<p>I'm currently a ninth grader.
Courses and grades:
-Honors Lit: 90 (about to go up; only had one assignment so far and i got a 90)
-Accelerated Math 1: 90 (about to go up; same as above, only had 1 assignment)
-Honors Biology: 87 (will go up soon!!)
-AP Human Geography: 97
-Spanish II: 96
-Personal Fitness: 100
-Technical Theater: 100
Extracurriculars:
-Lacrosse- 1 season
-Piano- 1 year (can play a good bit of Clair de Lune, Love Story, Vivaldi's Autumn)
-Tech Theater (set designer for current show)
-Filmmaking
Took SAT in 8th grade and got 490 math, 570 CR, and 620 writing. Qualified for Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search.
Awards:
-2010 National Spanish Exam Gold Medal
-Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search Participant (just by getting qualifying SAT scores)
Volunteer Work:
-helped out at Community Food Bank (sorted food to be sent to those in need; total 6
hours.)
Character/Personality:
-VERY ambitious
-studious and extremely well organized
-high level of intellect
-want to serve a greater purpose in life
-have high standards
-sarcastic sense of humor
-great analytical skills
-can be interpersonal, but for the most part intrapersonal
-very observant
-embrace diversity; I LOVE the mix of cultures and race; it's amazing!
Still need SSAT's...but expecting 97-99 percentile.</p>
<p>So, what do you think? What do I need to do? What do I need to improve upon?</p>
<p>plus i also have a connection to someone who works at exeter (not sayin name)…he’s a family friend. I don’t know if that helped at all but, just fyi. (;</p>
<p>you seem like a well rounded applicant, but then again a lot of applicants to these top schools are. I’d say if you really make your essays unique and make your personality shine in your interview I’d say you have a pretty good chance.
just a heads up though, if you apply as a repeat freshmen, your chances will go way up
hope i helped :)</p>
<p>I think it’s kind of early to post your grades, considering school just started. But you seem like a great applicant otherwise. Just keep those grades up and have awesome essays, and I think you’ll have a solid chance.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. (: But, how do you know that my chances will go up if i repeat my freshman year, and how can i have a stellar interview and great essays?? I have a hard time sometimes getting my thoughts out verbally. For the interview should i write a list of questions to ask, and if so what? and also what questions should i be prepared to answer?? For the essay, what to i write about??</p>
<p>You seem like a good applicant and if you show the qualities you mentioned above to an interviewer you’ll be a great candidate for admission (in my opinion). You should edit your essays as much as you can and start as soon as the topics come out, so you can have enough time.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone!! (: It is greatly appreciated! I’m so nervous, but excited! How can I get good recommendations, though?? In Lit, it is a lot of taking notes and reading, and not much time to show my teacher my personality and character…</p>
By December your teacher will have a much better sense of who you are - and that’s the time to request recommendations.</p>
<p>Your profile is quite strong. Only suggestion might be that you work on strongly limiting the sarcasm content of your humor. Our observations have been that the interactions between students at Exeter exhibit lots of mutual respect and cross-cultural sensitivity, with avoidance of sarcasm and denigrating comments.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be a bummer, but I don’t see any characteristics that really make you stand out, as compared to the other zillion applicants that are hoping to get into Exeter and Andover. Virtually all the applicants will have strong GPAs and a number of extracurriculars. The talent search thing isn’t really that unusual, and working only one day at a food bank doesn’t show any kind of dedication. Maybe you’re leaving out some important information that increases your “wow!” factor, but based upon the info you’ve shared, I think you may need to look at good backup plans. </p>
<p>I am sorry to sound harsh, but I know a couple of really bright, talented kids who didn’t get in last year. The applicant pool is <em>very</em> competitive right now.</p>
<p>Rellielou makes some really good points. For example, you’ll be compared with kids who give several hours every week to community service initiatives. You’ll be compared with kids who’ve played in music ensembles for 3-4 years and more. You’ll be compared with kids who’ve played several sports at high levels for multiple years. Exeter, Andover, etc. are also looking for kids with demonstrated leadership potential, sometimes shown through their student government activities, team captaincies, etc.</p>
<p>It really is important that you figure out what will separate you from the crowd. That’s often difficult for kids to do by themselves, so enlist your parents, school advisor(s), etc. in the process too!</p>
<p>Good luck with it! It can be a tough process but it’s a good investment of your effort too!</p>
<p>Your creds are not unlike many applicants to PEA/PA. The key will be your interview. If you come across as a pompous ass, you have no prayer in hell. These schools are looking for nice, genuine kids. And don’t be mistaken, the interviewer will see right through any phony act.</p>
<p>@Rellielou: Regarding the talent searches…you don’t think that if her scores had qualified her for JHU SET or a national award (over 700 in 7th grade) that that would be a “difference maker”?</p>
<p>hey look kids. i get it. i really don’t have much of a chance, alright? but, hey I’m happy with who I am, and I don’t really need to Exeter to prove to colleges or anyone that I have “skills” or “talent”. I can do that straight from my current highschool. I can make a change right here in MY community, and don’t have to go all the way across the country to get that chance. All you need is a little initiative and a whole lot of determination. Imma give Exeter a run for their moneyy…</p>
<p>That’s the way to go. Someone who is determined and passionate can succeed at any good school, not just BS. There are so many successful people that didn’t go to BS. This list includes Presidents, Senators, Lawyers, Doctors, University Professors, Nobel Laureates and the list goes on.</p>
<p>@laxgirl17: This is why I think “Chance Me” threads are a bad idea. What kind of response were you expecting/desiring and why would you let the comments on anonymous forum unduly influence what is such a personal decision?</p>