What are my chances of getting into a top boarding school?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>Currently I'm in 8th Grade (14 years old) and will be applying to several boarding schools in Freshman. Me and my parents will pick a few boarding schools that I am sure I will get accepted too and some really good ones to see if I can get into any of the top (Exeter, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Andover, Choate).</p>

<p>I've read some other posts on this form, to see what other people are doing/have done to get into these boarding schools. And this has stressed me a lot, as in almost every post the person has done at least numerous ECs and done gifted programs, etc.</p>

<p>I am half german, half chinese go to an american school in china and also went to a german school prior to this school. I believe that my school is really good and is also considered to be one of the best international schools in China, however it does not offer gifted programs, and things like that (I don't even know what it is...), the only time where we do have a class for "more gifted people" is in math class, were people who know algebra pretty well can do geometry (I'm not in Geometry).</p>

<p>My grades are Straight A's with one or two B+'s in English Class. I also take spanish as my 3rd language. I have not taken the SSAT but am preparing slowly for my test in October of this year. </p>

<p>I have played soccer for around 8 years with a short break in 7th grade, I also play on a local team. I used to play piano, but that was around 6 years ago, now I play the drums.
I participate in MUN, where I was the main submitter twice, out of two times I went.
I'm helping out at a school where people volunteer to teach local Chinese students, and sometimes I visit a blind home , to play with the children there.
I participate in almost all of the sports in my school (After school activities, such as soccer, floor hockey and volleyball) and will try to do more EC's in 9th grade.</p>

<p>In conclusion I am really worried about getting into these boarding, as everyone else has so many activities they do. Could you guys please tell me what I could do to improve/do to raise my chances.</p>

2

<p>Your in a really hard application bracket, so best of luck! I know that you have probably seen this before, but no one can chance you. My best advice is to try your hardest, be yourself, and don’t try to be like someone you’ve seen on these forums because chances are, these schools have people like that and you need to be unique so you can stand out. I also recommend, if you are applying to a wide variety of schools, to apply to two or three “HADES” schools and two or three “lower tier” schools. Good luck as you embark on your boarding school journey (because believe it is a journey)!</p>

3

<p>Thanks for your reply. Helps a lot. :D</p>

4

<p>By the way, if anyone else replies, could they tell me if certain race/ethnic groups have higher chances of entering top tier boarding schools?</p>

5

<p>Definitely not anyone from China- China and South Korea are heavy applicants and are part of the over-represented minority (ORM) category, severely lessening your chances. The German bit may help you, but it probably won’t as you don’t have residency in Germany, which would make you an international applicant from Europe and not China. At this point, you’re part of the ORM category. Under-represented minorities (URM) have higher chances. </p>

6

<p>Like Zimbabwean. </p>

7

<p>Thanks for your replies, guess the ORM makes it even harder. ):
Do you guys think that I would be able to join any of the top 20 boarding schools in the US? And how could I improve?</p>

8

<p>I’m not sure what you are considering the top twenty boarding schools, but the most highly selective ones are just what they say, highly selective and elite.</p>

<p>You probably have decent chances, but no one can give you an honest chance. It depends on the year, the school, and the day, really, along with many other even smaller and more miniscule variables. You do need to have a back-up safety school of any kind to fall back on. You’re not a shoo-in, as the ORM component will really hurt you, to be blunt. There will be phenomenal applicants from all over the world. But relax and get ready, because you’re in for a really great and really stressful few months. Be yourself and let your real talents and strong points shine through your interviews, essays, and teacher recommendations. The rest will fall into place properly.</p>

9

<p>More of the stressful than the great though. :)</p>

10

<p>I think you can get into Choate, my friend who had a 3.0 gpa made it in and he is French-Chinese. But honestly I have no idea for other schools.</p>

11

<p>Thanks pdl100, made me feel a lot better . And Balledtoohard, I think/heard that Choate was more for athletes, but thanks a ton :D. I’m currently considering 3 top boarding schools: Exeter (Exeter seems to like my school), Hotchkiss and Choate (Maybe Andover). My 3 Choices that I believe I could get in are: Peddy, Loomis and Taft :)</p>

