Hello, fellow freakout-ers! I’m applying for 9th for Middlesex, Milton, Exeter, and Andover (yes, I know I should have applied to other schools with “meaningfully higher acceptance rates” but I’m content staying at the top day school which is 3-12). I still have to submit Middlesex and Andover applications but I’m done with writing essays (finally). My interviews were pretty good and the interviewers liked me, especially the Andover one, but they did not extend over the scheduled time like some other posters I’ve seen around here. Good luck everyone and I look forward to talking with you all as we get closer to M10!
Hello!!! I have a quick question - should I submit my Character Skills Snapshot? I have 4 developing and 3 demonstrating. I’m not sure if it would hurt my application, though I will submit it for Andover because they only look at it after M10. The other schools all say “recommended”?
Does anyone who’s gone through this process have experience with the CSS?
I can’t really help you since I do not know what the schools do with these scores. However, and from an outside perspective of a person who has not taken the test, it seems like kind of a risk to send. Getting “Demonstrating” in all of the categories seems very easy, from the sample questions I have seen, but the AO’s will see through that. Being honest, on the other hand, may reveal weaknesses that the AO’s will not like. Personally, I chose to never even take the Snapshot, purely because it seemed like adding new and unnecessary variables to an already complex equation.
Thank you! I will not submit it then. Thanks again for your help~
You should take what I say with a grain of salt - just like you, I’m an applicant. I would suggest you ask for someone else to share their thoughts.
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hmm. okay. Anyone else who has been through the admissions cycle for prep schools have any advice?
As a re-applicant, I personally have never taken the CSS but in my opinion, it depends on the rest of your application (essays, interviews, extracurriculars, recs, etc.). I would only submit it if sheds positive light upon traits that you have not mentioned in other aspects of the application. Otherwise, the snapshot is mostly unnecessary and I wouldn’t bother submitting. However, since I’ve never taken the snapshot before, this advice may be unreliable and the choice is ultimately up to you. Good luck with the application cycle! 
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Thank you! I will probably end up not submitting as it doesn’t really help my case and my application is pretty decent without.
I took the CSS after I got admitted (my school asked us to afterwards), and I got a pretty bad “score,” from what I remember. If you look through my profile you’ll actually see a post asking about getting rescinded because I was so scared 
. Don’t worry about it—those things are so easily gameable (I took mine honestly because I didn’t really care) that I doubt admission offices really care.
woah ok this thread is suddenly getting active so um hi! i’m applying for 9th for exeter, andover, middlesex and concord (kinda going do-or-die bc i’m content with staying at my school if i don’t get in like @hopefulchild123 lmao)
i’m currently working on editing middlesex/andover essays and kinda struggling but oh well (i submitted my ca and pea ones!!! yay!!!)
good luck to everyone and hopefully we can all talk more soon! m10 is getting scarier by the second!!!
Happy to hear you are almost done! I submitted all my applications except Andover (MX got submitted with the rest of the SAO schools).
ooohhhhh good for you!! (sorry i feel like that sounds sarcastic but genuinely!!) are you applying for 9th too? and if so, what schools? (if you wanna share, i’m just curious lmao)
@artgag06 is applying for 10th grade, and I’m pretty sure he’s applying to 9 schools total.
By the way, I saw your chance me thread and you’re a CDB Finalist??! 
(give me your skills) Also, just out of curiosity, what’d you get for the SAT or the ACT when you applied for the CDB Scholarship? I’m just wondering, though, and you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable! 
Hi! I’m in 8th, applying to Exeter, Andover, Middlesex, and Milton. Submitted Milton and Exeter, editing Middlesex. Andover is done but too scared to submit. Good luck to everyone and looking forward to talking!
I’ve heard a lot of people doing “chance me” talking about needing FA and people saying that it won’t be an issue for Andover, but wouldn’t be the same for Exeter? I haven’t heard anyone talking about this but didn’t Exeter also start doing need-blind for this cycle? I got an email a few months ago from them saying that they were need-blind and it also says that on their portal.
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Yeah that’s also true.
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oooohhh i see.
also haahahah thank you ab the cdb thing lmao 
if i remember correctly, my score for the sat was 1350 or smthn around that
hi!!! looking forward to talking to you too, and good luck with the andover thing! i’m sure your app is great!
does gateway tell our recs when the deadline is? andover is due feb. 1st and i’m debating whether or not to remind my recommendations…
I’m not sure, all but one for me was submitted before the new year, and when I emailed them following up about writing the LORs after school on the day I asked them I didn’t include the due date. If they still haven’t written it I would remind them, the one that’s missing for me I met with in early December and reminded them again on January 3rd, to which they said they would do it before the due date. (sorry this is really wordy I just submitted my Andover and Middlesex applications and I’m shaking)
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