I’m a broke kid, a nearly FULL financial aid applicant, a kid of a ubiquitous race, an international applicant, a kid that can barely afford both ssat test fees and the application fee (I have to implore my cousins and forage for some money, that’s why I can only take it in Feb). You might refute my points with the phrase “financial aid”. Yet, the financial aid is prone to the middle class… And on top of those, my transcript might not arrive before 15/1 and 1/2. Should I apply regardless?
Hey man, just wanna say yes! I’m a full aid applicant whose transcripts will also arrive past those dates. I have paid for no app fees and no SSAT fees. Definitely try! If you reach out to schools, they’ll offer fee waivers for their app fee. I also got an SSAT fee waiver from Hotchkiss. The app fees are very hefty—we can’t afford any of them. Just explain your situation! If you want to attend BS, definitely apply.
Well, this is certainly a difficult situation, but not an impossible one. Well, to start off (because I have no clue how far into the applying stages you are) the schools you are applying to I recommend seeing if they have a rolling deadline and if not then I would consider finding different schools. From there you should get started in your application immediately. I would also try to get in contact with the schools to explain your situation and book interviews ASAP! Though, the most important thing is to think about why it is important to you to apply (and it shouldn’t be b/c you’ll get into a better university) and if it’s really worth this financial burden for you might have to pay for SSAT, the application itself, and possibly the TOEFL if English isn’t your first language. Aside from that, I can say with confidence that nothing is impossible and you should apply to the school(s) you really really like if everything checks off in my meek and unprofessional checklist. As an applicant myself, I wish you the absolute best of luck in this process and I hope everything works out for the best!
@CavsFan2003 I do want to attend a bs… But the chance of being denied is around 90%. I am attending a prominent school in my country and that i believe asking the principal to write me a recommendation letter is bit embarrassing. And ultimately, if I did not receive an acceptance letter, I had to attend my current school and it would be even more embarrassing
To the OP: If you are applying as an international student, need full FA, and want to study in the USA or another country…here are a couple of ideas as alternatives to BS for high school: Rotary International has scholarships for international study. Also, AFS Intercultural Programs…these programs are great as they place students in top high schools with good families. Also Youth for Understanding programs may have something for students from your country. Very little cost to you. I know because I was once a student who had this opportunity and then, 30 years later, DH and I hosted an international student (tuition and board - paying it backwards).
Bon Chance! :bz
@Golfgr8 Shall I risk and apply? (The acceptance rates of Andover and Exeter are quite low)
Depends upon why you want to attend boarding school–especially important due to your financial situation & due to the fact that you already attend a prominent school in your country.
Also, have you taken the SSAT exam ? If so, what is your score ? Probably not worth applying to Andover & Exeter if you did not score in the 90s. “Probably” because I do not know whether or not you have a compelling backstory that might encourage admissions officers to look past a non-stellar SSAT score.
I’ve read back through your threads and frankly it seems like you are annoyed with the whole process. I’d say that is a red flag that applying to boarding schools might not be your best path.
@Publisher I havent taken the ssat
Um everything is due in less than 2 weeks. I don’t think that is enough time. You should have posted this question in October when you first posted the chance me. And financial aid isn’t prone to the middle class, anyone can get FA if their parents make under ___ each year ( I don’t know the exact amount.)
I think you should wait a year. That way you can prepare for the SSAT more and polish up your application. I don’t think your current teachers will like you sending them the request less than 2 weeks till they’re due and they might give you a slightly not as good recommendation because of that- they have lives too. I sent mine in mid- November and only 2 of the 4 people I sent it to submitted it.
Also, about the late transcript, I contacted all the schools I am applying to (including Choate) and they accept and will also review the grades I am sending in after the deadline around the end of January and beginning of February.
If you are going to apply, you can’t waste any time. You need to contact your teachers ASAP, study for the SSAT, write your essays, EVERYTHING in 2 weeks.
The next date the OP could still sign up for is February 2, quite late for a 2019 application.
^ Some schools accept it, however. Maybe find some schools with rolling admissions?
If you want to apply to Exeter/ Andover I would apply to Andover because of the February 1st deadline, and the fact that they accept the February SSAT. All that said you should most likely wait until next year so you can polish your application, apply for some international scholarships, and be an overall better applicant. The best of luck to you 
@NoJumpJustHum By looking at your previous threads, I can tell that boarding school was something that has been on your mind for a while. Why haven’t you made a decision? What aspects of boarding school made you reluctant to apply?
@YoungThriver Application fees and ssat registration fees I would say
@NoJumpJustHum You should definantly call the schools and request a fee waiver. Most of the time the school will pay for the test fee and the application fees.
"You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you are unable to pay the test fee due to economic hardship. A limited number of fee waivers are available directly from a school that is a member of The Enrollment Management Association. We do not offer fee waivers directly to students/families. If you are a student applying to a school that is a member, contact their admission office and ask them about fee waiver availability. "
from https://ssat.org/registration
Have you interviewed yet?
@NoJumpJustHum I understand. My mother was pretty close to dropping the whole thing when she saw the application fees for the schools. They are expensive.
Apply next year. Save up for money if you have to and study for the exam. Better yet, get some fee waivers. I wouldn’t start applying now since you have less than two weeks to gather everything. Your application will seem rushed and the admissions officers will probably make a note of that.
There is no point in applying now since you’d be pouring money into an application that won’t be your best. Spend the remainder of this school year doing something spectacular and something you’d like to see on your application for the following school year (not saying that you should partake in things you don’t like for the sake of your future application)
At the end of the day, it’s all up to you. Choose what you think is more likely to give you favorable results.
@YoungThriver Very well said! I completely agree, next year you will have a better more thought out application. Therefore a higher chance of admission. Good Luck in what ever you decide to do !!
@YoungThriver @cmbyn02 Thx for the info! I would request fee waivers and try my best! It ain’t over till it’s over!