Hotchkiss has a “priority” list?
How do you know?
i’m making assumptions. Loomis says they do this with people who listed it as their first choice.
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Sorry, I thought you were commenting on the case of lifting before A10. My apology. Below is about something entirely else: why two schools moved before A10.
I would think it would take a more compelling reason than just an “overall” top wait. After all, two top schools made moves to him (one immediately after another) prior to A10. The school’s original choice must have informed not coming, leaving a hole that affects the class. Just what I think.
I think schools that ask the question of whether or not they’re your top choice makes sense. I have seen on here that schools be more likely to choose you if you also express that you really want to matriculate there. I’m sure this is to protect their yield. In any case, priority waitlist group has an upper hand at getting off at that school
I haven’t gotten the Groton email either (9th boarding), did that come this morning?
Nope last night and only to parents apparently. It did have our names embedded in the email so it’s looking like this was a targeted mailing to my son’ pool. Hang in there!
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One of the biggest lessons for me has been realizing the gaping discrepancy in the definition of “top candidate”: school’s ideas and applicant’s ideas could differ wildly. School is building a class and any factor that affects its program or community quality takes 10× priority over something that just concerns one individual candidate, be it a positive or a negative. Once I understood this principle, it occurred to me how “trivial” nit-picking differences in stats and scores must have appeared in the eyes of the AO desinging a class. It is so easy for us to fall in the myopic, applicant-centered trap: “I am 91 and he is 85; why does he get in and not I?” The golden measure of admission is not individual meritocracy but maximization of educational experience as a whole.
I usually fail first time, and I doubt parents will let me try next year. But this realization alone was worth it - I will know what to do for the next 4 years, how to be a better person while improving my chance at college. Having said, I am gonna teach my kid tuba.
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I am on the SPS waitlist, and I have not gotten any updates 
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has anyone contacted them ?
Perfect summary of what I reckon happened.
Right, each Admissions Office is trying to craft a class that will be happy, productive and successful for 4 years. Whether they lack violas for ensemble, or Center-backs for the soccer team. I was puzzled when I got waitlisted at Deerfield, as from what I have heard its admission rates are considerably higher (18%). Every school has a reason for accepting/rejecting/waitlisting you that lies beyond your SSAT score and your grades. I hope you do try for next year, as 50-60 kids get in to each school sophomore year, meaning that there is no way that cliques will have formed already. Hopefully my child will play the violin, participate in at least 3 travel sports, volunteer at local food banks, and achieve a 1400 SSAT. Probably wishful thinking, but you have to have dreams. If that doesn’t pan out at least they will have legacy at PEA, which we all know is a huge swinging factor. I mean, think about the kids who go back generations into these schools, what are the odds that the AOs decline someone who has a library named after their great grandmother/grandmother/great grandfather etc.
Love this. No doubt you will succeed at whatever you put your mind to.
I am feeling like college apps are much the same as bs apps - you are much more than numbers. Be your best authentic self, dive into what you love, and apply to schools for fit not name. All will be well. Especially if you love the tuba.
Exactly @Dreamer2007, wherever you go you will make a positive impact!
Thanks but hey, in your case, I do know “individual stats” were nothing short of flawless too. You really should not have been placed on wait in the first place, which tells something about what kind of brutal competition we were thrown into this year. In other words, the bar now has been raised to “gifted score + saintly recomm + tuba.”
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I’m sure your stats were brilliant too. I have heard that applications were up 40% and during one of the Hotchkiss Accepted Student Webinars, Mr.Mitchell claimed that admission rates were 13%. That’s at Hotchkiss, what do you reckon they were at PA and PEA? This was an insane year, and I’m sure if this was last year’s admission cycle, this thread would be nowhere near as active as it has been.
Exeter was around 10%
This year was definitely the most unpredictable.
Wow, that’s lower than UCLA,Cornell and a number of other top colleges. Of course the applications are far more plentiful but that is shocking.
. I was puzzled when I got waitlisted at Deerfield, as from what I have heard its admission rates are considerably higher (18%).
They said in a zoom it was 13.8% this year
Right, 18% is the number for a standard year. I thought since that is 3% higher than most BS standard numbers, it would correlate to 3% higher numbers this year too, but apparently not.