What are my chances of getting into Andover?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

So im a 9th grader applying for 10th grade at Phillips academy,
would you people mind judging my application?

(note: i follow the english curriculum, so i do GCSEs)

the subjects i take:
compulsory: Maths, English Language, Spanish
optional: English Literature, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Business studies, Geography
extra (in my free time) : Art, ICT (these are done at lunch and after school)
-note: average score is around 95% for english, maths and the sciences, its higher, but for business studies, its lower. (around 80%)

After school:
I do two hours of Karate on tuesdays and fridays
i am a red-black belt in taekwondo (9years) (though ive stopped doing it, as there are no clubs nearby)
i do ninjutsu for two hours on saturdays
I do a course called “the duke of edinburgh” which involves having to do a certain number of hours of community service, skill and a sport every week, in order to gain an award
I play the piano (for 4 years now)
I have experience with the violin (two years, but ive now stopped)
i do public speaking for two hours a week.
I scuba dive during the warmer months
I swim for three hours weekly during the summer
Finally, i have art lessons once a week.
(these are the majority of clubs and programs offered where i live, its a very small town)

Other:
i speak English and chinese fluently, and are learning spanish
I’m technically Irish ( i hold an irish passport, and i am a citizen)
Im Half chinese, an eighth english and three-eighths Irish, but i live in spain. (so i am applying as an international student)
I have not yet done the SSAT exam (im doing it this saturday, wish me luck!)
I won a competition to study in cambridge for two weeks over the summer
ive had no detentions or negative marks on my record for the past three or four years
I do peer tutoring in my class. (its 15 minutes in the mornings, helping my classmates with maths, english and chemistry)
I love photography, but i dont go to a club, but i am passionate about it
i think the interview went well…
I came second in a national art competition a few years ago
I learn computer programming outside of school (by myself, i dont go to a club)
I won a karate award for “best starter” last year.
I think im going to be getting pretty good recommendations from my teachers, especially my english teacher.
Last year, in the swimming gala, i won two of the three races i participated in, and came third in the other (out of six)

Sorry about this very long-winded post, but it’d be brilliant if any of you could give me an honest opinion on my chances of getting in.
if its not looking too good, then please do comment any suggestions on improvements.
Many thanks.

2

Hey! I’m sort of in the same boat so I’m not sure how helpful I can be but you seem to be doing quite well. While you have diversity in your ECs, I don’t think you really have much of a “hook” per say. However, being an (incredibly) international student is quite helpful (or so I’ve heard) so I think you’ve got a good shot! Good luck!

3

thank you so much, and good luck to you too!
what would be a “hook”, for example?

4

Here’s a thread that discusses hooks: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/814267-what-is-a-hook.html

5

Thank you!

6

best of luck to you! :slight_smile:

7

on another note, i got 85% for the grade-gender percentile… i understand it isnt a high score, but my interviewer understands that the test follows a curriculum very different from my own, and i have have very little time to prepare.

8

(on the SSAT, of course)

9

As long as your ECs can back you up (and they’re pretty good), I think your SSAT score should be okay. However, if you are an ORM, academic expectations are (unfortunately) generally higher…

10

hmm. okay then. Would half chinese, half Irish (but living in spain) be counted as an ORM?? @SeattleDreamer

11

You are an international applicant. That is already a disadvantage. You are not further disadvantaged by being an ORM.

On the flip side, being URM and international provides no bump; URM only applies to domestic applicants.

12

@skieurope why is being an international applicant disadvantageous? Also @LilyPatrick I’m pretty sure being half-Irish makes you not an ORM

13

@SeattleDreamer Depends on the school, but many/most limit the percentage of international students.

No, but half-Chinese does.

14

@skieurope oh, I wasn’t aware of that, thanks!

15

@skieurope Ah, i see. well, thank you for clearing that up for me…

16

You would have a good chance if your SSAT is >95. Your chances are still OK if you have 90-95.

17

But honestly, if you’re a good student and you have a good personality (and it seems like you possess both of those characteristics), Andover will want you.

18

hopefully… but don’t many students possess those characteristics too? @smsstudent

19

@smsstudent My SSAT score was below even that! But there are reasons why, and the AOs know that ( i think…)