<p>Hi. I'm a freshman and I would like to attend boarding school (andover or exeter [maybe some others]) in junior year. I currently have a 4.0 (Honors Physics, Honors English, Honors History, Algebra 1, Spanish 2, Theology, and PE) am the only 9th grader on the mock trial team, have great teacher recommendations, volunteer at the homeless shelter and in my moms social services program, and take kickboxing classes. I also am applying to andover and exeter's summer programs. I'm going to apply for financial aid as well. </p>
<p>So I have a few questions: Will applying as a junior be problematic? Will applying for financial aid hurt my chances of getting in? Will going to the summer school raise my chances of getting in? Is there anything else I can do that would make me more selectable? And I live in Hawaii, since a lot of people don't really apply to boarding school from Hawaii, will that help me to get in? Ok well thank you.</p>
<p>Applying to summer school at Andover & Exeter is the right approach to take to determine whether or not boarding school is an appropriate fit for you. Both Andover & Exeter accept juniors. Applying for financial aid will not harm your application as Exeter has recently changed it's financial aid policy to be more in line with Andover's policy regarding financial aid. As Exeter & Andover are two of the largest boarding schools, positions are usually available for juniors. Junior year admission is more difficult, due to fewer available spots, than admission to the freshman or sophomore classes. This is not the case with many smaller boarding schools, which may not accept any junior applicants in certain years due to overenrollment.</p>
<p>Financial aid will not hurt your chances (for Andover, Exeter, Lawrenceville..) but as I know, junior year is quite competitive to get in but you should try, never know. Summer school won't increase your chance, as I know.</p>
<p>I say you have a very good shot here.
Yes, people do select a lot of students for junior year.
It's not as much as freshman year, but they do.
I don't think FA will hurt your chances.
I think Exeter and Andover has need-blind FAs.
I say that summer camp and Hawaii will help you a little.
Between two who have the same status and one went to summer camp while the other didn't, they'd probably select the one who went to the summer camp.
The same goes for Hawaii.
Are you White?</p>
<p>Do you play any instrument?
If you do, record it on CD and give the copy to the admissions people there.
They'll be impressed...
And to you, SCORE!</p>
<p>would there be any possibilty of you repeating say, 10th grade. you would have a better chance of getting in and you would spend more time there. I am also to applying to Andover and Exeter and Lawrenceville</p>
<p>Honestly, what stands out slightly to me is Algebra I in 9th grade. It is very common now for kids to be in at least Geometry by 9th grade, so on average, you're probably just a bit behind in math compared to the majority of applicants. (I don't know this for sure, but it is a strong guess.) Do you have any sports or music that the schools might like? Can you help fill out an orchestra or athletic team? That would certainly help.</p>
<p>I know you kids are trying to help, but much of this advice is along the lines of "I think" and is being given by first-time applicants who have no experience with BS admissions other than filling out their own applications! They don't even know if THEY will get in!</p>
<p>The OP should call and talk to an admissions rep from Exeter or Andover after March 10 to get some facts, or talk with a "for hire" admissions counselor to obtain an objective point of view!</p>
<p>I went to Andover's summer program this past summer and it was AMAZING! GO!!!!! If you have any questions you can PM me or ask here. It was the best summer of my life and the people there are incredible. I still talk to people from there daily on facebook, texting, etc. It's only 5 weeks and it goes by really fast, so make sure you do as many things as you can while you're there. It takes a few days to adjust once you get there. When I went, I absolutely hated it for the first 48 hours. I was pretty homesick, and was just really overwhelmed with the whole situation. It was great after the first two days, though. Even though I did so much while I was there, I regret not doing more things. I probably could've visited other boarding schools while I was there, but would have had to pay $100+ for a cab, take a bus by myself, etc. It probably could have been doable, though.</p>
<p>haha anyway, GO!!!!!!! I'm applying to Exeter this summer with my Andover friends. I hope to see you there!</p>
<p>Oh, and about you being in 9th grade and taking Algebra 1, there are algebra 1 courses for ninth graders at all top boarding schools, so I doubt it would hurt your chances a lot, if at all. Consider studying geometry over the summer. (YOU CAN TAKE IT AT ANDOVER SUMMER SESSION! :)) Math is probably one of the easiest subjects to study on your own if you have the proper book. You should try to arrange weekly tutoring sessions or something over the summer just to check in with a teacher if you have any questions the book can't answer. There are a lot of online courses as well.</p>
<p>thanks. im so nervous to get into the summer program tho. ya i have a math tutor and im studying algebra 2 with him actually.. cus my school is pretty wierd and goes from algebra 1 to algebra 2 to geometry. my school also doesn't accept online courses, i applied to both exeter and andover summer sessions and its been about a month and i havnt heard anything yet... :(</p>
<p>I don't think it matters if your school accepts online courses or not, unless you want to take it for credit. Just ask if you can arrange a placement test a week or so before the first day of school, and if you pass you can go to the next level, and if you don't, stay where you are.</p>
<p>You really shouldn't be nervous about admission to the summer program. Pretty much everyone gets in unless you're failing school. Most of the kids who go are really smart, though.</p>