DIdn’t see a thread for Exeter 2021/2022 applicants, so here you go. Ranting is welcome and even encouraged. I know it’s a bit early but better sooner than later, right?
Hey, current student here! I’ve (probably) got answers to your questions, so ask away!
Is anyone applying for junior year?
@RedLioness Hi! could you reply to my threads on my account? Not many people have answered my questions. Thank you.
@sabrinalove yep, I am 
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@RedLioness - I’m considering applying, what are some of the major pros and cons of Exeter? Things making it stand out from other boarding school? Things maybe other schools would be better at? Thanks!
Hi! I’m also applying for Exeter (for 9th grade). Can anyone provide some tips for applying/what Exeter looks for in applicants?
I’m applying for 10th grade. Any tips will be awesome.
What is the time commitment, after classes end? How much studying, and is there a study hall for the lower grades?
There are so awesome opportunities. How many can you actually manage?
How’s the food?
All schools have weak aspects? What would you like to change?
Im applying for PEA 2021 fall i had some questions about the interview and the dorm rules and what makes you stand out in the application?
Hi I am also applying for PEA for 10th grade , international applicant. How many students do they accept in grade 10? Does applying for financial aid hurt my chances?
I’m applying to PEA for 10th grade!
Has anybody done an interview yet, particularly with Ms. Pattison? Tips? Advice?
I am ?
I’m so stressed out about the essays. I haven’t had a normal English class since Elementary school. My sixth-grade teacher got cancer and we had many subs throughout the last semester and just got packets. We had four English teachers in seventh-grade and my last teacher spent like a month getting to know us. And in eighth grade, we had COVID right when we were about to write a huge essay. For ninth, we’re all online.
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@jackb192 is one of your parents a good editor or do you have a family friend or teacher who can help you online?
@jackb192 It can feel really stressful, I know. I hope it helps to think of the essays more as a virtual interview for those who can’t be in the room when you do interview than as proof that you are a great writer.
What might help is: aim to connect more than impress. The essays are to share about yourself with the Admissions team. They are NOT to show what a great writer you are.
Also, what might help: know that first drafts are usually crummy, even for professional writers. (I say this as someone who is a professional writer. I once called my publisher and said: “hey – question for you! how crummy can a first draft actually be without ruining the final book?!” So I truly GET your stress on this!!)
So if I may offer some suggestions that help me.
My main suggestion is to focus less on HOW to write and more on WHAT to write.
So –
Step back.
What is your story? What do you offer this world? What have you done over the past 10 years that shows trends? What point of view do you have that no one else around you does? What will you be doing at boarding school with this unique perspective? What is your dream for your future?
Can you create a one-sentence description of yourself? (Think about how one admissions officer might describe you to another admissions officer when they are at the dining hall having lunch – “hey did you read the essay from the kid who…xyz and xyzzy and xyzzy???”) Write down your one sentence description.
Now, decide on 3-5 things about you that would be a mistake for anyone not to know about you.
Do these 3-5 things about you help “prove” or support your one-sentence description? (if not, make some adjustments here – either in the one-sentence description or in the 3-5 pieces of evidence or support.)
once you have this one-pager (sentence + 3-5 things), on a separate page, brainstorm some stories that show these things in action. Don’t be afraid to be personal, or to let a small moment or story show up in your brainstorm. Just brainstorm out some stories without worrying if they are good, funny, sad, whatever. But get a list of 10-30 quick story ideas from your life. (note: these stories will be great to have in your back pocket to bring up in interviews, even if most will never make it to the essays!)
Now take the main page about you (sentence + 3-5 things) and take your brainstorm of stories (which for my DD was a list of bullet points), and NOW go look at your essay questions.
Does that help you decide WHAT to write?
Yes, you will need to write well enough to show you are capable of doing the work. But in writing: WHAT is the way to HOW, in my experience. If you get the WHAT down, you have a draft.
Remember: you can edit a bad draft. You cannot edit a blank piece of paper.
Start with the WHAT. You can get a set of eyes to help you on the HOW afterwards.
Another trick – you might be better at speaking, in which case just record yourself and then type up your recording. (And: either way – be sure to read your essays aloud after you write them to make sure you aren’t falling into the trap of using language that isn’t natural for you. Especially important if you take anyone’s editing advice!).
I hope that helps.
You are in good company I promise.
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Just quickly wanted to jump in to show support for @Calliemomofgirls 's post. I’ve been using this technique since she introduced it to the forum a couple months ago and though it’s not going to work perfectly (at least it didn’t for me), it’s a really great starting point for thinking about how you want to present yourself, in your interviews as well as your essays. Highly recommend (:
Hi! I’m in my 3rd year (upper) at Exeter and I would say that we get a lot of new kids in lower year. In my lower year we got about 30 new students.
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