Updated chances (Exeter, Andover, Milton)

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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I am freaking out a lot and I did my Andover interview (and rewrote my essay for them) so I’ve decided to make a new post!

I live in Maryland, my school is private and all girls. I’m biracial (Indian and white) as well as nonbinary (I’m afab). I’m applying for FA but it’s unlikely I’ll get it. I’m applying for ninth grade (from 8th).

My grades are pretty good for the first semester:
Algebra II: B, ack, I wasn’t as dedicated as I would like and I’m pretty worried about this part.
English: A-
History: A-
Spanish: A
Science: A-
Latin: A+
Art: A+
Drama: A+
Music: A+

Also, I got my grades wrong in the last one because I accidentally did second quarter instead of the whole semester.

I got 2310 on the SSAT (797 verbal, 755 quantitative, 758 reading) and was in the 98th percentile.

Also, my mom went to Milton, I nearly forgot about that.

My recs were definitely good- my personal especially, my Spanish teacher is my advisor and she really likes me. My math and English were also definitely good.

I did Mandarin I online in sixth grade and got an A-. I have been taking Mandarin since I was six and Spanish since I was three (I’m fluent according to Duolingo, although I have doubts about that…). I have also done CTY since I was seven or eight and I got high honors on the test in second grade. I did The Ancient World, Modern Fantasy, Poetry and Imagination, and Model UN and Advanced Geography. I mentioned all of this in my interviews, although the schools don’t have the report cards or anything.

I play the viola and have since I was eight, I just finished up learning the Telemann concerto and am currently learning Sonata in G Major by B. Marcello. I’m also teaching myself guitar. I do XC at school and I just started tennis at school as well. I write and read a lot, which are honestly my main ECs, and I really enjoy songwriting and listening to music. Oh, I completely forgot about drama/theatre, which I highlighted as something I really enjoy and would like to continue. I’m also the leader of the GSA at my school.

For my essays, I talked about failure as well as my family for Milton, for Exeter I talked about racism in my city and people’s perceptions of me, and for Andover I talked about lots of assorted stories and then made a cool point at the end.

All of my essays were good, but Andover was amazing.

For my interviews, I don’t really remember my Milton one but I remember that I did well. Same with Exeter, she said that I would be a really good fit for Exeter because I mentioned that the criticizing religion class looked awesome. For Andover, we had a really good conversation and he was really friendly and he liked me. This interview went the best for sure.

Tada! Please tell me if I have a chance of getting in, especially to Exeter, it’s my top top top top top choice.

Edit: I made way too many typos…I hope the same isn’t true of my essays and that sort.

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I’m just a Dad of a prospective student, but I would say that if you are a very good violist you have a good chance. Good violists are hard to find, but every orchestra needs at least a few.

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I’d say I’m pretty good! Thank you for responding!

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To some extent I wouldn’t have mentioned I play the viola because there are so many asian viola or asians with musical talent in general it’s difficult to set yourself apart and it’s not these places being racist towards you it’s the simple fact that there are too many of those applicants.

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Many pianists and violinists, so neither (especially piano) give much of an advantage unless already at conservatory level. But there are relatively few outstanding cellists and even fewer violists, and every student quartet needs one of each.

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I have never met another Asian violist- for that matter, I’ve only met three other violists besides my teachers! Do you mean violinist?

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I know that playing the viola is rare enough, especially as my first instrument, that my race doesn’t really affect it. Also, I’m biracial, so I think they’d count me in that group versus the Asian group. I’m not sure about that last bit though.

Also, I don’t know if this is coming across as iffy to anyone else, but this feels kind of ungreat the way you’re phrasing it (mostly that you’re insisting that you’re not racist).

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Pay no heed to that other poster. He’s trying to psyche you out: you’re both applying to some of the same places. (Personally, I find your “Chance me” more interesting, but that also doesn’t matter, because I’m not an AO.)

There’s nothing wrong with including on your application that you’re a violist, since you’re actually a violist.

Violists are team players. :slight_smile:

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Thank you very much! And wow- that’s very nice haha. And yes, absolutely true : )

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@nonbinarywood Have you re-applied this year? Your grades were great. It was strange that you did not get acceptance.

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@zeke1111

This is foolish advice.

Yes there is a stereotype of Asians playing musical instruments. That doesn’t mean that applicants of Asian heritage should leave major ec’s off their applications. Each applicant is what they are.

Again, especially for future kids reading this thread, lean into your main ec’s regardless of how stereotypical they are. By the time you’re applying to school it’s too late to change from violin to skeet shooting to make yourself unique and no school (that I know of) has a skeet shooting team anyway. Be who you are!

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If your mom went to Milton that will certainly help. Is she active on the alumni association? Sometimes they will give an extra look to a legacy applicant. She might also get a courtesy call the night before admissions decisions are issued.

Applying for financial aid will make things more difficult. Andover is need blind, so they technically won’t take it into account.

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@one1ofeach, I can’t agree with you more. It is always beneficial to have at least some music knowledge before joining any private high school.
Music is just a vehicle to show who you are in the application.

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I am actually moving across the country, so I didn’t apply to these schools! I did apply to Seattle Academy, Lakeside, Northwest, University prep, and Bush. I got waitlisted at all but Northwest, where I got accepted and am going next year : )

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Annie Wright is also a good one in your area. You already received all decisions from these schools? It is not M10 yet. Congratulations on your NW offer!

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@clotret , many day schools release decisions on a different timeline. And worse, many require a decision and deposit pre M10, so students who are applying in both pools end up having to deposit at the day school while they await their BS decisions.

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@gardenstategal, thanks. Do you have a few school examples? I only saw a few boarding schools like that (e.g., Annie Wright).

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Most of the catholic schools around us release mid Feb. ( if it has sacred or saint in its name, it has probably released!)

Nyc schools as well. I can imagine that if a school is primarily day and that most students are considering day, it might conform to this. But most of the schools on this board are m10.

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Yep, I’ve gotten all my decisions! I actually also just got off the waitlist for SAAS- it was my first choice, so I’m going there : ) I’m quite happy about it haha

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Congratulations! Lakeside is not your first choice?