Hello, people - I’m an eighth grader at a top public middle school in the south and I’m applying to PA and PEA for fall 2018. I really want to attend because my school doesn’t teach to learn or to think. All it does is make us memorize stuff for tests. However, the school system I’m in is one of the best in the country (probably because they focus so much more on grades), and my family moved here for it. I’ve been running the whole application process - I’m paying for the test and the application fees, and I’m the only person who has taken responsibility for finishing the application.
My biggest interests are math and philosophy. Neither my middle nor high school has classes in philosophy, so that’s a huge reason I’m motivated to apply. I’ve audited courses from Harvard and Yale, among others, about philosophy, and I’ve created my own theories about the metaphysics of souls based on them. I’m in Algebra I Honors in math, but I want to move to geometry. My school won’t let me because there’s a required seat time in Alg. before I can move on. I’m ahead of my class in math and I understand all the concepts we learn very well. I also take French I Honors at my high school, and I’m at the top of that class as well.
I received the Joshua Award for leadership at a camp I attend in Kentucky that emphasizes diversity through generous scholarships. They described me as a silent leader, who led through example. I also have been part of a church mission trip in a nearby city, and led trips throughout the year to do some of the things we did during the trip (since it’s so close to us).
I got an 85 on the SSAT. Another thing to note is that my school has banned teacher recommendations - I’ve talked to And. and Exe. and they say that’s okay if I can prove I’m a decent student.
Does anyone have any advice on what to emphasize, or just a take on my chances? Thank you so much!
PS I was also wondering if the acceptance rates of specifically boys, or specifically ninth grade boys, was higher or lower than the overall acceptance rate. Feel free to voice your thoughts.
Both Andover and Exeter are extremely competitive for admission. Your SSAT scores are a tad on the low side for both of these schools. Andover is need blind, and Exeter is not. Many of these boarding schools have preference for students who do not need financial aid.
You sound like a great student. This is good. But these ultra-competitive boarding schools have lots of applicants like you. Do you have another skill that the school needs? Athlete? Artist? Poet? This needs to be made clear in your application.
I would definitely broaden your list beyond just PA and PEA.
Can you get a letter from someone in an extracurricular activity unreleated to your school? That might help overcome your school’s ban, which sounds miserable by the way.
I’m not sure I would include the phrasing “silent leader” anywhere in your application, but I think you should emphasize your ECs and leadership in your profile to overcome the SSAT score. An 85 is fairly low on the SSAT for a non-legacy. And, yes it’s harder for male applicants.
My school has a massive band program, and I’m first chair trombone. I’m also fifth chair trombone in the county honor band. I’ve done solo and ensemble since I started playing in sixth grade, earning superior rating each time. I also taught myself how to circular breathe. I also participate in my schools Model UN club. In January, I’ll be starting and leading a TED-Ed Club, in which students create TED-style speeches for an audience. I also participate in my school’s swim team, and have swum for eight years.
My parents didn’t assume I wouldn’t get in, they just weren’t super keen on the idea of me going to a boarding school a plane flight away. However, after we visited the schools, they were a lot more supportive of the idea.
I’m also applying to McCallie and Baylor in Chattanooga, although Andover and Exeter are the only ones that we can be really confident that the financial aid will be helpful enough
I can get a letter from my swim coach, and I might be able to get something from a teacher I had last year. I’ve been in touch with Andover, who said to send a couple extra personal recs. I can get descriptions of my classes and a transcript, and I had a teacher last year who I remember for having a particular distaste for following school rules who might be able to send an email or something just to give a little bit more insight.
And yeah, it is pretty awful - it makes me wonder: if I stay with my current school, when I get to college apps, will I have to work around those as well? Let’s hope I don’t have to…
Kentucky was the only thing that caught my eye. If you are from Kentucky or Tennessee or Mississippi, you have geodiversity. I mean, all the NE schools need great students from the South. I think you have a decent shot. At your interview, make sure you come off as “nice” and likable. Supposedly, Andover reports that all their students they choose are “nice.” Though I know at least one who is not.
@woodcal03 sounds like you go to a very good school. Do not idealize PA and PEA. They are extremely competitive and you will find a student body that is largely self motivated and hyper competitive. Your grades will likely suffer because all students were top students before they came to either. At PEA you will sit around a Harkness table where students will compete to talk the most because class participation is a large part of your grades. Many teachers use that as license to not teach but allow the dominant students to run the class. Further your politics had better align with your teachers or it can negatively influence your grades. Meaning you dont always get to think for yourself… That being said ,PEA for example, is sink or swim. You will learn what college is like pretty quickly. You will learn to survive being on your own. But, a talented motivated student can thrive and succeed anywhere.
