Scared as heck, anyone care to give me their opinions?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Grade: 10
Grade applying for: 10/11
Race/Ethnicity: Mixed race (black and white)

Grades:

9th Grade -
Semester one -
H English - A-
H Geometry - B+
World Geography - A+
H Biology - B
H Spanish - A

(changed schools mid-year)

Semester two -
H English - B
Acc Geometry - C
H Global History - B-
Acc Biology - A
Spanish - B

(changed to a prestigious private day school)

10th Grade -
Semester one -
English - B-
Honors Algebra II - B-
Honors Chemistry - B-
Spanish II - B+
Videography - B+
World Cultures II - B

SSAT Score -
Overall - 2094
Verbal - 725
Quantitative - 692
Reading - 677

It says that my percentile was only 64-68, which is surprising to me as I would have expected it to be much higher.

Extracurriculars -
Student Council
Stock Market Club
Stage Crew
Soup Kitchen
PADS (volunteering)
Leo Club (volunteering)
M Club (mentoring)
JV Basketball
V Cross Country
V Track and Field
Music Production
Volunteering
Model UN

Special Achievements -

Honor roll/High honor roll
State in cross country/track
Regionals in National History Day presentation
Medals/Ribbons from races
Made National Honor Society

Schools applying to -
Phillips Exeter Academy
Deerfield Academy
The Hill School
Loomis Chaffee
The Lawrenceville School
Hotchkiss

Additional Information -

I was accepted into and currently attend a prestigious private day school near Chicago, Illinois. The academics are extremely rigorous. My interviews all went great, and I explained that certain situations in my life have not allowed to me to always get as good of grades as I would prefer. I also explained why and how moving around so much, due to personal issues, has affected my grades and ability to learn. At certain points in my life, waking up and facing my life was hard enough to do, let alone maintain decent grades. I have been diagnosed with several mental illnesses, such as ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, and even mild Schizophrenia.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out, I appreciate it. I realize that my grades and SSAT scores are not the best by any means, but I am hoping that my essays and recommendations will make up for that.

2

Honestly, if you have had a history of having some difficulties coping and have had some mental health issues, why risk living away from home in what many describe as a “pressure cooker” school? Just my two cents, but if I were you I’d stay where I am, and concentrate on being the very best student I could be. Although many kids thrive at boarding school, many do not.

If you go ahead with applying, your race will be a large boost to your chances, but still it will not be easy to gain acceptance with your grades and scores to most of those schools. Do you need financial aid? If so, that will make it even tougher.

Whatever you decide, best of luck!

3

I agree with @SatchelSF. I don’t understand what you are trying to achieve in applying to a long list of stressful boarding schools. I will admit that I don’t know all of those schools. However, I think that you should look for an environment where you are happy, rather than an environment that someone might think is “prestigious”. To me, “rigorous” and “prestigious” are exactly the wrong thing to look for. “Happy”, “comfortable”, and “fit in well” and “can handle the course work without freaking out” are much more important.

4

It’s what I want to do, because I believe that I will be happier there. Thank you for your opinion, but what I really need right now are people’s opinions on my chances of admission.

5

While this may seem harsh I hope you stay home and continue at school near your home. “Severe mental illness” is not something to toy with and the pressure of top schools can send even the most confident mature and well adjusted student into a tailspin. Trust me, I have seen it. My kid is far from the most confident, mature and well adjusted kid but is pretty competent. Your grades are an indicator that you cannot fully cope with the demands of a demanding school and your scores further undermine your application. That doesn’t mean you aren’t bright and are not qualified.
These schools are NOT parental substitutes, they are overseeing hundreds of students and it would probably be unfair to you and your medical needs and unfair to the students around you. I know I would be very concerned if my kid was sharing a room with someone that was suffering from “severe mental illness”–not because I have a problem with it but because that is a big burden for a young person to be caught up in while trying to manage their own life. As @SatchelSF said–good luck.