Hello I am a current eight grader looking to apply to these schools: Deerfield, Choate Rosemary Hall, Exetor, Hotchkiss, and (Taft OR Hill).
General Questions:
After you submit the candidate profile can you still edit it?
2.I am going to apply to five, but i'm not sure whether to pick Taft or Hill, Can someone explain which would be the better pick based on cons and pros?
3.How does the basketball team selection process usually work at these schools?
I have a general idea of what questions will be asked at the interview, but could someone help me understand a little more about what happens that day.
I cant find the essays and short answers anywhere except for Exetor. Does that mean that for other schools they have not come out yet?
How much will the need of financial aid lowere my chances?
Those are the only questions I could think of so far, (I always blank when I try to actually write what I thought of down somewhere.) But if you have any other helpful information please tell me.
Info about me for chances sections:
I am an Indian applying for ninth grade, I previously have attended only public schools, and I live in MA
Personal Achievements:
I ran for president of my school in student council and got elected.
I have made the school team, AAU teams, and travel teams for basketball.
I have scored in the 99 percentile for the SCAT allowing me to go to CTY which was a major point for me on deciding to go to a private high school.
I made the school jazz band.
Other Academic achievements:
I have a bunch of kumon achievements and awards but I do not think those will really help me…(correct me if i’m wrong)
Over the summer I have gained a huge passion for programming and learned python over the summer.
I THINK THIS IS MY MAJOR DOWN FALL AREA… I’M SMART BUT I NEED MORE ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS.
Athletic Achievements:
Lead a small in town league team for basketball to championships.
Won the flagball.(isnt really that great but yea)
Making the basketball teams were a major achievement for me.
I am planning to take the ssat soon and know that will be a major factor too.
For Middle school I have always gotten high honors and Nothing below an A.
So that’s pretty much it but I would really appreciate if anyone could answer some of my questions and give me more helpful info. I am fine with any negative thoughts, do not be afraid to share as the negative will help me improve.
1.) After you fill it out, you save it and you can edit it. After you submit it, it is submitted (so no editing).
2.) All of your schools are very difficult to gain admission. You need to think carefully about the fact that there is a very real chance you will go to your public school. If you want to go to boarding school, choose a wider variety of acceptance rates. If you would rather attend public school than any but these 5, you are good-to-go. In my opinion, Hill is protecting their yield. They are also a very different culture than some of the others on your list. They may not accept you if they feel your chances of getting in elsewhere are very high. Get to know the culture of Taft and Hill. The real difference in schools is the Community they are forming- the personality of the students. This is the cultural fit you will need to determine.
3.) I don’t know.
4.) They look for a fit between your personality and the class they are trying to form. They also try to gauge the commitment your family (e.g. parents) has to the boarding School adventure. This is my opinion, of course. I have no inside knowledge.
5.) You will want to really understand the culture of the schools through their websites and visiting the schools. Pick up on the vocabulary they use and the values they emphasize. Once you are familiar with the schools, you can look at the essays. In the end, they are not that much of a time commitment. Be steeped in the school’s environment before you take them on. Don’t even worry about them at this point. You are in the research phase.
6.) Conventional wisdom is that it is about a factor of 4 disadvantage to be full scholarship compared to full pay. There is really no accurate way to quantify this, though. That is, conventional wisdom says full-pay may give you twice the odds of acceptance, while full scholarship may halve your odds. PA (not on your list) is need-blind, and does not consider need for financial aid in their admissions decision. I think they may be the only one.
You are definitely competitive. Know yourself. Be yourself. Look for a match. Convey this match through essays and interviews. You are not so much applying as a supplicant and bringing forward treasured awards to “prove yourself” as you are evaluating yourself as a peer and integral future part of the fabric of the school.
@mrnephew, Protecting Yield? Just from this year’s “results” thread. Not at all scientific, just my observation. I think they also had a record number of applicants.
Hill’s basketball program is very competitive. The incoming 3 & 4 Formers with experience like yours mostly play on the JV or 3rds Team. If you are interested, you should contact the boy’s basketball coach (who is also the AD director). His contact info is on the Hill website.
There are very few students from the New England area at Hill- that should help your chances if you apply or maybe a reason to chose Taft over Hill…
Hill had a record number of applications over the past two years. The class of 2018 was the largest Freshman class ever.
Good Luck with your applications!