Questions about boarding school admissions

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Hello CC! First-time poster here, but I've lurked for a little bit.</p>

<p>I am looking at applying to boarding schools for the 2014-15 school year, and I have some questions about the whole process (I'll think of more later, but this is what I have now). Feel free to answer one, some or all of my questions!</p>

<p>Applying to 10th grade vs. repeat 9th grade.</p>

<p>As I play sports competitively (main sport is ice hockey), I've read that many students repeat a year to gain a physical advantage. However, I kind of wonder whether that is really necessary in my situation. I think that next year, I might be physically mature enough to not have to repeat (or maybe I'm just being naive :P). Academically, I shouldn't have serious issues either, as my 8th grade academic courseload was quite rigorous, and this year promises to be even tougher. So, bottom line: should I do it or not?</p>

<p>Should I get in contact with any athletic coaches? How? What should I tell them? I won't be at any showcases, so should I send in film? (I personally don't think it's necessary, but every source I've seen as said to do so)</p>

<p>Second, I've read about establishing a clear hook on the application, but I consider myself to have many hooks by other people's standards. Should I present myself as well-rounded, or should I hone in on one hook? Personally, I think that I should stick with being well-rounded, as I enjoy indulging in many different areas of different, not just one or two.</p>

<p>Third, am I starting this process too late? I've read that you should start this process at least 18 months prior to your estimated entry date, but I'm seriously starting now (12 months). Will I and my family be overstressed because of this? We are just starting to look at all the websites. I have an idea of where I want to go, but I'm still making sure that I don't leave stones unturned during this process.</p>

<p>Does financial aid, even if insignificant as in our case, affect your chances as drastically as some say it will, especially at more selective schools? (Asking just in case, not precisely familiar with family's financial situation).</p>

<p>I saw that you need a guidance counselor rec, but I don't even know him/her at all. Can somebody else fill it out?</p>

<p>And finally, how should I pick schools to visit? I know this is a very broad question, but what should I look for in terms of balance? My goal is to be able to play sports at a high level without having to sacrifice ECs for it (If I stayed home, I might have to sacrifice some of my other ECs for hockey, because of the travel), all while getting a first-rate education. Knowing this, are there any schools that you all would recommend? </p>

<p>Thanks for reading all of that! Any and all help is appreciated, and I will post more questions once I can recall all of them. I wrote this in a bit of a rush, so sorry for any grammatical mistakes, formatting errors, etc. I won't be on here until Friday due to a class trip, so when I don't respond, don't worry. Thank you once again!</p>

2

<p>Even if responses don’t answer the questions, any advice about boarding schools and the application process is also appreciated! I’m going to read the Prep School Hockey Guide soon, and will ask questions about that</p>

3

<p>Hey! I go to Loomis, and yes, many of the hockey players I know are repeats, but there are definitely some who aren’t. You can really just email the coaches, and if you put it in your applications as a big thing I know a lot of coaches will reach out to prospective players and talk to them over email or at their interviews. I wouldn’t worry about starting the process late; it was such a last minute thing for me that I didn’t even look at schools until a month before deadlines were and I still got in almost everywhere I applied (Hotchkiss, Taft, Loomis, Choate). As for the guidance counselor rec, I didn’t really know mine well either but they were still more than happy to fill it out for me. Many schools allow students to pursue sports at a high level while also being involved in other things, but you might want to look at schools that have strong hockey programs if thats what really interests you. You could also look into what clubs and off-season activities each school offers to see if they’re things you might like doing besides hockey. My biggest piece of advice however would be to really try and get a feel for the types of people at each school and see if those are the people you really want to spend 3 or 4 years living with! With that in mind, I’d say tour and revisit as many places as you can!
I know I didn’t answer everything, but I hope I helped somewhat!</p>

4

<ol>
<li>Definitely get in touch with the coaches. Just introduce yourself tell them what team you play on, your position, and how you plan to play hockey at their school if accepted. Along with that I’d definitely send film of you playing. This will make a difference in your admission decision if you’re recruitable.</li>
<li>I’d say that you can focus in on 3-4 hooks and still seem well-rounded. For instance I focused on my non profit foundation(community service), sports(basketball),music(piano), and my love for world history. If your hooks are from different areas of life then you can still focus in and seem well rounded. </li>
<li>Your not starting late, at least to me. This is about when I and many others started last year. Just manage your time well and work on your apps little by little so you don’t feel rushed.</li>
<li>How drastically financial aid affects your chances depends on how much you need it. I applied didn’t get any, but was still accepted to two schools and wait listed at one. In my case I did not need it that much but know that when you don’t apply your first year, your chances of getting it in the future is significantly decreased unless something drastic like someone losing their job occurs. </li>
<li>I didn’t know my guidance counselor at all because I had just gotten into high school when I asked him for a recommendation. Since he didn’t know me we just had an informal conversation for about 10 minutes so he could write the recommendation. So I’d suggest just that you just ask. Sometimes they’ll ask your teachers about you so they can write it and they don’t have to meet with you.</li>
<li>I’d suggest picking schools where they require you to do a sport every season or at least 2 seasons. That way everyone is in the same situation. Schools that I know require this are Hotchkiss, Choate, and I believe Deerfield but there are many more you just have to look. </li>
</ol>

<p>Good luck with everything!</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the responses! Ill read them when I get the chance. One more question: how should we schedule visits since we don’t live in NE?</p>

6

<p>

This is a topic that should be discussed with your parents (repeating is yet another year paying tuition—ouch!) and can be discussed at your interview with the admissions people </p>

<p>

Yes, contact the coaches, ESPECIALLY if you are a high-level athlete</p>

<p>

A hook is not a collection of small things; it is a SIGNIFICANT attribute that makes you stand out from the crowd or gets your application put in a separate pile for special consideration, e.g. legacy, elite level athlete, under-represented geographic residence (Idaho; Uzbekistan), under-represented ethnicity (Native American), parent is famous (Donald Trump; supreme Dear Leader of North Korea) </p>

<p>

You’re just in time. Register to take the SSAT exam. Most schools have a mid-Jan application deadline for Fall 2014 enrollment.
[Test</a> - About the SSAT](<a href=“http://www.ssat.org/test/about-the-ssat]Test”>http://www.ssat.org/test/about-the-ssat)</p>

<p>

Phillips Andover is the only school that I am aware of that has need-blind admissions. It also is the school which receives the MOST applications</p>

<p>

You have the first half of this school year to make an impression on this person</p>

<p>

For a FIRST PASS, try sorting the schools on criteria that are a priority to you:
[Sort</a> Boarding Schools by Key Criteria | BoardingSchoolReview.com](<a href=“http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ranking.php]Sort”>Sort Boarding Schools by Key Criteria)
also try: <a href=“http://www.boardingschools.com/[/url]”>http://www.boardingschools.com/&lt;/a&gt;
and this: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1336246-list-exceptional-unique-offerings-some-bs.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1336246-list-exceptional-unique-offerings-some-bs.html?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<ul>
<li> Geographic area: how far are you willing to travel</li>
<li> Coed/single-sex</li>
<li> Athletics & ECs—rural campuses generally have more athletic offerings</li>
<li> Size of student body</li>
<li> Demographic mix</li>
<li> Academic selectivity: median SSAT scores/GPA</li>
<li> Overall selectivity: admit rate</li>
<li> Financial Aid </li>
</ul>

<p>

Telephone is your friend. Call and make a visit/interview appointment. Plot your schools of interest on a map and trace a logical driving itinerary. On the East Coast, you can fit 2 school visits per day.</p>