hey,
i’m a sophomore at choate and if i’m going to be completely honest about your stats, they’re pretty solid, but the only thing that i think is missing is a hook.
you have a lot of extracurriculars and hobbies, which is excellent, but most applicants have a long list of extracurriculars as well. if you can work on getting some sort of distinction (an award with a name and some prestige), that would benefit you in the admissions process. also, reach out to the coaches of the sports you would be interested in playing at boarding school because they can put a good word in for you if you impress them.
it’s great that you have some writing awards and that you’ve been interested in literature for a long time (wow! publishing a book in fifth grade is pretty cool :)). it’s also nice that you’ve sought out a leadership position in something you’re passionate about.
grades look solid, you’re in a good range. i don’t know what anyone else thinks, but from my experience at boarding school, grades are NOT at all the most important things. your leadership, charisma, reputation, and real-life contributions are the more critical factors.
i’m not actually sure if going to a boarding school’s summer camp helps your odds, but it’s good that you’ve made a connection with Exeter’s coach.
i would say do a lot of research on the schools you are applying to and in your interview, really emphasize what you want to get out of the boarding schools (so look at their programs, clubs, curriculum, etc) and what you can contribute (leadership in journalism, squash team, track/xc team, etc). try to remain true to your personality and prepare some questions to ask the interviewers. as for your essays, don’t force a fake persona because admission officers can see right through that.
i politely disagree with some of the replies. i agree that all the schools in the TSAO are very different, which is exactly why i don’t see a problem in applying to all of them. you’re broadening your interests and possibilities. however, i would warn you about the fact that all of these schools are pretty selective, so you might want to have some “safeties” that have higher admission rates.
chances in my humble and inexperienced opinion:
just a warning, when i applied, the admission rate for Exeter, Andover, and Choate was literally under ten percent, so don’t feel bad if you get rejected/waitlisted by ANY of these schools (they’re all super super good).
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exeter & andover - pretty much the hardest to get into and without any super special distinctions, i’d honestly say chances are on the lower side, but that’s alright! you might have a chance with sports though… i’m not too familiar with athletic recruitment at those two schools.
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choate - ah, obviously my favorite. i know the lead admission officer pretty well and he really looks into personality and future potential, not just what you’ve accomplished so far. emphasize your ambitions and passions. odds are still slightly on the lower side, but your essays and interviews are pretty important, so prepare well for them. our squash program is decent but our xc/track team isn’t the best, so if you have really good stats, i’d say you might have a chance as a recruit.
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hotchkiss, deerfield, lawrenceville, loomis chaffee - odds are still pretty low, but literally that’s the same for all of them; i’m also unfamiliar with their sport rankings. i think these schools have slightly higher acceptance rates, but not at all “high” in any sense.
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taft, hill - admissions rates are higher, but still relatively difficult to get into. i’d say your odds are higher for these two, and with your stats, i think you could get into both of them if your essays/interviews are impressive and you keep up the hard work.
i’d recommend you also apply to some other schools just in case.
for example, i’d recommend:
- kent school
- milton academy
- st. mark’s
- mercersburg
- peddie school
i hope i didn’t miss anything because i wrote this during a raging headache. best of luck!
