Hey everybody,
I know that this is a little early, but I am currently finishing up my 10th grade year at a prestigious, yet small private day-school in New England. For my junior year, I applied to Phillips Exeter Academy, Philips Academy Andover, and Governor’s Academy. I completely messed this up, as I should have applied as a repeat sophomore vs. a junior, because getting in Junior year is literally impossible. I got into Governor’s Academy, and wait listed at Phillips Exeter (my dream school.) Ultimately, I decided that Governor’s wasn’t right for me (too much athletics, not enough academics) and Phillips Exeter didn’t take anyone off the wait-list this year. Andover rejected me, btw. So this leaves me at my current school junior year. Obviously, I will reapply. My question comes in more as simply “Is applying to a boarding school my senior year really a good idea?” I know that this is looked down upon by some, but before you destroy me, listen to my reasoning. 
- I absolutely hate people who say that they aren’t happy, but then don’t change the cause of their unhappiness. The school I go to now if fine, and if worst comes to worst, I would finish out high school there, but I really know that I would be happier at a boarding school. I would rather go to a boarding school that I love for just one year than go to my current school that is so-so for a year just because it is easier. (It’s a good school with a decent matriculation, but it’s just not very large or well-known to colleges.)
- Ultimately, a high school diploma comes from whatever school you graduate from, so if I graduate from Exeter, than that means that I will have a diploma from there, which in turn will help with the college application process. I believe that gaining a degree from a more well-known boarding school will help my future.
Because of these reasons, I think that reapplying as a senior is a good idea, but I would love to know what you all think. (Some people have suggested that I reapply as a repeat junior, but my parents would NEVER agree to that, so please don’t even suggest!)
The schools that I would look to reapply at are Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover (possibly), Choate, and Hotchkiss. Right now, at this moment, Phillips Exeter is my number one, and I don’t know about the others, but obviously, between now and next fall, that could change very easily. One major point that I want to make is that I don’t want to go to a boarding school simply because its a boarding school. I already have gotten accepted to a boarding school, but didn’t want to attend because it wasn’t the right fit. I want to love wherever I go. Also, the whole point of me transferring would be to go to a larger school with a better reputation than my current school, so while I completely respect everybody’s individual choices, I don’t want to go to a smaller school that is less well known (ex. Loomis, Kent, Tabor, etc…) Again No disrespect to anyone who attends those schools, just not for me. The second part of my question is what do you think my chances are for those schools. My stats are below:
Academics:
-GPA: 93-94
-SSAT scores: Pending (my score for last year was around 85% percentile, so expect around there.)
-Taken 6 honors courses throughout high school, plus one AP.
Athletics: (not a huge athlete FYI)
-1 year Varsity track and field
-co-captain of middle school track team when I was in middle school. (don’t know if that counts…)
-1 year JV tennis as number one doubles
Music/Arts/Theater
-Classical piano for 11 years
-played violin for 4 years in school symphony
-Chorus for 4 years (had some solos and stuff…)
-Theater (plays and musicals for 6 years, for the past two years had lead roles)
-drama club for two years
-summer internship for two years at a regional theater (youth group, and acting professionally)
-member of the Tri-M Musical Honors Society
Service/Other extra-curriculars
-Head of the recycling club
-member of tour-guide group
-leader of my school’s first ever Ethnic Diversity Club (I am of hispanic decent)
-active member of church (altar server, volunteer, etc…)
-was the editor of my middle school newspaper when I was in middle school
I don’t need any financial aid, and I come from a medium-represented state.
Thank You all for reading my post and hopefully responding to me. It means a lot!