I’m going into 8th grade this fall and am beginning the application process for schools this summer. I would like to know my chances for getting into Andover and/or Exeter.
note Below, math is the only offered advanced class for my school. Students are chosen by the teachers on test scores and performance in class.
Third Trimester of 7th Grade Grades:
-(Advanced Class) Math: A
-English: A
-Science: A-
-History: A-
-French: B+
Academic Recognition/Awards:
-Academic Honor Roll all 7th grade
-First Trimester Science Excellence Award (Awarded for criteria including: has a passion for the subject, encourages academic excellence in others, pursues learning with vigor and passion, excels in the subject, etc.)
-Western Academic Talent Search (WATS) Recognition (For scoring above 93% of students in standardized testing.)
-WATS sponsored Explore Test Highest Honors (I took the Explore test, scored in the top 10% in the nation)
-Applied and participated in the Center for Bright Kids 2 week boarding GLOW camp due to having participated in WATS (I took the Mini Med School for Aspiring Doctors course.)
-This summer I will take part in a week long day camp for learning C++ at Denver University sponsored by iD Tech.
Passions:
-Art (sketching, watercolor, realism, anime/manga) (designed the class of 2016 t-shirt for my current school, and also had a piece put in my school’s permanent art collection)
-Clarinet
-Programmer for my robotics team (our school went to state competitions for the first time this year, also my team’s first year competing)
-Reading (fiction and nonfiction)
-Writing (creative writing)
-Sports (lacrosse midfielder and volleyball setter)
-Photography
-Japanese culture and language. I asked my dean for a class I was not benefitting from to be switched to an independent study, and it was granted.
I included pretty much everything I thought might be taken into account, although I doubt all of it would be.
Thank you!
Hey! I’m an Andover alum so maybe I can give you my perspective.
It’s awesome that you have so many passions and that you’re doing so well in school! The one thing that I would say is that there seems to be a lot going on with your interests. It’s great that you’re exploring different fields and activities, but one thing that top prep schools (and top colleges, for that matter) like to see is DEPTH of interest.
If I were an admissions counselor looking to fill out the class, I might look at your application and be unsure where you would fit on campus. Because that’s what they’re looking for you, you know? They’re looking to create a well-rounded class of exceedingly talented students. You have great grades and very cool awards, but maybe try to hone in on one interest and push yourself to excel even further at that? Your interest in programming really caught my eye–you’re doing a C++ summer program, you went to states for a competition, so why not try to delve deeper into that? Maybe teach yourself another language, or self-start a project–maybe a community service-ish thing for introducing younger students to programming/robotics? Andover and its peers want to see people who are self-motivated, as those are usually the students who succeed while being away from home! Plus, programming is very hot right now, and prep schools are really looking to flesh out their CS/programming/robotics offerings.
That’s just a suggestion though. Don’t do something JUST to get into a school–really take this time to explore your passions and do something that’s fulfilling for you! I made the mistake of doing things just for the sake of school admission, and it really backfired on me when it came time for college admission. Exploring genuine interests now will serve you very well in the long term.
Also I’d consider reaching out to teachers at the schools you’re applying to. Check out the rules for submitting an audio file of you playing clarinet, talk to some of the coaches, email a computer science teacher about how a young student can best prepare for formalized study in CS, etc. If you make a connection there, that’s also a great thing to talk about in an interview/essay that will set you apart from others.
Hope that makes sense! You seem like a great candidate.
@cassat , thank you so much for your response, and I also must apologize for my late one!
In regards to going more in depth with one of my interests, I do in fact pursue programming/robotics deeper than other interests. I think at the time when I posted this, I didn’t realize that including specific details would be very important here. I know both C++ and JavaScript now, both unique “languages” for robotics programming, and am currently learning HTML. For the most part, I also chose to learn the languages off the internet (Khan Academy or other websites), and definitely was self-motivated.
During my interviews this summer, that was a main interest point of the interviewers (along with art, which is my second-most pursued EC). Although I can’t know how they compare to other applicants’ interviews, I feel my interviews went quite well, and I loved talking about my passions, which seemed to excite them, too!
At all the schools, they did give me contact information to the computer science, art, music, and sports departments. The Exeter interviewer specifically recommended that I approach the department heads, talk with them, and also submit some of my work. He strongly encouraged that I also ask for a little recommendation/for them to endorse my application if they liked my work, and said that seeing their own faculty recommending an applicant gives you a strong boost.
Once again, thank you for your helpful response, I really do appreciate it!
Waitlisted: Andover, St. Paul’s, and Hotchkiss (one of my classmates with a family connection is going there)
Apparently my counselor told them about my preference towards Exeter, which, depending on how you look at it, was good or bad. I got into my first choice, so I’m happy! If you want more options, probably a good idea to keep your preferences private.
