<p>Wow, Exeter has more National Merit Semi-Finalists than Andover!! [Exeter</a> National Merit Semi-Finalists](<a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/news_and_events/news_events_12528.aspx][color=red]Exeter”>http://www.exeter.edu/news_and_events/news_events_12528.aspx)</p>
<p>Uh, I’m not sure that’s a big deal. Andover and Exeter don’t compete over everything. I’m sure there are several schools that have more finalists than Andover.</p>
<p>Exeter had 33, and Andover had 30.</p>
<p>I suppose Andover should just close down.</p>
<p>TomTheCat, I have made some comments about Andover recently in another thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1217346-best-fit-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1217346-best-fit-2.html</a></p>
<p>It’s for sure not a “sales pitch” for Andover (Andover doesn’t need that anyway), but it is not an attack to the school either. Care to make some comments on my comments?</p>
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<p>Think of it this way. It is Super Bowl. The score is Exeter 14, Andover 13. What do you think happened?</p>
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<p>As a typical, level-headed Deerfield freshman, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. I would probably party less and study more.</p>
<p>I know this irrelevant, but I am considering Andover for 10th grade. What kind of students do you think they are looking for?</p>
<p>Last year, I read on these forums that they are mainly looking for “nice” kids.</p>
<p>^^^ I think that’s about right. Ms. Chase said at orientation that they only accept “nice” kids, and kids who the admissions officers thought could benefit from an andover experience.</p>
<p>Not everyone here is nice. Hahaha. But yes, they do attempt to select the “nice” kids.</p>
<p>Invent, why do you try to attack other schools so much? It’s beyond annoying at this point. High school isn’t simply a game. It’s not just a stepping stone to college, and there is no “winner.” The fact that you are so obsessed with numbers and statistics is ridiculous. Plus, you’re a freshman. You have a long way to go before you are able to judge someone’s, or a school’s, worth based only on whether or not they are a National Merit Semi-Finalists. I came to Andover for the experience. Not to get into college. Saying that we should “party less and study more” is pretty ridiculous, considering that NMSF is based on the PSAT. No one here has time to study for that extensively. </p>
<p>Sorry for the defensiveness, but I’ve really had enough of your passive aggressive digs at Andover and other prep schools.</p>
<p>I said I would party less, I didn’t ask you to make any sacrifices.</p>
<p>@cassat: if you look under My Control Panel, you can find Edit Ignore List. This feature can be helpful from time to time.</p>
<p>Thanks for the hint. I just used it and I hope it works.</p>
<p>Hey!! No one really answered my question! LOL, but seriously, other than being “nice”, any specific things they look for? ( like maybe better grades then test scores, or better test scores then grades, or very unique abilities)</p>
<p>The average SSAT scores for HADES schools is in the 85-94% range, usually with mostly A grades. You need to have a sustained passion in ECs like piano for 4 or 5 years etc. If you won any math, science, debate competitions or an athlete that is considered a “hook.” Research the school on their websites and viewbooks and show in your interview why the school is your top choice/best fit. If you are from under-represented geographic areas like the midwest, that is a plus, so is your ability to make the interviewer cry with your life story if you have one such story of beating the odds. At 14-20% admit rates, it’s a blackbox even for qualified applicants. So use statistics to your advantage and apply to 5 or 6 schools to have 1 or 2 choices. If you don’t need FA, that is a big plus. And don’t laugh when the interviewer kicks the puppy, as they mostly want nice kids.</p>
<p>That’s really funny, that outline you just gave pretty much describes me.</p>
<p>Two points:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, Andover has expansive curricular and extra-curricular opportunities that are college like in their depth and breath. But, no, Andover is not an impersonal, sink or swim school. It is only roughly half the size of liberal art colleges like Williams and Middlebury that are known for being small and intimate. Moreover, it is divided into five close-knit residential clusters, each consisting of about 220 students; and it has a comprehensive safety net system, which includes multiple layers of adult supervision. </p></li>
<li><p>Statistics regarding National Merit Semi-Finalists or SAT scores are largely meaningless to applicants because “SAT scores generally reflect the testing ability of the student prior to being admitted at a school.” Thus, a student who is a National Merit Semi-Finalist at Exeter would just as likely have been one at Andover. Likewise, the students at Andover who had marginally higher average SAT scores than their counterparts at Exeter last year would have scored just as highly on the SAT if they had attended Exeter. [Boarding</a> Schools with the Highest Average SAT Score - Boarding School Review](<a href=“http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/highest_sat_scores/sort/1]Boarding”>Boarding Schools with the Highest Average SAT Scores (2023))</p></li>
</ol>
<p>What is the comprehensive safety system and what are the multiple layers of adult supervision? Do they have security cameras in the dorms?</p>
<p>Another thing about National Merit: you have to be a citizen or permanent resident to qualify, so at boarding schools that attract internationals, there are most likely even more high scoring students than you see on the list.</p>
<p>Invent, you just can’t get over it can you? Let me tell you, don’t waste your time. The way you are doing it? You won’t hurt the school one bit. As a matter of fact, you have zero credit on this board, so no one takes seriously of anything you say. Period. If you don’t believe me, ask around. So, in that sense, don’t hurt Deerfield by supporting it your way, which is always doing it together with attacking another school.</p>
<p>I’m actually kind of sympathetic to Invent. There is no way s/he could spend this amount of time on the board unless homework was not getting done or there was a developing problem with social integration resulting in a lot of free time in his/her bedroom with nothing better to do. It may be the latter because his/her personality is not exactly winning any online friends either.</p>