Some background info: I’m Asian, applying to 9th grade, My Upper Level ISEE Score is - 79% for vocab, 81% for Reading comprehension, 94% for Quantitive Reasoning, and 96% for Math Achievement, although I’m not sure this year they need student scores. My grades for school are all A’s and my teachers like me so my recommendations are fine. I’m also taking my math course 2 years ahead of what normal students are. I’m learning Spanish and I’m ok at Chinese. I have a few EC’s. My first is Piano where I won an All-State Award in Austin. Then I have cello where I started as a beginner in my school orchestra and made the top group in just one year, and my school orchestra is pretty competitive and I also compete in region, I made 10th best middle school player last year in my whole region which is one of the biggest and most competitive. I also do Debate. I break at multiple high school tournaments and I’m passionate about doing it in the future. Finally, tennis, my last EC, not very well but I’ve made Champs in USTA and my school tennis team was cancelled due to covid-19. My essay skills are pretty decent, I know there isn’t a exact probability to see if I get in, what is a rough estimate as how well I could do?
A math course two years ahead of your peers could be a lot of things. What course are you taking?
We’ve been told point blank by at least two of these schools and hinted at strongly by another that they expect scores from domestic students. They don’t expect you to ride an alligator across a dessert to get them, but that “no tests” is aimed at international students or those with special circumstances. You might want to inquire further.
You seem like you have an interesting skill set but you need to apply to some programs that are less selective
I’m taking 10th grade Geometry in 8th grade, should I be applying to less selective ones? I’m also applying a private school near me that is much less selective, I am confident I will get in but I don’t want to count my chickens until they’re hatched.
Let me preface this by saying I am not a boarding school parent yet, so anything I say you should take with a big grain of salt. But I would say you should definitely apply to more schools than Andover/Exeter, including some less selective ones, if you really want to go to boarding school.
My own son, an 8th grader applying to the Andovers and Exeters of the country, is somewhat similar to you but with the following differences: virtually all As (like you) but taking Honors Algebra 2, as he took Honors Geometry last year as a 7th grader; cello, like you, but among the best string players in our very musical state, and even among the very best at a prestigious, well-known international music summer camp for two recent summers; advanced in Mandarin Chinese, but with completely Caucasian parents with no background in Chinese language or culture; an overall SSAT percentile of 99%; good athletic ability plus a strong desire to play basketball, where he might be good enough to be a contributor (not a star, but a good 7th or 8th guy) as a junior and senior at a boarding school; plus he has some other qualities that should help, including some community engagement and good soft skills. And we think even he is only 50/50 to get into any one of the top five or 10 boarding schools in terms of reputation.
@dfhsfe you have very good extracurriculars. Are you planning to take SSAT as well?
Thank you! I think you’re allowed to either take the ISEE or SSAT and ISEE is known to be more easier on the english side and harder on the math side so I took the ISEE because english is not my strongest subject.