Scheduling Boarding School Interviews

I’m helping a boarding school applicant who is applying to very competitive boarding schools. I asked him to start scheduling his interviews and saw on several schools’ sites that he had to fill out a candidate profile or a registration form first. So, I understand that. The student says that takes him to “Gateway to Prep Schools” where it then (according to him) requires him to submit his SSAT score, term grade report, and a graded essay in order to schedule an interview. This does not sound correct to me because I know interviews at these prep schools are going on now and many will not yet have an SSAT score, graded paper or quarter/trimester term report yet (or not all three). For those who have been around this block, can you share what the process is to schedule an interview at most of the “elite” New England boarding schools? Thanks very much.

I’m just a prep school applicant, but schools usually only require an inquiry form and not the candidate profile. If they do, the candidate profile is only part 1 of Gateway. The graded writing is a section from part 2 and the transcript is a part of part 3.

Some smaller schools might contact you about interviews after filling out the inquiry form and some larger schools have a scheduler online. Most schools in between require applicants or their parents to call or email the admissions office.

Hope that helps! Which schools require the candidate profile before the interview?

@mondaydevil Thank you for trying to share/help. I saw on Andover and Deerfield’s site that you need to fill out the Candidate’s Profile. However, I cannot make an account myself to look at what’s involved. I just don’t think my student interpreted it correctly, but can’t say for sure. I have asked him now to contact admissions offices to be sure what is needed just to schedule the interview, because what he told me he would need to submit first just doesn’t sound right, since I see interviews are already taking place.

I welcome anyone else to jump in if they have knowledge of what is or is not needed to schedule an interview at some of the well known boarding schools in New England.

Actually, you can make an account as an advisor and look at your student’s application! https://www.gatewaytoprepschools.com/overview

THANK YOU @mondaydevil. That’s what I have done for a long time for my advisees applying to college on the Common App but did not realize that was possible for the Gateway app for Prep schools.

The “candidate profile” required before interviewing is the inquiry form on the school website. It’s an unfortunate choice of words used twice — once on school website inquiry form and once on gateway.
I am 100% positive we did interviews at both of those schools months before putting in profile on gateway or SSATs last year. And I remember having some confusion on the wording last year too.

For each of the schools, you can look on their website for how to schedule an interview.

Note that many students choose NOT to apply after interviewing; in non-covid years, interviews are paired with tours, so this is often the point at which a family realizes that a school just doesn’t feel like a fit.

The profile is meant to provide the interviewer with the info needed to have a good conversation with the potential applicant.

@Calliemomofgirls and @gardenstategal Thank you so very much. I truly appreciate your responses! Yes, perhaps the words, “Candidate Profile” was the mix-up. I had looked at the schools’ websites and truly thought the student just had to fill out some inquiry type form, and not submit a bunch of other materials just to schedule an interview. But when the student came back at me saying it required all these other materials, it did not sound right and I was not able to see what he was seeing (we are in different states). And, his parents do not speak English.

You have confirmed my inclination and I am going to pass this onto this young man. I could tell interviews are already scheduled and I doubted these applicants had already submitted a bunch of materials. But glad I asked here to get confirmation from those who have done the boarding school admissions process. So, I thank you.

@soozievt we just went through it last year and we are doing again this year for another daughter, so my memory is pretty fresh on lots of this stuff so feel free to reach out. I admire kids doing this on their own and I’m happy to share best practices and save them some time and confusion.

The reason I remember about the “candidate profile” language is because Andover emailed us last year and asked us to fill it out and I wrote back that we already had. But then it turned out they meant on gateway. I thought they were talking about a profile that we filled out in the Andover website. Those “inquiry forms” can be pretty detailed! (But turns out that’s all just for marketing their sports and EC programs — so if you say you play volleyball, you usually get an email from the volleyball coach introducing their program.). In other words, we learned this year to fill them out quickly and only check off activities we wanted to get emails about.)
Anyway hope that is helpful and jot confusing.
Are all apps gateway for you? Any SÃO apps in there?

Also FYI term grade report may not be even available until mid or end of January.

Thanks @Calliemomofgirls. Well, my student is not truly doing it all on his own. They hired me to work with him! I’m just saying that all my communications are with this boy and none with his parents.

I can’t answers if all apps are Gateway or not as the list is not finalized.

But as you have attested, the profile itself is a form and doesn’t require other materials to be submitted before lining up an interview.

If term report means “mid year grade report,” then right, it won’t be until January (this is true with the college application process as well). When this boy said he needed to submit a term report to get an interview, I thought he might mean first quarter, but he says his first grade report comes out Nov. 20.

Anyhow, you have been helpful and I appreciate it. I’m letting him know that as I suspected, only a form is required to secure an interview, not submission of the materials he mentioned (which he doesn’t have yet).

Thanks.

@soozievt Thanks for clarifying. I indeed pictured a scrappy young kiddo who had found a community mentor jumping in to help him find his footing. But still – happy to be helpful, not matter what the situation.