12

<p>My parents are SERIOUSLY, stressing me out, my mom keeps forcing me to do things I hate, like participate in next year band, instead of drama and then she tells me I don’t do enough sports, and then she tells me I don’t practice the drums enough, and then she tells me that I don’t do any social activities (She forced me to do one I don’t want to do and where I feel like I don’t really help that much) instead of allowing me to help blind children at a blind house nearby. My dad says I have to do this stuff to get into a boarding school, but they don’t appreciate a single thing, after every soccer practice, which I enjoy and am good at, my mom has to tell me to do more sports and that I am really bad compared to everyone else, etc. Then she has to tell everyone in the family how much stress she has thanks to me, but I don’t need or want her help. She has stress because my sister is heavily sick (rather not go into detail about it), and this makes me feel bad and makes me hate my mom as she cares more about my boarding school (A lot more) than my sister, who will go to a clinic soon.</p>

<p>I don’t know why I posted this…</p>

<p>Is boarding school really this stressful? Cause I’ve been talking and playing a lot less with friends and people who got into boarding schools often tell me how much they did (I have two friends who got into Exeter and Peddie)</p>

13

<p>Don’t do what you hate because you think it will get you in. It won’t. </p>

<p>Trust me, it’s not a good plan. The best options are to find things you feel really passionate about, that are meaningful, that speak to your talents. The AOs will be able to tell if you’re playing a sport because you needed a third, or if you only play the drums because your mother wanted you to. I’m really sorry about your sister, and I can see how stressful this would be. But that’s not the approach to take, for your mother or for you. Sit down and have a serious talk with both your parents, letting them know of your desires and passions. Hopefully they’ll understand. If the school needs a drummer, the school will find the best drummer, and chances are that won’t be you if you’re forced into it- backfiring because you couldn’t follow your passions. Same with sports, music, theatre, etc.</p>

<p>Boarding school is stressful but not in the same way. You’re independent and fill your time and life with things you choose to do: sports you love, theater productions you have the lead in, belonging to a band with friends, enjoying a Saturday night in the dorm. It’s busy and stressful because it’s challenging, not because you’re facing outside difficulties. The application is certainly stressful, but here’s some advice: Things will work out. Come M10, it might not feel that way, but they will. Schools might reject you, or accept you, or waitlist you. It’ll be okay. You will end up where you need to be. You just have to accept that that might be at home.</p>

14

<p>Thanks for your reply :). I’m going to take a practice SSAT today to see how I score and then I’ll make a small schedule for boarding schools. By the way could someone explain to me why there are so many people on the “Prep-School Chances” that have like 10 ECs and have national awards, with honor classes, etc. and still wonder if they will get accepted or not?</p>

15

<p>^ Half of it is advertising and the top 1% of the world posting all over the forum. Don’t worry, there are people who go to these schools with way lower stats and nothing bright in particular, never be turned down. Only believe in yourself and only use them as a small “benchmark” to compare yourself to some of the pool members.</p>

16

<p>Thank you, that reliefs me a lot. I thought they were all like geniuses on this site :D</p>

17

<p>I’m not sure but last time I went to Beijing for Beimun, I heard all these girls from ISB on the elevator talking about how they got into US boarding schools, so I believe the school does seem like a competitive pool.</p>

<p>EDIT: After reading your posts I have a strong feeling that your parents are doing this because they want the brand of the school. I’m gonna have to disagree with your parents, you don’t go to a boarding school to get into some ivy league college, you go for the experiences and opportunities. I see the brand issue with many Asian parents, its nothing new, but if you feel discomfort in getting into a school you are probably doing something wrong. After all its not the end of your possibilities to not get into a boarding school, but rather shows that there are other opportunities to be taken.</p>

18

<p>Umm, not to discourage you, while the applicant pool does NOT actually consist of all top 1% people, the ones that are accepted do have special hooks, if not a great all around application. There aren’t many, if any at all, people that get in with “way lower stats and nothing bright in particular”.</p>

19

<p>While I would agree with the idea that most people posting on CC are admitted, all of them are bright and motivated with strong ECs, good personalities, and wonderful hooks/all-around applications. There’s not one person on CC that I can think of or find who was admitted to a HADES or GLADCHEMMS</p>

20

<p>While I would agree with the idea that most people posting on CC are admitted, all of them are bright and motivated with strong ECs, good personalities, and wonderful hooks/all-around applications. There’s not one person on CC that I can think of or find who was admitted to a HADES or GLADCHEMMS or really any other boarding school with low stats who didn’t have a hook.</p>

<p>Schools are building classes while also being a business of sorts. A school looks at each application and distinguishes highlights and low points, trying to figure out whether they would fit. There are always going to be students who didn’t necessarily make the SSAT or grade mark but who met the athletic or legacy mark, or they might be the child of a rich and famous. It doesn’t mean those people deserve to be there any less. If you have low stats for a school, by all means apply but don’t get caught up in thinking you’ll get accepted.</p>