<p>I am planning to apply for boarding school in grade 9. I'm already a bit behind schedule. I took the SSATs today, but that's about all I've done in terms of prep school preparations. I have yet to fill out the applications, start my essays, or anything else.
There are a lot of questions on the application that I do not fully understand how to answer.
For example:
1. Why would you be an asset to our school community? This is the one that I get stuck on! How am I supposed to answer this?! Please give me concrete guidelines or a good example
2. What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses? These are dreadful questions, especially the weaknesses. How do you state your strengths without seeming over-confident, and how do you state your weaknesses?
3. Upon graduation from <em>_, I would like to have accomplished the following. This is specific to one school, but this one I am really stuck on.
4. Applicant interests and activities. They give you sections (arts, athletics, awards, clubs, community service etc.) and they tell you to note level of participation. What if you do these as recreation? Are they supposed to be in point form?
5. When I am not in school I... (is this asking you to describe your leisure activities?)
6. In a brief paragraph explain the benefits you would derive from attending _</em> (am I supposed to rant about how the education curriculum is more advanced etc?)
7. Describe a person, event, or series of events that has made an impact on your life. Explain how this has changed your life and way of thinking. (how do you write a GOOD response to this?)
How do you format your answers?</p>
<p>Start by thinking about why YOU are special, and will stand out from the other 90/100 applicants they won’t take. Then craft that into each of the essays.</p>
<p>What you will contribute is very important. Academic passion is necessary, but not enough. Do you like to play sports, arts, music, student government? Are you a leader? From an underrepresented ethnic minority or geographically unusual place? Do you love Science, history or Russian literature? These are passions you can share with your future community. They do not want boring kids who sit in their room and study 24/7. Paint a picture of your activities, interests - for example my daughter stressed her math and science interest, and being from the Midwest.</p>
<p>Strengths is a re-working of passions, and they are also looking for caring about others, and community service. Weaknesses can be addressed by turning it into “what I learned” and actually makes you seem stronger, something like “because of my passion to help others, I tried too many volunteer community activities and couldn’t stay organized, so now I do one or two”</p>
<p>Basically, convince them why they should take YOU, and not the 90/100 other top of their class 8th graders from all over the world.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply, but I am still unsure of how I should format these answers… Am I supposed to write: I will contribute to the community by being interested in literature and art???</p>
<p>“the other 90/100 applicants they won’t take”</p>
<p>wut</p>
<p>@Stella…</p>
<p>Well, do you consider <em>interest</em> a contribution? Perhaps you can tell schools how you would <em>act</em> upon your interest—participate in the student gallery? Or literary magazine? Design stage sets, or act? Or…??? It really does require some self reflection. </p>
<p>2prepMom has sage advice about sharing what you’ve learned about yourself. If your range of experience is limited, still it’s best to draw on what you know.</p>
<p><strong><em>How do you format your answers?</em></strong>, you asked.</p>
<p>How do you think? In well-written and proofread English, using descriptive (but not pompous) sentences. What question are you actually asking, Stella? Are you looking for suggestions about WHAT to answer? The stakes are high; you must have some reasons you want to attend boarding school in general, and perhaps a particular school specifically. I would spend some time in self reflection, and then start writing. You can edit later, but when it’s hard (as it is for many) to get started, what my family refers to as “reflection then head-dump” – meaning just get it all down, and THEN edit – usually works. </p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. There are no truly wrong answers, and if you are not willing to be “you” then schools that may be a good FIT may not see your value; conversely, schools that aren’t a good FIT may not see that, and you really, really don’t want to go to a school where you’ll be unhappy, simply for the prestige of it.</p>
<p>Basic ideas to get started may include…show, don’t tell. For example, maybe there is a “tell us where you’re from” question, my daughter wrote about taking walks in the forest during her childhood, what she saw, thought about, heard and smelled. How it influenced who she is and what her passion is. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s “write about someone who influenced you”. Include quotes, the setting, the mood, feelings, why it matters. Try to include how this influence led to your having the passions you have (music, writing, science, athletics, etc)</p>
<p>Start your essay with a very interesting sentence (the “hook”) that draws the reader in to want to read the rest of the essay. Use your own language, don’t spout vocabulary words. Write something only you could write. Be wary of humor, it can come off wrong. </p>
<p>After you think you’re done, ask a teacher to read it; read it out loud to yourself. Be very careful entering it on the form and don’t go over the word limits (the programs can cut out parts if you go over). Check it twice.</p>
<p>I was stuck on some very similar questions! (I’m applying for 2013, too, you see…) So I just thought of it as a really important English assignment. Use snippets of everything you learned in your English class to make the essay answers invigorating!</p>
<p>Also, you’re not that behind. Plenty of people submit their apps at the last moment. There’s still a lot of time. Take it from me - I haven’t even taken my SSATs yet!</p>
<p>Anxiety - that’s a great plan. We were homeschooling at the time of our dc’s applications. We in fact did consider the essays, all of which had to be somewhat different, as “really important English assignments”. </p>
<p>Stella - take a deep breath. You are not yet behind. Most of the earlier deadlines are Jan. 15 - I can think of one school that’s a few days earlier; some schools are Feb. 1 – </p>
<p>I recommend you take a good look at the deadlines of the schools to which you’re applying, and plan on being “all done” by the earliest deadline. A little “artificial” pressure never hurt a person, and it will give you something to keep the fire burning. </p>
<p>Back to the subject of essays, I think a lot of young people have a hard time expressing what they’re good at without feeling like they’re “bragging.” But this is not the time to be falsely modest—schools really want to know who’s applying. So if you’re accomplished at something, you might phrase it in terms of “I really like to do…” or “I have always been inspired by/felt strongly about/wanted to…” as a launch pad for that thing you do.</p>