Phillips Exeter Academy
My SSAT overall was 99% (98% V, 99% M, 93% R)</p>

<p>Umm…I don’t know what to say here, really :P</p>

<p>Exeter is a good school. (I do feel bad because of how expensive it is though!) After the revists, I didn’t rank Exeter the highest on my list, but other people (parents, friends etc) convinced me to attend anyways (because of the prestige), and I did…so I don’t really know what advice to give prospectives about “the best fit”…</p>

<p>Oh, except it’s definitely different than the lookbooks they send you. Or at least from me. The photos are obviously 100% Exeter (the grass may be a little greener), and everything (except the opinions obviously) is factual, but the perspective is different. This is the same as dancer said I think.</p>

<p>Not everything is depressing though…There are a lot of cool things, such as Exeter/Andover day :slight_smile: It’s really exciting and held once each term – the sports teams and any interested fans will travel to the opposing school (switches off every term) and compete. It’s very fun and gets you psyched/proud for your school.</p>

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<p>This is turning out to be an interesting thread. :slight_smile: Lots of interesting input.</p>

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<p>This does seem interesting! bump</p>

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<p>It is really helpful and I thank them for taking to time to do so, but i wish more people from more schools would post.</p>

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<p>I’m a freshman at Phillips Exeter Academy. Last year I applied to Exeter and Andover, got rejected at Andover, so naturally my only choice was Exeter. </p>

<p>Exeter definitely is a stretch financially, and I’m not sure if I would have been able to attend without the financial aid. Even with the financial aid, my family is still making a lot of sacrifices. I know one of the reasons why my parents were apprehensive about sending me off to boarding school initially was that it would undeniably be harder for me to get into an Ivy. The pool is much deeper here and the intensity of the competition is greater than anything my old public school could offer. Everyone wants to excel. However, the education that I have gotten in these past six months has been invaluable. Regardless of whether I go to an Ivy or not, I know that these next four years at Exeter will help shape me into a well-educated, well-rounded global citizen. I am constantly being challenged and pushed by my peers. There is always someone who is nipping at your heels and keeping you on your toes. This is the sort of competition and drive that I would not find anywhere else. </p>

<p>Aside from the competitive/academic aspect, Exeter really is a community. The people at this school are amazing. In just the past few months, I’ve formed such strong bonds with my dorm mates, adviser, and faculty members. The environment is so supportive, and there are always people to ‘fall back’ on when things get too cut-throat.</p>

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<ul>
<li> What were your plans for your future after seeing your decisions? What did you expect? Did your predictions hold true?
I applied to three schools–Governor Dummer’s, Exeter, and Choate. Exeter was my first choice, and I was rejected at Governor’s, so I of course choose Exeter (no offense to Choate.) I suppose the only thing that has surprised me is the fact that no, not all Exonians are geniuses–I find myself to be active and engaged in all of my classes, not apprehensive about saying something stupid so that my piranhas of classmates will destroy me. Exeter, for me, is as good as I expected, better, perhaps. The breaks allow me to catch up with old friends, and, as a day student, I may have a more healthy relationship with my family and friends at home.

<ul>
<li>For those who were accepted and are attending:

<ul>
<li>Everyone takes a time machine back to March 10th, 2007. You have all of the knowledge you have now. That is, you know everything you learned in the past year one year ago. You are in a room with three doors. Using your knowledge, you have to choose one of the three:</li>
<li>(i) Door 1: Absolutely nothing will have changed. You resume doing whatever you were doing on 3/10/2008 and your memory of being on the time machine is erased.</li>
<li>(ii) Door 2: You choose to attend a different school (if possible). Your knowledge from the future is erased, as is the memory of the time machine.</li>
<li>(iii) Door 3: You don’t attend a boarding school at all. Your knowledge from the future and the memory of the time machine are erased.
Door 1 for me. This experiences have shaped me, as cliche as it sounds, I would not be the same without them. </li>
</ul></li>
<li>What are the things students should really look for in a school?
People seem to stress the best fit, but really, the school is what you make of it. I would advise you to look at the people, not the facilities–does it matter if you aren’t on the most beautiful campus if your education and social life is fantastic? </li>
<li>So far, is boarding school what you thought it would be?
I don’t board. Perhaps this isn’t that helpful to all of you. </li>
<li>What do you predict for your future? What part has boarding school played in it?
My future undoubtedly does not include an Ivy due to financial circumstances. However, my experience at Exeter I’m certain will allow me to thrive at whatever College I attend, and invariably serve me better than if I had gone through the school system of my town.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

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<p>Welll I was an applicant for fall 2006, so 2 years ago. Hope nobody minds if I play anyways. :-)</p>

<p>-What were your plans for your future after seeing your decisions? What did you expect? Did your predictions hold true?
I only applied to one school and was accepted there. I expected to go there and hopefully mature and grow and be happy at school. I was really unhappy at my public school, which was my main motivation for applying to boarding school - there was no place else to go in my area.</p>

<p>-For those who were accepted and are attending:

  • Everyone takes a time machine back to March 10th, 2007. You have all of the knowledge you have now. That is, you know everything you learned in the past year one year ago. You are in a room with three doors. Using your knowledge, you have to choose one of the three:
  • (i) Door 1: Absolutely nothing will have changed. You resume doing whatever you were doing on 3/10/2008 and your memory of being on the time machine is erased.
  • (ii) Door 2: You choose to attend a different school (if possible). Your knowledge from the future is erased, as is the memory of the time machine.
  • (iii) Door 3: You don’t attend a boarding school at all. Your knowledge from the future and the memory of the time machine are erased.</p>

<p>Door 1. I wouldn’t give up these past couple of years for anything. I’ve grown and changed as a person so much in such a short time and I’ve found a place where I’m comfortable and happy.</p>

<p>-What are the things students should really look for in a school?</p>

<p>A place where they think they’ll be happy. A place where they feel comfortable with the people. You can go to a school that seems like the perfect fit on paper, but be miserable because you don’t like the people there. Don’t worry about prestige…there are so many amazing schools out there with the prestige of Exeter, Andover, Choate, etc. Don’t limit your choices because they’re not prestigious enough. The school where you’re most happiest may not be the most prestigious one. It could be, but it may not be. Wherever you go there’s going to be happy and unhappy people.</p>

<p>-So far, is boarding school what you thought it would be?</p>

<p>Pretty much. I’ve made some amazing friends, made some great relationships with faculty. My classes are small, I feel comfortable where I am and I can actually talk in class now. Boarding school has been more than I thought it would be…I never thought I would be able to get up in front of a group of a hundred or so people and say even a sentence. I can make announcements at housemeeting now…something trivial to some people, but a big accomplishment for me personally. Boarding school has it’s flaws, of course. Everyone has days where they just wish they could get out. It can be hard to get off campus and sometimes you feel like you’re stuck in some sort of prison that calls itself a school. But other times it’s the best place ever and you can’t imagine not being there with your friends having the experiences you’re having. I agree with dancer…viewbooks make boarding school seem like a fairytale, but it’s not all fun and games. It’s not perfect.</p>

<p>-What do you predict for your future? What part has boarding school played in it?</p>

<p>I don’t really know? College, obviously…I’m a senior waiting to here from my top choices. Boarding school has helped me grow and mature (I know…I’ve said that a lot already, lol, and it’s sounds corny and silly but it’s true). It’s also helped me become a leader and not just someone who tries to hide in the background. I’ve really loved my time at boarding school, I’m sad I only got two years there (I spent two years in public school) and I’m going to be sad to leave it.</p>

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<p>bumpity bump bump…:D</p>

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<p>bump…</p>

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<p>bump! bump! bump!</p>