@preppedparent, that’s great to know - I’m from Tennessee.
@babymalcolm, I took the AMC 8 (I think it was the 8) at school a month or two ago. I don’t recall getting results yet.
@Center, I don’t really enjoy my school. It doesn’t offer classes on philosophy, and it doesn’t value thought nearly as much as it should. Its whole goal is to teach us information, make us memorize it, and then make us regurgitate it back. It is a top performing school on the outside, but I don’t believe we rate our schools the right way. Grades do not tell the intelligence of a student nearly as much as my school believes. Intelligence comes from determination and curiosity, not memorization. Also, Exeter’s Harkness Table is a sizable part of why I’m interested in it. I’m curious where you get your information about Exeter from. But I imagine dominated conversations won’t be a problem for me - my English class has socratic seminars often and that’s given me a pretty good image of what the Table might be like.
I do thrive and succeed at my school - that’s not the problem. Thriving and succeeding is not the same as enjoying my time. I do not intend to go to Exeter because I believe it will be easier for me - I understand that the challenges I’ve experienced at my school are nothing compared to a top boarding school. The reason I want to go to Exeter is because I believe I will get a more valuable experience - one that’s more enjoyable for me because of engaging courses and diverse peers, and one that prepares me for college - at a private school, compared to the school I attend. I think I’ll wrap this up here. Thank you for your feedback!
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t emphasise math. There are so many students applying that have qualified for AIME and even USA(J)MO, and have completed calculus in middle school.
Why do you try to put people down if they don’t agree with your opinions @Center ? Your attitude and rude posts towards other forum users has been consistent and your responses are often quite nasty and disrespectful if their opinions or ideas don’t exacly align with yours. The OP was polite and respectful in his response. I’m sorry @woodcal03 - keep your head up. You responded in a polite way and I don’t find you arrogant at all and hopefully other forum users don’t either.
@Center, you seem to have a massive hate for Exeter. Could you elaborate on it? Are you a student or parent? Or do you just have an inexplicable loathing for it? As far as I can tell, Exeter and Andover are very similar; I’m curious from what the specific bias against Exeter comes. Also, I apologize if I offended you with my last response - I still don’t believe it demonstrated any of the aforementioned qualities you must have noticed. However, I don’t care for an argument, so I’ll just apologize here. Thanks.
@cababe97, Thank you for your kind words. This process is a very stressful situation for me, especially since I have put so much money and work into it. Being called arrogant, pompous, and rigid certainly only makes these schools’ selectivity even more nerve-racking. It means a lot that you would stand up for me, as well as making me just a little bit less insecure about being judged compared to other students by my character. Thank you very much.
@woodcal03 if your swim times are competitive enough to score points, then you should certainly reach out to the coaches at each school. You can look at nepssa site the see last year’s champs. I don’t believe an SSAT score of 85 will keep you out.
@MEandMEmom, my times could definitely improve, although I think I’m among at least the better half of swimmer applicants… although I can’t say for sure.
I’ve been emphasizing my interest in philosophy mostly so far; I reached out to the chairs of A/E’s religious studies department to introduce myself, and they seemed pretty excited to have someone interested in their departments. I’ve also emphasized that when I grow up I want to serve in public office in departments of education to work to fix the problems I’ve had with public school and make them more engaging, useful, and inclusive. Are these good things to emhasize? The people I interviewed with seemed to be really excited about them.
@woodcal03, I would advise you to expand your list of schools beyond E/A. They are not the only BS that “teach to learn or think,” use the Harkness methods, have classes on philosophy, or offer financial aid. While it’s true that your geodiveristy boosts your admission chances, E/A admission is not a given for anyone. I’m speaking from experience as the parent of a current NE BS student from the South who had higher SSAT scores than yours, tons of ECs, was a recruitable athlete, and got admitted to seven BS on scholarship or full FA but was waitlisted by Exeter and rejected by Andover. The majority of BS in New England and the mid-Atlantic have better academics, more discussion-based learning, wider selection of courses, and offer more FA than McCallie and Baylor. Have your researched your options well? You still have time to add schools to your SAO. Good luck!
@GoatMama, I’m now looking at NMH. They have a 30% acceptance rate, which makes me about twice as likely to get in :). Due to an abundance of Christmas money, I now have the funds to apply to another school or two. Do you have any thoughts on NMH? Also, is it late to apply to another school?
By the way, I don’t know how big a difference it makes, but I’ve been getting the money for apps from a business I created years ago to convert people’s VHS tapes to DVD - it’s not from allowances or anything. Could that be an important factor?
Your business is not an important factor. It is an extracurricular. The value of that extracurricular depends on the school. While interesting, most applicants to these schools do interesting things.